#2 Purdue pays a visit to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall to take on Indiana Men’s Basketball
#2 Purdue Boilermakers will take on the Indiana Hoosiers tonight at 7pm inside a sold-out and energetic Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall with the game televised on Peacock. The Boilermakers are 15-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten while Indiana comes in with 12-5 overall record and 4-2 in the Big Ten. Purdue leads the all-time series 125-92 but Indiana swept the season series in 2023 winning 79-74 on February 4, in Bloomington when Purdue was ranked number 1 and February 25, 79-71 in West Lafayette. The Hoosiers have won three of the last four meetings with a win January 20, 2022, in Bloomington 68-65. Purdue beat Indiana 69-67 in West Lafayette on March 5, 2022. Purdue dominated the series from 2014-2021 winning 12 out of 13 with the Hoosiers only win coming on February 20, 2016, when they won 77-73 at home.
Both Head Coaches have both played and coached in this rivalry and are Indiana Natives. Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter for Hall of Famer Gene Keady from 1989-1993 and was 3-5 against the Hoosiers including a 1-3 in record in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Painter has been the head coach since 2005 when he took over for Keady and is 19-12 against the Hoosiers as head coach including an 8-8 in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Painter is 428-200 in his 19th season in West Lafayette. Painter is 213-122 in the Big Ten with 14 NCAA Tournament Appearances and 1 trip to the College Basketball Invitational and 16 winning seasons. Painter coached one season at Southern Illinois from 2004-05 going 25-5 and 17-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference and trip to the NCAA Tournament. Painter has won four Big Ten Regular Season titles, 2 Big Ten Tournament titles and the Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Title in 2005. Painter graduated from Delta High School in Muncie in 1989 and was a 1989 Indiana All Star. He started 59 of the 109 games he appeared in with 75-45 record with three 3 NCAA Tournament Appearances and one trip the Postseason NIT and was inducted in 2022 to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Indiana Head Coach Mike Woodson played for hall of famer Bob Knight from 1976-1980 going 4-6 all time against Purdue as a player including 3-1 record in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Woodson scored 2,061 points and was selected 12th overall by the New York Knicks in the 1980 NBA Draft and played 11 seasons in the NBA scoring 10,981 points and 5 playoff appearances. Woodson led the Hoosiers to two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1978 and 1980 and the 1979 Postseason NIT Title over Purdue 53-52 in New York City on March 21st, 1979 but the Boilermakers beat the Hoosiers 76-69 in the second round of the 1980 NCAA Tournament on March 13 in Woodson’s final game at Indiana. Woodson is in his third season as head coach at his alma mater with 56-31 record and 25-21 Big Ten Record with two NCAA Tournament Appearances. Woodson is 3-1 against Purdue as a head coach. Woodson was a 1976 Indiana All Star from Broad Ripple HS in Indianapolis and was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Purdue has 11 players from the State of Indiana on their roster including Mason Gillis-New Castle HS Brothers Caleb and Josh Furst-Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian, Fletcher Loyer-Homestead, Braden Smith-Westfield Trey Kaufman-Renn-Silver Creek, Myles Colvin-Heritage Christian, Brian Waddell-Carmel, Sam King-Columbus North, Jace Rayl-Kokomo and Carson Barrett-Lafayette Central Catholic. Indiana has five players on their roster including Anthony Leal-Bloomington South, C.J. Gunn-Lawrence North, Payton Sparks-Winchester, Ian Stephens-New Palestine and Trey Galloway Culver Academies. Leal won Indiana Mr. Basketball in 2020 followed by Caleb Furst in 2021 and Smith in 2022.
Indiana will have to contend with 7-4 300 Pound Zach Edey who averages 22.3 points and 10.9 rebounds along with 2.3 blocks per game which are all team highs through 17 games. Edey has 10 double-doubles this season and has scored all 17 games in double figures with two 35-point performances against Northwestern in Evanston on December 1, and Alabama on December 9, in his hometown of Toronto, Ontario Canada. Braden Smith is averaging 12.4 points along with a team leading 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Lance Jones who is transfer from Southern Illinois is averaging 11.3 points and Fletcher Loyer adds 11 points per game. Purdue averages 85 points per game and committing 12.2 turnovers per game.
Indiana is led in scoring by Sophomore Malik Reneau averaging 16.3 points per game, Kel’el Ware is averaging 14.8 points along with a team leading 9.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. The Seven-Footer gives 4 inches and 58 pounds to Edey but he is quicker getting up and down the floor and hitting the outside shot where Edey will posting and defending down low for the entire game. Trey Galloway is averaging 10.3 points and a team leading 3.9 assists per game. Freshman Mackenzie Mgbako is averaging 10.2 points per game after tying a career high 19 points against Minnesota Friday Night. The Hoosiers average 74.4 points per game and committing 12.4 turnovers per game.
