Hoosiers-Terriers pregame notes

By Jordan Cohen | IDS men's basketball columnist

Posted at 2:41 pm on November 20, 2009 | Print | Share | Comments (3)

IU will face Boston University at 6 p.m. for a spot in Sunday’s consolation finals (5th place game) at the Puerto Rico Tipoff. The winner will play No. 21 Georgia Tech, who defeated George Mason, 80-72. The Patriots await the loser of the IU-BU game.

I don’t have a good scouting report on the the Terriers, but I do know they are 0-3 but were picked unanimously as the favorite to win the America East Conference. The America East is typically a No. 16 seed-caliber conference, but BU hung tough with Kansas State last night in their 10 point loss.

That being said, BU starts four seniors and has their top three scorers back from a year ago. The Terriers are led in scoring by junior John Holland, who averaged 18.1 points as a sophomore, while he has averaged 20.3 through three games this season.

Most interestingly, Holland — who scored 20 in the loss versus Kansas State last night — has played 37 minutes in each of their three games, yet he has not the started the last two. Senior Valdas Sirutis has two inches on the 6-foot-5  Holland and has started those two games, but the 6-foot-7 Lithuanian has recorded just two points and 10 rebounds thus far.

Below the jump is the projected starting lineups (without Holland… I guess), as well as a game prediction:

Continue reading »

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Senior Spotlight: Nick Polk

By Greg Rosenstein | IDS football writer

Posted at 4:31 pm on November 20, 2009 | Print | Share | Comments (0)

Note: With 21 IU football seniors playing their final game Saturday, the IDS took the time to talk to all the graduating players. 

Nick Polk, safety

Major: General Studies

Season stats:

• Played in 10 of 11 games this season totaling 45 tackles and two interceptions.  

Quotes

On what it means to be an IU football player:

Its about having the pride and the Hoosier fans.  I came in with Coach Hep and he just brought a different atmosphere to Indiana football.  That was very memorable to me.  When we got the Bucket back in 2007, to get that for him, meant a lot for me.

On his favorite individual memory:

The Bucket game in 2007.  We became bowl-eligible and that was one of Coach Hep’s dreams.  

On future plans:

If I don’t continue playing football, then hopefully I’ll find a job as a firefighter.  I have always wanted to do that since I was a little kid.  

 

 

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Headline fix for my article on Ole Jawn Purdue tradition

By Aaron Siegal-Eisman | Field hockey beat writer

Posted at 2:30 pm on November 20, 2009 | Print | Share | Comments (0)

The headline should have said “IU revives burial of ‘Ole Jawn Purdue’ Today” and not what was in the paper as “IU recieves burial of ‘Ole Jawn Purdue’ on Saturday.

The burial will take place at 5:30 today by the Devault Alumni Center, the Hoosier Village area on 17th and Woodlawn.

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Senior Snapshot: Matt Kurz

By Nathan Hart | IDS football writer

Posted at 2:17 pm on November 20, 2009 | Print | Share | Comments (0)

Note: With 21 IU football seniors playing their final game Saturday, the IDS took the time to talk to all the graduating players. 

Matt Kurz, safety

Major: Sport Communication/Broadcast

Career stats:

• 2009: Played in all 11 games as a special teams contributor

Quotes

On what it means to be an IU football player:

Family. That’s what we are. Everyone in there is one big family. Everyone believes in each other. We don’t really listen to what other people say – everybody’s together in there.”

On his favorite individual memory:

Winning the Bucket in ‘07. All the students coming onto the field and then going into the locker room and everybody going crazy afterward.

On future plans:

I’ll be graduating in May. All I know is that I’d like to stay in football. So, maybe something in the organization or upstairs or something like that.

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Senior Snapshot: Brian Zematis

By Nathan Hart | IDS football writer

Posted at 2:11 pm on November 20, 2009 | Print | Share | Comments (0)

IU tight end Brian Zematis chases after Indiana State quarterback Reilly Murphy during the fourth quarter of IU’s 55-7 victory in 2007 at Memorial Stadium.

Note: With 21 IU football seniors playing their final game Saturday, the IDS took the time to talk to all the graduating players. 

