Indiana University Men’s Basketball travels to Ohio State in hopes of a turnaround after a bad home loss
The Indiana Hoosiers face the Ohio State Buckeyes at 7pm this evening inside Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio with the game streaming on Peacock. The Hoosiers are looking for the season sweep after beating the Buckeyes 71-65 on January 6. Malik Reneau scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half. Xavier Johnson had 18 points and did not commit a turnover in that game. The Buckeyes were down by two with 1:44 left when the Hoosiers scored the final four points of the game. Jamison Battle led the way for Ohio State with 17 points, Zed Key added 11 points and Felix Okpara pulled down 15 rebounds to go with 6 Points. Buckeye Guards Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr scored a combined 18 points on 7-34 shooting from the field, 0-12 from three-point range and 4-4 from the free throw line in the first meeting with the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers lead the all-time series 111-88 and have won the last two meetings. The Hoosiers have lost the last four in Columbus dating back to 2018. Indiana last won in Columbus on March 4, 2017, 96-92.
Indiana is coming off a disappointing 85-71 loss at home to Penn State on Saturday afternoon. The Hoosiers led 41-37 at halftime and led by 11 points at one time in the first half only to get outscored 48-30 in the second half and sent many Hoosier fans to the exits early. Kel’el Ware scored 25 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, Malik Reneau added 16 points, Mackenize Mgbako added 13 points and Trey Galloway added 12 points. The Hoosiers gave up 12 three pointers to Penn State and committed 13 turnovers whereas the Nittany Lions only committed six turnovers. Indiana is 13-9 overall and 5-6 in the Big Ten and have lost four of their last five games. Indiana is 1-4 in true road games and have lost the last four on the road after beating Michigan on December 5, in the Big Ten road opener.
Malik Reneau leads the team with 16 points per game. Kel’el Ware is averaging 15.3 points along with a team leading 9.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Mackenize Mgbako is averaging 11 points per game and Trey Galloway is averaging 10.5 points along with a team leading 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Freshman Gabe Cupps returns to his home state as the Dayton native is averaging 21.7 minutes, 2.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 1 turnover per game. Cupps has been Xavier Johnson’s replacement in the lineup with Johnson out with an elbow injury he suffered against Iowa a week ago. Cupps has done a good job handling the ball and playing in your face defense to become a fan favorite. The Hoosiers are averaging 73.5 points and committing 12 turnovers per game. The Hoosiers are shooting 47% from the field, 33% from three-point range and 66% from the free throw line.
Ohio State is coming off a 79-77 lost at Iowa last Friday night. Jamison Battle led the way with 17 points, Felix Okpara and Bruce Thornton added 14 points a piece along with 12 points from Roddy Gayle Jr. The Buckeyes led 38-36 at halftime and Iowa outscored Ohio State 43-39 in the second half. The Buckeyes finished the game 27-58 from the field for 46%, 7-16 from three-point range for 43% and 16-21 from the free throw line for 76%. The Buckeyes pulled down 30 rebounds, dished out 15 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks and committed 10 turnovers.
Ohio State is 13-9 overall and 3-8 in the Big Ten with a four-game losing streak. Ohio State has lost seven of their last eight games with that first loss coming at Indiana in early January. Bruce Thornton leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points along with 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals. Jamison Battle averages 14.2 points and Roddy Gayle Jr. averages 14 points per game. Felix Okpara averages 6.6 points and leads the team with 7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. The Buckeyes average 75.2 points and commit 10.3 turnovers per game. The Buckeyes are shooting 44% from the field, 34% from three-point range and 75% from the free throw line.
Indiana University Football lands Carmel Offensive Lineman Evan Parker for 2025
IU football picked up a commitment from in-state offensive lineman Evan Parker on Monday afternoon. The 6-foot-4 and 295-pound Parker announced the news on his social media accounts. “1000% Committed! B-Town Let’s Rock,” Parker said. Based on the average of On3 and 247Sports, Parker is a 3-star recruit, the No. 646 overall player in the 2025 class, and the No. 67 interior offensive lineman. The Carmel H.S. product was named to the Junior All-State team following the 2023 season.
Parker spoke with 247Sports national reporter Steve Wiltfong about the decision. “It was just the culture and what they’re going to be doing there is insane,” Parker told Wiltfong. “I cannot emphasize that’s a brand-new program and they’re not messing around.” Parker had offers from Akron, Ball State, Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Colorado State, Illinois State, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, Western Michigan and others. He had interest from schools like Notre Dame, Nebraska, Iowa State, and Wisconsin. Parker is the second 2025 player to commit to Indiana and new head coach Curt Cignetti. He joins Illinois offensive lineman Matt Marek.
Indiana University Cross Country Teams named USTFCCCA All-Academic The Indiana Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country programs have been named an All-Academic Team, the United States Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association announced this week. In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period. The women’s team posted a 3.478 during the season while the men held a 3.253. As a team, both squads earned the team award by the USTFCCCA. Indiana was one of the 11 Big Ten teams that were on honored on both the men’s and women’s side.
Indiana Pacers get a road win against the Charlotte Hornets
Pascal Siakam had 25 points, nine assists and eight rebounds and the Indiana Pacers overcame a career-high 35 points from Hornets rookie Brandon Miller to beat Charlotte 115-99 on Sunday night and snap a three-game skid. Aaron Nesmith added 22 points and Myles Turner had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers (28-23), who held the Hornets to 39.8% shooting from the field and 27.6% from beyond the arc. Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points in 20 minutes while remaining on a minute’s restriction due to a lingering hamstring injury. The Pacers are home at 7pm this evening hosting the Houston Rockets.
