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(11/20/12 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After 20 minutes Monday night, the No. 1 men’s basketball team in the country found itself in an unfamiliar spot.Not just behind. The IU men’s basketball team had trailed briefly in its opener against Bryant. But Monday, while shooting just 32 percent from the field during the first 20 minutes of the Hoosiers’ game against Georgia in the semi-finals of the Progressive Legends Classic at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., the Hoosiers found themselves behind for much of the first half and trailed 30-29 going into the locker room.Yet in the end, the final result was much the same, as IU pulled it together, stemming from a thunderous dunk from junior guard Victor Oladipo and a string of threes from senior guard Jordan Hulls, as the Hoosiers took down the Bulldogs 66-53.Hulls opened the first half with a 3-pointer, but from there, the Hoosiers went cold. IU missed its next six shots from beyond the arc in the first half, and along with the team’s shooting woes, foul trouble prevented IU from getting off to the quick start it had become accustomed to during the first three games of the season.Oladipo and sophomore forward Cody Zeller were called for two fouls each in the first 11 minutes of the game, limiting their playing time to just 17 minutes combined, and IU Coach Tom Crean said that sitting two of his starters, along with missed shots, were key to IU’s struggles in the first half.“We just missed some shots, we had different lineups, and the thing that hurt us was we had eight turnovers in the first half,” Crean said. “We could never get a rhythm, and we never got the pace going the way we needed to get it to go, and Georgia had a lot to do with that.“We just missed shots we normally make.”Luckily for the Hoosiers, though, Georgia struggled from the floor, missing nearly as many open shots, shooting just 34.6 from the field as neither team was able to gain much momentum. The teams traded buckets late in the half, but with just seven seconds remaining, Georgia’s Vincent Williams sunk a free throw, giving his Bulldogs the lead going into the locker room.Oladipo said going into the locker room, he couldn’t quite pin-point why the Hoosiers had struggled during the first 20 minutes, but Crean just told him and his teammates to keep running the floor and things would fall into place.And that they did.Early on in the second half, Georgia found itself with a four-point lead, but off an Oladipo slam dunk that brought the majority of the game’s crowd to its feet, the Hoosiers went on an 8-0 run to take the lead for the final time.“Victor is a huge energy guy on both ends of the floor, especially when he gets a nice dunk – it’s always good and gets us pretty riled up,” Hulls said. “But everybody came into the second half and played a lot better for us.”Georgia would inch within three points at 45-42 with 9:09 remaining in the game, but just second later, Hulls would bring the crowd to its feet once again, knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers, pushing IU’s lead to nine and the game out of reach.Oladipo said that even though he can always energize the crowd with one of his two-handed dunks, Hulls is the most important guy on the team when the Hoosiers need a boost.“That just shows you how much we need him. Without him, we can’t win,” Oladipo said. “That’s why he’s special – he’s one of the best players in the country, and he’s going to prove that. He’s one of the hardest-working people I know.” Crean echoed Oladipo’s sentiment, saying he sees NBA-type potential in his Bloomington-native senior guard.“With all the NBA people here tonight, that’s an NBA guard,” Crean said. “That young man is a huge winner who has a lot of skills, and he improves constantly.”Oladipo led the both teams with 15 points and eight rebounds, followed by both Watford and Hulls who added 14 each. Freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell led the Hoosiers with five assists to go along with four points.Zeller, though, struggled against a Georgia defense that stuck two defenders on the 7-foot forward almost any time the Hoosiers had the ball. The sophomore scored only six points and pulled down just four rebounds Monday night, but he said going up against Georgia’s big men helped him prepare for both teams IU might have to play in the finals Tuesday night, either Georgetown or UCLA.“Either team is going to be good,” Zeller said. “Either team is going to have a lot of talented players, so we’ll take whoever we have to play.”
