Indiana University Men’s Basketball gets the #6 seed for the Big Ten Tournament
Indiana will open play at the 2024 Big Ten tournament on Thursday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Hoosiers earned the No. 6 seed in the tournament and will play Michigan or Penn State. During the regular season, the Hoosiers beat Michigan at the Crisler Center and were swept by Penn State. Thursday’s game will tip at approximately 9 p.m. ET on BTN. Indiana is 16-25 all-time in the Big Ten tournament and advanced to the semifinals last season at the United Center in Chicago. The full tournament schedule: Wednesday, March 13 (First Round)
Game 1 (#12 Maryland vs. #13 Rutgers) – 5:30 p.m. CT (Peacock)
Game 2 (#11 Penn State vs. #14 Michigan) – 25 minutes following Game 1 (Peacock)
Thursday, March 14 (Second Round)
Game 3 (#8 Michigan State vs. #9 Minnesota) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)
Game 4 (#5 Wisconsin vs. Game 1 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 3 (BTN)
Game 5 (#7 Iowa vs. #10 Ohio State ) – 5:30 p.m. CT (BTN)
Game 6 (#6 Indiana vs. Game 2 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 5 (BTN)
Friday, March 15 (Quarterfinals)
Game 7 (#1 Purdue vs. Game 3 winner) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)
Game 8 (#4 Northwestern vs. Game 4 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 7 (BTN)
Game 9 (#2 Illinois vs. Game 5 winner) – 5:30 p.m. CT (BTN)
Game 10 (#3 Nebraska vs. Game 6 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 9 (BTN)
Saturday, March 16 (Semifinals)
Game 11 (Game 7 vs. Game 8 winner) – 12 p.m. CT (CBS)
Game 12 (Game 9 vs. Game 10 winner) – 25 minutes following Game 11 (CBS)
Sunday, March 17 (Championship)
Game 13 (Game 11 vs. Game 12 winner) – 2:30 p.m. CT (CBS)
Indiana University Wrestling finishes 12th at Big Ten Championships and has Six NCAA Qualifiers
Indiana Wrestling enjoyed a highly successful session III and IV on the second and final day of the 2024 Big Ten Championships at the XFINITY Center in College Park Maryland. The Hoosiers entered the day with two wrestlers who had already earned their automatic bids to the 2024 NCAA Championships, they left the building with six. The six automatic qualifiers mark the most the program has had in one season since 2010, which was head coach Angel Escobedo’s senior year at Indiana. Brayton Lee (157) and Graham Rooks (149) previously clinched bids on Saturday. On Sunday, Dan Fongaro (141), Tyler Lillard (165), Cayden Rooks (133), and Nick Willham (285) all clinched their spot to nationals.
Fongaro was the first of the day to earn his bid. He faced off against No. 11 seed Kal Miller (Maryland). Trailing 4-2 in the third period, Fongaro scored on a takedown in the final minute to go up 5-4, but Miller escaped to send it to overtime. Fongaro continued pushing forward in overtime and scored in sudden victory to win, 8-5. With the win, Fongaro solidified his first career NCAA berth. Lillard faced off against No. 8 Bryce Hepner (Ohio State) in a rematch from yesterday in the 11th place bracket to determine NCAA qualification. While up 7-6 in the third period, but truly being a 7-7 score due to Hepner securing riding time, Lillard reversed Hepner to earn a 9-7 decision win and get his first career NCAA bid.
Cayden Rooks and Nick Willham each needed a win in their seventh-place matches to guarantee a bid as both weight classes only had seven automatic qualifications available. While tied 1-1, Rooks took down Purdue’s Dustin Norris in the third period and rode him out for the remainder of the match to pull a 5-1 win by decision and claim his bid. The NCAA berth was the second of his career and first since 2021.
Willham and Maryland’s No. 5 seed Seth Nevills (Maryland) were knotted up at 1-1 through regulation. Willham secured a takedown in Sudden Victory to win it 4-1 and punch his ticket to NCAAs. Willham was at the 2023 NCAA Championships, but as an alternate at 197 lbs., so today’s win marks Willham’s first career NCAA berth. After claiming six bids through Session III, Lee competed in Session IV during the fifth place match at 157 lbs. He scored on a third period takedown to defeat No. 8 seed Joey Blaze, 3-2. With Lee, both Rooks brothers and Willham, Indiana put four wrestlers on the podium, the program’s most at a Big Ten Championships since 2014. Prior to competing at the NCAAs, Indiana will wait to see if they land any at-large selections for the championships. The full list of qualifiers for the tournament will be announced on Tuesday. In the team scoring, Indiana finished in 12th with 33.0 points. The 33 points mark the most scored at Big Tens since 2012 when Indiana scored 41 points.
