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(08/31/07 4:35am)
The Hoosiers have said all week that no one on the team is taking the in-state I-AA competition against Indiana State lightly. \n“Coach Lynch tells us everyday: ‘Take it one day at a time and one game at a time,’” senior fullback Josiah Sears said at Tuesday’s press conference. \nEarlier this week, Sears, along with senior cornerback Tracy Porter, was named a team co-captain for the upcoming season. Channeling former IU basketball player Rod Wilmont, Sears’ first order of business as team captain was to fit as many cliches as possible into one quote.\n“We can’t look past anybody,” he said. “They all count towards our victories to go to a bowl game, so we have to take each one and win each one as we go.” \nI think I’m going out on the sturdiest Sycamore tree limb ever when I say the Hoosiers will beat Indiana State on Saturday night. Indiana State coach Lou West has a record of 1-21 in his time in Terre Haute. The only group that has taken a bigger pounding than the Sycamores the past couple of years are the boys from Bad Newz Kennels.\nLast season, the Sycamores played defense like an easy prom date, giving up 44.8 points and 503.5 yards of total offense a game. Even if the Sycamores have improved significantly, Hoosier fans can still expect a blowout. \nWhether you’re talking about skill positions or lineman, the Hoosiers are simply bigger than their intrastate opponent. The tallest defensive back on Indiana State is 6-foot-1, which should mean 6-foot-7 junior wide receiver James Hardy will be winning a lot of jump balls. The Sycamores have 10 players on their team weighing 280 pounds or more. The Hoosiers have 22.\nThe question isn’t whether the Hoosiers will win, but by how much they will win. Last year’s season opener for the Sycamores was a 60-35 road loss to Purdue. In their previous five season openers, Indiana State has lost by a combined score of 212-72.\nAnd although the Hoosiers haven’t played Indiana State since 2003, the IU coaching staff is familiar with the Sycamores’ program. In 2004, Terry Hoeppner’s final season at Miami of Ohio, the Sycamores lost to the RedHawks 49-0. Also serving on Miami’s coaching staff at the time were IU co-defensive coordinators Joe Palcic and Brian George, who were serving in the same positions at the time. In that game, Palcic and George’s defensive game plan was brilliant, holding the Sycamores to just 204 total yards.\nThe Hoosiers hope to have a similar defensive performance under the lights tomorrow night at Memorial Stadium. \nOne noticeable difference at the stadium is the new location of “The Rock,” which has moved from its familiar location behind the north end zone to a new sideline position away from construction. The IU Athletics Department claims “The Rock” weighs five tons, making it the heaviest moving object on IU’s campus since Marco Killingsworth.\nThe evening game will also provide Hoosier fans with an opportunity to get in a whole day of tailgating before kick-off. An 8 p.m. start will allow IU’s student population to get as drunk as an Illinois shooting guard. \nDrunk or sober, the fans will see the Hoosiers win big Saturday night. As for the rest of the season, I expect them to take it one game at a time and take nothing for granted.\nPrediction: Indiana 55, Indiana State 21.
(08/24/07 5:05am)
The IU men’s basketball team is a week away from leaving for the sunny, beautiful, Bahamas to play four games in their first foreign tour in a decade. \nBut it won’t be the first tour IU’s six incoming recruits have taken this off-season. The Hoosiers’ recruits spent a week in August visiting a place with noticeably less beaches: their new home state, Indiana. \nThe IU barnstorming tour, an annual tradition, ran from Aug. 2-9, and introduced the six new IU basketball players to Hoosier fans across the state. The team stopped in New Albany, Batesville, North Daviess, Noblesville and Muncie. \nThe tour featured a myriad of players connected to the Hoosiers, including the six new faces added to IU’s program: Eric Gordon, Jordan Crawford, Eli Holman, Brandon McGee, Jamarcus Ellis and DeAndre Thomas. Ellis and Thomas are junior college transfers from Chipola (Fla.) College while the other four are freshmen. \nThe IU recruit team played against a grab bag of top local players at each tour stop, ranging from area high school players to semi-professional competitors. The games were played in well-known high school gyms that were usually packed with loyal Cream and Crimson fans. \n“The fans showed great support and we really appreciate it,” Thomas said after the Noblesville game. “The season hasn’t even started and we’ve seen so much love from them.” \nAside from Gordon, who is the state’s reigning Mr. Basketball, Thomas may have been the biggest spectacle of the barnstorming tour, standing at 6 feet 8 inches and weighing roughly 320 pounds. \nHis high school and junior college teammate Ellis, a 6-foot-5-inch guard/forward known for his passing and rebounding as much as his scoring, played well throughout the tour. His standout performance was in Batesville, where he scored 27 points. \nAlthough the juco transfers are expected to contribute the most, the Hoosier’s freshman class is expected to be one of its best in recent memory, headlined by Gordon. His most masterful performance was during the game in North Daviess, where he lit up the opposing team for 41 points. Brandon McGee, a 6-foot-7-inch forward from Crane Tech in Chicago, didn’t fill up the stat sheet on the barnstorming tour, but impressed many onlookers. Thanks to his dedication on the defensive side, McGee may work his way into IU coach Kelvin Sampson’s rotation this season. McGee said his greatest asset to the Hoosiers is his versatility.