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(02/22/07 5:00am)
Sunday night, several students will be relaxing in front of the television at 8 p.m. watching the 79th annual Academy Awards. A few might even dream of being on the red carpet, either because of their own accomplishments or because of their aspirations to date one of Hollywood's hottest. While these people might just fantasize, some IU students have turned their red carpet dreams into reality later in life, and others got to their five minutes of fame standing in as extras in an Oscar-winning film shot on campus.
(02/22/07 5:00am)
INDIANAPOLIS – Peyton Manning has agreed to restructure his contract with the Indianapolis Colts to save the team nearly $8 million in salary cap space.\nThe Super Bowl MVP was to receive a $10 million roster bonus during the offseason but by converting the money into a regular signing bonus, the Colts can incorprorate that amount over the remaining four years of his deal. That saves Indianapolis space under the cap, which is $109 million.\nThe Colts also will restructure defensive end Robert Mathis’ contract, saving the team another $3 million against the cap, Mathis’ agent said.\nManning’s restructuring was disclosed to The Associated Press on Wednesday by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been signed.\n“That’s just a normal part of doing business,” team president Bill Polian said as he left the competition committee meeting on the eve of this week’s annual NFL scouting combine.\nManning signed a $98 million contract in March 2004, the season after he shared the league’s MVP award with Steve McNair.\nHe followed that with a record-setting 2004 season in which he threw 49 touchdown passes and earned his second straight league MVP award.\nIn 2005, Manning guided the Colts to a 13-0 record and the AFC’s No. 1 seed before losing in the divisional round of the playoffs to eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh.\nBut this season, Manning showed more patience in throwing short and relying on his ground game, using that combination to bring the Colts their first Super Bowl title since moving to Indianapolis in 1984.\nManning has led the Colts to seven playoff appearances in nine seasons, including five straight under coach Tony Dungy, and after breaking John Unitas’ franchise record for completions last season is closing in on Unitas’ other career records for passing attempts, yardage and touchdowns.\nMathis’ agent Hadley Engelhard said the Colts had exercised an option to convert a $3.9 million roster bonus into a signing bonus that will be spread over five years, saving the team about $3 million against the cap this year. Mathis last year signed a five-year contract worth $30 million that included a $8.3 million signing bonus.\nEngelhard said he and Mathis, who led the team in sacks with 9.5 last season, knew the Colts were likely to restructure when they agreed to the contract.
(02/22/07 5:00am)
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Need a reliable starting pitcher? Chuck James is your man.\nLooking for someone to install a set of double-pane windows or put in a new door? He can handle that, too.\nIn a throwback to the era when baseball players routinely worked during the offseason to make ends meet, James worked until January at a blue-collar job, getting up at daybreak and not returning home until long after the sun went down.\nNever mind that he was coming off a strong rookie season with the Atlanta Braves. Never mind that he now makes a six-figure salary. For James, it just seemed natural to return to the job that he’s had during past offseasons.\n“I don’t like being in the house very much,” said James, who went 11-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 2006. “Working a job keeps my mind off baseball and gets me out into the real world a little bit. I realize this is kind of my vacation. I treat my other job as work.”\nThe 25-year-old left-hander was employed by a family friend who contracts with Lowe’s to install windows and doors. It was hardly a glamorous job – James had to set his alarm for 6 a.m. so he could make a long drive through Atlanta’s notorious traffic to meet his crew, clean out the truck and pick up supplies.\nOnly then would he actually begin a project, staying at it as long as there was daylight. James would usually get home around 8 p.m., giving him a couple of hours to eat dinner, work out and spend time with his new wife before he headed to bed.\n“Putting in windows is kind of easy,” he said. “Doors are a little tougher. You’ve got to make sure you get them straight and all.”\nIf there’s anyone who appreciates the perks of being a major league player, it’s James. He can’t believe that someone is always standing by in the clubhouse, ready to take care of his every whim. Heck, he’s still amazed at how many pairs of cleats everyone gets.\n“I’m not going to say we came from the poor part of town. We did all right. But we got a pair of cleats and a glove, and we had to go out there and play all year,” said James, who grew up in a rural area northwest of Atlanta. “When I got two pairs of cleats in the minor leagues, I was pretty pumped up about that. When I came into spring training this year, it was like Christmas all over again.”\nWith his homespun demeanor and simple approach to life, James is a constant source of amusement in the Braves clubhouse.\n“Did you hear about the time he was bitten by a snake?” manager Bobby Cox asked reporters.\nJames recounted how he was walking through the woods at 4 o’clock in the morning – that’s another story – when he felt a piercing pain in his right leg. He took another step and felt an even stronger pain. Finally getting into the light, he saw one fang mark on the outside on the ankle, two more on the inside and blood pouring everywhere.\nThere wasn’t a hospital nearby, and it didn’t matter anyway because heavy rain had turned the road into a muddy mess. One of his friends looked at the wound and declared, “If it hasn’t killed you yet, you’re not going to die.” Even though his leg was badly swollen the next day, James didn’t even bother going to a doctor.
