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(08/12/10 12:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At first glance, 6-foot-11, 205-pound center Peter Jurkin might look like an all-too-familiar sight to Hoosier fans — and one they didn’t want to see again.Fans are done with the “projects” and with players like Bawa Muniru and Tijan Jobe. And while Jobe was a fan favorite, he didn’t produce the necessary numbers on the court.Though the three all play the center position and are all from Africa, the associations stop there — Jurkin’s no Tijan.“There’s no comparison,” said Mark Adams, Jurkin’s Indiana Elite AAU coach said. “Tijan and Bawa had magnificent bodies. But Peter is at another level, and he still has two years of high school basketball left to be played.”Jurkin has been ranked as the 16th overall player in the 2012 recruiting class by ESPN but is unranked by several other prominent recruiting bases. However, even without high rankings from Rivals.com or Scout.com, his play grabbed the attention of several coaches around the country. Jurkin had offers from Clemson, IU and South Carolina and had interest from Memphis, North Carolina, NC State, Tennessee and Texas.His early commitment allows him to focus on several things he wants to improve on before he arrives in Bloomington for college, particularly bulking up. One of the biggest knocks Jurkin’s critics have is his current thin physique.Jurkin mentioned building muscle as one of the things that he planned to work on, but the busy summer circuit has kept him from truly devoting his time.“I’ve had too many games, too many practices (to focus on strength),” Jurkin said. “But this year I’m going to try and be in the weight program and try and (get) big.”Jurkin also said he planned on improving his offense in his two remaining years of high school. His early commitment will allow him to devote his time purely to academics and basketball, rather than focusing on visits and offers.“I (decided) early because I wanted to be focused on school and basketball — try to not think about what college (I’m) going to,” he said.But why IU? With offers and attention from schools with already-established programs — and not in the rebuilding mode — such as North Carolina and Texas, his decision to come to Indiana was based more on court time.“I’ve talked to Coach, and he thinks that I can come in and play right away and maybe start,” Jurkin told Rivals.com. “I also like the Big Ten. It’s a good conference. I think I’ll have a good coach.”His decision to come to IU, a school with a heavy tradition of quality basketball, might just be the first domino for the Hoosiers, with several 2011 players still undecided — including forward Cody Zeller.Zeller also plays for Indiana Elite and has IU in his final three schools. Having a big man like Jurkin might help tilt his decision toward the cream and crimson.If a dominant player like Zeller would commit, it would mean more than just an additional player: Jurkin’s game is stronger when he is surrounded by high-quality players and players with height, said Shaun Wiseman, his coach at United Faith Christian Academy.“Peter plays better when there are other big kids out on the floor,” Wiseman said. “That is why Peter is going to be a good college player.”Adams agreed that IU is gaining a valuable player.“Anyone that watched the games at Adidas Nations would know what IU is getting,” Adams said. “I thought he played as good as any big man defensively against the best competition in his age group from around the world.“I think IU has gotten one of the best centers in the country in the 2012 class. I think it’s an excellent start to their 2012 recruiting class.”
(08/11/10 9:07pm)
Junior wide receiver Tandon Doss has recently been named to the 2010
Biletnikoff Award Watch List. He is the fourth Hoosier in five years to
be honored, with former Hoosiers James Hardy named to the list in both
2006 and 2007 and Andrew Means named in 2008.
(08/08/10 9:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington is the prime location for several things: basketball, tailgating — and softball tournaments.This past week, the city played host to the USA/ASA National Fastpitch softball tournament for the 19th time. It marks the largest Bloomington tournament since the Under-16 National Fastpitch Tournament in 2004. A total of 101 under-12 teams participated in this year’s event.However, bringing an event of such magnitude is not simple, and the city must have a strong rapport with events.“It’s a long process, year after year, building a reputation of being able to handle a tournament like this,” tournament director John Turnbull said. “You’ve got to be able to run it, and you’ve got to be able to follow the rules.“Two years ago we bid on this tournament, and we were selected to host it based on our reputation, based on our community and based on the package that we presented that said we could successfully host this tournament.”The city gains more than visitors when tournaments roll around: The economy is boosted as well. Bloomington expects this to garner more than $1 million, Turnbull said. Turnbull also said the city hopes the tournament will allow the parks department to make $20,000. However, the parks department and other government departments aren’t the main benefactors.“It’s not looked at as a single event — it’s looked at as a community-wide sort of thing,” Turnbull said. “It brings in a lot of revenue for the hotels and restaurants.”Given all the money generated from the tournament, it is clear that those involved are spending some serious money.Many teams use fundraisers for tournament fees, but the rest typically falls on the parents.Dawn Viles, mother of an athlete for Team Smith from Chino Hills, Calif., said being involved in travel softball is a big investment. “We play about one tournament per month,” Viles said. “The tournaments are all over the country, so we spend a lot of energy and time traveling.”For Team Smith, every parent is on his or her own as far as coming up with the money for the expenses.“We have a meeting at the beginning of the year where we let the parents know our goals and what we need for the season,” Viles said.Sean Kelly, a parent from Houston supporting Texas Storm Elite, said he feels planning is a huge part of being involved with travel softball.“These tournaments are like our family vacations, so we plan just like we would a vacation,” Kelly said. The Texas Storm Elite play in nearly 50 tournaments a year, and the cost of eating alone can put a huge stress on a family.“Sometimes it’s lunch meat from the grocery store, or if there’s some extra money we may go out to eat,” Kelly said. “It all really depends on our situation for each tournament.”The cost might be hard for some, but it is hard to put a price on the memories and the fun.“In the end, it doesn’t matter how much money we are spending at these tournaments, because we love to watch our girls play, and we love to be able to spend time with them and watch them do what they love,” Kelly said.