(11/16/12 5:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After beating North Dakota State and Sam Houston State by a combined 80 points in the first two games of the Progressive Legends Classic, the IU men’s basketball team travels to Brooklyn, N.Y. this weekend for the semifinals of the tournament.Until the Hoosiers face UCLA or Georgetown on Tuesday, IU Coach Tom Crean will have to keep his players focused against another opponent much farther down in the depths of the NCAA.On Monday, the Hoosiers (3-0) will take on Georgia (1-2) at the newly constructed Barclays Center.The Bulldogs boast starting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who has caught fire early in the season. After earning a spot on the Freshman All-SEC Team after last season, the sophomore from Greenville, Ga., has averaged 20.3 points in the team’s first three games.In those games, Caldwell-Pope also averaged four steals per game and six rebounds per game, both team highs.Georgia sits outside the top 100 in the latest Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings, sitting at No. 113, three spots behind North Dakota State, whom IU took down 87-61 Nov. 12.Besides the standout guard, Georgia’s offense has struggled. No other Bulldogs have averaged double-digit points in the team’s first three games, while Caldwell-Pope has provided one-third of Georgia’s offense.And with four Hoosier guards, who Crean said have really stood out during the first three games of the season, IU may be able to stop Georgia’s leading scorer altogether.“If (senior guard) Jordan (Hulls), (freshman guard Kevin) ‘Yogi’ (Ferrell), (junior guard Maurice Creek)Mo, (sophomore guard) Remy (Abell), if those four guys can guard, we’re just going to keep getting better and better,” Crean said.During the beginning of the season, before IU gets into the meat of its schedule, Crean said that it’s important his players keep focus and try to compete for the full 40 minutes of every game.After leading Sam Houston State by 27 at halftime Nov. 15, Crean said he told his players in the locker room to keep fighting because he doesn’t believe in going out and pretending the score is 0-0 for the final 20 minutes.On Nov. 19, when his team faces off against Georgia in IU’s first game away from Assembly Hall this season, he said continuing the momentum the Hoosiers have built during their first three games just comes down to practicing the way they’ve been playing.“Everybody works hard, but it’s the teams that compete time and time again who are the ones that separate,” Crean said. “They’re working hard, and they’re in the gym, and they’re spending their time at it, but it’s that passion on a daily basis that’s going to push them. It’s the time of their life.“Part of that enjoyment is looking at everyday like, ‘I’m dominating, I’m impacting, I’m winning, and I’m going to feel like I got a lot better today when the day is over.’”
(11/16/12 5:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the IU men’s basketball team moved one step closer to achieving the sixth banner in Assembly Hall Nov. 15 in a 99-45 win over Sam Houston State, Hoosier fans got a chance to reflect on the second group of Hoosiers who won the NCAA Championship.In spirit with the Progressive Legends Classic, IU honored its 1953 national championship team on the 60th anniversary of the team’s 69-68 victory over Kansas.IU Coach Tom Crean said having the 1953 team in the building before, during and after the game was special for both him and his players, and he hopes they can pick up on the tradition that those players developed during their time at IU.“Our guys are not as familiar with that team, but they’re familiar with the traditions of Indiana, and they walk in everyday and see that banner,” Crean said. “They see it in our locker room and in our arena.“It was beneficial for everybody because it’s such a tremendous tradition here. Any time you can have your players exposed to it, and they get a chance to rub elbows, there’s no question it could work the right way.”At halftime, Bobby “Slick” Leonard and the rest of the squad got another chance at a standing ovation from the IU crowd as they hoisted the 1953 trophy once again and reminisced about the night they captured the title.“I don’t think there were ever any more than three points separating us during that ball game,” Leonard said. “It was a good one, it was a good one.”Former IU Coach Branch McCracken’s “Hurryin’ Hoosiers,” as they’ve been known, went 23-3 that season, including a 17-1 Big Ten record, the first season the conference decided to play a round-robin style schedule.But the 1953 Hoosiers started their season far from strong, unlike this season’s squad, losing two of their first three games to Notre Dame and Kansas State by a combined three points. From there, the Hoosiers would lose just one more game, a two-point defeat by Minnesota, while avenging the loss to the Fighting Irish in the NCAA Regional Final before taking down LSU and Kansas.It was a memorable season, Leonard said, but before he knew it, his time at IU playing under McCracken was over.“Great times, lots of fun,” he said. “If I could tell these kids today anything, they’ll look back someday and say, ‘boy, that was the greatest four years of my life,’ and really, when you come in and make your grades, have fun and enjoy yourself, ‘cause it’s over in a heartbeat.”The following season, Leonard and the Hoosiers entered the season ranked No. 1, just as Crean’s squad this year, but for the 1953-54 team, their run at back-to-back championships ended bitterly, Leonard said.“We were like IU now, rated number one in the country, and we should have won back-to-back championships,” he said. “Notre Dame beat us on a very controversial call.”The Hoosiers lost that season in the opening round of the tournament to No. 6 Notre Dame, 65-64, on a pair of last-second free throws after Leonard had made what he thought was the game-winning basket.“It broke everybody’s heart, broke everybody’s heart,” he said. “We should have won back-to-back.”The former All-American said, though, he thinks Crean has put the Hoosiers back on the map, right where they need to be to make another run at a national championship, either this year or in the future, and become a yearly contender like his teams of Hoosier past.“Crean does an outstanding job, and it’s going to do nothing but get better,” Leonard said. “He’s got all the things it takes to put together a steady contender for a national championship. Maybe not this year, but it’s coming.“We’ll know in March, that’s when payoff time comes, in March.”