(02/22/07 5:00am)
INDIANAPOLIS – Colts running back Dominic Rhodes’s initial court appearance on a drunken driving charge was postponed to Monday after prosecutors did not receive the required paperwork from the arresting officer.\nThe officer did not turn in completed documents as expected Wednesday morning, said David Wyser, chief trial deputy for the Marion County prosecutor’s office.\nAn Indiana State Police trooper arrested Rhodes, 28, at about 3 a.m. Tuesday after he was stopped for driving a GMC truck 81 mph in a 55-mph zone on Interstate 65 on Indianapolis’ far northwest side, authorities said. Rhodes was released on his own recognizance later that day.\nRhodes, who will become a free agent when his contract with the Colts expires Feb. 28, did not respond to a request for comment outside the courtroom.\nHis attorney, Jim Voyles, also had no comment.\n“We’ll say everything we need to say in court,” Voyles said.\nRhodes was wearing a light gray suit and joined in the courtroom by a woman, but Voyles and others would not identify her. \nRhodes faces a class A misdemeanor charge with no possibility of a diversion program. Penalties range from no jail time to one year behind bars, but a conviction on a first-time offense typically results in probation, a fine and substance abuse treatment, Wyser said.\nRhodes will be treated like any other first-time offender, Wyser said.\n“People make mistakes and they have to be held accountable for them,” Wyser said.\nColts President Bill Polian said Rhodes would be subject to NFL discipline under the substance abuse policy.\nRhodes has been in trouble with the law before. Following a 2002 domestic disturbance at his home, Rhodes pleaded innocent in Marion Superior Court to misdemeanor charges of battery and domestic battery.\nLatrina Moore, who lived with Rhodes at the time and is the mother of a child with Rhodes, said the running back hit her and shoved her to the floor after she confronted him about other women calling their home, prosecutors said.\nUnder an agreement with prosecutors, Rhodes was charged with domestic battery but avoided prosecution. Instead, Rhodes was placed in a diversionary program and underwent mental health counseling.\nHis latest arrest will not affect the 2002 case, Wyser said.\nRhodes delivered an MVP-like performance in the Super Bowl, rushing for more than 100 yards in the win over Chicago. Afterward, he was featured in a Disney World television commercial with coach Tony Dungy.\nRhodes started all 16 regular-season games in 2006, rushing for 641 yards and 5 touchdowns. He has been Edgerrin James’ backup since 2001 and had a chance to become the Colts’ featured back in 2006, but instead shared the job with rookie Joseph Addai.\nThe six-year veteran has rushed for 2,274 yards in his career.