Miller finished 10 of 25 from the field, 10 of 12 from the foul line and had five 3s for the Hornets. P.J. Washington added 22 points for Charlotte (10-38), which has lost seven straight games, five of those by double digits. The Pacers wasted little time jumping on a Hornets team playing without LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Mark Williams and Cody Martin, building a 26-13 lead after the first quarter. The Pacers held the Hornets to 5-of-25 shooting in the opening quarter. Indiana led by 24 in the third quarter, but the Hornets would cut the lead to 10 early in the fourth quarter behind Miller, who had 27 points in the second half. But the Hornets could never get within striking distance, and the Pacers pushed the lead back to 17 after Nesmith stole a pass at midcourt and cashed in with an emphatic breakaway two-handed dunk with 5:36 left. Miles Bridges had a rough night for the Hornets, finishing 8 of 23 from the floor while missing six layups.
#2 Purdue Men’s Basketball extends its win streak to seven with a road win at #6 Wisconsin
Lance Jones scored 20 points, Zach Edey joined another exclusive club and No. 2 Purdue beat No. 6 Wisconsin 75-69 on Sunday for its seventh consecutive victory. Purdue (21-2, 10-2) took the lead for good midway through the first half. It extended its Big Ten lead to 1½ games as Wisconsin (16-6, 8-3) lost its second straight. Braden Smith added 19 points for the Boilermakers. Edey had 18 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. The 7-foot-4 center has 201 career blocks, joining Patrick Ewing and David Robinson as the only players in NCAA history to combine 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 200 blocks while shooting at least 60% from the field. This marked the NCAA-leading 74th straight game in which Edey scored in double figures. Edey had broken Rick Mount’s 54-year-old school record in that category Wednesday by scoring 30 points in a 105-96 overtime victory over Northwestern.
Tyler Wahl scored a season-high 20 points for Wisconsin and also had seven rebounds and five assists. AJ Storr added 14 points on 4-for-15 shooting. Smith scored seven points and Jones added five during a 12-3 Purdue run that turned a 17-14 deficit into a 26-20 advantage, putting the Boilermakers ahead for good. Purdue extended the lead to 10 with 14:35 left when Edey dunked on a lob from Fletcher Loyer. Wahl converted an offensive rebound off his own missed 3-point attempt to cut Purdue’s lead to 59-57 with 4:46 remaining. Edey then missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity for the second time in the second half, but Mason Gillis got the offensive rebound to set up Jones’ driving layup with 4:15 remaining.
Wisconsin trailed 66-61 when Chucky Hepburn got a midcourt steal with 1½ minutes left, but Hepburn missed a layup attempt and Connor Essegian missed a deep 3-point attempt. Jones then made a driving layup attempt with 59 seconds left to give Purdue all the breathing room it would need, though the Boilermakers got some good fortune in the last 30 seconds. Smith appeared to commit a turnover right around the time he got fouled, leading to two free throws with 27 seconds left. Loyer later appeared to travel on an inbounds pass that resulted in an Edey dunk, but no violation was called.
Indiana Fever’s Allyiah Boston named to the United States Women’s Olympic Basketball Qualifying Team Tournament Roster
Following a three-day training camp in Brooklyn, New York, USA Basketball announced Sunday the 2024 USA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament Team which will compete at the 2024 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament from Feb. 8-11 in Antwerp, Belgium. The 2024 USA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Team includes Ariel Atkins, Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Rhyne Howard, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd of Notre Dame, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Alyssa Thomas and Princeton Indiana native and Notre Dame Graduate Jackie Young.
Five-time Olympic champion Taurasi (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) is one of seven Olympians on the roster, including Atkins (2020), Collier (2020), Loyd (2020), Plum (2020, 3×3), Stewart (2016, 2020) and Young (2020, 3×3). Additionally, Atkins, Copper, Ionescu, Loyd, Plum, Stewart and Thomas were members of the gold-medal-winning 2022 USA Women’s World Cup Team. Boston and Howard, both of whom have previous USA Basketball experience, will make their USA Basketball senior debuts in Belgium.
2021-24 USA Basketball Women’s National Team head coach Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx) will lead the USA in training camp and at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. She will be assisted by Mike Thibault (Washington Mystics) and Former Indiana University Women’s Basketball Coach Curt Miller (Los Angeles Sparks). USA Basketball, in pursuit of its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal, continues to evaluate the 2021-24 USA Women’s National Team player pool prior to naming a team for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Though the United States qualified for the 2024 Olympic Summer Games following the gold medal finish at the 2022 World Cup, the USA participates in the quadrennial qualifying tournament. The four-nation pool in Antwerp will feature matchups vs. Belgium on Feb. 8 at 2:45 p.m. ET, Nigeria on Feb. 9 at 12:15 p.m. ET and Senegal on Feb. 11 at 1:15 p.m. ET. USA Basketball games will stream free for Courtside 1891 subscribers. Three additional four-team Olympic Qualifying Tournaments will take place concurrently in Brazil, China and Hungary. The United States, as reigning World champions, and France, as Olympic hosts, are qualified while the top three teams at each qualifying tournament, including the USA and France, will qualify for the Olympics.
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