Indiana University Indoor Track and Field earn Six First-Team All-American Honors at the NCAA Championships
Five Hoosiers earned First-Team All-America status after earning a spot on the podium on day one of the NCAA Indoor Championships. Austin Haskett, Antonio Laidler, Parker Raymond and Camden Marshall finished sixth in the men’s Distance Medley Relay to earn First-Team All-American status. They ran the No. 10 fastest time in program history with a time of 9:29. “I am really proud of the way the guys competed,” Associate Track and Field Coach (Distance) Eric Heins said. “We had Austin, who has never run at this meet before, lead us off and that’s a lot of pressure for him. I thought he handled it very well and put us in good position getting the stick around somewhere close to eight or tenth (place). It was a great run for Tone (Antonio Laidler). Parker has been dealing with a little bit of a hip injury over the past couple of weeks. He didn’t run on the team to qualify, so for him to get here and give us a real strong leg to give it to Cam (Camden Marshall). We thought if Cam could get it near that eighth-place spot, we could kick it in to the scoring position, which he did. Everyone ran well as about as well as we were hoping they could and put it all together at the National meet. That is kind of what you’re hoping for.” Marshall and Raymond are three-time All-Americans while Laidler and Haskett earn their first honor. The Hoosiers earned their 12th top-eight finish dating back to have qualified 14 times dating back to 2009 and have finished in the top-eight 12 times.
Jessica Mercier cleared a height of 4.40m/14-5.25 to place eighth on the podium. She was also named a First Team All-American in her final collegiate competition and is the first indoor All-American pole vaulter since Sydney Clute in 2016. “This one is bittersweet,” Mercier said. “I like the atmosphere, and I love to Pole Vault. But I am a little sad. I know I could have done better. I had a few issues the last two weeks, but I was confident in my ability to make the jumps. We were changing things around, but these were my best jumps I’ve taken today. I was nervous my first time at Nationals, so I had a different mindset coming in of I can compete with these people. I can be the best. It’s just a normal meet. I had some issues keeping a consistent run, so I knew I had to hit it, and I did. That’s the worst part is even when you hit it, if the pole is too small, it’s too small.” Mercier ended a great season with the indoor school record, Big Ten runner-up, podium finish at the National meet and of course All-American status.
Kenisha Phillips ran a 52.42 to qualify for the 400 Meter finals. She held the seventh fastest time on the day. On Saturday the Graduate sprinter finished eighth at the NCAA Indoor Championships to earn a spot on the podium. Phillips ran 53.92 in a tough final heat to earn First Team All-American honors. The Buxton, Guyana native, is the first sprinter to be named an Indoor All-American in the 400 Meter event. She is also the first indoor All-American sprinter since Ara Towns in the 60 Meters in 2004. Phillips had a great indoor season for the Hoosiers setting both the 300- and 400- Meter school records and earned runner-up at the conference championships in the event.
2024 Indiana Girls High School All-Star Basketball announces they will face Kentucky in June
The 2024 girls high school basketball Indiana All-Stars have been selected. This year’s 13-player roster includes eight sectional champions and 12 Division I commits, seven of whom are committed to Power 6 programs. The Indiana All-Stars will play the Kentucky All-Stars on June 7 (location TBA) and June 8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Zionsville’s Andy Maguire will coach the Indiana All-Stars, assisted by Greensburg’s Jason Simpson and Fishers’ Lauren Votaw. The Indiana Juniors will play the Kentucky Juniors on June 2 and the Indiana All-Stars on June 5.
Audrey Annee, Center Grove (Army): The 5-9 guard led the Trojans to a Class 4A state semifinals appearance, averaging 13.2 points on 45% shooting (41% from 3), plus 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals. Annee totaled 967 points, 133 assists and 151 steals over four seasons. Emma Haan, Zionsville (Vermont): Haan ensured the Eagles did not experience a letdown following the graduation of 2023 IndyStar Miss Basketball Laila Hull, logging 15.6 points (45% FG, 43% 3FG, 76% FT), 2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The 5-7 guard finished her career with 866 points.