(02/22/07 5:00am)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After 81 years of war paint and feathered headdresses, the University of Illinois’ controversial American Indian mascot is performing his last dance, but Chief Illiniwek’s image and regalia will continue to be a subject of negotiations.\nThe mascot, whose fate was decided by school officials last week, will take center stage at Assembly Hall for one last performance during Wednesday night’s men’s basketball game between Illinois and Michigan.\nRemoving the chief frees the university of NCAA sanctions after the organization deemed Illiniwek – portrayed by buckskin-clad students who dance at home football and basketball games and other athletic events – an offensive use of American Indian imagery and barred the school from hosting postseason athletic events.\nThe sanctions, issued in 2005, will end after Wednesday night’s appearance.\n“We knew we were going to have to do something to get off the list,” Lawrence Eppley, chairman of the University of Illinois board of trustees, said after the decision was announced.\nStill, the students who currently portray the chief and their predecessors want the chief’s image and the mascot’s related history to be celebrated by the university, perhaps in a museum.\nAnd merchandise containing images of the chief continues to be made by suppliers and sold by vendors at Assembly Hall and sporting goods stores. No deadline has been set to stop making Illiniwek paraphernalia, which the university is paid for the rights to use.\nThe chief, who debuted in a homemade American Indian costume during an Illini football game in 1926, has been a subject of controversy for decades.\nSupporters see the dancing mascot and his elaborate costume as an honored symbol of both American Indian tradition and Illini sports. Detractors, including some American Indians and university academics, say the chief and his dance are racist and insulting.\nUnder the plan announced last week, the university will still be able to use the name Illini because it’s short for “Illinois,” and the school can use the term “Fighting Illini” because it’s considered a reference to the team’s competitive spirit, school officials said.\nNeither of those ideas sit well with the activists who opposed the chief. They say they next want the university to end the use of the names.\nGraduate student Dan Maloney, who dons the costume at men’s basketball and football games, was to portray the chief for the final dance Wednesday.\nMaloney, along with assistant chief Logan Ponce, a sophomore, even launched legal action to keep the mascot out of retirement, but a judge rejected their request.\nLast Friday’s decision by the school meant that Ponce had already appeared as the chief for the last time.\n“My last performance, my parents were here for that,” he said. “If it was my last, I was happy with it.”
(02/19/07 5:00am)
FORT WAYNE – A domestic battery charge against IU wide receiver James Hardy has been dismissed.\nHardy, 21, was arrested in May in his hometown of Fort Wayne and was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery after an alleged attack on his girlfriend and their infant son. He avoided a trial on the criminal charges by agreeing to take part in a pretrial diversion program in August.\nRobyn Niedzweicki, spokeswoman for the Allen County prosecutor’s office, said the charge was dismissed Wednesday after Hardy completed the six-month program.\nHardy received counseling in Bloomington in communication improvement and anger management at his own expense, authorities said.\nHardy’s girlfriend, Kyra Nolan, 22, told emergency personnel that Hardy hit her and their infant son, according to a probable-cause affidavit. But during a June 13 hearing she testified that she phoned 911 to “get at” Hardy and said the incident was a “big misunderstanding.”\nHardy received an honorable mention on this season’s All-Big Ten team.
(02/19/07 5:00am)
It was two very different days for the IU women’s water polo team at the Terrapin Invite in College Park, Md.\nOn Saturday the Hoosiers scored victories against host Maryland and George Washington. On Sunday they dropped their two games against No. 13 Hartwick College and No. 17 Princeton.\nThe match against Maryland went back and forth, with the game knotted even at scores of 3-3 at the end of the first quarter and 7-7 at halftime. The third quarter belonged to the Hoosiers, as they outscored the Terrapins 5-1 in the frame, giving them a 12-8 lead heading into the final quarter. Maryland fought back, cutting IU’s lead to 13-12 before a final goal by IU junior Brooke Zimmerman with 30 seconds left put the game out of reach, giving the Hoosiers a 14-12 victory.\nIn their afternoon match, the Hoosiers, never trailing and leading by as many as nine, overwhelmed George Washington and defeated the Colonials 14-6. Senior center Melissa Soria led the Hoosiers with five goals, giving her 10 after the first day. Zimmerman finished the first day of the tournament with eight goals and eight assists. \nOn Sunday the Hoosiers lost to No. 13 Hartwick in dramatic fashion 12-11 after Hartwick freshman Kirsten Hudson scored the game-winning goal at the buzzer. The game was a seesaw battle with IU having leads of 3-0 in the first frame and 11-7 in the final quarter. Soria and Zimmerman continued to play well, each tallying five more goals.\nThe Hoosiers finished the weekend with a 10-5 loss to No. 17 Princeton. The Tigers jumped IU early and never trailed, leading by as many as eight. Soria and Zimmerman each scored one goal in the final game, giving Soria 16 goals and Zimmerman 14 for the weekend. \nThe Hoosiers’ (5-7) next game won’t be until March 10 when they travel to San Jose, Calif., to take on San Jose State.
