Indiana University Men’s Basketball Places Three on All-Big Ten Teams
Freshman Forward Makcenize Mgbako, Sophomore Forward Malik Reneau, and Sophomore Center Kel’el Ware were honored by the Big Ten Conference, and the league’s coaches and media as All-Big Ten selections and specialty teams were announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Mgbako was selected to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and was awarded Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the conference coaches. He is the 14th Hoosier since the inception of the team in 2003 to be placed on the All-Freshman Team. The Hoosiers are the first Big Ten program to win consecutive Freshman of the Year accolades (Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2023) since Michigan State’s Miles Bridges (2017) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (2018). Mgbako paced the Hoosiers with 49 made 3-pointers and averaged 12.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest. He led all freshman across the Big Ten in total points (377), points per game (12.2), 20-point games (3), and made free throws (82), finished second in made 3-pointers (49), and ended third in total rebounds (123).
Ware, a transfer from Oregon, was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team by the media and Third Team by the coaches. He was also named to the All-Defensive Team. He is the fourth player in program history to be named to the All-Defensive Team, a team first formed following the 2005-06 season. The North Little Rock, Ark., native averaged a team-best 16.1 points (11th in the Big Ten), 9.8 rebounds (2nd), and 1.9 blocks (5th) per game while shooting 59.9% (178-of-297) from the field and 44.7% (17-of-38) from behind the arc. Ware posted a program-high 14 double-doubles, eight 20-point, 10-rebound games, 18 multi-block outings, and shot 65.0% or better on at least eight made buckets in 11 games. Over the final seven games of the regular season, Ware averaged 20.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks on 69.2% (63-of-91) shooting from the floor. One of the most improved players in the country, he averaged 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and shot 45.7% from the floor as a freshman.
Reneau was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten from both the coaches and the media. He finished the season with a career-best 15.7 points per game (14th in the Big Ten), 5.9 rebounds (19th), and 2.7 assists (t-22nd). He shot 57.0% (191-of-335) from the floor, 32.6% (14-of-43) from the 3-point line, and 66.9% (91-of-136) from the charity stripe. Senior guard Trey Galloway was selected as the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree for Indiana. Galloway was one of three Hoosiers to start in all 31 games this season. The Culver Academies graduate averaged career highs in points (10.6), assists (4.6), steals (1.2), and minutes played (33.4) during his fourth season.
Indiana University Men’s Soccer player Maouloune Guomballe signs with Sporting Kansas City II
Sporting Kansas City II announced Monday that the club has signed 22-year-old forward and Indiana University standout Maouloune Goumballe to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract ahead of the 2024 season. Goumballe enjoyed a prolific five-year college career with the national powerhouse Hoosiers, amassing 11 goals and 12 assists in 108 appearances for Indiana from 2019-2023. During his time in Bloomington, Goumballe was a three-time Big Ten regular season champion (2019, 2020, 2023), a three-time Big Ten Tournament champion (2019, 2020, 2023) and a two-time NCAA College Cup participant (2020, 2022). He was also a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Goumballe developed in the Columbus Crew academy as a teenager. He notably helped the Columbus U-19s finish third at the 2018 U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Championship as one of the team’s top goal scorers. Goumballe began his trophy-laden journey at Indiana in 2019, appearing in 21 matches as a freshman with two goals and three assists as the Hoosiers won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles while advancing to the Elite Eight. During the Covid-impacted 2020-21 campaign, he started in 12 of his 16 appearances and added two goals and two assists with Indiana continuing its Big Ten dominance with regular season and tournament titles. Goumballe and Indiana also progressed to the NCAA Men’s College Cup, where they took a 1-0 extra-time loss to Marshall in the national championship game.
After logging 22 more appearances for Indiana in 2021, Goumballe had a career-high 25 games played in his penultimate college season in 2022. He tallied a goal and two assists as part of a surging Indiana side that collected four straight shutout wins in the NCAA Tournament before suffering a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Syracuse following a 2-2 draw in the national final. Goumballe’s fifth and final season at Indiana was his best. The forward hit career-highs in goals (five), assists (four) and starts (18), helping Indiana win the Big Ten regular season and tournament double for the third time in his college tenure. Indiana also made the Elite Eight for the fourth time in Goumballe’s career, where it fell to Notre Dame on penalty kicks.
Indiana University Women’s Basketball Signee Faith Wiseman one of five finalists for the 2024 Indiana Miss Basketball Award
Five players have been named finalists for 2024 IndyStar Miss Basketball. The winner of the award will be announced Friday. A reminder, this is a senior-only award voted upon by the state’s coaches and media members.
Jordyn Poole-Fort Wayne Snider: Ranked 55th nationally among the Class of 2024 by ESPN, the Purdue-bound Poole is a prolific threat on both ends of the floor, with her capabilities as a passer raising the level of her teammates and fueling the Panthers’ run to three consecutive 20-win seasons. The 5-7 point guard overcame an offseason knee injury to lead the Panthers in 2023-24, averaging 16.9 points, 4.4 assists and 2.5 steals over 24 games. A 44% shooter, she tallied 24 points, three assists and four steals to secure a late-season win over eventual regional champion Homestead, then posted 14 points, three assists and three steals to derail Fort Wayne Nothrop’s upset bid in sectionals. Poole won 76 games, three sectional championships and a regional championship during her career, and accumulated 1,368 points, 364 assists and 221 steals.