\n“Being able to step out and hit the open shot, but at the same time going down and banging with the big men,” McGee said. “I’m big on rebounding and doing the little things to make our team better.” \nOne of the things that will make the Hoosiers better this season is the familiarity they are building with one another. \n“We’re really getting used to everybody and having fun,” Crawford said. “We’ve been getting chemistry since the freshmen stepped on campus.” \nCrawford, who spent last season at Hargrave Military Academy (Va.), showed why many think he can be the point guard of the future for the Hoosiers. The 6-foot-4-inch freshman scored more than 30 points in the Batesville and Noblesville games respectively, and also demonstrated ball-handling that would rival any player on IU’s roster. \nThe Hoosiers’ most-skilled shot blocker might be newcomer Eli Holman from Richmond, Calif. Holman had no problem scoring over vertically challenged competition during the barnstorming tour, converting mostly on dunks and put-backs. \nBut Holman’s defense is what attracted the Hoosiers’ recruitment. The center has a 7-foot-7-inch wingspan and averaged 10 blocks per game his senior year in high school. \nWith Ben Allen transferring, Holman is now also the tallest player on the Hoosiers – along with senior forward D.J. White– at 6 feet 9 inches tall. In addition to his height, Holman has been working hard this summer to become wider and gain weight. When he arrived in Bloomington he weighed 215 pounds, but after the Noblesville game Holman reported that he was up to 240. \nIn addition to Holman and the rest of IU’s incoming class, several other Hoosier prospects played with the IU recruit team on the tour. In New Albany, class of 2008 commitment Bud Mackey played with the class of 2007 and more than held his own. Mackey is going into his senior season at Scott County (Ky.) Senior High School.\nAlso joining the IU recruit team was Bloomington High School North sophomore \nRay McCallum Jr. McCallum is the son of IU assistant coach Ray McCallum and played as if he were already on the team. \nIn Noblesville, McCallum ran the point for the Hoosiers most of the night and finished with 19 points. \nMcCallum will have a former Hoosier helping him at practice this season at North. This summer, former IU guard Errek Suhr was named an assistant varsity coach at Bloomington North and has already begun working with McCallum. McCallum said he hadn’t made a college decision at this point in his high school career, but was “looking more at IU” recently. \nAfter the conclusion of the barnstorming tour, the Hoosier recruits traveled home to see their families before returning to campus. \n“We don’t get too much of a break because we have to get 10 practices in before we go (to the Bahamas),” Gordon said.
(08/24/07 4:16am)
If you feel like Bloomington puts basketball in front of football, you’re right.\nTake it from a townie. The Hoosiers haven’t had a winning season since I was in the second grade. People talk about the glory days of IU football when Antwaan Randle El played, failing to realize the Hoosiers averaged four wins a year with him under center.\nThe Hoosiers haven’t been the same since George Taliaferro graduated. And that was almost sixty years ago.\nI’ve suffered through some bad football over the years. I’ve endured blowout losses and lopsided seasons. I’ve been to freezing cold games to watch luke-warm offenses. I’ve been to games where trees have fallen nearby and everyone in Memorial Stadium could hear the noise.\nSo what’s my point? I believe the Hoosiers will “Play 13” this year.\nTerry Hoeppner got me, and I think Bill Lynch can pick up where he left off.\nAfter all, playing 13 games is reasonable. It’s not like the Hoosiers are setting out to win 13 games. All they have to do is win six to become bowl eligible, and they have the schedule for it.\nThe Hoosiers have an easier schedule than Matt Leinart had his last semester at USC. IU lost to Ohio State and Michigan last season by a combined score of 78-6. This year, they don’t have to face either powerhouse. Instead they have cupcake showdowns in Kalamazoo, Mich., against Western Michigan and Evanston, Ill., versus Northwestern. \nSo why do I think the Hoosiers can turn it around this year? Because unlike Chicago Cubs fans, they aren’t already looking forward to next year. This is the first time I can remember the Hoosiers really having something to play for besides eighth place in the Big Ten. They didn’t just lose Coach Hep, they lost a father figure. A lot of these football players lost the person who believed the most in them, the person who knew they could “Play 13.”\nSophomore running back Demetrius McCray remembers Hoeppner as a “very positive person.” When McCray first arrived at IU, he was redshirted and was relegated to the scout team. At the end of the year, Hoeppner met with his players and asked them to give themselves a grade regarding where they believed they stood for the next season.\n“I knew I was doing good, and we had to grade ourselves,” McCray said. “You’d give yourself a one if you thought you were all-Big Ten, two if you thought you were a starter and three if you thought you were a good average player.”\nMcCray said he didn’t want to come off as cocky. And without having played a single down all season, McCray decided to split the difference and settle for a two, thinking he deserved to play a decent amount next season. Hoeppner immediately disagreed with McCray’s grade.\n“He told me I was wrong, and he gave me a one,” he said. “He said he’d seen a lot of stuff in me he’d never seen in a true freshman before. He said to always keep your head up ... He was always positive and he always gave us that extra boost.” \nThough he is gone, Hoeppner continues to inspire the team with his legacy. Just like Hoeppner preached to his players every day, he never quit. He never gave up. \nHoeppner fought until the end. The Hoosiers will do the same in 2007.