(02/19/07 5:00am)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kevin Harvick nosed out Mark Martin in a frantic wreck-filled finish to win Sunday’s Daytona 500.\nMartin, making his 23rd attempt at a 500th win, seemed to have victory in hand when a hard-charging Harvick barreled along the outside of Martin to earn his second victory at Daytona International Speedway in two nights. Harvick won Saturday’s Busch race – his first ever victory at Daytona.\nAs Harvick pushed into the lead, Kyle Busch wiggled behind them and bumped into Matt Kenseth to start a melee. Harvick and Martin raced side by side, waiting for NASCAR to call for a caution. When it finally came, Harvick was barely ahead.\n“My go-kart experience over the winter paid off, because I didn’t let off the floor and we just kept hitting things and the wall and bouncing off everything,” Harvick said. “But man, this is the Daytona 500. Can you believe it?”\nIt took several moments for NASCAR to declare a winner, finally giving it to Harvick and spoiling what would have been the biggest victory of the 48-year-old Martin’s career.\n“I didn’t ask for a win in the Daytona 500, I asked for a chance,” Martin said. “I let it slip away, slip through my fingers, and I’m fine with that.”\nIt was just the finish NASCAR needed to put racing back in the spotlight after a cheating scandal nearly ruined the Great American Race.\nFive teams were busted for breaking the rules during Speedweeks – including two-time winner Michael Waltrip, who broke the NASCAR code by tampering with his fuel before qualifying.\nIt put the sport in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, and NASCAR had to ratchet up its penalty process to prevent its premier event from turning into a joke.\nFinishes like this one might fix everything.\nMartin led 26 laps and was out front when a five-car accident brought racing to a standstill with five laps to go. It made for an agonizing 11 minutes and 39 seconds for Martin, who could do nothing but sit idly in his car trying to plot his strategy during the stoppage.\nWhen racing resumed with two laps to go, Martin seemingly needed only to hold off Busch in a sprint to the finish. He weaved high and then low to block Busch’s attempts, which may have distracted him from Harvick.
(02/19/07 5:00am)
LOS ANGELES – Charles Howell III finally ended that nasty habit of finishing second, making three clutch pars in a playoff that delivered a dramatic victory against Phil Mickelson in the Nissan Open on Sunday.\nHowell closed with a 6-under 65 and got into a playoff when Mickelson bogeyed the 18th hole. Howell put away the two-time Masters champion with his third straight par save, holing a 3-foot putt on the 4th hole and raising his head to the sky in utter relief.\n“I said a prayer before I hit the putt,” Howell said. “I said, ‘It’s time. Go in.’”\nIt was only the second victory of his career, and Howell had been haunted by nine runner-up finishes since winning the now-defunct Michelob Championship in the fall of 2002. He already had two runner-up finishes in four starts this year, including three weeks ago against Tiger Woods down the coast at Torrey Pines.\nMickelson, bidding for his second straight victory, had control throughout the playoff until coming up short of the green on the par-3 14th. He opted for putter, but it took a high hop leaving the blade and stopped 10 feet short. The par putt missed to the right.\nHowell also was short, but his chip came out nicely just beyond the cup.\n“I had every chance on the back nine to create some separation and not give anyone a chance,” said Mickelson, who twice missed putts inside 4 feet and closed with a 68. “I felt like I had the tournament in my grasp and let it go.”\nThey finished at 16-under 268.\nErnie Els (67), Jim Furyk (67) and Robert Allenby (68) tied for third, three shots out of the playoff.\nEls and Allenby both had chances to catch Mickelson along the back nine of a mostly sunny afternoon, but the Big Easy was tripped up by three bogeys, while Allenby fell back with a three-putt from 60 feet on the fringe at the 15th.\nHowell earned $936,000 and is atop the PGA Tour money list for the first time in his career. Aside from finally getting his hands on another trophy, Howell accomplished his first goal of 2007. The victory all but assures he can return to the Masters in April because the Augusta native will climb into top 25 in the world ranking.