These two schools are separated by 115 miles. Indiana has won five NCAA Championships, 41 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 NIT Championship, 6 NIT appearances, 22 Big Ten Regular Season Titles, 42 All Americans, 15 Consensus 1st team All Americans, 2 National Players of the Year, 6 Big Ten Players of the Year and 6 Big Ten Coach of Year. Purdue has 34 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 NIT Championship, 8 NIT appearances, 1 National Title Before 1939 when the NCAA Championships began, 25 Big Ten Regular Season Championships, 2 Big Ten Tournament Championships, 46 All-Americans, 26 Consensus All-Americans, 2 National Players of the Year, 5 Big Ten Coaches of Year and 11 Big Ten Coaches of the Year.
Mike Woodson spoke with the Media on Monday via Zoom and he knows that this rivalry just means more. “It does. They want to beat us as badly and we want to beat them” Woodson Said. “It has been that way for a long time and I think it’s great for college basketball. They have their fan base and we have our fan base. When you go there, it’s the same way. You can’t ask for bigger games like this. Like i said this is what fans want to see. It’s good for college basketball” Woodson said. And the latest chapter goes down tonight with the rematch coming inside Mackey Arena on February 10.
Indiana University Women’s Tennis opens season with wins over Bellarmine and Butler
Indiana women’s tennis defeated Bellarmine, 5-2, in the second match of their season opener at the IU Tennis Center on Monday afternoon. Indiana’s No. 1 doubles Lara Schneider and Lene Mari Hovda got the first doubles point with a 6-2 win. No. 3 doubles Nicole Teodsescu and Sarah L’allier clinched the doubles point for the Hoosiers with a 6-3 victory. In their second match of the day, the six-freshman stepped up to the challenge in the singles round. L’Allier defeated her opponent in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. Magdalena Swierczynska secured the win in No. 3 singles while teammate Elisabeth Dunac defeated her opponent in the No. 2 spot. The Hoosiers are now 2-0 to start the season.
Indiana women’s tennis defeated Butler 7-0 at the season opener at the IU Tennis Center Monday Morning. Indiana started off strong in the season opener after they went up 1-0 with wins from No. 1 doubles redshirt-junior Lara Schneider and Graduate Lene Mari Hovda and No. 3 doubles duo sophomore Nicole Teodosecsu and freshman Sarah L’Allier won the first two matches. Freshman Elisabeth Dunac won her first match in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4, as a Hoosier to extend the lead. Hovda extended the Hoosiers lead after winning her first singles match with the Hoosiers. Schneider won her match in the No. 1 singles to give the Hoosiers the clinching point. Freshmen Magdalena Swierczynska also earned her first win as a Hoosier in the No. 6 singles.
Indiana University Men’s Basketball Signee Liam McNeely named game MVP at the Spaulding Hoop Hall Classic
Liam McNeeley led Montverde onto the floor and then led the Eagles to a monster win in an absolutely loaded game. The five-star class of 2024 Indiana signee scored a game-high 22 points, shot 4-for-5 from 3-point range, and played a strong overall game to lead national No. 1 Montverde (Florida) past national No. 7 Prolific Prep (California) 76-71. McNeeley was named game MVP, which was announced postgame in the gym by Ice Cube.
The game at the Hoop Hall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts featured 11 national top-100 players, and the No. 1 players in the country in the 2024 (Cooper Flagg), 2025 (AJ Dybantsa) and 2026 (Tyran Stokes) classes. McNeeley added three rebounds, three assists, two steals as well while playing 32 minutes. IU 2024 recruiting target five-star center Derik Queen had 18 points, shot 7-for-11 from the floor, and added six rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist for Montverde.
McNeeley continues to show a number of things, including that he is an outstanding shot maker. In the five EYBL Scholastic games Montverde has played, McNeeley is shooting 56 percent (15-for-27) from 3-point range with 3.0 makes per game from the arc. On Sunday night at Springfield College, McNeely scored six of Montverde’s first eight points on 3s. He had a tremendous corner 3 with a defender flying at him. At halftime, Montverde led 41-32 behind 12 points from Flagg and 11 from McNeeley. McNeeley had a big-time take from just to the left of the key for a two-handed slam. He later had another strong drive that the finished at the rim. McNeeley had a perfect pass to Curtis Givens in the corner for a 3-pointer that put the Eagles up 74-69 with under 90 seconds to play. He hit two free throws in the final 25.4 seconds. McNeeley went head-to-head with 2025 No. 1 AJ Dybantsa for a stretch and head-to-head with 2026 No. 1 Tyran Stokes for a stretch.
Queen, a 6-foot-10 center, early in the game went coast to coast and finished with a reverse layup, showing the unreal ball skills he has for a center. Queen later battled national No. 32 2024 prospect Aiden Sherrell for an offensive rebound, scored, got fouled, but had a rare free throw miss. Queen had a dribble move to the post, bumped Sherrell and scored off the glass. Queen picked up his third foul with 6:43 to play in the third quarter, but Montverde kept him in the game, and Queen showed how he can be disciplined on defense, picking up only one more foul the rest of the way.
