HS Basketball Star Liam McNeeley to decide on Sunday between Indiana Men’s Basketball and the University of Kansas for College
At long last, the wait is finally over. Or at least it will be on Sunday, Oct. 15, when 2024 five-star forward Liam McNeeley announces his college decision. McNeeley has been heavily pursued on the recruiting trail by coach Mike Woodson and the Indiana Hoosiers for a long time now. Indiana is the projected favorite to land McNeeley, though he is also still considering coach Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks. McNeeley is ranked as the No. 15 overall best high school basketball prospect in the class of 2024 by 247 Sports, and No. 13 overall by ESPN. According to a source with AAU tracking data, McNeeley averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 17 games played for the Florida Rebels during Nike EYBL play. He also shot 37.5 percent from three on 4.7 attempts per game during that stretch.
McNeeley is playing his upcoming high school basketball season at Montverde Academy. There, he is teammates with another 2024 five-star and Indiana basketball recruiting target in Derik Queen. He’s also teammates at Montverde with Cooper Flagg, who is the consensus No. 1 overall ranked high school basketball player in the class of 2024. Woodson and his staff clearly have a strong connection to the high school basketball powerhouse. Indiana landed Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau out of Montverde in the class of 2022, and from McNeeley and Queen to Asa Newell and Curtis Givens, the Hoosiers have recruited many basketball players from that program this past year.
Indiana University Volleyball host #15 at a Sold-Out Wilkinson Hall
The Monon Spike will be up for grabs as Indiana and Purdue clash for the first of two matches in a seven-day span this evening at Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington at 6:00pm. The Indiana Volleyball team (13-6, 3-3) will look to beat its in-state rivals for the first time since 2012 and recapture the traveling Monon Spike for the first time since 2007. The Hoosiers have never beaten a ranked team at home since opening the doors to Wilkinson Hall in 2019. With a victory, IU would move into fourth place in the Big Ten. A win would also ensure IU’s best 20-game start to a regular season since 2010.
Purdue comes to Bloomington having won back-to-back contests last week against Iowa and Illinois at home. IU took No. 14 Penn State to five sets on the road before going to Maryland and sweeping the Terrapins. Connor Onion (PxP) and Bloomington Native Emily Ehman (Color) will have the call from Wilkinson Hall on the Big Ten Network, set to be broadcasted at 6:00pm as part of BTN’s Wednesday Night Volleyball doubleheader. This match is sold out to the general public with no tickets available at the door. Students and staff with a valid Crimson Card will have access to a limited number of tickets.
The Hoosiers sit at 13-6 (3-3) heading into the weekend’s competition. On the season, IU has quality wins at Miami (FL) and Maryland. All six losses have come to teams who have won national titles before and are top-60 RPI programs. IU tested itself early in the season with a trip to the Long Beach Invitational. A tough weekend at The Beach, which featured three defeats and eight of nine set loss by four of fewer points, was a strong litmus test for the Hoosiers in the early going of the season. With a straight sweep of opponents at the Stacheville Challenge and four wins at the 305 Challenge, IU won seven-straight contests heading into Big Ten play. The Hoosiers’ only losses in the Big Ten have come at No. 1 Wisconsin, vs. No. 2 Nebraska and at No. 14 Penn State. Those three teams are a combined 18-0 in Big Ten play and sit first through third in the conference standings. IU is searching for its best 20-game start to a season since beginning 15-5 in the 2010 campaign. The Hoosiers possess three conference wins already this season including sweeps of Iowa and Maryland and a four-set victory over Illinois. A win over No. 15 Purdue would give IU its first 4-3 start to Big Ten play since 1993.
Purdue leads the all-time series 76-34 with the Boilermakers winning the last meeting 3-1 on October 30, 2022. The Boilermakers are led by two outstanding left-side attackers in sophomore Eva Hudson and freshman Chloe Chicoine. Libero Maddie Schermerhorn is fourth in the Big Ten in digs (257) and second in digs per set (4.21). Raven Colvin is second in the conference in blocks (79) and paces a strong Purdue defense. Purdue comes into match 10-5 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten. Head Coach Dave Shondell is in 21st season as Purdue Head Coach with a 445-222 Record in West Lafayette which includes 17 NCAA Tournament. Appearances.