(02/16/07 4:58am)
No sooner than the No. 24 IU men's basketball team lost to Purdue on the road Thursday were the Hoosiers faced with the prospect of yet another Big Ten road game. \nLess than 48 hours after their loss in West Lafayette, IU will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., on Saturday to face Michigan. \nThe game is the second of four remaining road games on IU's schedule. The Hoosiers play three of their next four on the road, including trips to Michigan State (Feb. 24) and Northwestern (Feb. 28). \nSnowy conditions throughout Indiana prevented IU from making the trip to West Lafayette on Wednesday -- robbing the Hoosiers of a day of practice and rest before the journey to Ann Arbor. Now IU will be forced to recover from the short rest, loss and travel in an attempt to win a road game in the Big Ten, a scarce commodity in the conference this season. \nThe Hoosiers are 2-6 on the road this season. In Big Ten play, IU has just one win in four tries on the road, their lone win coming at Penn State on Jan. 13. (IU also won a non-conference away game at Connecticut since conference play began).\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson has been asked several times this season what allows home teams such an advantage and just as many times Sampson said the same thing: they just do.\nThe Hoosiers will hope that principle doesn't apply to the Wolverines. \nIU handled Michigan easily at home Jan. 27. The Hoosiers jumped out to a lead of 13-1 in the first half and never surrendered the deficit on the way to a 76-61 win. IU thrived on a spread shooting attack, and IU forward D.J. White was able to fill the post for 15 points and seven rebounds thanks to that space. Three other Hoosiers -- senior guard Rod Wilmont (15), freshman guard Armon Bassett (11) and junior forward Lance Stemler (11) -- all reached double digits. \nIU was able to limit the low post production of Michigan senior Courtney Sims in the teams' first match up. Sims was held to 12 points on 2-for-6 shooting, thanks in large part to double teams and rotations from IU's half court defense. \nSims is one of four seniors in Michigan's starting five, but despite that experience the Wolverines have struggled to put together an NCAA tournament-worthy resume. Michigan (17-9, 5-6) is 0-for-4 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top-25. \nSaturday's game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
(02/16/07 4:57am)
WEST LAFAYETTE -- This is why David Teague went through all the grueling rehab.\nTeague, a senior guard who missed last season with a torn ACL, was at his best Thursday night, scoring a career-high 32 points as Purdue beat No. 24 IU 81-68.\n"This is why I put in the extra work, fought through the pain," Teague said. "I wanted to do something special."\nTeague made 11-of-18 field goals, including 6-for-8 from 3-point range, to help the Boilermakers snap a five-game losing streak in the intrastate rivalry. Teague has averaged 22 points in the Boilermakers' last three home wins.\n"This isn't a fluke with him," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "When you do it against Illinois, you do it against Michigan State, then Indiana, and you do it at key times. ... He's been very consistent for us in big games at home."\nCarl Landry added 22 points and 11 rebounds and Tarrance Crump added 13 points for Purdue (17-9, 6-6 Big Ten). The Boilermakers improved to 14-1 at home and boosted their NCAA Tournament hopes with their second win over a ranked team this season.\n"That's our recipe," Teague said. "Get it to Carl Landry and get it to him some more. When teams go to double-team and trap him, Carl's such a great player and he's so unselfish that he's always looking for the open man. We play off of him."\nThe Boilermakers shot 50 percent from the field and outrebounded the Hoosiers 32-28.\nD.J. White scored 20 points, Armon Bassett scored 16 and Rod Wilmont added 15 for IU (17-7, 7-4).\nPurdue led 34-32 at halftime, but IU took a 50-48 lead on a 3-pointer by Bassett with 13:15 to go.\nA bad IU pass and a scramble led to an uncontested layup by Teague, then Gordon Watt's steal and layup gave the Boilermakers a 55-52 lead. A bucket and a 3-point play by Landry, followed by a 3-pointer by Teague, pushed Purdue's lead to 63-54 with 7:29 left. Purdue led by at least six points the rest of the way.