#19 Illinois blows out Indiana University Men’s Basketball at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall After an 85-60 loss on the road to the Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday Night the Indiana Hoosiers followed it up with an embarrassing home loss to the #19 Illinois Fighting Illini 94-69 Tuesday Night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Indiana has lost all five games by double digits and it’s the 27th time since Mike Woodson has been Indiana Head Coach the Hoosiers have lost by double digits in four seasons. The Hoosiers are 76-46 under Woodson with three winning season and two NCAA Tournament Appearances. The Hoosiers missed out on the NCAA Tournament a season ago and did not accept any other postseason tournament bids. 23 of the defeats have been by 15 points or more and when you see the same results over and over again it’s the way the losses happen than the amount wins the Hoosiers have had in Woodson tenure and for a team that was picked to finish second in the Big Ten Preseason Polls Indiana keeps showing a lot of lackluster performances throughout the season.
This trend hasn’t always been prevalent. During the 2021-22 season, Woodson’s first with the Hoosiers, only five of their 14 losses were by double digits, with four by 15 or more. But over the last two seasons, IU has had more losses by 15 or more (six in 2022-23, seven in 2023-24) than single-digit losses, and all five defeats so far this season are above that 15-point margin. Fans booed Woodson during pre-game introductions Tuesday Night and the Students started the “Fire Woodson Chant “during the first half as Illinois outscored the Hoosiers 60-32 in the first half. The fans booed the team heading into the locker room and started hitting the exits at halftime after seeing IU down 28 points at halftime which is the largest home deficit in the last 25 years.
The game started with three lead changes as the team traded baskets but once Illinois went up 7-6 with 17:54 left in the first half Illinois took control and never looked back. The Illini went 21-43 from the field for 48%, 8-19 from three-point range for 42% and 10-12 from the free throw line for 83%. Illinois outrebounded the Hoosiers 29-18 in the first half as the Fighting Illini had 10 offensive rebounds and Indiana had just 4 offensive rebounds.
Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis and Sophomore Tomislav Ivisic combined for 34 first half point which is 2 more than the Hoosiers scored in the first half. Jakucionis who missed the last two games with a forearm injury scored 19 points on 6-10 shooting 3-6 from three-point range and 4-5 from the free throw line with 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Ivisic scored 15 points on 6-8 shooting and 3-5 from three-point range with along with 8 rebounds, 2 assists and a block. Illinois 60 first half points is the most in a road game in the last 25 years.
Indiana was 13-34 from the field for 38% in the first half. The Hoosiers were 0-6 from three-point range and 6-8 from the free throw line for 75%. The Hoosiers had 18 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block and a steal. Oumar Ballo scored 10 points and had 5 rebounds. Ballo, Luke Goode and Myles Rice combined for 22 of the Hoosiers 32 first half points and no one else had more than 2 points in the first half.
The Second half did not get any better for the Hoosiers trailed by 16 with 13:30 left in the game 64-48 and Illinois increased the lead to 30 points at 81-51 with 7 minutes left outscoring Indiana 27-3 in that stretch. Indiana missed 13 three pointers before Trey Galloway knocked down the first with 5:50 left in the game. Tempers flared with 2:24 left when Luke Goode was called for a foul that led to some pushing and shoving and Myles Rice was called for a flagrant one foul and Oumar Ballo was ejected for his reaction and standing up for his teammate. Indiana outscored Illinois 37-34 in the second half but the first half deficit was too much to overcome. Luke Goode who played three seasons at Illinois before transferring to Indiana said he talked to the Illinois staff after the game (about the scuffle). Said he was only trying to give a hard block out, had no bad intentions.
Illinois had four players in double-figures with 22 points from Kylan Boswell along with 21 points from Kasparas Jakucionis. Tomislav Ivisic scored 17 points and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. Lafayette, Indiana Native Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn added 12 points off the bench. Tipton, Indiana Native and University of Evansville Transfer Ben Hmurichous scored 7 points and pulled down 5 rebounds and Jake Davis who played at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis did not score in 19 minutes as he had 2 rebounds, and an assist and Morez Johnson Jr. pulled down 10 rebounds to go with 5 points. Illinois finished the game 30-75 from the field for 40%, 11-32 from three-point range for 34% and 23-26 from the free throw line for 86%. The Fighting Illini pulled down 51 rebounds, dished out 14 assists, 5 steals, 1 block, 34 points in the paint, 22 bench points and committed 17 turnovers.
