Indiana University Men’s Basketball Strikes Out against Nebraska and will not accept NIT Bid.
The 6 Seed Indiana Hoosiers Men’s Basketball Season officially ended Friday Night with a 93-66 loss in the Big Ten Tournament Quarter Finals to the 3 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Target Center in Minneapolis Minnesota. The Hoosiers end the year at 19-14 and after the game it was reported that the Hoosiers will not accept a bid to the National Invitation Tournament if they are offered. The Hoosiers will focus on off-season recruiting which will officially open today with the transfer portal window starting. The Hoosiers will lose Anthony Walker and Xavier Johnson to Graduation, and they could lose a few more due to transferring and declaring for the NBA Draft and got good news on Senior Day when Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal announced they were coming back for their fifth and final season. Indiana lost their only commitment for next season when McDonald’s All-American Liam McNeely announced on March 7th that he was de committing from the Hoosiers and reopening his recruitment leaving the Hoosiers with no commitments for next season going into the spring signing period next month.
CJ Gunn scored 17 points off the bench to lead the Hoosiers and Mackenzie Mgbako added 16 for Indiana. Malik Reneau finished with 9 points and 5 rebounds. Kel’el Ware had 8 points along with 7 rebounds. Xavier Johnson scored 8 points, dished out 5 assists and pulled down 5 rebounds in his final game in an Indiana uniform. Anthony Walker who transfered from Miami Florida finished with 4 points. Kaleb Banks and Payton Sparks finished with 2 points apiece. Gabe Cupps and Anthony Leal played and did not score. Walk-ons Shaan Burke, Ian Stephens and Jackson Creel all saw their first playing time of the season entering the game in the final two minutes. Trey Galloway was out due to injury. Freshman Jakai Newton and walk on transfer Jordan Rayford have missed the entire season due to injuries. Indiana finished the game 24-68 from the field for 35 percent, 5-20 from three-point range for 25 percent and a perfect 13-13 from the free throw line which the Hoosiers were dead last in the Big Ten in free throw percentage coming into the game. The Hoosiers pulled down 37 rebounds, dished out 16 assists, 8 steals, 5 blocks and committed 12 turnovers.
Nebraska got 23 points apiece from Keisei Tominaga and Brice Williams. Jamarcus Lawrence added 15 points off the bench and Jawan Gary added 11 Points. Nebraska was 30-60 from the field for 50 percent, 14-32 from three-point range for 43 percent and 19-24 from the free throw line for 79 percent. Nebraska pulled down 40 rebounds, dished out 20 assists, 8 steals 4 blocks, and committed 11 turnovers. The Cornhuskers are 23-9 on the season. The game featured two ties and six lead changes early and then once the Cornhuskers got going, they put the game out of reach led by Keisei Tominaga who drilled four three pointers including a Steph Curry like prayer to beat the first half buzzer as Nebraska went into the locker room up 23 points 50-27. The second half Nebraska outscored Indiana 43-39 as with 5:20 left to go in the game Indiana Head Coach Mike Woodson was ejected for picking up his second technical foul and just walked to the locker room knowing that this season was coming to a close.
Nebraska has beaten the Hoosiers all three games by 15 or more points. On January 3, it was 86-70 in Lincoln and on February 21 in Bloomington it was 85-70 and Huskers snap the Hoosiers five game winning streak. It’s been an up and down season for Indiana who started the season 10-3 and since January went 9-11. The Hoosiers have had 9 double digit losses this season and many Hoosier fans have questioned Mike Woodson ‘s job status despite three winning seasons and two NCAA Tournament Appearances in his three years at his alma mater. The off-season starts now, and the biggest question come next season will be what this team looks like and can issues the Hoosiers had this season be fixed and if they can’t, how much longer will Mike Woodson be in charge. All those questions remain to be seen.
Seven Indiana University Divers Qualify for the NCAA Championships
Indiana will send seven divers – three men, four women – to the 2024 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships following performances at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. Competition closed Saturday with platform diving as five Hoosiers earned NCAA bids in their third event in as many days. In all, IU tallied 16 NCAA qualifying bids in the three events.
Freshman Ella Roselli became the seventh Hoosier diver to qualify for the national meet this week with her ninth-place finish on platform, within the top-11 cut. The result also means Roselli now qualifies on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards after having finished top 12 in both events but outside of the automatic qualifying zone. “What a great finish to the meet,” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “IU diving’s platform culture really showed up today. Ella was steady all week and used the platform to punch her ticket in all three events.”
Big Ten Champion and junior Skyler Liu showed her skill on the tower as the top qualifier from zone C with a 638.70 score. Liu finished fourth in the event at last year’s NCAA Championships. Junior Carson Tyler finished first in the men’s event for the third time this week, dominating the event he won at the NCAA meet a year ago. Tyler tallied 845.55 points to win the platform event by 41.25 points. The two-time Big Ten platform champion posted a 457.90 in the prelim alone with a reduced list, yet that score is 19 points shy of his NCAA winning score last season.