\nThe tension between the rivals became evident when White went for a rebound with 8:27 left in the first half. Purdue's Chris Kramer tied him up and it led to a minor skirmish that got the sellout crowd more involved.\nWhite said Purdue defended him well in the second half. He made just one field goal and scored four points after halftime.\n"Just more attention," White said. "They switched up a lot of things defensively, and they did a good job of doing that. I'll give them credit."\nIt was IU's third straight road loss in the Big Ten.\n"Down the stretch, not able to come through," White said. "We're in the game all the way until the end. We've got to find a way to finish. We just don't finish"
(02/15/07 2:55am)
IU men's soccer coach Mike Freitag signed seven high-school seniors to national letters of intent yesterday for the fall 2007 season.\nThe recruiting class has four National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Americans, including prized recruits Andrew Adlard and Michael Roach. The Hoosiers also signed Rich Balchan, Tyler McCarroll, Michael Munroe, Alec Purdie and Max Weston.\n"This is a class of winners," Freitag said in a news release. He added that many of the players in this class have won championships, either in high school or at the national level.\nAdlard, a midfielder-forward from Brookfield, Wisc., is a two-time NSCAA All-American and lead his high school to the Wisconsin state championship game as a senior. His club team, Chicago Magic, was rated the No. 1 youth team in the nation.\nRoach, a forward from St. Louis, was named an NSCAA All-American and led his No. 4 nationally ranked high school, Chaminade College Prep, to a Missouri state championship. \nThe class includes four players from Indiana high schools. McCarroll and Balchan led Carmel to a 23-0 record a No. 2 national ranking en route to capturing the state championship in 2006. Purdie led Elkhart Central High School to a runner-up finish in the state tournament last season and was named a NSCAA All-American. \nMcCarroll, Balchan and Purdie all played club soccer for the Carmel United Soccer Cosmos coached by former IU players Juergen Sommer and John Swannwith.\nMunroe, whose brother is IU goalkeeper Chris Munroe, played goalkeeper for North Central and won a state championship in 2005.\nRounding out the class is Ohio native Weston, who led Worthington Christian to the Ohio state championship.\nFreitag said in a statement he was excited for the new players to join the team.\n"We are very proud to have players from within our state help us continue to build upon our 'tradition of excellence,'" Freitag said. "Our staff is very excited for next fall to integrate this outstanding incoming class with our strong returning group of player"
(02/14/07 5:37am)
Due to inclement weather and a concern for public safety, the IU men's basketball team's matchup against Purdue in West Lafayette will be postponed until Thursday at 7 p.m.\nBoth IU Interim Media Relations Director Jeff Keag and Purdue Athletics Director Morgan Burke confirmed the postponement.\n"We spent a majority of the day gathering facts," Burke said in a statement. "The decision comes down to the safety of everyone involved. After talking with several state and county officials, we've decided to move the game to Thursday to allow for more time to make roadways safe for travel."\nPurdue canceled its classes Tuesday afternoon because of the weather, which has forced dozens of schools and businesses to close throughout the state. West Lafayette remained under a blizzard warning Tuesday night and into early Wednesday.\n"We will take a look at the conditions again tomorrow, but we think we can play the game on Thursday," Burke said.
(02/13/07 11:55pm)
The Big Ten men's swimming and diving championships have been postponed due to inclement weather and the resulting travel difficulties for participating teams, according to a Big Ten conference press release.\nThe championships were originally scheduled to begin Thursday, but have been pushed back a day to Friday, Feb. 16 in Columbus, Ohio.\nCompetition will begin at noon local time Friday and will conclude Sunday at 7 p.m.