(11/15/12 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Today against Sam Houston State, for the first time this season, sophomore forward Cody Zeller will have to pick on someone his own size.In IU’s first two games this season, wins against Bryant and North Dakota State, the 7-foot Zeller has yet to face an opponent within three inches of his height. The Bearkats, though, boast Michael Holyfield — a 6-foot-11-inch, 255 pound sophomore center who figures to be Zeller’s primary opposition in the post.“He poses challenges with his girth and his strength,” Assistant Coach Kenny Johnson said. “He runs the floor a lot better than you may think he would. I know he made strides last season when they had some injuries. We’ve been watching him on film, and he’s a great screener, he contests shots and he did a great job of rebounding the other night.”Through two games, Holyfield is averaging only 5.5 points a game, seventh on the team, but he leads the Bearkats with nine boards per contest.Like IU’s first two opponents, SHSU relies heavily on perimeter shooting, though Johnson said Holyfield’s presence and a more up-tempo offense pose a different challenge for the Hoosiers.“This team is a tad bit faster paced overall, and the perimeter is going to be surrounded with shooters,” Johnson said. “They are going to have shooters at all four spots, no matter who is in the game opposite (Holyfield). With us being probably a tad more spread out and him having more space to operate, he can pose a little bit more of a threat.”Perhaps the most dangerous shooter for SHSU is guard Darius Gatson, who leads the team with 14.5 points a game and 60 percent shooting from 3-point range while also commanding the offense at point guard.“Darius Gatson really pops out on film when you watch him,” John said. “You can tell a floor general when you see one, and he makes that team go.”He’s far from the only threat IU must watch for from three, though. SHSU averages 25 three-point attempts a game, with five players each averaging at least two.“I think they have a team with maybe five or six guys that I consider to be shooters,” Johnson said. “A lot of times on film when you are preparing for a scout, you can identify one or two guys that you can key in and say, ‘We want to make sure we run this guy off the three point line,’ but they have a team full of guys that are capable of knocking down shots.”Today’s matchup, the first ever between the two teams, is IU’s third game in a seven-day span to open the season. The rapid succession of games could pose a challenge to the freshmen, junior forward Will Sheehey said.“They’ve just got to take care of their bodies and, most importantly, take care of their minds,” Sheehey said. “If you play well, you keep the mindset, and if you play bad, you forget about it and move on to the next play.”
(11/13/12 5:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After losses in three of the team’s previous five games to end the season, the IU men’s soccer team looked anything but strong heading into the NCAA tournament selection show Monday night.With a loss to Michigan State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament last Wednesday, IU’s RPI dropped to No. 16, and all signs pointed to a first round game to start off the team’s NCAA tournament run.But as the team sat around several tables laden with half-eaten chicken wings and quesadillas Yogi’s Grill and Bar just after 5:30 p.m. Monday, the players, coaches and fans let out a loud roar of excitement and surprise as it was announced IU had secured a No. 16 seed and a first-round bye.“We’re very pleased,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said. “When we saw the RPI today and saw us at 16, we know it was going to be really tight.“I think it was well deserved, and we know it gets us an opportunity to rest and get ready for a really difficult matchup Sunday, whomever it might be.”With the No. 16 seed, the Hoosiers will face the winner of the Kentucky-Xavier game that will take place 7 p.m. Thursday in Lexington, Ky. The Hoosiers will play the winner 1 p.m. Sunday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.This road to the College Cup isn’t an unfamiliar one. Last season, the Hoosiers secured the No. 16 seed in the tournament, and they took down unseeded Old Dominion 3-0 in Bloomington in the second round before falling to eventual tournament champion North Carolina 1-0 in overtime in Chapel Hill, N.C. With the first round bye, the Hoosiers will have gone 11 days without any competition, a period which sophomore forward Eriq Zavaleta said will help him and his teammates get back on track with what had given the Hoosiers so much success earlier in the season.“I think we need to go back to where we were at the beginning of the season, giving up no goals or one goal,” Zavaleta said. “I think we need to do better defensively. We’ve got to finish our chances that we have. We’ve created a lot of chances — I don’t think that’s the problem.“If we can get a team effort to keep goals out of the net and put goals in the net, that’s how we’ll win games.”If the Hoosiers have some success in the first couple of rounds of the tournament, it will be against teams they know fairly well. Yeagley’s squad took down Kentucky 4-1 on Oct. 3 in Lexington, and IU also faced Xavier last year in a preseason game.If IU was to win its first game, it would face a Notre Dame team that was one of only three teams this season to keep the Hoosiers scoreless in a 1-0 loss Sept. 26 in Bloomington.Yeagley said playing familiar opponents might be a little more difficult, but if he and his players perform like they have earlier this season, he likes his team’s odds.“Sometimes you don’t always want to face a team you’ve played one or two times, but usually you see a familiar face in the first or second round,” Yeagley said. “Our guys feel very good about our performance against Kentucky, and we’ve played Xavier in the preseason, and we know what they’re all about.“We’ve just got to be really focused on what we need to do.”