Oumar Ballo led Indiana with 16 points and 15 rebounds for his 5th double of the season and the fourth in the last five games. Luke Goode scored 13 points against his former team, Myles Rice added 12 points and Trey Galloway scored 10. The Hoosiers finished 25-65 from the field for 38%, 4-18 from three-point range for 22%, and 15-18 from the free throw line for 83%. The Hoosiers pulled down 37 rebounds, 14 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 26 points in the paint, 14 bench points and committed 11 turnovers.
Illinois improves to 13-4 and 5-2 in the Big Ten as The Illini have beaten the Hoosiers for the second time in the last 10 meetings at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and hand the Hoosiers their first home loss of the season now 11-1 at home and 2-4 away from Bloomington. Indiana leads the all-time series 96-93 as Indiana is 58-32 against Illinois all-time in Bloomington. This was the most points that the Hoosiers have given up at home since 93 Points to Ohio State in 2009 and the second most points by an opponent since 2007 when Penn State scored 102 points in 3 overtimes. Indiana lost to Wisconsin 78-46 on February 25, 2010, when then Indiana head coach Tom Crean was ejected in that game.
This is the first time since the 2008-09 season that the Hoosiers have lost back-to-back games by 25 points. “We’re not playing tough enough, we’ve been coming out and teams’ kind of punk us, in a sense.” Luke Goode said after the game. Indiana Head Coach Mike Woodson was booed during pregame introductions and the boos continued during the game and he addressed that after the game. “Well again, I love our fans. I respect our fans. But it’s up to me to get our players to play at a high level. That’s my job, and I’m going to continue to work in that area and hope our fans will stay in there with us.”
Indiana will travel to Ohio State on Friday as Hoosiers hope to turn things around with 13 regular season games left and the Hoosiers are facing adversity and still believe they can turn this thing around. “We got embarrassed. We know that. We have to represent this jersey better, to all the fans who were booing, being negative on social media, don’t switch sides. Stay with us” Luke Goode said after the game. Indiana 13-5 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten as the Hoosiers are in free fall and the bottom fell out on Tuesday Night.
Indiana University Women’s Soccer Head Coach Erwin van Bennekom Announces Resignation IU Women’s Soccer Coach Erwin van Bennekom announced Monday that he has resigned his position to pursue a different opportunity. van Bennekom compiled a 44-39-20 record in six years at IU from 2019-24, including a 6-9-2 mark this past fall. His tenure was highlighted by the 2023 season when he guided IU to a 12-4-4 mark and its first NCAA Tournament berth in a decade. Van Bennekom’s 2023 team also climbed as high as No. 17 in the national polls. “I want to thank Erwin and his staff for their tireless efforts to elevate the IU Women’s Soccer program both within the Big Ten Conference and nationally,” said IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson. “I wish Erwin and Kim the very best in all of their future endeavors.” Associate Head Coach Tim Verschuren will assume the leadership of the program on an interim basis. IU will launch a national search for a new head coach of IU Women’s Soccer immediately.
Thirty-One Indiana University Football Newcomers Arrive in Bloomington The Indiana football program and head coach Curt Cignetti welcome 31 newcomers to campus to start the spring semester, which includes 17 transfers and 14 freshmen into the program for spring ball. With 17 additions since the early signing period, IU has added 38 total newcomers for the 2025 campaign. In all, IU signed 19 players on offense and 17 on defense and two specialists. Indiana’s defense added eight defensive backs, seven defensive linemen and two linebackers, while the Hoosier offense on boarded five offensive linemen, five wide receivers, four tight ends, three running backs and two quarterbacks. Special teams added one kickers and one punter.
Each of the 17 transfers arrive from the FBS level, with nine from Power 4 programs and eight from Group of Five teams. Ten of the transfers come on the offensive side of the football, five are on the defensive side of the ball and two are specialists. The signees will arrive in Bloomington from 18 different states and Australia. Five are from Indiana, while four each arrive from Florida and Ohio. Three come from both Illinois and Georgia, while two apiece are from Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. Alabama, California, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nebraska and Pennsylvania saw one signee each. Punter Mitch McCarthy arrives from the mainland of Australia via UCF.