Brian Zematis, tight end

Major: SPEA management

Career stats:

• 2009: Played in all 11 games as a blocking TE, started two games
• Career: Played in 25 games as a TE and DE

Quotes

On what it means to be an IU football player:

It’s working hard, it’s your commitment to the program and it’s doing it the right way. It’s doing it honestly, it’s doing it through hard work and it’s doing it through personal effort and it’s doing it together as a team.

On his favorite individual memory:

There’s probably two of them. One was two years ago – the first game against Indiana State, I was playing defensive end at the time, I got in at the end of the game and I got a sack on my first play at d-end. It was also my third-to-last time at defensive end. And the other was winning the Bucket two years ago. That was a helluva game and a great time watching those students rush the field.

On future plans:

I’ll be here until June finishing up my graduate work in Sports Management. After that, I’d like to go work for a professional organization in the front office or something like that.

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Senior Snapshot: Rodger Saffold

By Nathan Hart | IDS football writer

Posted at 2:02 pm on November 20, 2009 | Print | Share | Comments (0)

IU senior offensive linemen Pete Saxon, left, and Rodger Saffold pose for a portrait during IU football media day on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 at Memorial Stadium. (James Brosher | IDS)

Note: With 21 IU football seniors playing their final game Saturday, the IDS took the time to talk to all the graduating players. 

Rodger Saffold, left tackle

Major: SPEA management

Career stats:

• 2009: Started all 11 games at LT
• Career: Started 40 games at LT throughout career, played as a true freshman

Quotes

On what it means to be an IU football player:

We’ve really been through a roller coaster ride of a bunch of different things – had a bunch of great victories and a bunch of serious disappointments, but I really couldn’t be anywhere else. I really feel like I fit here. I really enjoy all the guys, all the coaches. I really just feel like IU is more a fit for me than I am a fit for it.

On his favorite individual memory:

Two years ago against Purdue was really good. I was actually in on the play with the field goal when (Austin Starr) made it, so just that feeling right there, I always think about it. It’s something I won’t forget, because everyone knew we were doing it for Coach Hep.

On future plans:

I intend on getting my degree and graduating from this school. And then I intend to compete and play at the next level. A lot of different things go into that, things may be hectic, but my first choice is always to make sure I get my degree before any of that other stuff.

Archives

Here’s a column Ryan Winn wrote about the O-line’s improvement this season.

Prior to the season, I talked to Saffold about what the o-line will do to anchor the new pistol offense.

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IU football recruit earns Player of the Year award

By Greg Rosenstein | IDS football writer

Posted at 12:36 pm on November 20, 2009 | Print | Share | Comments (0)

2010 IU football commit and Maine South running back Matt Perez has been named the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year.

In his career, the 5′11 rusher has totaled 3,771 yards and 51 touchdowns for a team seeking its second consecutive Illinois state championship.  

‘‘He is the best player I have ever coached,” Maine South coach Dave Inserra said.  “What makes him special? He has the combination that every running back wants: power, speed, balance, agility, vision and explosiveness.’’

Check out the full Chicago Sun-Times article here.

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IU-Purdue pregame material

By Ryan Winn | IDS football columnist

Posted at 10:02 am on November 20, 2009 | Print | Share | Comments (0)

In a season filled with heartache, excitement and more questions than answers, IU’s season has come down to this.

The Hoosiers (4-7, 1-6) play for the Old Oaken Bucket against rival Purdue (4-7, 3-4) in the season’s culminating act at 3 pm in Memorial Stadium.

• Nathan Hart looks at how Purdue and IU have – for better or worse – had very similar seasons.

• Greg Rosenstein gets the perspective of the out-of-state players on the bitter rivalry that is IU-Purdue.

• Aaron Siegal-Eisman writes IU is bringing back the burial of Ole Jawn Purdue.

Meanwhile, this week’s column calls for fans to enjoy the subtleties of football in the Bucket game.

Stay with idsnews.com and Hoosier Hype for much more previewing the Hoosiers’ final game of the season, as well as a live blog throughout Saturday afternoon’s game.