(11/12/12 6:12pm)
IU men's basketball freshman guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after the conference released its list of weekly awards Monday.
(11/12/12 5:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Even before the IU men’s basketball team tipped off against Bryant Friday night in Assembly Hall, Hoosier fans already felt like they had won.Before the Hoosiers took the court, Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass grabbed the microphone and told the 17,472 fans in attendance that he and IU Coach Tom Crean had worked out terms for a two-year extension on Crean’s contract, meaning the coach will be in Bloomington until at least 2020.IU basketball fans took to their feet in approval, overjoyed that the coach who had taken the Hoosiers from the depths of the Big Ten to preseason No. 1 was in it for the long haul.But Crean said his new contract came about because of more than just conversations between him and Glass.“It wouldn’t be possible without the players who have persevered and who have been here,” Crean said. “Without their resiliency and toughness and their desire to win and compete and do things the right way...they’ve helped us try to get this to be as model of a program as it can be.”Off the momentum of the Crean announcement, the Hoosiers took down Bryant in the team’s first regular season game, 97-54.The Hoosiers stormed out to an early 7-0 lead, initiated by a 3-pointer from senior guard Jordan Hulls.It appeared as though the Hoosiers had learned from their slow start in the team’s only exhibition game against Indiana Wesleyan the previous week, but Bryant began to creep back.With the help of three 3-pointers, Bryant outscored the Hoosiers 15-7 during the next two minutes and 25 seconds to take the team’s first lead of the game, 15-14.But it would be Bryant’s last lead.The IU offense, sparked by seven rebounds in the first half from senior forward Christian Watford along with freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell’s 10 points in his first half of college basketball, the Hoosiers took a 48-28 lead into the locker room at halftime, even with IU’s nine first-half turnovers and junior forward Will Sheehey in foul trouble.Both teams traded 8-2 runs to open the second half, and the Hoosier lead still stood at 20 points, 58-38, with 13:22 left in the game. Just seconds later, though, Bryant’s Andrew Scocca fouled out. Vlad Kondratyev, the second of the Bulldogs’ three 6-foot-8-inch players, would foul out as well, leaving Bryant simply unable to size up with the Hoosiers as the IU lead continued to grow.With 9:06 remaining, off a Watford three-point play, the IU lead grew past 30 off a Watford three-point play and it didn’t dip under 30 for the rest of the game as the Hoosiers cruised to their first win of the season.Yet even with the seemingly easy win, Crean said he felt like the Hoosiers made great strides while taking down the Bulldogs by more than 40 points.“It’s one thing to win, but it’s a whole other thing to improve while you’re winning, and I think we improved inside this game tonight,” Crean said. “The key is that we continue to improve inside every game and between those games.”Though he only shot 33 percent from the floor, Watford made his presence known Friday, setting a career-high of 15 rebounds to go along with 15 points as one of six Hoosiers in double figures.Zeller added a double-double as well, leading the team with 18 points to go along with 10 boards.Sophomore guard Remy Abell and freshman forward Jeremy Hollowell each added 12 points. Ferrell tossed in 10 points to go along with his game-high seven assists, and Sheehey scored 10 as well before fouling out midway through the second half.Several players echoed that although Zeller and Watford’s performances were special, it was the Hoosiers’ depth that stood out Friday and hopefully will continue the rest of the season.Abell, who only averaged three points a game last season, said that he made it a point in the offseason to consistently contribute in IU’s rotation. Friday was only the second time he has scored in double-digits in his career at IU.“I just want to play my role,” Abell said. “Everybody has a role on the team, and whatever they need me to do, I want to do it and help my team. I’m a winner, and I want to win, so whatever it takes, that’s what I want to do.”