Alli Harness, Carroll (Flora) (Western Michigan): Carroll’s all-time leading scorer (2,134), the 5-8 Harness led the Cougars in points (20.8; 47% shooter), assists (5.8) and steals (3.6) per game. She logged 251 3-pointers, 509 rebounds, 492 assists, 319 steals and 54 blocks over four seasons.
Talia Harris, Fishers (Mercer): Harris averaged career-highs in points (14.8), rebounds (5.8) and assists (4.7). A career 44% shooter, the 5-8 guard rounded out her line with 1.5 steals per game and totaled 765 points, 217 assists and 142 steals over three varsity seasons. Ellery Minch, Mt. Vernon (DePaul): The 6-3 Minch guided the Marauders to their fourth consecutive sectional championship, averaging 14.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2 blocks. She graduates with 1,242 points, 414 rebounds, 116 assists, 11 steals and 80 blocks (all between her junior and senior years).
Jordyn Poole, Fort Wayne Snider (Purdue): The electrifying point guard averaged career-highs in points (16.9) and assists (4.4), while also picking up 2.5 steals per game and shooting 44% from the field. Poole has 1,368 points, 364 assists and 221 steals for her career. Camryn Runner, Hamilton Heights (Evansville): The all-time leading scorer in Hamilton County, Runner averaged 26.9 points (51% FG, 36% 3FG, 91% FT), 5.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 4 steals for the two-time defending regional champion Huskies. The 5-9 guard accumulated 1,962 points and 288 steals in her career. Chloe Spreen, Bedford North Lawrence (Alabama): The 5-10 guard/forward logged a career-high 20.4 points per game. She also set a new career-high with 6.9 rebounds per game and rounded out her line with 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Spreen graduates with 1,869 points and 633 rebounds.
Lauren Walsh, Penn (undecided): The 5-7 guard guided the Kingsmen to 18 wins and a sectional runner-up finish, averaging 12.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.1 assists. She shot 41% from the field and finished her career with 698 points, 202 assists and 186 steals. Reagan Wilson, Noblesville (Iowa State): The 5-8 Wilson poured in 16.1 points per game and knocked in a career-best 69 3-pointers. A three-time sectional champion, she rounded out her line with 2.5 assists and 3 steals per game. Wilson graduates with 1,363 points, 356 assists and 289 steals.
Faith Wiseman, Indian Creek (Indiana): The 6-4 IU commit enjoyed a career year for the Braves, averaging 18.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 3.9 blocks. She shot 58% and totaled 1,456 points, 1,072 rebounds, 322 locks and 324 assists for her career. Rachel Wirts, Center Grove (Villanova): It was a breakout season for the 6-3 Wirts, who notched 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with a 61% mark from the field and 81% mark at the line. The former HomeSchool standout totaled 648 points and 431 rebounds over three seasons at Center Grove.
Juliann Woodard, Jennings County (Michigan State): A 6-0 forward, Woodard averaged 17.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, a career-high 4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.6 blocks for the 23-win Panthers. A career 50% shooter, she accumulated 1,755 points, 1,111 rebounds, 294 assists and 187 blocks in four seasons.
Purdue Men’s Basketball Retires Zach Edey’s Jersey after his final home game
Zach Edey had a banner day. The 7-foot-4 Purdue senior withstood a physical onslaught from Wisconsin in his home finale, persevered and received a surprise reward: seeing his jersey number, 15, added to the Mackey Arena rafters. Edey played through an injured left leg, finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, became the first Big Ten player with 2,200 points and 1,200 rebounds and led No. 3 Purdue past Wisconsin 78-70 on Sunday. And then the Boilermakers surprised him by retiring his jersey. “It’s real cool. I had all my friends here from Toronto for like the first time,” Edey said before addressing the emotions of the day. “It’s my last game in Mackey.”
And there was plenty to celebrate for Edey and Purdue (28-3, 17-3), winners of five straight. Afterward, Edey stood arm in arm with his mother before addressing the crowd. Before the game, coach Matt Painter presented point guard Braden Smith with a ceremonial ball for breaking Purdue’s single-season assists record, which stood for nearly 50 years. Moments later, Purdue’s pep band played “O Canada” as a Senior Day tribute to Edey, who’s from Toronto. “I’ve been trying to get them to do that for four years,” Edey joked.
