347 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(05/04/09 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack has hired Amaka Agugua as assistant coach for the Hoosiers. The spot opened when former assistant Marc Wilson’s contract was not renewed.Legette-Jack and Agugua are already familiar with each other. Legette-Jack coached Agugua from 2001 to 2006 at Hofstra, which included a season in which Agugua missed most of the year because of injury.Legette-Jack said she enjoyed having Agugua at Hofstra and is thrilled to be working with her again.“Amaka is a humble person, but she’s a hard worker,” Legette-Jack said in an IU media relations release. “She is a person that played for me at Hofstra, and she totally believed in what we were trying to do when we got to Hofstra.”As a player, Agugua was known for her jump shot and fierce rebounding ability.She averaged 10.2 points and six rebounds per game. She is 12th in the history of the program with 568 rebounds and recorded 970 career points. Her numbers weren’t the only reason Agugua was added to Legette-Jack’s staff. Agugua gained an understanding of what her former coach is trying to accomplish in her four years on the court.“She became my captain for three years, and all we did was continue to raise the bar there,” Legette-Jack said. “Now, with her joining our staff here at Indiana, our future is bright. And she is a person that understands exactly what I’m looking for as far as work ethic, enthusiasm for the job, recruiting and loyalty.”Agugua, who will begin her duties for the Hoosiers Monday spent the last three seasons at Virginia Commonwealth. She spent three seasons with the team, one as a graduate assistant and two as an assistant coach.She helped lead the team to their lone NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2008-09 season.Agugua will join Legette-Jack, and current assistants Jose Mori and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson for the upcoming season.
(05/01/09 1:16pm)
IU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack has picked Amaka Agugua to fill a spot as the assistant coach for the Hoosiers.
(04/23/09 3:05am)
Last week the IU women's basketball team concluded their season with the end of the year banquet.
(04/23/09 3:02am)
Check it out
(04/21/09 3:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last year, senior Ray Fisher caught passes from quarterbacks Kellen Lewis and Ben Chappell. This spring he is trying to intercept them. Fisher switched from wide receiver to cornerback to help the football team’s defense, which ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten in most defensive categories last year. Fisher is one of only 14 Hoosiers with 100 career receptions and 1,000 career receiving yards, yet he said he was motivated to help the defense. “Whatever I can do for the team, that’s what I want to do,” he said. “Every day, I’m going to go out and work hard so I can have all my teammates behind me, so they can trust me at whatever I’m doing.” Fisher has some experience on defense from when he played defensive back at Glenville High School in Cleveland, a program coached by the father of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. Although he has some knowledge of the position, Fisher said he has had trouble making the switch to a defensive mindset.“It’s pretty hard,” he said. “They are throwing a lot of stuff at me. I just have to go out and play every down real hard, so I can understand the whole game.” Despite being somewhat limited by a groin injury, Joe Palcic, co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, said Fisher has progressed well. “Ray (Fisher)’s done a great job,” Palcic said. “He has missed a couple practices with some injuries, but since then I’ve seen the improvement step back up.” Palcic said Fisher can apply the skills that made him a good receiver to the cornerback position, citing his speed, quickness and timing in the air as usable qualities.Fisher said the technical aspects of cornerback have been another challenge, but said he feels he can make up for that in other areas. “I’m kind of rusty with my technique, but I have athletic ability,” Fisher said. “I’m able to do stuff, where instead of using technique, I can use my athletic ability with some things.” Fisher will use his athleticism to return kickoffs and punts as well. Sophomore Chris Adkins, who also plays cornerback, said Fisher is smoothly moving into the position. “He’s doing a lot better,” Adkins said. “It’s always good to have playmakers on both sides of the ball. We got him from the offense, bring him over here, so he’s getting a lot better. He’s just an athlete.” The Hoosiers have what seems to be a strong outlook for the offensive side of the ball, making many changes that IU coach Bill Lynch said fans will enjoy. Although the offense might be improved, the defense will need to do better than it has in the past. Last season the defense ranked 11th in the Big Ten in total defense, scoring defense, opponent first downs and opponent fourth downs. Lynch said Fisher might be what they need to help turn those numbers around. “He’s a tough guy,” Lynch said. “He gives us a physical presence at corner. He’s a kid that likes to get in the mix, and he can be a cover guy since he has good feet. I think it’s a good move for him, and I think it’s a good move for the team.” Although Fisher said his true calling is wide receiver, he is happy to make a switch that helps his team. “To me, I’m a receiver at heart, but I have ability that a lot of people don’t have,” Fisher said. “I have a chance to play two positions, so I’m going to go out and play hard.”