(11/09/12 4:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s basketball team can put the preseason hype to rest Friday night.No longer do the Hoosiers have to battle the uncertainty of living up to the preseason No. 1 team in the nation, while having the preseason No. 1 player — sophomore center Cody Zeller — and two John R. Wooden Preseason Top 50 nominees — Zeller and senior forward Christian Watford — on their team.About eight months after the team’s 102-90 loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16, the Hoosiers can now battle more than just the expectations the media has had over their heads this offseason.Bryant becomes their opponent.And in front of a sold-out Assembly Hall crowd, IU Coach Tom Crean and his squad will get their first real chance to see how they match up this season against NCAA competition.The Bulldogs, though, come off a season last year where they saw only two wins, while losing 19 games by double-digits.This offseason, the Hoosiers have faced off several times in inter-squad scrimmages, including the 15-minute game at the culmination of Hoosier Hysteria. IU also played its only official exhibition game of the season last Thursday against Indiana Wesleyan, winning 86-57.But Zeller said just the change of pace in not going against his teammates in practice and playing in a meaningful game will help prepare the Hoosiers for what the rest of this season has in store.“We’re definitely very excited for it,” Zeller said. “It’s a different test for us. We haven’t played a game in so long, it feels like. We’re finally to the day where we can see where we’re at.”The Hoosiers haven’t lost a season-opener since the 1997-98 season when former IU Coach Bob Knight and his players fell to No. 24 Temple 59-53.Crean said there isn’t any one thing the Hoosiers will be focusing on to avoid an early loss this season, but he added the one thing he wants his players to focus on is getting better, game by game.“We have to keep improving on a daily basis, and each game is no different,” Crean said. “But there are so many things that go into it, and it would be too simple to say ‘Let’s go out and play hard, let’s go out and compete.’ There are a lot of things that go into it, and we want to keep advancing constantly.”IU Associate Head Coach Tim Buckley said the Bulldogs pose a strong threat with their speed and may challenge the Hoosiers with communication at the start of the season, but that he believes it will be a good team to start the season off with.“They’re a very good transition offensive team,” Buckley said. “They really try to push the pace off the make or the miss. We’ve got to do a terrific job of communicating, shrinking the floor, talking to each other and really executing our coverage in that regard, and it’s going to really force us to sprint back and get set.”Yet even with the Bulldogs’ speed, the Hoosiers boast a much larger lineup, which Buckley said will play to the Hoosiers’ advantage. The team, though, will have to play with a thinner lineup for several games due to the injury of senior forward Derek Elston and the suspensions of freshmen forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea and center Peter Jurkin.But Crean said even though the team will have to play with a bit smaller lineup Friday and for the next several games, he doesn’t plan on trying any experimenting with lineups Friday night.“We’re trying to win, and we’re trying to win big,” Crean said.
(11/07/12 4:34am)
Here is the link to the file that the IU athletic department turned in to the NCAA to self-report the secondary violations involving freshmen forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea and center Peter Jurkin: IU's Self-Report to the NCAA.
(11/07/12 3:55am)
After the initial release of the information about the nine-game suspensions of IU men's basketball freshmen forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea and center Peter Jurkin, more interesting facts have risen to the surface and been clarified:
(11/07/12 12:18am)
After rumors began circulating Tuesday morning, an IU spokesman confirmed that freshmen forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea and center Peter Jurkin will be suspended for the first nine games of this season stemming from a secondary NCAA violation.
(11/02/12 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It took just three seconds, a couple dribbles, and the Hoosiers were already behind.Sophomore center Cody Zeller lost the opening tip to Indiana Wesleyan’s Jordan Weidner who drove to the basket unattested and rolled in a bucket. 2-0 Wildcats.The Hoosiers would continue to trail Indiana Wesleyan and fell behind as much as nine points at 13-4 until, with 6:59 to go in the first half, junior guard Maurice Creek hit a deep 3-pointer, sending the Hoosiers ahead for their first lead of the game.After a Wildcat basket to respond, the Hoosiers took the lead for good after a dunk from junior forward Will Sheehey, leading 29-28 with 6:03 left in the first half. IU would continue to build on this lead during the remainder of the game to take the game 86-57 in the team’s only exhibition match of the season.But after the game, Sheehey said he was less than impressed with how the Hoosiers started, getting behind nine points early.“I think our guys are going to notice that and work on our starts,” Sheehey said. “We weren’t a quick-starting team last year, and I think we’re going to put a lot of emphasis on that going forward.”IU Coach Tom Crean said in their first competitive action against another team, his Hoosiers have yet to develop an identity this early on in the campaign. But he expected that.“You don’t just walk into the season with an identity, and its not necessarily the one you had the year before,” Crean said. “You’ve got to work into it.”After struggling to find much momentum early, the Hoosiers seemed to pick it up when, with 10:57 left in the first half, Creek came in off the bench to a standing ovation from Hoosier fans throughout Assembly Hall. He went 3-3 in the first half for eight points, including a 3-pointer to give IU a late offensive burst after the team started off slowly.This was Creek’s first appearance in competition since Jan. 15, 2011, when he suffered a season-ending stress fracture in his knee against Michigan. Creek also missed last season after rupturing his Achilles heel during practice last fall.The junior said receiving a standing ovation when he came into the game for the first time was unlike anything he had ever experienced as a Hoosier.“Standing ovation — that’s big time,” Creek said. “That’s love right there.”He finished the game with 12 points, a team-high.On the momentum of Creek’s return, the Hoosiers ended the first half on a 14-2 run and had a 41-30 lead at halftime.IU wouldn’t look back.With the large lead for the entire second half, reaching as many as 30 points, Crean was able to shuffle around his lineup early and often, giving 11 guys the chance to play at least 11 minutes in the game.Creek said with all the guys the Hoosiers have who can come off the bench and bring something productive, the team is deeper than he’s ever seen it.“We’re a deep team, and I could see that tonight,” Creek said. “We had multiple lineups, and when your number is called, you want to do everything possible to help the team.”After Creek, Watford followed with 11 points along with six rebounds. Both Zeller and Sheehey scored 11 points to go along with five boards, and Oladipo led the Hoosiers with seven boards to go along with 10 points.Crean said he has seven or eight guys he can see carrying the starting load as well, but in the end, it just comes down to being consistent with any set of his guys out on the court.“If you’ve got guys who are that good, that means they can impact the game on both ends of the floor, and you shouldn’t miss a beat when they’re in the game,” Crean said.