(08/01/10 11:13pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Damn the past few seasons and the talk of the Hoosiers never regaining their former glory. It still means something to don the candy-striped pants.The five banners draping from the Assembly Hall ceiling — and the 21 Indiana Mr. Basketball winners (including current guard Jordan Hulls) that have suited up for the Hoosiers since the award’s inception in 1939 — still matter.They matter most to the players coming in and trying to make the line of the Indiana fight song “for the glory of old IU” ring true once more — and those feelings hit recruits and players immediately upon hitting campus.“Being from Florida, we don’t really know about the Hoosier lifestyle and, you know, Big Ten Basketball, stuff like that — we’re more of a football state,” incoming freshman forward Will Sheehey said. “When I actually found out really what this place was about and how much the people care, and how much the players care, and how much basketball means more than just a game to these people — it means the same to me, so that’s how I knew this is where I wanted to be.”Sheehey said those feelings hit him on his first official visit — and from that point on, he wanted to be a Hoosier.Fellow incoming freshman guard Victor Oladipo echoed Sheehey’s sentiments.“On my first official visit, I knew I was coming here,” Oladipo said.However, as Oladipo is learning, knowing where you want to go and being ready for it are two different things.“Becoming an Indiana basketball player is not as easy as it sounds, and I’m just trying to get used to it — it’s not like high school,” Oladipo said. “I’m just trying to have fun and get used to it.“It’s very rigorous. It’s very competitive — weight-lifting every day, doing everything to become an Indiana basketball player, is not like high school. (During) high school I really didn’t have to do that.”However, Oladipo said he is looking forward to fall and to the team’s improvement from last year. But also the improvement that fans are looking for: an improvement from the 16-46 record the Hoosiers have posted during the past two seasons. “I know we are going to do a lot better ... and we are working hard every day,” Olapido said. “We always rally around each other, and I’m just looking forward to playing with these guys. ... These guys are my family now, and they always will be.”Both Olapido and Sheehey, as well as fellow newcomer junior college transfer Guy-Marc Michel, expect the Hoosiers to come together as a team and improve on a daily basis. The freshman said they feel the program is turning around, and Sheehey is giving it his full confidence — a mark that should make the Hoosier faithful feel confident going into the fall.“100 percent,” Sheehey said on the program rebounding. “When you see everyone working hard getting up extra shots you can see in people’s eyes that they want to turn this around and I think it’s true, we are.”----------IU’s incoming athletes have spent the last six to seven weeks going through individual workouts and classes and adapting to the college experience. The three players were made available to the media Friday for the first time. Q: How are you fitting in with the current players?Sheehey: From the start, you can tell there is a tight-knit group. Everyone has their own different cliques, but the team as whole — you can tell we are really starting to bond. It’s exciting to see each day we grow as a team.Oladipo: I agree — we do grow every day. ... We cheer each other on during practice and during workouts — try to get used to each other. We are like one big family ... These are my brothers, and I’m going to go to war with them every night or day we play. I want to let them know I have their back in everything we do. Michel: I think we are all different. I come from France and get along with everybody on this team, so we’re fine.Q: What have you improved on since you’ve been (in Bloomington), and what will you continue working on?Michel: I think I’ve gotten better with my hook shot. My foot work is getting better. I think defensively is going to be a huge part to work on.Q: What does it mean to you guys to be able to develop in a building like Cook Hall?Oladipo: It’s amazing, and I know that players from the past — they’d probably trade with us in a second. To have something like that is incredible. To be able to have 24-hour access to do something we love, it’s just remarkable, and I’m glad that we have it. I’m glad it came when I came. It’s going to make us a lot better, and I’m just looking forward to using it nonstop.Q: In terms of style of play, what do you think adding you three to the mix will do for the team?Michel: I think for me, being a presence inside, you know — block some shots, grab some rebounds and help the team defensively. Oladipo: I just want to help the team. You know, all three of us can bring energy. I’m an energy type of player — I like to scream and get the crowd into it. I like dunking and stuff like that — so you know, I just like energy and a high-tempo game. ... When I’m high-tempo, I think my team thrives off that.Sheehey: I agree with Vic. I mean, we pretty much all bring our own aspect to the game, but you know, in practice, we need to compete really hard and bring some leadership to the team and bond everyone together. We have good thing going right now, so we just need to keep it rolling.Q: How imposing is Michel’s presence inside?Oladipo: Guy is what, 7-foot? What’s your wingspan, Guy? 7’8” wingspan. I think that’s enough presence for us.Sheehey: I mean, I don’t know if it’s true, but I think Guy can stand on the ground and put his hands straight up and he pretty much touches the rim. If you guys can imagine that — standing underneath the basket next time you look, go look straight up and try touching the rim without jumping. ... That’s what you’ve got with Guy.
(08/01/10 11:06pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>FROM IDS ReportsBASEBALL Rogers signs with Frontier League Former Hoosier second baseman and centerfielder Tyler Rogers recently signed a contract with the Gateway Grizzlies. The Grizzlies, one of 12 teams in the independent Frontier League, play their home games in Sauget, Ill.During Rogers’ final season donning the cream and crimson, he hit .427 in Big Ten play — ranked second in the conference — and drove in 24 RBI, good enough for eighth in the conference.Rogers is one of four Hoosiers to sign professional contracts during the offseason, joining Michael Earley and Ethan Wilson, both with the Chicago White Sox, and Chris Squires, who signed with the Florida Marlins.FOOTBALL21st player commits The Hoosiers picked up the 21st commitment for the 2011 recruiting class with Bernard Taylor’s verbal commitment over the weekend. The 6-foot-2, 281-pound defensive tackle is ranked as a three-star prospect and also had offers from Ball State, Central Michigan, Illinois State and Western Michigan. Taylor, a Michigan native, also received interest from six other Big Ten schools. TRACK AND FIELD Drouin wins again After winning two national titles in his sophomore season, Derek Drouin added another impressive championship to his already lengthy resume, this time in his native country of Canada. Drouin dominated the other jumpers, defeating the six competitors by several inches, to win the 2010 Canada national high jump title. Drouin jumped 3.25 inches over the runner-up, Michael Mason.Drouin’s championship winning clearance was 2.24 meters (7.34 feet).15 Hoosiers earn All-Academic honors Nine women and six men were named All-Academic honorees by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross County Coaches Association. To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic team, a compiled grade-point average of 3.25 is necessary, and the student-athlete must have competed in either the NCAA Division I Indoor or Outdoor Championships, including the preliminary rounds.Indiana track and field coach Ron Helmer said he enjoys seeing his athletes excel on and off the track.“We want our kids to embody both the student and the athlete in student-athlete,” Helmer said in a press release. “It is always good to see the hard work these young people put in on the track and in the field, and at the same time in the classroom, get recognized.”The women honored included senior Molly Beckwith, junior Chelsea Blanchard, graduate student Kristen Crawford, junior Breanne Ehrman, junior Caitlin Engel, junior Jordan Gray, senior Sarah Pease, graduate student Wendi Robinson and senior Faith Sherrill.The men honored included sophomore Andy Bayer, sophomore Zach Mayhew, junior Derek Messmer, junior Olu Olamigoke, junior Andrew Poore and sophomore Chris Vaughn.— Candice Rohrman