Sophomore Maxwell Weinrich finished second on platform with an 801.30 after a solid final session. Junior Quinn Henninger finished seventh with a 681.60. All three Hoosier men qualified for all three events. “Carson and Max were head and shoulders above the field, and Skyler continues to get stronger as the season goes on,” Johansen said. “Both the men and women are ready for the final meet of the season. I can’t wait to see what they do.” The 2024 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships begin Wednesday, March 20, in Athens, Georgia. Thirteen Hoosiers have qualified for the women’s championships, and 15 men advanced to the men’s meet a week later in Indianapolis.
Bedford North Lawrence’s Chloe Spreen named 2024 Indiana Miss Basketball
Chloe Spreen first started playing basketball as a second grader, but it wasn’t until fourth or fifth grade that she began taking it more seriously. She even remembers the precise moment when the switch was flipped: When her team lost twice at the county tournament. The youngster was “torn apart.” “It was so much more than basketball. It changed my mentality,” Spreen said. “I was like, ‘Alright, I’m going to be the best one out here now.’ … I just wanted to be the best one and I wanted to win.” Spreen’s recruitment and national profile grew rapidly as she rose through the middle school ranks, serving as further motivation for the Bedford North Lawrence senior, who recalls drawing influence from Jenna Allen, Dominique McBryde and Alexa Bailey as they won back-to-back state championships in 2013-14, then 2019 Miss Basketball Jorie Allen. Spreen recalled one particular game involving Jorie Allen during which the 6-0 center “kept getting beat up, but just kept going.
“That was so inspiring to see as a young girl,” Spreen said. “And now I’m out there getting triple-teamed and beat up just like her.” Spreen wanted to be the best, in part a byproduct of Bedford North Lawrence girls’ basketball program, where most BNL players’ love for the game is rooted, coach Jeff Allen observed. They see the program’s success and it gives them “that drive.” They want to be part of it, to experience it. They want to be involved. “That’s why (winning state) last year meant so much,” added Spreen, now a senior Alabama commit. “The Bedford community loves basketball and all you want to do is go on the court and play in front of them.”
That tradition is well-documented inside BNL Fieldhouse with banners honoring those teams and individuals prominently displayed above Damon Bailey Court. And now Spreen — who led the Stars to 93 wins, four sectional titles and its first state championship since 2014 during her four-year tenure — will have her name immortalized alongside the players she grew up idolizing. Chloe Spreen has been crowned 2024 IndyStar Miss Basketball, presented by the Indiana Fever. “It feels great. I’m just so wowed right now and so thankful to even have this opportunity to wear this jersey,” said Spreen, who burst into tears as she was presented the jersey in front of the Miss Basketball display at Bedford North Lawrence High School on Friday. “I definitely couldn’t have done it without my family, teammates and coaches who’ve supported me through everything. To wear this jersey is going to be a great feeling, but I definitely couldn’t have done it without them.
The 5-10 guard/forward received 117 votes from the state’s coaches and media for the top senior basketball player award, out-pacing Fort Wayne Snider’s Jordyn Poole (71 votes), Noblesville’s Reagan Wilson (57), Jennings County’s Juliann Woodard (33) and Indian Creek’s Faith Wiseman (14). Spreen is BNL’s third Miss Basketball, joining Jorie Allen (2019) and Marla Inman (1992). The Stars’ three Miss Basketball recipients are tied with Warsaw for the most since the award was established in 1976. “Chloe’s like a daughter to me,” Jeff Allen said of Spreen, who finished her career with 1,869 points, 633 rebounds, 259 assists, 200 steals and 62 blocks. “She’s been a pleasure to be around, a pleasure to coach and it’s been a pleasure to watch her have success. I can’t wait to watch her as she goes into the future.”
Trine University Men’s Basketball wins the Division III National Championship
The Trine University men’s basketball program capped off a memorable season in the best way possible on Saturday. The Thunder beat Hampden-Sydney College (Va.) 69-61 in the NCAA Division III National Championship Game. It’s the first NCAA championship in the program’s history for the school located in Angola, Indiana in the Northeast corner of the state and changed its name from Tri-State University in 2008. “There’s just something about this team that’s been super special,” said Trine head coach Brooks Miller. Trine found itself trailing 25-23 at halftime but came out in the second half to outscore Hampden-Sydney 46-36 in the game’s final 20 minutes. Guard Cortez Garland led the Thunder in scoring with 22 points in the victory. “I’m just so proud and thankful that we were able to come together and do it at the right time,” Garland said. “Taking our lumps and staying the course.”
Three other players on the Thunder scored in double-digits: Nate Tucker (13), Aidan Smylie (12), and Drew Moore (10). Miller said after that game that he noticed a “constant growth” in the Thunder throughout the season. “They’ve worked so hard,” Miller said. “And they’re so confident in their work and what they do that we just took it one game at a time – I know as cliche as that is – but these guys, one practice at a time. What do we need to today to get better? What can we improve on?” The Thunder finished the season with a 29-4 overall record. “It’s awesome to be a national champion,” said Miller. The victory was witnessed by 4,546 fans inside of Fort Wayne’s Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. It was an attendance record for a NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship game.