Indiana University Softball Players Brianna Copeland, Avery Parker & Taylor Minnick Named to D100 Preseason List Indiana seniors Brianna Copeland and Taylor Minnick along with junior Avery Parker were all announced in the D100 Preseason Top 100 Player Rankings by D1 Softball on Monday morning. Copeland was ranked at No. 54, Parker at No. 85 and Minnick at No. 95. Copeland was the ace in the circle and hit at the top of the lineup for the Hoosiers in 2024. In the circle, Copeland had a 2.88 ERA, 174 strikeouts and recorded 20 wins. She hit eight home runs and 10 doubles, charted 36 RBI and had 18 stolen bases. Copeland was an NFCA Second Team All-Region selection.
Parker, a junior, has been the team’s primary catcher the last two seasons. She had a .313 batting average with 11 doubles, 44 RBI and a team-high 13 home runs. She earned NFCA Second Team All-Region honors. Minnick hit third in the Indiana order and has been a four-year contributor in the outfield for the team. The Bloomington, Ind. native hit .357 from the plate with 24 extra-base hits, including 10 home runs, 54 RBI and drew 33 walks. She was named NFCA First Team All-Region and All-Big Ten Second Team in 2024.
Former Indiana University Football Head Coach Tom Allen headed to Clemson after one season at Penn State Indiana will play at Penn State in 2025, but they won’t have to face the defense of their former head coach when they make that road trip. According to multiple reports, Tom Allen is making a lateral move to become the new defensive coordinator at Clemson after one season in the same role at Penn State. Allen was fired in 2023 after seven seasons as Indiana’s head coach, which cleared the way for the Hoosiers to hire Curt Cignetti. Allen went on to become the defensive coordinator for James Franklin at Penn State. Both Indiana and Penn State made the College Football Playoff in 2024.
Under Allen’s direction, the Nittany Lions had one of the nation’s better defenses, finishing eighth in points allowed per game (16.5) on their way to CFP semifinals. They also ranked seventh in opposing total yards per game (295 ypg) and ninth in opposing total rushing yards per game (101 ypg). He also oversaw a defense that had 10 players earn All-Big Ten Conference honors. There is some speculation Allen will get a substantial pay raise at Clemson. He earned a salary of $1.5 million with Penn State in 2024, and had two years remaining on his contract. But Allen has also received $15.5 million in buyout payments from Indiana, so it’s likely his decision making is not purely financial.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel, who appears to have first reported the news, says Allen’s move is being heavily influenced by a desire to live closer to his daughters, who both reside in the Carolinas. Indiana travels to Penn State on Nov. 8. The Hoosiers have never won a game there. This is now the second year in a row Franklin will have to find a new defensive coordinator, and the third time he will have to do so in four years. A native of New Castle, Ind., the 54-year-old Allen led Indiana to two of the program’s most memorable seasons in 2019 and 2020. Those two seasons were bookended by disappointment, however. Allen’s Hoosiers went 33-49 during his time as head coach in Bloomington, including a 9-27 mark over the last three years. Allen told reporters last week he maintained contact with his former Indiana players and took notice of Indiana’s substantial investments in the football program.
Taylor University’s Jonathan Grubbs and Aven Jones Collect Additional Football Postseason Accolades Taylor’s Jonathan Grubbs and Aven Jones combined for multiple NAIA All-American honors recently, adding to the previous AFCA NAIA Second-Team All-American nod for Jones in December. Grubbs joined Jones in collecting an All-American honor, being named a Victory Sports Network Honorable Mention NAIA All-American for his work on the powerful offensive line for No. 25 Taylor. Grubbs started all 11 games at the left tackle position for Taylor (9-2, 4-1 MSFA) during his junior season, being named the MSFA Mideast League Offensive Lineman of the Year after helping the Trojans lead the NAIA during the regular season with 54 rushing touchdowns. Grubbs also helped TU rank second in the regular season with 311.7 rushing yards per game, as the Taylor offense set program records with 48.4 points per game, 486.4 yards per game and the 311.7 rushing yards per game.
Jones added three more All-American awards to his AFCA honor, being named an Associated Press and Walter Camp First-Team All-American, as well as a VSN Third-Team All-American. Jones finished his final collegiate season with 132 total tackles, five sacks, 8.5 tackles for lost yardage and a trio of forced fumbles while starting all 11 games from his linebacker position. Jones led the NAIA in tackles during the regular season and ended the 2024 campaign ranked second in total stops and second with 12.0 tackles per outing. The play of Grubbs and Jones helped No. 25 Taylor to a 9-2 record, marking a seven-win turnaround from the prior season and posting the second-highest win total in program history.