(07/26/10 3:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 2010 Brickyard 400 came down to one choice in the pits—take four tires, or take two tires.Lucky for Jamie McMurray, his crew made the right, and the winning, decision, as McMurray was able to drive his way to victory. McMurray’s crew decided for two tires, while other drivers, such as Greg Biffle, opted for four during a pit stop late in the race.“I thought I had a flat tire on the front, but I knew if we put four tires on, we weren’t going to have a chance to win,” McMurray said. "Man, when it is your day, it is your day. Everything just worked out. Our pit crew did a great job getting us off pit road really fast every time.“It is just remarkable.”Greg Biffle, one of the drivers who took four tires during that fateful pit stop, felt had he chosen two, he would have been the victor, not McMurray.“We would have pulled it off. We would have won that race if we would have put two tires on and that and that’s just as simple as it gets,” Biffle said. “Woulda, shoulda, coulda. It’s hard when we haven’t won in a year-and-a-half and Ford hasn’t won up to this point. That’s pretty hard.”Biffle, who finished in third place and led 38 laps, said that the difference between getting two and four fresh tires is a bigger deal than one might think.“It’s like you got brand-new tires when you’re out front, it’s like you have 20-lap tires when you’re six car lengths behind a guy," Biffle said. "The thing just stops. Just slides all four tires.” However, taking fewer tires can be a gamble for teams if a late caution occurs, but McMurray had luck on his side, and the decision ended up creating some history.With McMurray's win, who races for Chip Ganassi Racing, taking the checkered flag today, Chip Ganassi has become the first owner to win the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500, and the Brickyard 400 in the same year. McMurray also won the Daytona 500, and Dario Franchitti brought Ganassi the other Indianapolis win.Things weren’t always so great with Ganassi Racing, as the team was called unstable as recent as last year, and McMurray wasn’t even sure where he would be racing this time last season. But Ganassi relates the team’s turnaround to hard work, and of course a little luck.“I’ll tell you what, I’m speechless,” Ganassi said. 'I'm lucky and privileged to be in this business. I am honored to work with the people I work with ... I'm the luckiest guy on the planet.“You wouldn’t dare dream this, you wouldn’t dare dream this kind of year. That is the kind of year it has been.”And Ganassi is right. Having teams in both NASCAR and IndyCar at the same time is rare, and having them all have the fortune to win races at Indy and Daytona during the same year is nearly impossible to imagine. Winning the Brickyard 400 also can be more difficult for the Sprint Cup drivers, as they only race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway once a season.His accomplishment is one that will never be repeated, said Kevin Harvick.“I think as race teams and race drivers and owners and sponsors, you come into the year, if you’re in the IndyCar Series, you want to win the Indy 500; if you’re in the Cup Series you want to win here and you want to win at Daytona,” Harvick said.“To win all those in one year is remarkable. It will probably never happen again.”And while winning the trifecta of races is extraordinary, it did not come as a surprised that a Ganassi team won today, but McMurray wasn’t the favorite.Rather, his fellow teammate, Juan Pablo Montoya, was dubbed the favorite after qualifying on the pole. As the race delved on, it looked as if Montoya would be able to revenge the speeding penalty he was slapped with late in 2009’s race, and win his first Brickyard 400. A win this year would have been his second win on the IMS track, as he won the 2000 Indianapolis 500.However, after leading 86 laps, he wrecked with just 15 laps to go, and was forced to retreat to the garages. He finished in 32nd place. Having the favorite of the race delve out so close to the finish, and the winner both under the same owner can be a difficult situation. But Ganassi, who had not yet had the chance to speak with Montoya, said that the Colombian was probably already over the mishap and ready for the next race. However, Ganassi responded in good spirits about what he would say to Montoya about the race.“Should’ve taken two (tires),” Ganassi joked.And he has a good reason to be happy, as several of the last Brickyard 400 winners have used the momentum from Indy towards winning the Chase. This is particularly true with Chevrolet drivers, which McMurray is, as six times in the last 12 years a Chevy driver has won the Brickyard and later went on to win the championship. The most recent to do so is Jimmie Johnson, who won the Brickyard and the Cup championship in both 2008 and 2009.However, McMurray isn’t as interested in the key component of the Chase as some drivers are, as he said he doesn’t pay attention to the points competition or where he is in relation to the top-12. In fact, making the Chase is not the most important thing for the season to McMurray.“I think you show up every week and you do your job and if you make the Chase, that’s wonderful,” he said. “Everyone wants to make the Chase. But getting to win the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 this year means more to me than making the Chase.“In 10 years the guy that won both those races one year is the guy everybody will talk about. Whoever finishes second or third in the Chase, nobody is going to care about.”
(07/25/10 11:55pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana track and field coach Ron Helmer had high hopes for pole-vaulter Kelsie Ahbe before her freshman season began.“Coach (Jake) Wiseman has been impressed with Kelsie’s competitive spirit and athleticism,” Helmer said. “We think she is capable of making an immediate impact at the Big Ten level in one of the conference’s most competitive events.”Helmer was right. Ahbe was one of 13 athletes to qualify for the International Association of Athletics Federations Junior World Championships.Even more impressive was the freshman’s top-10 finish. Ahbe’s clearance of 3.95 meters put her at seventh place, tied with the only other American in the field, Texas Tech freshman Shade Weygandt. Ahbe’s final clearance was only 10 centimeters below the top four finishers. The Ohio native had previously placed second at the junior level in the USA Track and Field Championships with a clearance of 4.05 meters.
(07/25/10 10:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>INDIANAPOLIS — Several grandstands sit only half-full. The concession lines run little, if any, wait. Getting around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a race day has never been easier.The IMS, the largest sporting facility in the world, opened in 1909. Since then, a variety of races have graced the track, including the Indianapolis 500. Since 1994, it has also invited NASCAR to a 400-mile race around the 2.5-mile oval track.The Brickyard 400 has been very popular in its relatively short lifetime and boasted high attendance numbers and even sellouts — until now. Taking a gander at the crowds from the beginning of pit road to the end, a visitor might think it was a practice run, not race day.With such a large venue — the IMS seats more than 250,000, not including the infield seating, moving the total to about 400,000 — a few empty seats might not seem like a big deal.Several drivers seem to have the same mentality, including four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon.“I still see we have great crowds,” said Gordon, who drives the No. 24 DuPont car. “So when you look at the other sports and the numbers, we’ve always been this huge number, you know, averaging over 100,000 fans.“So we get knocked down to averaging 95,000, and we’re still doing pretty darn good.”Gordon added that while he isn’t sure what exactly is keeping fans away, as there are so many potential factors, he tries to not think about it.Whether it is the economy, the sweltering heat that took over the Speedway for most of the weekend or the lackluster races that have plagued the Brickyard for the past two seasons, it all comes to the same point — fewer people are coming out to watch NASCAR.Or maybe, some drivers suggested, fans are just bored with a similar scene playing out every weekend, even if they are at different venues.“Well let’s face it, I think that in the last five to seven years, the reality-based TV shows of everything we see on TV — it started out with ‘Survivor’ — people want to see dramatized, real-life things play out,” said Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion car. “We’re hungry for that. ‘The Bachelor.’ ‘The Bachelorette.’ All of this drama and these ‘What’s going to happen next?’ You want to make it exciting and interesting. It has to be, so that’s part of it, I think. People don’t want to see the same old thing.”However, it seems that even the recent Nationwide Series — the NASCAR racing league under the Sprint Cup — drama between drivers Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski has not been enough to entice more people out to the Speedway.If two drivers intentionally wrecking one another on the final stretch of a race was not enough drama for the viewers, maybe they would be better off sticking to reality television rather than racing.The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite car, Kurt Busch, isn’t worried about the decline, and he believes the attendance moves in cycles.“I think that the racetracks saw a big boom in the mid-80s and -90s and started to build grandstands and built the tracks up so big that it’s not at full capacity right now,” Busch said. “There are still grandstand packages that they’re putting together. ... Over 100,000 fans at most of our events is something that really can’t be done at any other sport.“Whether it’s the economy, action on the track or the way that the cars look, there’s always things to look at and improve on because we want to be sold-out at every one of our events.”And while any of the things Busch mentioned might be true, the drivers will still focus on the fans who do attend, rather than be upset about those who choose to stay away.“I still see avid, incredible fans that are supporting us,” Gordon said. “So the numbers are down a bit. Are they ever going to be what they were? We’ll see. But I think the racing is about as good as it’s ever been.”