Indiana University Women’s Soccer player Piper Coffield named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the Second Time
Indiana freshman defender Piper Coffield earns her second Freshmen of the Week honor after the Hoosiers shutout in-state rival Purdue, 1-0, to take home The Golden Boot on Sunday afternoon, the league announced on Tuesday. Coffield made her 14th career start, playing 90 minutes on the pitch in their first win over Purdue since 2014. The Mars, Penn., native helped hold the Boilermakers to only two shots on goal in the Hoosiers’ eighth clean sheet of the season. She is the third freshman to win two Freshmen of the Week awards in the same season. She last won the award on Aug. 29 after two shutout wins over Morehead State and Evansville. The Hoosiers will play their last two remaining home matches of the regular season with Michigan State on Thursday at 7pm and the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday at 3pm. Both matches will be live on B1G+.
Indiana University Men’s Soccer player Samuel Sarver named Big Ten Player of the Week
Indiana men’s soccer junior forward Samuel Sarver was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday the conference office announced. Sarver created chance after chance for Indiana last week in two matches, totaling 10 shots and five on goal. His week was highlighted by a two-goal performance in IU’s 2-1 win at No. 19 Penn State on Saturday. On Monday, Sarver was named to the College Soccer News Team of the Week. Both honors were firsts for the third year forward who was named a Big Ten Player to Watch in preseason and a member of the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2021. Sarver leads Indiana in goals with five, which also ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten. The Chesterland, Ohio, native has scored 16 goals and recorded 10 assists in his career, totaling 42 points. Sarver and the Hoosiers return to action this evening welcoming in-state foe Evansville to Bill Armstrong Stadium at 7pm before returning to Big Ten Conference action on Sunday versus Ohio State at Noon.
Indiana University Field Hockey falls to #5 Louisville
Indiana Field Hockey fell in a tight battle on a late goal to No. 5 Louisville, 1-0, on Tuesday afternoon at Deborah Tobias Field. After the loss, Indiana falls to 5-8 on the year. Indiana’s defense played at a high-level all game, holding the game to 0-0 through the first three quarters. Louisville drew back-to-back penalty corners in the 40th minute, Indiana junior goalkeeper Arabella Loveridge made saves on both plays to keep the game scoreless. Louisville’s Julie Kouijzer scored the game’s lone goal in the 54th minute off a penalty corner. Indiana drew a penalty corner in the 56th minute. Graduate student Sarah Charley got a good look and fired a shot on goal, but it was saved. Loveridge made six saves in the game. Five different Hoosiers recorded a shot. Three of Indiana’s five shots were on goal. IU will be back in action Friday at 3pm when they take on No. 3 Iowa at Deborah Tobias Field.
Indiana University Men’s Basketball player Xavier Johnson named All-Big Ten second team by Fox Sports
Sixth-year Senior Guard Xavier Johnson was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Second Team by Fox Sports on Monday afternoon. Johnson, who was limited to just 11 games in 2022-23 due to a foot injury, was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. In 45 games with Indiana, the former Pitt Panther has averaged 11.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest. The Woodbridge, Va., native has made 165-of-405 (40.7%) of his shots, 46-of-121 (38.0%) from the 3-point line, and 146-of-186 (78.5%) of his free throws for the Cream and Crimson. In total, Johnson has tallied 1,674 points during his collegiate career to go with 641 assists, 475 rebounds, and 177 steals.
In 2021-22, his lone complete season with Indiana, Johnson was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention by the conference’s voting media. He led the Hoosiers in assists (172) and steals (40) while finishing second on the team with 12.1 points per game. Over the final 17 games of the season, Johnson produced 14.2 points and 5.9 assists per night while shooting 41.4% from long range. He tallied 16.7 points per game in Indiana’s three-game march in the Big Ten Tournament.
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