(02/13/07 11:17pm)
Due to inclement weather and a concern for public safety, the IU men's basketball team's matchup against Purdue in West Lafayette will be postponed until Thursday night at 7 p.m.\nBoth IU interim Media Relations Director Jeff Keag and Purdue Athletics Director Morgan Burke confirmed the postponement.\n"We spent a majority of the day gathering facts," Burke said in a statement. "The decision comes down to the safety of everyone involved. After talking with several state and county officials, we've decided to move the game to Thursday to allow for more time to make roadways safe for travel."\nPurdue canceled its classes Tuesday afternoon because of the weather, which has forced dozens of schools and businesses to close throughout the state. West Lafayette remains under a blizzard warning for the remainder of Tuesday night and into early Wednesday.\n"We will take a look at the conditions again tomorrow, but we think we can play the game on Thursday," Burke said.\nCheck back to idsnews.com for further updates.
(02/13/07 2:29am)
Duke's Top 25 streak is over.\nSaddled by its first four-game losing skid in 11 years, Duke fell out of The Associated Press poll Monday for the first time since the end of the 1995-96 season. The Blue Devils had been in the media poll for 200 straight weeks -- the second longest streak behind UCLA.\nButler, meanwhile, fell three spots to 13th after a 77-65 loss at Wright State, and IU moved back into the rankings at No. 24 after a 65-61 victory against Illinois. The Bulldogs (23-3) play Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday night, while the Hoosiers (17-6) visit Purdue on Wednesday night.\nUCLA's run in the poll lasted 221 weeks, from the 1966-67 preseason poll to Jan. 8, 1980. North Carolina is third all-time with 172 straight weeks from the 1990-91 preseason poll to Jan. 17, 2000.\n"If you do it for a long period of time, it means you've been good that long," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of his team's streak that began in the 1996-97 preseason poll. "We never bring it up. It's a nice stat thing."\nUCLA and Memphis are now tied for the longest active streak at 34 straight weeks in the Top 25.\nDuke was No. 8 two weeks ago before losing in the final seconds to Virginia and Florida State. The Blue Devils lost to then-No. 5 North Carolina 79-73 on Wednesday and fell 72-60 at Maryland on Sunday for their first four-game losing streak since Jan. 3-13, 1996.\n"We travel a narrow road between winning and losing," Krzyzewski said. "We were in a position to win -- you have to make sure the kids know that. They are doing a lot of things to put themselves in a position to win"
(02/12/07 2:30am)
After nearly spending the entire first month of the season undefeated, the IU women's tennis team now sits at 8-2 after losses to Duke and North Carolina. \nIn the latest rankings from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, Duke (2-1) held the No. 11 spot, and North Carolina (8-2) sat at No. 7. The Hoosiers came into Saturday's bout with the Blue Devils ranked No. 38, but both Tobacco Road teams proved to be more than the young IU team could handle, as the Hoosiers fell 6-1 to Duke on Saturday before their 7-0 loss to North Carolina on Sunday. \nIU coach Lin Loring said before Saturday's match that his team would need to limit its mistakes to have a chance to win. The Hoosiers responded with what Loring described as the highest level of play the team has exhibited all season. But despite several close matches, IU was unable to achieve an upset against either team. \n"They're just better than we are," he said. "We competed well against them even though the scores didn't show it." \nLoring has repeatedly said he considers doubles to be IU's weakest spot, but against a group of nationally ranked doubles combinations, the Hoosiers remained competitive in both matches. \n"It mainly came down to a couple big points here and there," Loring said. "We didn't close out some sets we had."\nDespite the team's youth, Loring said he didn't really consider the weekend road trip to be a learning experience. The team played at a high level against two elite teams, and for that, he said, the matches were a confidence builder.\n"We just had to see if we could compete at that level, and I think we did that," he said. "I just hope the girls understand that we were just a couple points away from beating those teams"
(02/12/07 2:27am)