(07/21/10 11:34pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jimmie Johnson seems to be always hanging around, waiting to take advantage of another driver’s miscue to take the lead — and the race. During last year’s Brickyard 400, Johnson took advantage of NASCAR flagging Juan Pablo Montoya for speeding on pit road, not once, but twice.Montoya responded angrily, as he essentially had the race in the bag with only 26 laps left of 160, before NASCAR came down on him. “If they do this to me, I’m going to kill them,” Montoya said on his radio. “There’s no way. I was on the green (dash light).“Thank you, NASCAR, for screwing my day. We had it in the bag, and they screwed us because I was not speeding. I swear on my children and my wife.”The speed limit on pit road is 55 mph, with NASCAR giving the drivers 5 mph leeway. Montoya posted speeds of 60.06 mph and 60.11 mph throughout pit road.However cruel the penalty on Montoya might have seemed, it gave way for Johnson to jump into the lead and to his second consecutive victory.During the 2008 competition, a race riddled with pit stops because of poor tires, Johnson propelled himself to victory when his team performed an outstandingly fast pit stop, and other drivers, including Hendricks teammate Jeff Gordon, fell by the wayside with much slower pit stops.This year Johnson will be a marked man, and drivers want to see anyone but Johnson kissing the bricks after Sunday’s race.“When somebody has a problem, boom, they’re there to win,” fellow driver Kurt Busch said at a race in New Hampshire. “They’re always putting themselves in position to win.”And it’s not just Johnson, who has won three of the last four Brickyard races, dominating at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fellow teammate Gordon has won four times, including the inaugural race in 1994.Johnson seems to be the favorite with the public, as well as the driver the others will be gunning for.“They’ve won (the Sprint Cup series title) the last four years, and they should be the favorites to win it right now until somebody can knock them off,” Sprint Cup points leader Kevin Harvick said.If no other driver can manage to beat Johnson this weekend, he will be driving himself into a very distinguished group: four-time winners at the Indy oval. Johnson would join Gordon, as well as three famed Indianapolis 500 drivers, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears as the only four-time victors. Johnson’s chance to be immortalized in Indy history has him very excited. “It would be a huge honor to join the list of four-time winners,” he said. “Just to win there once is a career-maker for anyone, so to have three victories there means a lot to me.”
(07/19/10 12:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Former Indiana guard Todd Leary averaged 5.4 points, 1.9 assists and 1.3 rebounds per contest and booked a career average of .460 shooting from beyond the arc while he donned the cream and crimson from 1989 to 1994. He can now add two more stats to his list of accomplishments: at least 18 months of jail and his 18th felony charge.Leary pled guilty to felony charges of fraud last Thursday, charges that could send him to prison for up to three years. However, as part of his plea deal, Leary has the opportunity to reduce his jail time by half if he can pay nearly $295,000 in restitution before his sentence hearing in October.The charges are in connection with Joseph Garretson, Leary’s ex-business partner, who was involved in a $2.7 million mortgage fraud scheme. This most recent felony charge is based on Leary’s confession of fraudulently redirecting funds into his personal bank account from March 2008 to March 2009.The scheme involved Leary and Garretson funneling money from refinanced client loans into separate private accounts instead of going toward paying the actual loan. Leary also received payments from Garretson totaling nearly $1 million, according to court documents. Leary withdrew almost $700,000 from the account.Leary and Garretson’s scheme ended when 13 Allen County homeowners reported that their mortgages had not been paid off, despite having sent their payments through Garretson’s Fort Wayne Title Company for refinancing. The reports were made from October 2007 to October 2009, and the county’s Prosecutor’s Office started investigating the issue.While Leary was redirecting money from refinanced mortgages into his own personal accounts, he was also a color analyst for IU Radio Network. He was in his eighth season covering the Hoosiers when he was arrested prior to a game against Purdue on Feb. 4. He was later charged with 17 felonies. From the deal reached Thursday, Leary must assist investigators as they go after others involved in the case. He will also not be allowed to work in insurance, loans, mortgages or real estate while he serves his jail term.Leary’s term is much shorter than his accomplice’s, as Garretson was sentenced to 11.5 years in prison last month.However, even though he will spend less time behind bars, Leary said he still understands what he did was criminal and immoral.He responded to Allen Superior Court Judge Fran Gull’s question — “Did you know what you were doing was wrong, Mr. Leary?” — with a simple answer. “I did,” Leary said.
(07/18/10 10:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>FROM IDS ReportsColt McCoy, Graham Harrell, Matt Ryan, Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart, Jason White, Eli Manning, Carson Palmer and David Carr all had successful college football careers — and are all part of a unique fraternity of college quarterbacks.Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell has the chance to join them, as he was named to the 2010 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award preseason watch list.The award is presented annually to the top senior quarterback in the country, but it is about more than just the game.“The winner of the Golden Arm Award is recognized not only for his athletic accomplishments, but also for his character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities and athletic abilities,” said John Unitas, Jr., president of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation.Chappell is one of 21 senior quarterbacks named to the preseason watch list and is one of three Big Ten quarterbacks on the list. Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi and Wisconsin’s Scott Tolzien were also honored.The Johnny Unitas Award was first presented in 1987 and has since honored 22 of the nation’s top quarterbacks. — Candice Rohrman
(07/14/10 11:41pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tom Crean wasn’t shy about his opinions in late April on expanding the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. In fact, when the NCAA announced it would be expanding to 68 teams, Crean wanted more.“I myself would have loved to see it go to 96,” Crean said to ESPN. “Anything that adds more pageantry is great, but it’s such an outstanding event that so many people look forward to, this isn’t a bad answer.”The new 68-team tournament will add a little more of what Crean was looking for to the former 65-team format. The addition of four teams will start next March.Now there will be an opening weekend, called the “First Four,” in which eight teams will play. Two games will be against the lowest seeds, teams 65 to 68. The remaining games played will be the last four schools to qualify with at-large bids.This model, which will feature a weekend of play-in games instead of the traditional one, was essentially a compromise to ensure a fair amount of teams will still be represented at every level in the first round.“You’re not going to come up with the perfect model,” NCAA Selection Committee Chair Dan Guerrero said. “You’re not going to come up with a model that is going to appease every constituency out there. But we felt that this model provided the opportunity to do something special for the tournament.”March Madness has evolved over the years, with the most recent change in 2001, when the field was expanded to allow 65 teams into the dance, with 34 at-large teams making the field. The new format will allow 31 automatic bids and now 37 at-large bids.However, not all are pleased with the expansion changes. One such person is Navy men’s basketball coach Billy Lange. Lange disapproves mainly because it adds another step into the qualifying format, making it even more difficult for smaller schools to qualify for the dance. “If we’re talking about expansion, you want the entire NCAA tournament to feel like an event,” Lange said. “If we’re playing Tuesday, we (in essence) have one more ‘conference tournament’ game before we get into the big show.”But the committee’s decision could have been more difficult for smaller schools such as Navy, as the committee pondered making the lowest eight at-large or overall seeds teams have a play-in game, but later voted against it.“In the end, we selected a format that we felt allows us to break new ground,” Guerrero said. “We are excited about the concept of the First Four, and we are really pleased with where we wound up and think that it would add value to the tournament as we move forward.”