(08/23/07 4:17am)
As the Hoosiers held a public scrimmage at Memorial Stadium Aug. 18 , something was noticeably absent.\nNot the scoreboard in the north end zone, nor the red 1993 Independence Bowl banner that hangs as a 14-year-old reminder of the Hoosiers’ last bowl game.\nThe missing element was not something, it was someone. \nThe IU football team is moving on without its leader and former head coach, Terry Hoeppner. It has been almost two months since Hoeppner died from complications related to a brain tumor, but the Hoosiers are keeping the values Hoeppner taught and practiced – including maxims like “Play 13” – with them as they prepare for the season.\n“He’s around here all the time,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “All of his quotes and sayings are on our shirts and helmets ... We don’t have to talk (out loud) about him a lot. He had such a tremendous impact on these kids and the program, he’s here without having to talk about him on a daily basis.”\nPlayers said the transition from Hoeppner to Lynch has been as smooth as circumstances might allow. In mid-March, the IU Athletics Department announced that Hoeppner would miss spring practice as he continued a leave of absence taken for medical reasons. On June 15, four days before Hoeppner’s passing, Lynch was officially named the Hoosiers’ head coach for the 2007 season.\n“Once the whole team decided to accept (Lynch’s appointment) and give in to the great things we’re going to be, it helped us come together,” senior center Ben Wyss said. “We’d like to have things the way they were, but you can’t rewrite history.” \nFor seniors like Wyss, Lynch is the third coach they’ve played under as Hoosiers. The first was Gerry DiNardo, who preceded Hoeppner and was fired at the end of the 2004 season. Senior cornerback Tracy Porter said the coaching change has been much easier by comparison.\n“The transition from DiNardo to Coach Hep was a lot different,” Porter said. “Coach Lynch and Coach Hep are a lot alike since they have the same philosophies and Lynch coached under him.”\nLynch said the seniors decided to honor Hoeppner this season with a football patch on their jerseys that reads “Hep” and a decal on the back of their helmets that reads “Play 13.”\n“We always keep Coach Hep in our minds,” junior running back Marcus Thigpen said. “It’s kind of one of those things you have to adjust to. I think we’ve adjusted pretty well. We’ve come closer as a team.” \nSophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis said the Hoosiers have been moving on without their former coach in their own way.\n“It’s kind of one of those things where you want to talk about him but you don’t want to,” he said. “As much as you try not to think about it, you have to. Going through a scrimmage without him, guys are trying to find ways to move on. Other guys are focused a little more on the past. You still want to think about him, but you know you have to move on.” \nLeading into this season, Hoeppner had coined the phrase “Play 13” in his quest to lead the Hoosiers to their first bowl game since 1993. The Hoosiers must win six of their 12 games to become bowl eligible.\n“He was our coach. We were looking forward to going into this season with him,” Porter said. “He always told us there were no excuses, just opportunities. ... He’s still in our thoughts and prayers, but he wouldn’t want (his passing) to bring us down and not have a successful season.” \nThe Hoosiers are still confident they will have that kind of season. The only evidence of an adjustment has been in the way Lynch does his job.\n“He’s a very hard-nosed coach,” said sophomore running back Demetrius McCray. “He is very fair and gives everyone an equal opportunity to play. The best player is going to play, and you always want that in a coach.”