Edey needed less than five minutes to grab the three rebounds needed to reach 1,200. It took a little longer for the Boilermakers’ six-player senior class to match Indiana’s record for conference wins, 59, over a four-year period. Indiana did it from 1972-76. Fletcher Loyer added 15 points and Smith added 10 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Boilermakers, who won a second consecutive Big Ten title by at least three games.
John Blackwell scored 18 points for the Badgers (19-12, 11-9). Tyler Wahl had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and AJ Storr also scored 17. “I thought we did a lot of good things offensively,” Badgers coach Greg Gard said. “That’s a tough team. I would say you can’t get a consistent diet of things in the paint just because of his presence.” Purdue certainly tried to fight off Edey near the basket, fouling him 11 times. And it looked like Edey’s presence might be short-lived when he limped gingerly to the bench with an apparent left leg injury and Purdue leading 17-9. He finished the half on the bench because of foul trouble. And after Loyer’s four-point play helped stake Purdue to a 40-26 lead, Smith appeared to hurt his right ankle on a non-contact play. He went to the locker room but returned 75 seconds later as the Boilermakers made it 44-33 at the half.
Edey and Loyer remained on the floor without apparent difficulty in the second half as the Badgers twice cut the deficit to four. But the Boilermakers answered with 3-pointers each time, first by Smith and then by Caleb Furst. “You can tell he loves the game, you can tell he respects the game,” forward Mason Gillis said when asked about Edey. “The people around know what he does. He looks out for everybody. He’s a good guy in the gym. I don’t think we could ask for a better national player of the year.”
Indiana Pacers get a road win against the Orlando Magic
Once the Indiana Pacers started running, they were hard to stop. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam each scored 20 points and the Pacers beat Orlando 111-97 on Sunday night to close within a game of the Magic in the Eastern Conference standings. Paolo Banchero had 19 points for Orlando, Cole Anthony added 16 and Wendell Carter had 13 points and 15 rebounds. Indiana fell behind by 15 points early, but the game changed abruptly when T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin came off the bench. They scored 17 points each for the Pacers. McConnell also contributed six assists. “T.J. McConnell gave us a great left when he came into the game because we were struggling to score,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He got to the rim a few times and really boosted our energy from there.”
The highest-scoring team in the NBA, Indiana had only 18 points in the first quarter. Haliburton’s basket with 6:49 left in the second quarter marked his first points of the game and the Pacers’ only 3-pointer of the first half. After making only seven of their first 23 shots, the Pacers finished the game at 49.4%. “We understand that we’re one of the best teams in transition, and the only way we can get transition buckets is getting stops,” Toppin said. “I felt we locked into getting those stops which allowed us to get a lot more transition points.”
The Pacers moved ahead for keeps on a 3-pointer by Aaron Nesmith early in the second half. They led by 15 by the end of the third quarter, and Toppin’s layup early in the fourth gave Indiana its biggest lead of the game, 99-83. “We just didn’t do a great job of having that sense of urgency, to sprint back,” Anthony said. “I know Toppin had five or six layups where he just outran everyone down the court. That can’t happen. That’s their style. They’re comfortable in it. We let them play their game.” The Magic have dropped two in a row for the first time since Jan. 22-26. They shot 37.5% after scoring 128 and 117 points in victories at Indiana in November and December.
“We’re a very good running team, and that’s well documented,” Carlisle said. “What we needed tonight was a much higher level of determination than we had in the first two games against these guys.” The Pacers played for the first time since learning that Bennedict Mathurin will miss the rest of the season after having shoulder surgery. The Magic played without Jalen Suggs (thigh contusion) and Markelle Fultz (left knee strain). Caleb Houstan started in place of Suggs and did not score in 22 minutes. The Magic had won 13 of 17 and were beginning a stretch of games in which they will have played 10 of 11 at home. They scored a then-NBA season-low 74 points in a loss at New York on Friday night. “That’s part of this league. Once you get comfortable you can get knocked right off your feet, and I think that’s what’s happened to us these last two games,” Anthony said. The Pacers remain on the road to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 8pm this evening.
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