(04/17/09 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Although the IU football team won’t kick off their season until Sept. 3, fans will have a chance to see it play in a game setting this weekend. The Spring Game, which is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium, will mark the end of the offseason practice schedule for the Hoosiers. The IU men’s basketball team will sign autographs at the event from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.IU coach Bill Lynch said he would like to see his team play a true game, health permitting. Otherwise, it will be a scrimmage with a point system to keep it competitive. For people making their first visit to Memorial Stadium to see the Hoosiers since their season ended this fall, many things will seem different. One of the most notable changes will be junior quarterback Ben Chappell taking most of the snaps instead of senior Kellen Lewis, who is now listed at wide receiver. Lewis will still take some snaps at quarterback, but his primary duties will be at wide receiver. Lynch said he liked what he saw from Chappell. “I think Ben’s had a really good spring,” Lynch said after last weekend’s scrimmage. “I thought he really threw some in there today. He has a good grasp of what they do with the running game and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.” The Hoosiers hope changing to the pistol offense will improve their running game. The pistol offense features a running back directly behind the quarterback and includes more running up the middle than toward the sidelines. The new formation will also allow running backs more time to read defenses because they start plays behind the line of scrimmage. The Hoosiers have good depth at the running back position, with four players competing for time. Seniors Bryan Payton and Demetrius McCray will join freshman Darius Willis and junior Trea Burgess in the backfield. Lynch said he likes the depth and presence IU has at the position. “The thing I like about all four of them are physical guys,” he said. “Physical running the ball, and they can break tackles. They are physical in their pass protection as well.” Another key to the running game will be the offensive line, a group that has impressed Lynch with its recent improvement. There have also been changes on the defensive side of the ball. Senior Ray Fisher moved from wide receiver to cornerback, and Jarrod Smith switched from offensive lineman to defensive tackle. In previous scrimmages, the offense has gotten off to a quick start, but the defense has answered with big plays of its own. Smith said he believes Saturday will follow the same script.“That’s the way football is, going back and forth,” he said. “It’s a game of momentum. Whoever has it has it.” Although many defensive players are injured, including last year’s MVP Jammie Kirlew and captain Will Paterson, sophomore cornerback Chris Adkins said the team is not worried. “We have that confidence that we know that we can get a lot better, because we have a lot of veterans that are injured and will come back soon,” Adkins said.While there are many things still up in the air, one thing is certain: Saturday’s game will be a battle. IU players will approach the scrimmage with the same intensity they do every day at practice. Senior middle linebacker Matt Mayberry showed the seriousness with which players approach practice with his crushing hit on an IU wide receiver coming across the middle during practice last week. Lynch said he hopes the game will provide an atmosphere for players to jumpstart the regular season. “You always find somebody in that last scrimmage that has a big day, and that kind of kicks them off into the fall,” Lynch said.
(04/13/09 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Moving junior Ben Chappell to the primary quarterback position this spring seemed to be working well. In the Hoosiers’ second spring scrimmage Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Chappell connected on his first eight passes for a total of 111 yards in the day that consisted of the scrimmage, 7-on-7 and red zone drills and field goal attempts. The most impressive play of the day was a 22-yard touchdown strike to sophomore wide receiver Damarlo Belcher. Then the defense woke up.Junior Jarrod Smith, who switched from offensive lineman to defensive tackle this spring, sacked quarterback Adam Follett for a 7-yard loss.Chappell said he saw improvement in the defense from last weekend’s scrimmage.“I think the defense did a lot better today,” Chappell said. “I think we executed OK on offense. We could have done a few things better. We will watch it on film and see, but I think the defense flew around a lot better today.”During the next series, with Chappell behind center, the defense struck again as sophomore cornerback Chris Adkins picked off a pass to end another offensive possession.Adkins said the play wasn’t incredibly difficult to execute.“I felt like (Chappell) just threw it to me,” he said. “I don’t know – right place, right time – something like that. Thanks, Chap.” The Hoosiers’ defense is missing several key players this spring. They are without safeties Austin Thomas and Nick Polk, last year’s captain Will Patterson and last season’s MVP Jammie Kirlew.Despite the injuries, IU coach Bill Lynch said he liked what he saw from the defense during the scrimmage but also acknowledged there is still work to do.