(11/01/12 8:05am)
Wednesday, the top 60 men and women were announced for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, including IU senior guard Jordan Hulls.
(11/01/12 3:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bring in one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. Check. Take the top ranking in every important national preseason poll, along with every preseason national player of the year award. Check. Sell out Assembly Hall for Hoosier Hysteria. Check.But tonight, the IU men’s basketball team will have its first chance to back the hype, in an exhibition game against Indiana Wesleyan, that has surrounded Bloomington and the IU campus since the Hoosiers made it to the Sweet 16 last season for the first time since 2002.Junior guard Victor Oladipo said that after the excitement surrounding this freshman class and the rest of the team, he’s looking forward to seeing his new teammates in their first game as Indiana Hoosiers.“You just tell them they’re going to have a little nerves at first — it might be a shock to them at first — but at the end of the day, you’re still just playing basketball, doing what they love to do,” Oladipo said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to play in front of all those fans on that court and to put on those candy stripes, to play for their school, and they know that.”Freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, though, was particularly touted as an impact player who could lift the Hoosiers to the next level after he committed to IU as a junior at Park Tudor High School. After Oladipo practiced with his fellow guard for a month and had to guard him during practices and scrimmages, he said he thinks Ferrell is ready to play in front of the sold-out Assembly Hall crowd tonight.“Now he’s ready to put on the candy stripes, take them off and see how he does when the lights are on,” Oladipo said.But tonight’s game will be more than just a showcase of the freshman class IU Coach Tom Crean was able to attract during the past few years. The Wildcats come to Bloomington as the No. 4 ranked team in Division II of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.Although it doesn’t pose an NCAA Division I threat on paper, IU Associate Head Coach Steve McClain said Indiana Wesleyan plays at a pace very similar to the Hoosiers and carry a lot of the same strengths that IU used to get to the Sweet 16 last season.“They have a clear plan of how they want to play,” McClain said. “They take good shots. They share the basketball.“You’re not playing a team that has just one or two good players. They have four returning starters that are juniors or seniors, so they have a good feel for their system and how they want to play.”Earlier this week, the Wildcats defeated the NAIA’s No. 14 St. Xavier 91-74, and Ferrell said he thinks that’s all the proof his players need to come out and play a tough game — exhibition or not.“Now we get a chance to go up against some other competition, so we’re not going to take this very lightly,” Ferrell said. “We’re going to go out there from the get-go and hit them in the mouth first before they hit us and go out and give it our all.”
(10/26/12 5:55pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Friday, the AP Poll was released, and the IU men’s basketball team was once again ranked at the top of the college basketball world.The Hoosiers, who received 43 first-place votes, sit atop Louisville (No. 2) and Kentucky (No. 3) who received 20 and two first-place votes, respectively.Two other Big Ten teams, Ohio State (No. 4) and Michigan (No. 5) took spots rounding out the top five. The rest of the top 10 was identical to the USA Today Coaches Poll, which came out last week, including North Carolina State (No. 6), Kansas (No. 7), Duke (No. 8), Syracuse (No. 9) and Florida (No. 10).The Big Ten led all conferences with five teams ranked in the top 25, with Michigan State at No. 14 and Wisconsin at No. 23. Minnesota also received votes outside of the top 25.IU Coach Tom Crean’s squad begin its quest to keep its top rankings this Thursday when the team plays its only exhibition game of the season against Indiana Wesleyan at Assembly Hall at 7 p.m.