(08/23/07 4:00am)
Who would have guessed that the last name of a heavy-set, 71-year-old man would become synonymous with football and cutting-edge video-game technology?\nThe greatest sports video game in history has done it again. "Madden NFL '08" is the best version to date. \nLast year's "Madden" was the top-selling game in 2006, selling more than 7.4 million copies in North America alone. This year's edition was released on 10 different consoles and meets the hype generated by football-starved fans.\n"Madden '08" isn't just last year's game with a roster update. Almost every aspect of the game has been tweaked, and if it is to your distaste you can likely customize it to fit your every need. One change to the game is Hit Stick 2.0, which allows you to take out a defender's legs or lower your shoulder and hit the defender between the shoulders … Mmm, violence.\nWith all of the new features in "Madden '08," picking a particular favorite would be like choosing one girl to spend the rest of your life with -- impossible. But the complete player control is unlike any other sports game. The player movement possibilities are endless. You'll be able to re-enact Reggie Bush high-school highlights until your thumbs blister over. Believe me. \nAnd the improved graphics and uber-realistic game play isn't all "Madden" has to offer. The Franchise and Superstar modes have also received significant face lifts. You can make decisions like Bill Polian for 25 years, or you can live the life of an actual rookie (JaMarcus Russell) until you retire.\n"Madden" has also reincorporated several features from previous versions. EA Sports has brought back Marshall Faulk to do the pre-game and post-game analysis. He knows little about football, but I personally would have chosen Charles Barkley for the part. \nAnd unlike other years, the sound track is actually tolerable. It has everything from Brother Ali to Ozzy Osbourne. My question is, do you think Madden personally selected Swizz Beatz's "It's Me Snitches" to play in the background during games? Me too. \nFinally, the Player Weapons feature allows you to see which players on the field are specifically skilled and separates the superstar from the average NFL player. For example, Ray Lewis has a large brick wall under him to indicate he is a great tackler. So large in fact, you might think a heavy-set, 71-year-old man was behind the game. \nEnjoy "Madden." It's all in the game.
(08/16/07 9:35pm)
...and one of them is not the Hoosiers starting line-up. I promise to never begin a story like that again.
(08/15/07 10:18pm)
When Ray McCallum was named to Kelvin Sampson's coaching staff last year, word started to circulate that his son would play point guard for Bloomington North.
(08/14/07 7:32pm)
Apparently, IU's athletic department does not celebrate the release of Madden '08 like I do. Or Rick Greenspan got an advance copy...
(08/13/07 4:46pm)
Here is the second installment of our "Getting to know" feature on IU's incoming class. Next up: a story on Ray McCallum Jr. -- who impressed several Hoosiers last week with his play. Also, quotes from McCallum on his college future...
(08/12/07 6:38pm)
I've been interviewing, writing about and researching IU's six incoming recruits since last November, but Wednesday night was my first opportunity to see several of the recruits playing in person.
(08/11/07 4:13am)
Being from Chicago, Brandon McGee knew what he was getting weather-wise when he committed to his Midwest neighbor Indiana. But he received a warm surprise when he learned the Hoosiers would be traveling to the Bahamas before the start of fall classes.
(08/09/07 5:38pm)
On the way to Noblesville last night, I envisioned Eric Gordon draining 3s from halfcourt, Jamarcus Ellis recording a quadruple double and the recruits putting on an overall performance that would rival the Harlem Globetrotters and the 90's Chicago Bulls.
(08/08/07 12:08am)
One of my favorite subplots of the IU recruit's barnstorming tour is the opposing team. The level of talent may only be a step above the first court at the SRSC, but it can still be entertaining.
(08/07/07 4:33am)
The Basketblog will be making the trip north to Noblesville Wednesday night to catch a glimpse of the IU recruits barnstorming tour.
(07/31/07 7:17pm)
The Hoosiers have had a lot of success when it comes to walk-ons. Before there was Errek Suhr, there was Ryan Tapak and Mark Johnson. Before them, the legendary Luke Jimenez. This fall, Kelvin Sampson will attempt to continue the walk-on tradition with the addition of Brett Finkelmeier.
(07/29/07 3:50am)
Kelvin Sampson can only hope he gets this kind of production out of D.J. White when he suits up for the Hoosiers this fall.
(07/28/07 5:23pm)
Led by the Hoosier's very own D.J. White, the United States notched its first victory of the Pan Am Games Friday night, with a 74-71 victory over Argentina.
(07/27/07 2:19pm)
Wow.
(07/26/07 5:03pm)
The U.S.'s Olympic team isn't the only team from America that continues to struggle with their less-heralded international competition.
(07/23/07 4:34am)
If history repeats itself, the Hoosiers might find themselves Big Ten champions this spring.