Former Indiana University Men’s Soccer Player Lee Nguyen named Assistant Coach of NWSL’s Angel City FC
Angel City FC announced the hiring of Former Indiana University Men’s Soccer player Lee Nguyen as assistant coach as well as the promotion of Eleri Earnshaw from assistant coach to first assistant. Nguyen will join Earnshaw and Technical Assistant Coach Mykell Bates on the staff under Becki Tweed in her first full season as the club’s head coach. “We’re happy to announce these staffing changes ahead of our upcoming season,” said ACFC Head Coach Becki Tweed. “Lee has an incredible playing background as well as solid coaching experience that will be a great addition to our existing staff. I am also thrilled for Eleri, as this promotion is so well deserved. Her support and expertise have been invaluable, and I am excited to build on everything we did last season as we head into the 2024 season.” “We strive to have the best supporting staff for our players and for Becki in her first full year at the helm,” said ACFC General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano. “Having coaches that players greatly respect and want to play for elevates this team and will lead us to another successful season.”
Lee Nguyen comes to the club after spending a year as an assistant coach with the Kansas City Current. Prior, he had a two-year stint with the Washington Spirit, including the team’s NWSL Championship win in 2021. Nguyen’s playing career took him to the Netherlands, Denmark, and Vietnam in addition to appearing in over 250 MLS matches. He made his US Men’s National Team debut in 2007 and was rostered for several matches, making his final appearance for the team in October 2015. His nine-year MLS career began with the New England Revolution in 2012 and includes an 18-goal season in 2014, an MLS record for midfielders that made him a finalist for the league MVP. He was named team captain in 2016 and was ranked fifth in the league in overall goals before being traded to LAFC in 2018 where he won the 2019 Supporters Shield. Nguyen is no stranger to expansion teams as he was selected to Inter Miami FC the following year before returning to New England to conclude his time playing in the US. Nguyen played one season at Indiana University in 2005 scoring 5 goals along with 12 assists in 22 games. Nguyen was 2005 National Freshman of the Year selected by Soccer America and Soccer Times along with first team all-Big-Ten and the Big Ten Freshman of year before turning professional after one season in Bloomington. “I’m looking forward to returning to Los Angeles and joining Angel City FC,” said Nguyen. I’m excited to begin working with the rest of our technical staff and players and to rejoin this incredible soccer community.”
#21 Indiana University Wrestling shutout at #1 Penn State
No. 1 Penn State topped No. 21 Indiana, 46-0, on Sunday afternoon in Rec Hall. Indiana’s season record now stands at 3-2 and 0-2 in the Big Ten. Penn State opened the match with wins by major decision and tech fall to start up 9-0. The match at 141 lbs. between Indiana’s No. 23 Dan Fongaro and Penn State’s No. 2 Beau Bartlett went down to the wire, even at 1-1 in the final 30 seconds before Bartlett scored on a late takedown and a four-point near fall to win by decision, 8-1. Isaac Thornton (133) made his first dual appearance of his career. Michael Spangler (125) made his first career Big Ten dual appearance. The Hoosiers will be home for their next three duals as they host Maryland, Purdue and Michigan State in three consecutive weekends. Indiana Wrestling will take the mat again when it hosts Maryland for a 2 p.m. dual on Sunday in Wilkinson Hall.
Indiana Pacers fall to the Denver Nuggets Sunday afternoon
Nikola Jokic recorded 25 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists, finishing an assist shy of his 13th triple-double of the season, to help lead the Denver Nuggets to a 117-109 victory against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray matched Jokic with 25 points apiece for the Nuggets, who shot a season-high 64.8% from the field and had all five starters finish in double figures. Aaron Gordon added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who improved to 17-4 at home this season. Jokic made 12 of his 13 field-goal attempts. The two-time NBA MVP is shooting 81% (85 of 105) from the field over his past nine games.
The offensive output was enough to overcome a sloppier-than-usual performance for the reigning NBA champions, who finished with a season-worst 21 turnovers and allowed 14 offensive rebounds, off of which the Pacers got 20 second-chance points. The victory was Denver’s 14th in its past 18 games. Indiana, which had won nine of its past 11 games, fell to 2-2 since losing star Tyrese Haliburton to a strained left hamstring. In a matchup of the NBA’s top scoring offense against its No. 2 scoring defense, the Pacers, who entered the day averaging an NBA-best 126.6 points per game, were held to 17.6 points below their season average. Indiana was also limited to seven fast-break points after averaging 17.2 per game in its first 38 games, the second-best mark in the league.
The Nuggets trailed by four in the third quarter, but recovered and built a nine-point lead after a Christian Braun basket with 9:16 remaining in the fourth. In his return to Denver, where he helped lead the Nuggets to the franchise’s first NBA championship last season, Bruce Brown had 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Pacers. Before the game, Brown was presented with his championship ring and mobbed by his former teammates, with the crowd serenading him with chants of his name. Indiana was without forward Aaron Nesmith, who’s making 46.6% of his 3-pointers this season, the fourth-best mark in the NBA.
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