(10/26/12 4:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Thursday, the Big Ten announced that a panel of conference media had named the Hoosiers as the Big Ten favorite heading into the 2012-13 season. Michigan and Ohio State followed Indiana in the conference preseason rankings as second and third, respectively.Sophomore center Cody Zeller received another stream of awards, being named the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by the same panel. He also was a unanimous choice for the preseason All-Big Ten Team, joined by Michigan’s Trey Burke, Ohio State’s Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas and Penn State’s Tim Frazier. IU Coach Tom Crean said even with all of Zeller’s awards and praises during the offseason, the sophomore has been able to keep a level head.“Cody Zeller epitomizes so many things about the program, and number one is the humble spirit he has,” Crean said. “He’s confident, but he has a humbleness, and he has a desire to improve.”IU senior forward Christian Watford said these new team and individual accolades, along with several others the Hoosiers have grabbed this preseason, show just how far the program has come since Crean came on board in 2008.“It was a great step, ‘cause we’ve finally gotten some respect over the last couple years, ‘cause we’ve been picked at the bottom, but we’ve moved up the ladder, and it shows that our hard word really pays off,” he said.A day after news broke of his torn left meniscus, senior forward Derek Elston was present at the media day and confirmed once again that the root of the ailment dated back to high school. His surgery is scheduled for Friday.Crean said they cannot fully predict a timetable for his return until after the procedure, but reiterated that Elston is fully expected to see the court this season.“The disappointment is for him in the sense that he’s been playing at a good level, working hard, improving,” Crean said. “I don’t see this taking away a season or anything like that.”During Thursday morning’s press conferences, a handful of photographers snapped photos of the conference’s coaches sitting onstage answering questions.New Nebraska Coach Tim Miles decided to flip the script.After about 10 minutes of fielding questions, Miles ended his press conference by whipping his iPhone out from a pocket and taking a panorama photo of the assembled media before him. The photo was on his Twitter page within minutes.It was far from the only moment of Miles’ press conference that drew puzzled reactions. The first-year Cornhuskers leader unleashed a number of one-liners from the podium, clearly enjoying his first moment in the Big Ten spotlight.From the moment he sat down and commented that the media looked in need of some coffee to noting that the Big Ten was on one of the two television channels he got growing up in South Dakota, no one was safe from his humor, not even himself.Miles, already at his fifth head coaching stop at the age of 46, said his rise through the ranks of rebuilding programs, most recently Colorado State, directly contributed to his graying hair.In between the humor, though, the coach unveiled parts of his plan to put the Huskers back on the basketball map for the first time in years, including his recruiting Texas and Colorado for hidden gems and the team’s new training complex.Even then, though, he could not resist a joke.“We would invite you all to come, but then you might,” Miles said. “So I’m not going to.”Even though his team struggled last season, going 12-20 — including a 4-14 record in the Big Ten — Penn State men’s basketball Coach Patrick Chambers was able to stay out of the critical spotlight because of the events that surrounded the school’s football program.But Chambers said he knows it’s been on the mind of every recruit, as well as their family members, and Chambers has decided to take the issue head-on.“I talk to the parents about it and the kids about it, and I don’t want it to be the elephant in the room,” Chambers said. “If they’re okay with it, then you are going to get amazing kids that are serious about getting degrees, that are winners and that want to help build this program.”Frazier said the situation has brought the whole athletic program together as they rally around the football team this fall.“We’re truly sorry for the victims and everything that happened, and as far as everything that happened to the university, but we just have come together as a family and move on and move in the right direction,” Frazier said.