“I liked their enthusiasm,” he said. “They got a lot of guys out, so a lot of young guys are getting a chance and they’re flying around. The biggest thing I see is we need to tackle better.”Lynch also said he thought Chappell was having a good spring and has a good grasp of the new offensive formation.“He’s got such great command of the offense,” Lynch said. “That’s the biggest thing. ... When the play is over, he comes off the sideline and – Coach (Matt) Canada talks about that all the time – he will tell you exactly what happened out there. When you watch the tape later on, he really saw it.”The quarterback trio of Chappell, Follett and junior Teddy Schell threw the ball to 10 different wide receivers on the day. Sophomore wide receiver Matt Ernest led the group with two catches for 47 yards, including a 40-yard completion from Follett.Chappell said he likes the balance and chemistry that has developed between the quarterbacks and receivers. “With that much talent, with those guys at wide receiver, I think it could be really special,” he said.The running game, which has been a focus of spring practice, also came through as the Hoosier ball carriers accounted for 169 yards on 30 carries.Freshman Trea Burgess sprinted down the right sideline for a 37-yard gain to set up a 5-yard touchdown run on the next play. Senior Bryan Payton rushed for 38 yards, including a 25-yard run, and senior Demetrius McCray rushed for 25 yards.Freshman Darius Willis gained 20 yards in his first scrimmage after returning from an injury.At the end of the scrimmage, Chappell said he thought it was a productive practice.“I think it was a good day overall,” he said. “We came out and ran the ball really well. That was nice. The defense picked it up a little bit, too, so I think overall it was really good.”
(04/10/09 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>By his own admission, senior defensive end Jammie Kirlew doesn’t fit the football player stereotype. He’s studied in Italy and campaigned for President Barack Obama. Now, he’s exploring filmmaking.Kirlew, last season’s team MVP, said he likes doing things people don’t expect him to do and setting an example for others.“We are trying to do as much as we can to break the barriers and expand and be better role models,” Kirlew said.Kirlew got his start in cinema when he made a 10-minute film, entirely in Italian, for a summer class. He said the film was a hit.“I did the Italian movie, and it turned out really well,” he said. “We blew everyone out, so I was like ‘man, we really got something here.’”Kirlew, a School of Public and Environmental Affairs management and public financial management double major, has always had an interest in movies, but he said he couldn’t make his own because of limited resources.Campus MovieFest, the world’s largest student film festival, came to IU and gave him that opportunity. The contest gives each entrant one week to make a five-minute film and supplies them with everything from Apple laptops to High Definition cameras to do so.Kirlew wrote, produced, directed and edited his film “Spring Break-Up.” About 60 groups entered the competition, and the top 16 films played Thursday night. Kirlew did not make the cut.When choosing the cast, Kirlew didn’t have to look far to find his leading man.Junior wide receiver Terrance Turner came to mind after Kirlew remembered seeing him in the play “An American Ma(u)l,” last year.Turner, a theater and drama major, said his teammate has some talent in film production. “I think he did pretty well,” Turner said. “He knew what shots he wanted. He had everything organized. One thing about Jammie, he is always organized. That really helped out the process, especially since we only had a limited amount of time.”With only seven days to shoot and edit the film, the group of 10 started production on “Spring Break-Up.”The film, which stars Turner as the main character, Tyree, starts when he and his girlfriend stop at a convenience store. His girlfriend sees a text message on his phone from another girl and gets furious. With his girlfriend going on a spring break cruise in four days, he knows he has to make up with her fast.Kirlew said he drew some inspiration from “The Sopranos,” although the film is mainly a comedy that incorporates romance, drama and action.IU football coach Bill Lynch said he is not surprised by Kirlew’s varied story line.“That sounds like Jammie,” Lynch said. “All those things in five minutes. You get those things every time you talk to him.”Kirlew said the most challenging part of the process was coordinating everyone’s schedule to shoot scenes.The filming portion took place over a span of three days in which Kirlew shot one scene as early as 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning.Turner said he was happy to help out his teammate and take a break from his daily routine. “I like acting,” he said. “I like film and theater and things of that sort. To be able to do it and get away – get a small break from football and school – it really helps.”Kirlew said he loves football but believes this time in his life is prime for expansion. “College is about learning,” he said. “It’s about finding out what your passions are and what you want to do later in life. I find that very important, so I try to go in different realms and see which actually work for me and what stuff I like doing.”