(07/14/10 11:37pm)
After spending all but three games of her freshman year injured,
sophomore Jasmine Davis will be leaving the IU basketball program.
(07/11/10 10:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tom Izzo: $3 million. Mike Krzyzewski: $4 million. John Calipari: more than $4 million. MCCSC coaches: $0. When the decision was made to remove stipends for coaches in the 2010-11 school year due to budget shortfalls, it was unclear what the effects would be on the MCCSC schools’ athletics departments. Coaches are forced to decide between their teams and their wallets, and many current players and IU athletes with ties to the district’s teams aren’t sure whether they’d be able to make the same choice. The loss of stipends wouldn’t stop IU softball player Kelsey Brannon from coaching, if she were placed in that situation. “At this point, I would coach for free,” Brannon said. “I try to get up to my old high school as much as I can to help them even when we are in season. I enjoy being around the game and being around younger athletes. It helps remind you of your own younger experiences, especially if they were positive ones. ... I want these student-athletes to have a memorable high school sport experience just like I did.”Brannon spent four years playing varsity softball for Bloomington High School North, and the sophomore has aspirations of eventually becoming a coach. And while Brannon said she might have to reconsider the decision if it didn’t make ends meet financially, as a young coach she would put in the time for free.Fellow Hoosier Joe Holahan said he agrees with Brannon.“It would all come down to the opportunity cost of coaching — meaning, would it be worth my time?” Holahan said. “Personally, I would still coach with the pay cut because I would be coaching for the love of the sport and help develop kids into young adults. “If I truly wanted money for coaching, I would try to go coach at the collegiate level.” Holahan is also from Monroe County and spent four years excelling in both cross country and track at Bloomington High School South. He still competes for both sports, but this time in a cream and crimson uniform rather than a purple and gold one.Holahan’s former South classmate and Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell also believes coaches coach because they love the sport.“I don’t know the exact dollar amount they are losing by not getting paid for coaching,” Chappell said. “But ... I still think most high school coaches though coach because of passion and not necessarily money.”INITIAL REACTIONS — AND WILL THE COACHES STAY? The public reaction of the MCCSC budget cuts was general shock, as many did not believe the school district would resort to cutting something so important to both the community and the students.It even came as a surprise to the coaches directly affected by the cuts. “At first I assumed that I was just out of the loop on what was going on,” Holahan said when he found out. “But then I talked to my high school coach a few days later only to find out that he was just as surprised as I was. It just seems unfair in the sense that none of the coaches were notified of such a proposal.”Many of the former North and South and now IU student-athletes initially expressed large concern for the effect this would have on the students currently enrolled.“I couldn’t believe that our school system had gotten to the point where that was necessary,” Brannon said. “I am worried the kids will suffer from all of this.” However, not all former Bloomington athletes were as surprised or mystified when they found out about the stipend cuts. Chappell said that because his mother teaches within the Bloomington system, he knew the corporation was struggling and would be forced to make more budget cuts.“I guess the people in charge just felt like that was an expense that was expendable,” Chappell said.Because the fundraising efforts for the $750,000 needed to provide the stipend for all of the extracurricular activities have yet to be completed, it is currently unknown how many of the coaches will stay and how many will choose to go elsewhere.But a key component to the coaches staying goes beyond the money — it rests with location and their families.“I think a majority of the coaches will stay mainly because their families and lives are here,” IU soccer player and former South standout Caleb Konstanski said. “I know for a majority of them they are also getting paid either teachers’ salaries or athletic director salaries, which I know are not much, but it’s tough to find any job right now, especially in the coaching/teaching field.”However, if coaches do stay and their stipends are not provided through fundraisers, they might spend less time working with their athletes.“I don’t think that they may leave, but just won’t spend as much time in the offseason preparing and working with the athletes,” Brannon said. “They will prefer doing other things, like spending time with their own kids.“This, in turn, will cause the team to be weaker and not be able to compete as well with others.”WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Athletics and extracurricular activities are a beneficial part of grade school for many students and help some gain scholarships for college. However, the MCCSC situation is tricky — do students leave for a different school or perhaps follow a coach elsewhere? Or, do they stay and potentially lose scholarships due to coaching losses?For many, the choice to leave simply isn’t an option — and for some, not even something they would consider.“If I were still in high school, I would stay put right where I was,” Holahan said. “When it comes down to it, school is about academics first, and I could never see myself transferring high schools based on sports — I’m just not a fan of that.”Brannon echoed Holahan’s sentiments.“I believe that I would have stayed ... and made the most of the situation,” Brannon said. “If that meant having a parent as a coach, so be it. If we didn’t do as many offseason workouts, I would just work harder on my own.”But for some, high school might not be the key for getting noticed by universities and other higher academic institutions, Konstanski said. “What you do outside of your high school, whether it be club sport, AAU or camps, is really what gets you recognized by college coaches,” he said.CURRENT BLOOMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETESThose currently in the system had quite different reactions to the budget cuts than the college athletes.Lindsay McKnight, a junior at Bloomington North, was more than worried about the future of her sport. McKnight will be heading into her third year of high school gymnastics minus an assistant coach who chose to leave because of the stipend cuts.“It was very scary when I heard the salaries had been cut,” Mcknight said. “The one thought that kept running through my head was, ‘What is going to happen to the gymnastics team?’“I was also wondering ‘Why would they do this?’”The loss of the coaching stipends affects the gymnastic team on a daily basis more severely than other teams, as there is much more one-on-one work involved with every practice, McKnight said.This is particularly an issue when spotters are needed, or even when two groups of the eight-member team split up on different apparatuses. The meets will also be different because of the loss of a coach.“During meets, one coach is writing down scores or running our lines up to the judges, and the other coach is sitting and talking with us while we stretch, and so it will be a big change,” McKnight said. “We will have to probably get more parents involved helping out at meets.”Unfortunately, because many parents are already involved with the meets, the gymnastics team might struggle to find more volunteers to help with their daily interactions. But even with these new changes to practices and meets, McKnight has no intention of leaving the program at North.The stipend cuts will affect the team sports as well, but not quite as much as the individual and smaller sports. And even though they might not be as altered, athletes within the team sports were still shocked to find out.“Our head football coach at North, Scott Bless, set us all down in the weight room and told us exactly what was happening,” sophomore football player Durrel Hembree said. “I, along with all the other football players, was stunned when we were told that basically the coaches were being forced to volunteer. Immediately the thoughts poured into my head of the things these coaches have done for us.”The meeting was to inform the players that none of the coaches would be leaving North, even though they risked not getting paid for their efforts. “Had any coaches decided to leave the program, that would be a very upsetting thing to hear,” Hembree said. “It would be even more so if they had left, as there is no way we could replace them with zero coaching compensation available.”While the current removal of stipends has not had a direct change among the coaching staff at North, Hembree said he thinks there could be one in the future. But for now, while the football staff remains intact, he feels bad for sports that were not so lucky.“I feel like the teachers and coaches that run extracurricular activities have such an impact on young men’s and women’s lives,” Hembree said. “Without that link, some may be lost in translation from middle school to high school.”