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Senior Snapshot: Collin Taylor

By Ryan Winn | IDS football columnist

Posted at 11:55 pm on November 19, 2009 | Print | Share | Comments (0)

Note: With 21 IU football seniors playing their final game Saturday, the IDS took the time to talk to all the graduating players.

Collin Taylor, safety

Major: Sport communication-broadcast

Career stats:

• 21 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery; 1 reception, 3 yards

Quotes

On what it means to be an IU football player:

It’s about tradition, it’s about pride. My grandfather and my sister were both letter winners here at IU, so it feels good to kind of follow in the path that they made for me. It’s all about pride for the jersey and the name. I love going home and being able to talk about us Hoosiers. Espescially after this week, i’m going to go home and talk to those Purdue people about it.

On his favorite individual memory:

Personally, the day I made the team. The day Matt (Kurz), I, Bradon Bugg and Mike Reiter came on. We’re the only ones that stuck around from that walk-on class.

On future plans:

I think I’m going to hang out around here for a while. I graduate in December, but I’m always looking for something new and challenging, and when it comes to finding a job, I’m going to challenge myself to find the best job. I’m a sports communications major, so I’d like to be in TV broadcasting or something like that, but I just want to enjoy what I do everyday.

From the archives

Greg Rosenstein wrote a piece on Taylor prior to his game against Wisconsin this season.

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Looking ahead in Puerto Rico; IU by the numbers

By Jordan Cohen | IDS men's basketball columnist

Posted at 11:27 pm on November 19, 2009 | Print | Share | Comments (0)

Following their 89-71 loss to Ole Miss at the Puerto Rico Tipoff, IU will play Boston University at 6 p.m. tomorrow, after the Terriers fell to Kansas State 80-70. The game will not be televised.

Should IU beat BU, they will play for 5th place on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU versus the winner of No. 21 Georgia Tech and George Mason. Georgia Tech lost by four to No. 18 Dayton in the tournament’s first game, while No. 5 Villanova narrowly escaped from George Mason this afternoon, 69-68.

Should the Terriers defeat IU, the Hoosiers would face the loser of Georgia Tech and George Mason for 7th place. That game would be at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, also on ESPNU.

Tomorrow’s front draw matchups are Dayton-Villanova at 3 p.m. and Kansas State-Ole Miss at 8:30 p.m., both on the “U.”

Just for fun, here are some random statistics through three games:

• Through three games, IU has blocked nine shots, compared with Ole Miss freshman Reggie Buckner who has 12 individually (the team blocked IU 12 times on Thursday)
• Maurice Creek leads the team with 16.3 points, followed by Verdell Jones’ 13.0 points and Christian Watford’s 12.0
• Derek Elston is averaging 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, despite averaging just 18.3 minutes
• Jeremiah Rivers was shooting 2-of-12 (17%) through two games, but his 6-for-6 effort versus Ole Miss brought him up to 44% from the field
• In 24 minutes of action this season, Bawa Muniru (4 in 9 mins.), Daniel Moore (3 in 12 mins.) and Brett Finkelmeier (2 in 3 mins.) have recorded a combined nine rebounds… Tijan Jobe (2 in 16 mins.) and Bobby Capobianco (1 in 18 mins.) have a total of three in 34 minutes
• The Hoosiers have made 51.4 % of their free throws (36-70)
• Tom Pritchard (4-7, 57.1%) is third on the team in free throw percentage, behind only Matt Roth (2-2, 100%) and Christian Watford (10-14, 71.4%)
• IU is shooting 37.5% from behind the arc, though Devan Dumes is 2-of-10
• Roth, sidelined with a foot injury, is o-for-1 from 3-point territory in two games (11 minutes)
• The freshmen have hit 46.1% of their 3-point shots, led by Elston’s 3-of-4 (75%) and Creek’s 6-of-13 (46.2%) 3-point shooting
• Rivers is averaging 4.7 assists per game, but also 4.0 assists
• Eight Hoosiers are averaging more than 15 minutes per contest
• The team is averaging 74.3 points per game, but also 18.3 turnovers

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