Chloe Spreen-Bedford North Lawrence: Spreen played a starring role in BNL’s Class 4A state championship run as a junior, averaging 19 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists. For her encore, the 5-10 Alabama commit carried a largely inexperienced Bedford North Lawrence team — she was one of only two returning starters — to a 20-5 record that culminated with an unprecedented 13th consecutive sectional title. She averaged career-highs in points (20.4) and rebounds (6.9) and finished a career-best 118-for-159 at the free throw line. Spreen finished second on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,869 points. She also recorded 633 rebounds, 259 assists, 200 steals and 62 blocks for the Stars, who went 93-14 over her four seasons with three regional runner-up finishes and the 2022-23 state title run, their first since 2014.
Reagan Wilson-Noblesville: The Iowa State commit averaged 16.1 points, 2.5 assists and 3.0 steals in her senior season, leading Noblesville to its third sectional championship and second state semifinals appearance in her four seasons. She set a career-high with her 436 points and nearly matched her high-water marks in rebounds (86) and steals (81), all while committing a career-low 38 turnovers. Wilson compiled an 85-22 overall record during her four seasons (Noblesville played the state’s toughest schedule in each of the past three years) with a 14-3 postseason record that included a 4A title in 2021-22. The 5-8 guard ranks fourth on Noblesville’s all-time scoring list (1,363 points). She holds the career records for 3-pointers (205), assists (356) and steals (289) and the single-season record for 3-pointers (69).
Faith Wiseman-Indian Creek: Wiseman’s recruitment took off following her sophomore season with the likes of Butler, Purdue and Iowa extending offers before she verbally committed to IU in the fall of 2022. The high-interest — and No. 56 national ranking from ESPN (four-star recruit) — were certainly well-earned by the 6-4 forward, who maintained her sharp upward trajectory into her senior season, averaging career-highs in points (18.2), rebounds (11.9), assists (4.8), steals (1.8) and blocks (3.9), while shooting a career-best 58% from the field. Wiseman, who matched her school record with 24 rebounds against Brown County in January, led Indian Creek to 87 wins with four sectional championships, a regional crown and a semistate runner-up finish. She finished her high school career with 1,456 points, 1,072 rebounds, 322 blocks, 324 assists, 174 steals and 58 double-doubles.
Juliann Woodward-Jennings County: A four-star Michigan State recruit, ranked 59th in ESPN’s national rankings, Woodard followed a breakout junior campaign (22.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.4 steals, 2.4 blocks per game) with a well-rounded and historic senior campaign, which saw her average 17.3 points, 10.7 rebounds (school-record 289), 4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.6 blocks, with a 47% mark from the field and a 74% conversion rate at the line. Woodard, who went 72-24 in her career, is the Panthers’ all-time leader for points (1,755), rebounds (1,111) and steals (209), and the single-game record holder for points, rebounds and steals.
Indianapolis Colts sign Punter Rigoberto Sanchez to a Three-Year Contract
Yet another Indianapolis Colt isn’t going anywhere. Rigoberto Sanchez, the team’s punter since signing as an undrafted rookie in 2017, has agreed to a three-year, $7.5 million contract, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Sanchez previously signed a four-year extension in 2019 that carried an annual value of $2.9 million. That still ranks at the seventh-highest average among punters.
Last season, he averaged a career-best 48.3 yards per punt. More impressively, Sanchez had 21 of his 68 attempts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line while suffering zero touchbacks. “I think a lot of Rigo,’’ general manager Chris Ballard said in January. “He had a good year. Things started off a little slow, but once he got going, he was Rigo.’’
Sanchez is the latest player to be wrapped up long-term by the team, joining Michael Pittman Jr., defensive tackle Grover Stewart, defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis and linebacker Zaire Franklin. This is the second offseason Ballard has addressed special teams. Last March, he signed placekicker Matt Gay to a four-year, $22.5 million free-agent deal. In August, he signed long-snapper Luke Rhodes to a four-year, $4.465 million extension.
Taylor University Women’s Golf wins the Baker Shootout in Kansas
Taking a 19-stroke lead into Tuesday’s round of action, the No. 22 Taylor women’s golf team added 17 more shots to its lead with a 325 and cruised to a convincing team title at the Baker Shootout. In addition to winning by 36 strokes, Taylor swept the top-two spots on the individual leaderboard, placed four inside the top-seven finishers and had all five golfers post scores inside the top-16.
Shayne Lim led the way, backing up her 78 on Monday with a 79 on Tuesday to hold off Margarita Garrido for the top spot by a single stroke. Garrido entered Tuesday two shots off pace but shot a 78 to get to within the single shot. Just back of Lim and Garrido on the leaderboard were Ellie Beavins and Elizabeth Kemper. Beavins and Kemper finished in fifth and seventh after carding scores of 83 and 85 on Tuesday. Alyssa Schmidt rounded out Taylor’s lineup, finishing in 16th overall. No. 22 Taylor will return to action on March 22 and 23 to compete in the Purgatory Intercollegiate in Noblesville, Indiana.
Taylor University’s Kaylee Larkin earns second Crossroads League Softball Player of the Week Honor
The Crossroads League announced its players-of-the-week Monday afternoon, in which Kaylee Larkin was named the Crossroads League Player-of-the-Week for the second time this season. Larkin continued to tear the cover off the ball this past week with terrific numbers, including a .545 batting average, three home runs, seven RBI, and four runs scored. The sensational sophomore leads the Crossroads League in several offensive categories, including home runs, batting average, and slugging percentage.
The Brownsburg, Indiana native was vital to the Trojans’ success in going 3-1 against RV Indiana Southeast and Indiana Tech. Larkin went 3-3 in a 2-1 win over RV IU Southeast, hit a home run, and drove in the other run with a single in the first. Against Indiana Tech, Larkin hit two no-doubt home runs against the wind to drive in five runs. The Warriors took notice and walked her in her other three plate appearances in the contest to avoid any future long balls.
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