(07/08/10 12:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than 800,000 people have currently pledged that the game is in them, and they hope the rest of the country believes so as well. Those who have pledged hope that through the petition, a campaign titled “The Game is in US” and the work of the website gousabid.com, the United States will be able to host another World Cup in the near future. The U.S. hosted the 1994 event and snagged an attendance record of 3,587,538 as well as an average match attendance just shy of 70,000.On May 14, the plan for another U.S. World Cup went into motion as the U.S. Soccer Federation officially made its bid to FIFA to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.Supporters hope that another World Cup will spark more U.S. soccer momentum, like the 1994 one inspired the creation of U.S. professional league Major League Soccer. U.S. Bid Commitee member and actor Morgan Freeman agrees. “As (Nelson) Mandela said once, ‘Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, the power to unite people that little else has,’” Freeman said in a press release. “I have seen the power that sport, and in particular soccer, can have on individuals around the world, and that is why I am so honored to represent and support the United States through the conclusion of this noble effort to bring the tournament back to our country.”However, the Americans are up against some staunch competition as England, Russia, Portugal and Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands have also placed bids for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Australia, Qatar, Japan and South Korea have also placed bids for the 2022 event.Since formalizing the World Cup bid, many famous and influential Americans have begun supporting the USSF.Some of these include former President Bill Clinton, President and CEO of AEG Tim Leiweke, boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya, comedian Drew Carey, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Washington Post CEO Katharine Weymouth. Most recently, actors Brad Pitt and Freeman joined the cause.Pitt, who supports many charities and philanthropic organizations worldwide, said he was honored to be involved with a sport that is viewed and appreciated around the world. “Soccer is a truly global sport, and the opportunity to join the effort to have the U.S. host the world’s greatest sporting event again is a great honor,” Pitt said. “FIFA has set a world standard for using sport as a tool for positive social change, and I’m proud to be associated with a United States World Cup Bid that has so ardently adhered to the principles established by FIFA.”The U.S. bid also includes 18 candidates for host cities, many of which who were involved in the 1994 World Cup. This includes Indianapolis, along with Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville Tenn., New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa and Washington, D.C.The U.S. bid also has another force behind it: Fox Soccer Channel joined as “an official partner in support of the organization’s efforts to bring the FIFA World Cup to the United States in 2018 or 2022,” U.S. Soccer announced June 28.“The challenge and privilege of hosting a FIFA World Cup is enormous, as we are seeing here in South Africa,” said Sunil Gulati, chairman of the USA Bid Committee and president of U.S. Soccer. “The same can be said for the bidding process. Corporate support is an important component to a successful bid, and now we’re very fortunate to count Fox Soccer Channel as a friend and official partner of our endeavor to bring the FIFA World Cup to the United States in 2018 or 2022.”Fox Soccer Channel is one of the leading channels for soccer programming in the United States and Canada and reached a deal last year with the UEFA Champions league to broadcast matches on Fox Soccer Channel. ESPN previously had the broadcasting rights to the Champions League.With the addition of the Fox channel, the U.S. bid has strengthened, but the USSF will have to wait out the bidding process to determine if the campaign is successful. FIFA will announce the host bid winners December 2, 2010. Until then, the USSF remains optimistic.“We would be honored to play host to the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup,” the U.S. bid website said, “for the fan, for the Game, for the World.”
(06/30/10 9:15pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While recruiting has been revolutionized in the past 15 years with the evolution of blogs and 24-hour news outlets, there are some recruiting traditions that remain the same: summer camps. And although some players do use the camps to get noticed by college coaches, the main principle is improving the campers’ skills — and for them to enjoy it. The camps remain a fun part of many children’s summers, and the focus is still on the kids, not recruiting.“I think they are less about recruiting,” IU men’s basketball assistant coach Tim Buckley said. “It’s more about teaching the game of basketball and the fundamentals of the game and having fun with the game and those kind of things.”The Hoosier football camps also focus on teaching the game, IU football coach Bill Lynch said.“There are a lot of kids growing up in the state that look forward to participating in our football camps,” Lynch said. “We have a variety of camps that fit the needs of kids, from youth to young men entering their senior years in high school.“It is a great opportunity for them to experience a camp where you are teaching the fundamentals of the game and exposing them to other kids from other schools.”While fundamentals and learning the odds and ends of the game might be a focus, there is an added plus: Camp attendees get to see the school at a different level than they might have observed during traditional recruiting visits, said Shannon Flower, incoming IU freshman soccer player.“I thought of college camps as a fun and easy way to get to know the college coaches and players of the schools I was looking at,” Flower said. “It wasn’t really to get noticed, just a way for me to get a feel about how the coaches are on and off the field.”IU basketball recruit Jeremy Hollowell echoed Flower’s sentiments on getting to see the coaches in their natural settings. “I think they are used more for the coaches to bond with the players and to build a relationship,” Hollowell said. “Also, (the camps are used to) evaluate each player against other recruits and other (Division I) prospects and get training hands-on from college players and coaches.” And while Hollowell will not attend an IU camp this summer, he plans on attending other college camps, as well as several Amateur Athletic Union events and tournaments.Lynch said coaches are very hands-on with the campers and that all of the position coaches are involved. He also added that the camp fundamentals taught are very similar to what the current players are taught.But, he said, having fun is the most important part.“We want them to have a great experience,” Lynch said. Another positive for camps is the exposure they bring the school.“One of the things is we get kids all over the country at camp, so they take the information home from camp to their club or high school programs and they’ll tell their friends, their teammates their coaches about their experience at camp,” IU women’s soccer coach Mick Lyon said. “That’s one of the biggest kinds of exposures that we get.”Both Buckley and Lynch agreed, saying the camp allowed people to come see IU.“I think it’s great exposure in terms of getting people to campus and a chance to see our beautiful campus and University,” Buckley said.Lynch added that participants also have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the University’s athletic establishments.“We have a beautiful campus and tremendous athletic facilities,” Lynch said. “Any time we can get kids on our campus and show them what Indiana University is about is very important. ... When they spend time here and realize how friendly everyone is, they see it is a great place to go to school.”However, while the camps are not meant or used as recruiting tools, they can leave a good enough impression on participants that IU can have new athletes committing to the school.“The interaction with the IU players and coaches were a huge factor in choosing IU,” Flowers said. “I absolutely loved the enthusiasm that the coaches brought to the game, and all the players were really great and seemed like awesome girls.“It made me want to play for them and be coached by them. It made me really want to be a Hoosier.”