(10/26/12 4:35am)
IU Coach Tom Crean
(10/26/12 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At Thursday’s Big Ten Media Day, coaches weighed in on everything from preseason expectations to creative solutions for rebounding issues.“Our team has had to deal with a lot of other hype that wasn’t necessarily positive.”IU Coach Tom Crean about past preseason expectations“The fact that four of our brethren are ahead of us, that’s OK. There’s a lot to play before December and early January.”Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan about the Big Ten“Everything they’ve so far been able to accomplish, they’ve earned and they’ve done it the hard way.”Purdue Coach Matt Painter about IU“As far as his team, his players, he needs to be patient, go through it one time — he’s a great coach but knows it’s difficult on the road here.”Penn State Coach Patrick Chambers about new Nebraska Coach Tim Miles“Winning on the road in the Big Ten might be the most daunting task in college basketball.”Ohio State Coach Thad Matta about the Big Ten“Just throw out some raw steaks on the court.”Northwestern Coach Bill Carmody about improving rebound tenacity“I would like to thank Rick (Boyages) and the Big Ten for starting us at home against Michigan State ... Thanks, Rick. Santa is going to give him some coal.”Nebraska Coach Tim Miles about his team’s conference schedule“There are a lot of things that he had to deal with last year, and I think he has that under control, both mental and physically.”Minnesota Coach Tubby Smith about Trevor Mbakwe’s legal and injury woes“I knew somebody would ask that. Why ruin a good day?”Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo about the number of highly-ranked teams in the Big Ten“I think the biggest obstacle is the other teams aren’t going away.”Michigan Coach John Beilein about the new Big Ten teams emerging“The ones that excel are oftentimes not necessarily the ones that are the most talented. They’re the ones that are the most mature.”Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery about player development“Coaches will take consistency over greatness any day of the week.”Illinois Coach John Groce about guard Brandon Paul
(10/23/12 8:45pm)
Before she walked onto center court in front of a packed house of Hoosier fans at Assembly Hall Saturday night, ESPN SportsCenter co-anchor and IU alumna Sage Steele spoke with the media about her roots at IU, coming back to emcee Hoosier Hysteria and more. Here are some additional quotes from Steele:
(10/22/12 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though she tries to hide it, even SportsCenter co-anchor and IU alumna Sage Steele can’t help but embrace her Hoosier pride.“College basketball is better when Indiana is in the picture,” Steele said. “It just is.”After JD Campbell, assistant athletic director for media relations, called Steele months ago and asked her to emcee Saturday night’s Hoosier Hysteria at Assembly Hall, Steele said she couldn’t wait to come back to her alma mater.“I started seeing on Twitter the pictures of the kids that were out here and saw that (IU Coach) Tom Crean was here with his wife, and I was thinking ‘Are you kidding me?’” Steele said. “There’s people who make me look young, and I’m not young anymore, lined up out there. Fifty, 60-year-old people, so that’s the neat thing.”Steele walked to center court to start the events, dressed in a Hoosier Hysteria T-shirt and candy stripe sweatpants, and introduced the women’s team and new IU Coach Curt Miller.Miller, who previously spent 11 seasons at Bowling Green, led the Falcons to a 258-92 record and took six Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year honors in the process, said what the team needs most now is support.“One of the things that we did at Bowling Green was we protected home court,” Miller said. “We were 60-4 in our last 64 games at Bowling Green.”Following Miller’s introduction, the men’s team danced on the court led by junior guard Victor Oladipo.Oladipo stole the show Saturday, offering colorful commentary during the Long Shot Tournament and going back and forth with Steele.Sophomore center Cody Zeller did not participate in the team’s skit, and as the players were announced, he was the last to make his way onto the court as all 17,472 fans stood on their feet and cheered.Following player introductions, the men’s team took part in the Long Shot Tournament.Senior guard Jordan Hulls was the No. 1 seed, but he fell in his first matchup to sophomore guard Jonny Marlin. Even in defeat, Hulls gave a small tribute to his father, JC Hulls, who was in attendance and is battling cancer.Marlin challenged Zeller in the finals, an unlikely matchup given Zeller’s size and Marlin’s second opponent. Zeller continued to knock down baskets and took home the title.The seven-foot sophomore said he didn’t surprise himself with his rhythm from beyond the arc Saturday night.“I worked on it a lot this summer,” Zeller said. “I shot threes in high school a bit. I know I have to shoot outside more this year, to make it more difficult for teams to double-team me.” After Zeller appeared to steal the show for a few moments, Oladipo took all the attention, winning the dunk competition in just one round. The judges, which included former Hoosiers Tom Pritchard, Daniel Moore and A.J. Guyton, unanimously gave Oladipo the title.Oladipo earned a perfect score of 70 after his two dunks. After, he was able to showcase a few more, including a feed off the back of the backboard from Hulls before Oladipo slammed it down.After the “O-la-di-po” chants began to subside, the men’s team, except for fellow forwards junior Will Sheehey and freshman Hanner Mosquera-Perea who were both out with injuries, split into red and white teams for a inter-squad scrimmage.Though some fans began to exit as the 15 minute scrimmage continued, the remainder of the crowd erupted when freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferell dished an alley-oop pass to Zeller, who finished it with a two-handed dunk, bringing Hoosier fans to their feet.In the end, the red team pulled out a narrow victory 40-39 against the white squad. The red team was led by Zeller’s 16 points. Hulls led the white squad with 12.The scrimmage ended the night’s events, but even as Steele thanked the crowd one last time, it was clear her Hoosier pride will continue.“Go get ’em in 2012,” she said. “IU, baby.”