Vincennes University Men’s Basketball headed to the NJCAA Tournament in Kansas for the 11th time in 12 years
The No. 4-ranked Vincennes University Trailblazers punched their ticket to the 2024 NJCAA Division I National tournament Friday night by winning over Wabash Valley College 73-67 to claim VU’s first District tournament championship since 2018. Vincennes Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin also received the 2023-24 NJCAA Division I Region 24 Coach of the Year award Friday night. Friday’s game lived up to the big game hype with a Championship on the line, with every possession feeling extremely important all night long. The Trailblazers were the first to strike out of the gates, opening up the game on an 11-3 scoring run before Wabash Valley would answer back with 11 straight points to take a 14-11 lead. Vincennes would grab the lead back later in the half at 24-23 before Wabash Valley answered with a 6-1 scoring run. The Trailblazers were able to close out the half strong, evening the game at 29-29 after a pair of free throws with under a minute remaining. This would be the score at the end of the first half as the two teams headed into the locker room deadlocked at 29-29 after the first 20 minutes of play.
The upset-minded Warriors looked to grab the early momentum in the second half, building a 36-31 lead before VU would capitalize on a 9-0 scoring run to take a 45-39 lead. Wabash Valley continued to fight and got the game back to even at 52-52 before later taking the lead back at 59-58. VU would answer back with seven unanswered to take a 65-59 lead and later get their largest lead of the night at 71-63. Vincennes was able to hold on to this lead as the Blazers ran down the clock and closed out the 73-67 victory, capturing their first Region 24/Central District tournament Championship since 2018 and earning them a spot in the NJCAA Division I National tournament for the 11th time in 12 years. The win Friday night is VU’s 30th win of the season, the 20th time a Vincennes University men’s basketball team has surpassed the 30-win mark. The Trailblazers also clinched their 38th NJCAA National Tournament appearance, an NJCAA record, and 11th trip in the last 12 seasons, also an NJCAA record.
Bloomington’s Own Anthony Leal leads Hoosiers Men’s Basketball Team to a Big Ten Tournament Victory
Anthony Leal scored 8 points including the game winning putback with 7 seconds left to give the 6 Seed Indiana Hoosiers the 61-59 win over the 11 seed Penn State Nittany Lions Thursday Night in the Second Round of the Big Ten Tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Hoosiers are 19-13 while Penn State ends their season at 16-17 as the Hoosiers snap a four-game losing streak against the Nittany Lions.
Leal who announced on Sunday he will return for his fifth and final season with the Hoosiers played 23 minutes off the bench going 2-4 from the field, 1-1 from three-point range and 3-4 from the free throw line. Leal pulled down 4 rebounds and a steal. This is not the first time this season the Bloomington South Grad as hit a game winner. Leal hit a three-pointer with 22 seconds left in a win at Ohio State on February 6, and seal that victory with two free throws in the final seconds after the Hoosiers were down in that game by 18 points with 18 minutes to go in the second half. Throughout his time at Indiana, he has gone from being way down on the bench to stepping up in clutch moments and always being the ultimate teammate. He was in the right place at the right time Thursday Night when Malik Reneau missed a jumper and Leal was right there to get the rebound and put it right back up and in to give the Hoosiers the lead. Penn State had one last chance as Puff Johnson missed a three pointer and the Hoosiers live to see another day.
The Hoosiers were led by Kel’el Ware with 18 points and 14 rebounds, Malik Reneau added 12 points and Mackenize Mgbako scored 11 points. Gabe Cupps scored 6 points and Xavier Johnson added 4 as the backcourt duo started together for the first time with Senior Trey Galloway unable to go due to an injury he suffered against Michigan State on Sunday. It is unclear if or when Galloway will return but the Hoosiers know it is the next man up mentality and that has helped them as they are on a five-game winning streak. Anthony Walker added 2 points off the bench as Payton Sparks played two minutes and did not score. Indiana finished the game 22-56 for 39% from the field, 3-12 from three-point range for 25% and 14-18 from the free throw line for 77%. The Hoosiers pulled down 41 rebounds, dished 13 assists, 6 blocks, 3 steals and committed 12 turnovers.
Penn State got 16 points from Puff Johnson and Zach Hicks added 11 points. Ace Baldwin Jr. who is Penn State’s leading scorer was held to 9 points and is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Penn State finished 16-58 from the field for 27%, 7-27 from three-point range for 26% and 20-24 from the free throw line for 83%. Penn State hit a combined 21 three pointers in the two previous matchups with the Hoosiers. Penn State pulled down 39 rebounds, dished out 11 assists, 7 blocks, 4 steals and committed 10 turnovers. The game featured 9 ties along with 10 lead changes and neither team shot the ball well from the field. It was a grind it out game that you expect from time to time. Indiana led 32-27 at halftime and Penn State outscored Indiana 32-29 in the second half. Indiana faces a quick turnaround facing a Nebraska team that the Hoosiers have lost to twice by a combined 31 points.
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