(06/28/10 12:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was a landscape of deja vu for the U.S. men’s national team.The men allowed an early goal Saturday against Ghana and found a bit of magic to tie the game. But in the end, the United States’ World Cup stint was ended by the African nation for the second consecutive Cup.At first, it looked like the U.S. could come back once more and end the game before it went into an extra 30 minutes of play. However, another Ghanian goal in the first few minutes of extra time was just too much, and the tired American side could not muster up another epic comeback — something that had become its game plan during the World Cup.“Obviously, we are disappointed,” U.S. striker Landon Donovan said. “It’s a tough lesson to learn when you don’t get a chance to redeem yourself. I guess the warning signs were there — getting scored on early — and it came back to bite us, finally.”Though the Americans attempted several desperation shots into the net as time dwindled, their lackluster overtime play eventually allowed Ghana to pull a 2-1 victory.“The finality of it is brutal,” Donovan said. “You realize how much you’ve put into it, not only for the last four years, but your whole life. There’s no guarantee there’s another opportunity at that.”U.S. keeper Tim Howard echoed Donovan’s sentiments.“The second one (Ghana scored) was definitely hit hard,” Howard said. “They took their goals well. They didn’t have many opportunities.”However, one opportunity was enough. Just three minutes into overtime, Ghana forward Asamoah Gyan got on the end of a long ball misjudged by U.S. defenders Jay Demerit and Carlos Bocanegra. Gyan shot with such force and voracity that Howard had no chance to stop the ball as it zipped over his head and into the back of the net.“When you have sharp forwards that sit on your shoulder, they wait for balls like that,” Demerit said. “For defenders, we have to worry about the ball in front and the ball behind, and sometimes you get caught in two minds or you just get caught in the space and have to react. They were able to react a little bit quicker than us and showed good strength and a good finish.”Allowing the early overtime goal continued a U.S. trend, as they gave up a score quickly in regulation as well. The early goal marked the third time in four games that the Americans gave up a goal within the first 15 minutes. “Too often, right after the whistle blows we get hit, and if you do that enough times you’ll pay for it,” Howard said. “We have had the good fortune of not paying for it before, but we did today.”That moment happened in the fifth minute. After a turnover by Clark at midfield, Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng dribbled toward the goal before unleashing a low strike toward the near post.Howard was expecting Boateng to go far post and was not able to parry the ball away in time as it slipped by him to give Ghana the early 1-0 lead.“I kind of got the ball stuck in my feet,” Clark said. “I think they played it in the midfield, and I got caught in my decision making and didn’t react fast enough. The guy stole the ball, and it’s unfortunate because it led to a goal.”Ghana kept up the momentum in the first half and looked set to score more. However, the score stayed 1-0 as the teams went into halftime.As norm in this World Cup, a different and more motivated U.S. team took the field for the second half, finally tying on a penalty kick from Donovan.The striker converted the penalty with a shot off the right post, turning the momentum to the United States — who was unable to find the goal again.“We tried to push and push, and I don’t know if we just didn’t have anything left because we’d been pushing so much the entire tournament,” Bocanegra said. “Just didn’t go our way today.”The win puts Ghana the in the quarterfinals, the furthest the team has ever gone.“We had to fight to the last second, and we gave our all,” Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew said. “We fought for the continent and for Ghana. We hope the whole African nation is proud. Everything is possible.”Being the only African nation to make the final 16 gave the Ghana team a great sense of pride and helped propel the men during play.“Me and my colleagues were very disappointed that no African team is with us,” Ayew said. “We have to fight not only for ourselves, but for all the other teams. Yes, we feel we have Africa behind us, and that’s giving us energy to fight more.”The U.S. men now end their promising run through the 2010 World Cup.“There’s always disappointment when things like this happen, when great tournaments like this come to an end,” Demerit said. “That’s natural. But it’s a really special time for U.S. soccer at the moment, and I think it’s a big responsibility for the players to show that and to appreciate that. Today is a day that, even when disappointment is probably at its highest, is the time to show the most appreciation.”But the Americans said they feel they can hold their heads high as they leave South Africa, having proved to the world that they can play with the best of the best and will not give up until the final whistle is blown.“It’s a good group,” Howard said. “We’ve talked about that for four years. ... It’s a good bunch of guys who never give up, and that’s not a cliche. We’ve proven that time and again.”