(04/10/09 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The loss of No. 1 running back Marcus Thigpen, an unsettled quarterback situation and the movement of Ray Fisher, one of last year’s most productive wide receivers, to corner back all have the IU offense in flux.In its second spring scrimmage at 10 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium, the Hoosiers will test out and evaluate a number of newly implemented players in preparation for the 2009 season.Another change is a revamped offense referred to as the pistol. The pistol offense has the quarterback behind center and a featured running back as the last line of attack.Last season the Hoosiers used a spread formation, where the running back would line up to the side of the quarterback.IU coach Bill Lynch said he thinks this will help with the players’ running game and allow the team to be less predictable in its play calling.Junior quarterback Ben Chappell said he is getting more comfortable with the new formation every day and believes it will help the team.“It keeps the defense off balance and gives us a lot of different options,” he said.Freshman Will Matte is also an emerging top center for the offensive line.Chappell said developing center-quarterback chemistry can be a long process, but said he thinks Matte has adjusted very well.“Normally it does take a while, but with Will it has been a seamless transition,” he said. “He has been good so far – really good.”Matte, who has braved new, more talented opposition this spring, said he embraces the idea of an increased running back presence in the backfield.“I love getting fired up,” Matte said. “I love playing offensive line. I think it’s a great position. Center has been a new challenge coming to college, but I’ve loved every minute of it, and I can’t wait to get better.”With Chappell taking more snaps at quarterback during spring practice, senior Kellen Lewis has shifted to wide receiver in many of the Hoosiers’ formations.One of Lewis’ targets at wide receiver last year has also made a position switch. Fisher, who ranks eighth on IU’s all-time reception list with 118 receptions and 1,070 career receiving yards, is playing cornerback this spring. Lynch said he is happy with where the team is, noting the play of members of the offensive line, who he said have progressed well and stayed healthy.Lynch said one of the biggest goals he has for spring practice is the chance to evaluate his players and determine who the top 50 will be.“You want to have a good idea of where you are when spring practice is over,” he said.
(04/10/09 3:28am)
IU recruit Hope Elam, who will join the Hoosiers for their upcoming season was selected as a 1st team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Assocation.
(04/08/09 2:46am)
Well, the women's basketball season is officially over now with UCONN's 76-54 crushing of Louisville for their sixth national title.
(04/05/09 12:40pm)
-The WNIT wrapped up yesterday with South Florida beating Kansas 75-71 in Lawrence, Kan. Kansas got to the championship game by beating Illinois State (who put IU out of the tournament) with a final score of 75-72.
(04/01/09 12:44pm)
The Purdue Boilermakers, the Big Ten's last best hope in the NCAA Tournament are out, as they lost to Oklahoma in the elite 8 last night. Final score was 74-68. The Boilermakers had a 5 point halftime lead but couldn't handle the Sooner attack down the stretch. Wisdom-Hylton lead Purdue with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
(04/01/09 12:37pm)
The IU women's basketball team has some trips planned for the summer and fall that fans are invted to attend.
(03/31/09 2:12am)
From the 93-49 victory over Southern Indiana to start the season to the victory over Purdue, to the tip in with 0.2 seconds left there were plenty of memorable moments in the 2008-2009 IU women's basketball season.
(03/30/09 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>NORMAL, Ill. – As the final seconds ticked off the clock, senior Kim Roberson found herself in an unfamiliar spot.Roberson and her three fellow seniors all sat on the bench, ending their season and IU careers in defeat. The highly contentious game saw six ties and 12 lead changes before the Hoosiers (21-11) finally fell 66-55 to Illinois State (27-7) on Sunday in the quarterfinals of the WNIT. Roberson led the Hoosiers back from a 10-point first-half deficit to a 29-26 halftime lead with 11 points. She left the game for good when she fouled out with 3:10 to go.IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said Roberson’s absence hurt the team.“Kim is a kid that you need on the court at the end of the game,” she said. “I think we all know that. To replace that is very difficult, but we certainly tried to makeshift that a little bit.”Fatigue might have played a part in IU’s loss. After playing Bowling Green on Thursday night, the Hoosiers did not have much time to rest before going on the road again and enduring a time change.Legette-Jack said she did not understand why IU had to make such an abrupt transition from Bowling Green, Ohio, to Normal, Ill. “We didn’t have any legs to move left and right today,” Legette-Jack said. “Is that an excuse? Usually, I don’t give excuses, but if you spare me this one. I really believe our kids were icing up and trying to get ready, but we ran out of gas against a really great team.”Junior point guard Jamie Braun, who led the Hoosiers with 15 points, said her team shouldn’t have needed any extra incentive for the biggest game of its season.“For me, I personally was a little fatigued in the second half,” she said. “It really shouldn’t matter. We should be able to dig deep. It’s the tournament. It’s March. We are playing. We shouldn’t have to worry about if we are tired or not.”They lacked the energy needed to fight for rebounds, trailing in that category 48-35 and shooting just 30.6 percent from the field. Illinois State had 23 points from their bench, but the only points from the pine for IU came when freshman Lindsay Enterline hit a 15-foot jump shot at the final buzzer.The sound marked the end of a season full of inconsistencies. The Hoosiers had a nine-game winning streak early in the year and started conference play winning seven of their first eight. Then IU went on a four-game losing streak near the season’s end. A disappointing end to the Big Ten Tournament followed, as IU lost 68-64 to Purdue, leaving it to speculate whether it would partake in the NCAA tournament.Next year the Hoosiers will be without senior Whitney Thomas, only the second in school history to collect more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. They will also be without Roberson, the IU record book’s all-time steals leader.Senior Amber Jackson realized her career at IU was coming to an end as she sat on the bench in the closing seconds of the game.“As the clock was going down to its last seconds, I was sad that I knew – as a senior – that is it for me and this is my last game,” she said.Legette-Jack had her most successful year at the helm of the Hoosiers, carrying IU to 21 wins for the first time since the 1997-98 season. She said it will be hard to replace such a talented and hard-working senior class.“They just stayed focused,” she said. “Normal people can’t do that. These kids are abnormal in a great way. I don’t know if were going to find those special kind of kids in such a group like that again.”