(06/24/10 12:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After missing out on so many opportunities, it seemed as if the United States would miss out on the next round of the World Cup.Throughout the game against Algeria, Team USA created chance after chance but somehow could not find the back of the net. However, with very little time remaining, the thought that Team USA would not be moving on was slowly becoming a reality.Landon Donovan refused to let that happen. The leader of the squad slotted a rebound in the 91st minute of the match, sending USA fans into pure jubilation. “I’ve been through a lot in the last four years,” Donovan said. “I’m so glad it culminated this way. When you try to do things the right way, it’s good to get rewarded.” The dramatic goal occurred after the Americans attacked offensively for the entirety of the match, keeping the Algerian keeper, Rais M’Bohli, busy with 18 shots and five shots directly on goal. “These guys never give up, and they showed that again today,” USA coach Bob Bradley said. “I was worried because we could have gone away empty-handed, but my players decided otherwise and never stopped believing. We’re proud to finish first in the group on five points, and we’re already prepared to go further.” Algeria was content to defend and catch the United States by surprise on the counterattack, as they put up 17 of their own shots. However, the United States controlled possession for a majority of the game and found itself with plenty of offensive chances. Prior to the game, the United States knew its best chance to move on to the knockout stages of the World Cup was to beat Algeria in its final match of the group stage. But it seemed as if the soccer gods had it in for the Stars and Stripes, as they had two chances go off the post and numerous chances that flew over or went wide of the net or were saved by M’Bohli. In just the sixth minute, it seemed as if the Americans would start down one score early, when Algerian forward Rafik Djebbour ran onto a long ball from the defense and hammered a shot that came right back off the crossbar. But from then on, it was the Americans who had the offensive chances. In the 20th minute, Clint Dempsey scored a goal from a cross into an open net, but he was ruled offsides by the assistant referee. Replays later showed he was onside. The poor luck continued when a tough toe-poke shot by Dempsey was saved by M’Bohli in the 35th minute, and just one minute later Jozy Altidore missed a wide-open net. The offensive mishaps by the United States didn’t stop there, as several players missed open net chances. In the 57th minute Dempsey hit the post and missed hitting the rebound into a half-open net. Then, Edson Buddle missed a header. As the game crept toward the 80-minute mark, the team seemed to go into desperation mode, and both sides began to exert more energy after every ball and every opportunity. Team USA seemed to get the perfect chance in the 80th minute, when it was granted a free kick close to the goal. However, the chance was wasted, as Michael Bradley drilled the ball right at the keeper. Shot after shot for the USA squad seemed to just barely miss, and eventually it seemed as if it had used up all of its offensive opportunities as the clock winded into the allotted extra four minutes. Tempers also flared as the time waned, and with what has become custom in this World Cup, several cards were handed out. The United States finished the game with two yellow cards, bringing their total to six over three games. Algeria finished with four yellows, and one red card in the final few minutes of the game. However, the penalties would not stop the USA squad from attempting to put away the Algerians. With the clock ticking into the final three minutes, the USA squad turned it around and took advantage of a four-on-two counterattack situation. Donovan played a ball to Altidore, who attempted to score. Keeper M’Bohli was able to get at least a hand on it, but Donovan was quicker, as he followed the play and tapped in the winner. Donovan, arguably the face of the U.S. Men’s National Team, fittingly hit in the winning goal. Donovan now has four career World Cup goals and is the third USA player to score in multiple World Cups (current player Dempsey and former player Brian McBride are the others). Donovan has solidified himself as a legend within the U.S. squad, as he leads many of the offensive all-time categories. However, Donovan was not completely satisfied with having to wait so long to score. “Of course, we should have and could have scored earlier, which would have spared us that dramatic ending,” Donovan said. “In the end, though, it’s a good thing that it happened that way, so quickly. I didn’t even have time to think what I was going to do. Being in the right place and putting the ball in the net just came naturally.”
(06/21/10 12:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A slew of commitments for the 2011 class have come in the past week, with several recruits verbally committing to play for Bill Lynch and the Hoosiers. The 2011 recruiting class now has 16 members, with all but two players having at least a two-star ranking and two rated as four-star recruits. One of those four-star athletes is Raymon Taylor. Taylor is the most recent player choose to come to IU. The 5-foot-10, 167-pound prospect had seven interceptions with two pick-sixes on defense along with 40 receptions and six touchdowns on offense during his junior season. Taylor, who had offers from Akron, Cincinnati, Illinois, Toledo and Wisconsin, chose the Hoosiers mainly because he has the opportunity to see significant playing time as a freshman. “I know if I go (to IU) I have a chance to start my freshman year,” Taylor said in an interview. “They told me if I work hard, I would have a good chance to start.”Four of the other recent commitments were also in high demand, as they were ranked three-star recruits. Nick Stoner, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound defensive back, also had offers from several schools in the Midwest. However, Stoner chose the Hoosiers for a multitude of reasons, citing both the proximity and the coaches. “The facilities are amazing,” Stoner said. “They are the best that I had seen. The coaches there are great people...Also, a lot of my family lives in Bloomfield, which is near Bloomington, so I have grown up being a Hoosier most of my life.“All the attention I got from them showed me that they really wanted me, and what’s better than going to a place you’re wanted that much?”Following Stoner’s commitment was fellow three-star recruit CJ Robbins. Robbins, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end, also had offers from six other schools. Robbins decided to commit after attending a camp last week. “After the camp, I sat down and I talked with Coach Lynch,” Robbins said in an interview. “He told me that if I went there, that if I wanted to, I could start out at defensive end, but he thought I looked like their tackle (Rodger Saffold)...when he first got to college, so he wants me on offense. He said that I look just like him and I have the same build and everything.”The Hoosiers have a strong 2011 class, with very few athletes unranked or even ranked as two-star prospects. Commit Kenny Mullen is one of those two-star recruits. Mullen had interest from several area schools — including five other Big Ten institutions — but only received an offer from Indiana. However, one was enough for Mullen, who felt the Hoosiers provided the right fit for him. “After visiting IU, I felt very comfortable with everything IU had to offer from academics to athletics, which made it stand out beyond the other schools involved with recruiting,” Mullen said. Mullen also had a connection prior to committing, as he spent two years playing with current Hoosier Lawrence Barnett. “LB played a big part, being that we grew up together and are very close,” Mullen said. “But he also stood by me when I was leaning towards other schools. He didn’t pressure me, but he helped me keep options open, and that option happened to be IU.”
(06/21/10 12:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>All the speculation of the tight scholarship situation the Hoosiers were in for 2011 can now end, as sophomore center Bawa Muniru has decided to leave the program. “I feel it is in my best interests to pursue my basketball career somewhere else,” Muniru said in a press release. “I have appreciated my time at Indiana.”Muniru said his main reason for leaving the program is to gain something he did not receive while at IU: time on the court. During the 2009-10 season, Muniru played an average of only 3.3 minutes per game, averaging 0.6 points and 0.7 rebounds per contest. He will have three years of eligibility remaining to play wherever he transfers. “As a staff, we think the best thing for Bawa is to go to a program where he can play and continue his education,” IU coach Tom Crean said in a press release. “His desire for more playing time was very evident, and we told him that his best opportunity to play the minutes he wanted to was likely going to have to happen somewhere else.”While Muniru’s transfer will leave the Hoosiers short a big man, the off-season signing of Guy-Marc Michel will help offset the loss. However, there is something to be gained by Muniru’s decision. An additional scholarship will now be open for the 2011 recruiting class, leaving the Hoosiers with two scholarships instead of one to hand out. However, Muniru was not pushed out to make the scholarship available, nor was the decision based on academics. Rather, it was his choice to seek more playing time. “He deserves to have an opportunity to gain the minutes that he needs to achieve his dreams,” Crean said via Twitter. “In all reality that was more than likely not here. Selfishly we would not want him to go but he needs minutes and a chance to grow on the court.”Crean further stated the only way Muniru can grow as a player would be through additional minutes on the court and that a junior college would be the best opportunity for him to gain that experience. It should prove interesting who the Hoosiers will get to fill Muniru’s scholarship spot, as many highly ranked recruits remain unsigned in the 2011 class. However, for now, the focus remains on Muniru making it easy on the Hoosiers and deciding to leave on his own. “We always want to give our players the best opportunity for growth as a player and as a person,” Crean said. “He has worked extremely hard in the classroom, and we appreciate all that he has done in representing the program.”