(03/29/09 12:35pm)
Today the road to the WNIT championship takes us to Normal, IL, where the Hoosiers will play Illinois State at 3p.m. ET. As always feel free to leave questions and comments and join in on our live blog.
(03/28/09 6:05pm)
IU recruit Aulani Sinclair, who will join the team next year was recently named to the Indiana All-Star Team. She will play two games in mid-June against the Kentucky All-Stars. One game will be in Indianapolis and the other will be played in Louisville.
(03/27/09 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Senior Amber Jackson said she couldn’t even hear herself breathe – the 2,786 fans in Anderson Arena sounded more like 10,000. Despite the deafening screams, the Hoosiers captured a 75-67 victory against Bowling Green on Thursday night in the third round of the WNIT. The Hoosiers (21-10) controlled the first four minutes as they got out to a 10-2 lead. Senior Whitney Thomas, who had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Hoosiers, said the team talked before the game about getting off to a good start. “We really stressed at the beginning of the game that the first four minutes of the game were going to be very important,” she said. “We came out with a lot of energy and pressured them, and we hit some good shots.” Bowling Green (29-5) trailed by as many as 12, but cut the Hoosiers’ lead to five midway through the first half. Just when it looked like the Falcons could go on a big run to end the half, Jackson stepped up and knocked down a baseline jumper with 8 seconds left. Jackson was fouled on the play and converted the free throw to give IU a 36-25 halftime lead. IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said Jackson, who led the Hoosiers with 17 points, played well in the closing moments of the half. “That just shows her focus,” Legette-Jack said. “Amber is very focused lately, and she knows she has to play until the end.” The second half was similar to the first as the Hoosiers jumped out to a 55-45 lead at the 10:15 mark. It took less than three minutes for the Falcons to trim the gap to just two. Then junior point guard Jamie Braun made an important decision. Braun told Legette-Jack to put freshmen Ashlee Mells into the game to give IU a spark. Legette-Jack said she trusted her player. “You listen to your point guard,” she said. “This is not about me making all the decisions. It’s about us making decisions that are best for our team.” The decision paid off as Mells connected on a high-arching 3-pointer to extend the Hoosiers’ lead to 60-53. The Falcons could never get closer than within five points the rest of the game as IU hit its free throws to seal it. The Hoosiers will now battle Illinois State in the quarterfinals of the tournament at 3 p.m. Sundayt at Redbird Arena in Normal, Ill. Jackson said she likes playing in environments like the one in which the Hoosiers played against Bowling Green. “It was really exciting, actually,” she said. “I would like for the fans to be for us, but I loved it, and they have a great fan base here.” The coaches on the opposing benches, after playing an intense game, had plenty of good things to say about each other’s team. Bowling Green coach Curt Miller, who worked with Legette-Jack from 1994 to 1998 when they were both assistant coaches at Syracuse, said he wishes the Hoosiers the best in the tournament. “I’m not only Felisha’s friend and former colleague,” Miller said, “I’m her biggest fan, and I truly hope they go win this.”
(03/27/09 3:39am)
The IU women's basketball team, after beating Bowling Green 75-67 advances to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. Their opponent will be Illinois state, who beat Marquette 51-50 Thursday night.