OSTRAVA, Czech Republic -- Andy Roddick beat Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (4) Sunday to give the United States a victory against the Czech Republic and a place in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.\nThe United States won the series 4-1 and will next play Spain on hard courts in Winston-Salem, N.C. It will be a rematch of the 2004 final in Seville, when the Spanish hosts beat the Americans on clay.\nRoddick is 8-0 in Davis Cup matches with victory on the line. With an overpowering serve and solid baseline game on the slow clay court, the fourth-ranked American overcame a partisan crowd and one of the game's rising stars.\nThe Americans had not won a Davis Cup World Group series on clay in a decade, but Roddick broke the streak when Berdych sent a return of serve into the net during the fourth-set tiebreaker.\n"We saw today why Andy Roddick is the fourth best player in the world," Czech coach Jaroslav Navratil said.\nIn the concluding match, which had no bearing on the outcome, Bob Bryan defeated Lukas Dlouhy 7-6 (5), 6-4.\nThe United States leads all nations with 31 Davis Cup titles. But the Americans are looking to end their longest Davis Cup drought, which dates to 1995.\n"It is a statistic I don't like," the 24-year-old Roddick said. "Especially considering I have been on the team for my seventh year now."\nIn Friday's opening singles Berdych beat James Blake in four sets after Roddick downed Ivo Minar in four sets. The U.S. went up 2-1 Saturday on a doubles victory by twins Bob and Mike Bryan.\nOther World Group winners in the first round were: Sweden (at Belarus), Germany (home against Croatia), Spain (at Switzerland), France (home against Romania) and Argentina (at Austria). Visting Australia was tied 2-2 with Belgium, and defending champion Russia was 2-2 at Chile.\nThe Roddick-Berdych match featured two tall players wielding big serves.\nBerdych, ranked No. 12 in the world and his country's biggest star at 21, maintained the pressure, and Roddick was the first to crack. In the seventh game, the Czech hit a couple of baseline winners and sealed the game with a subtle drop ball. It was all he needed to win the opener.\nThe home crowd sensed a second singles victory from Berdych and the prospect of a decisive fifth match.\n"I played almost without mistakes in the first set. I got one chance and used it," Berdych said. "But then I started making mistakes and he improved his play."\nRoddick, however, seized the initiative. He broke at the first opportunity and suddenly the Czech was making errors. Roddick started winning the longer rallies and evened the score at one set apiece.\nRoddick broke again in the first game. His growing confidence silenced the crowd as its home player increasingly lost his touch. Berdych even lost his serve on a love game. In the fourth set, neither could figure out how to counter the other's serve until the tiebreaker.\nAt that point, Berdych showed his age and Roddick his experience. He drew the Czech into long, winning rallies, and after Berdych double-faulted, it was not long before Roddick raised his fists in victory.
(02/11/07 11:46pm)
The IU men's basketball team remained undefeated on Branch McCracken Court after picking up a 65-61 victory against the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday afternoon.\nThree players scored in double figures for the Hoosiers, including senior guard Rod Wilmont, who scored 17 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field. Freshman guard Armon Bassett tallied 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in the win and hit a layup with less than a minute remaining to put the Hoosiers up for good. \nAfter Bassett's layup, the Hoosiers capitalized on Illinois' mistakes and maintained their slim lead. The Illini got a chance to take the lead with 19.2 seconds remaining in the game, but a strong Hoosier defense forced a five-second violation call on Illini forward Shaun Pruitt. IU senior guard Earl Calloway then hit a pair of free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining to seal the victory.\nForward Warren Carter led the Illini offensive attack with 14 points, while guard Rich McBride contributed 13 -- all of which came in the first half of play.\nIU junior forward D.J. White added 13 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks in the victory.\nThe Hoosiers (17-6, 7-3 Big Ten) will hit the road to face in-state rival Purdue on Wednesday night in West Lafayette.
(02/08/07 8:13pm)
The IU women's track and field team stormed the track last weekend, competing against the defending national champions, Auburn, and many other notable opponents at the Hoosier Relays. The Hoosiers had a strong showing across all events throughout the two-day meet. Seniors Courtney Johnson and Lindsay Hattendorf led IU by posting NCAA provisional qualifying times. Hattendorf recorded a time of 9:32.32 in the 3,000-meter run, while Johnson ran a personal best of 8.42 in the 60-meter hurdles. Senior Candace Perry made her season debut by winning the long jump with a jump of 5.91 meters, while senior Lorian Price took second with a jump of 5.81 meters. Price also took fifth in the 60-meter hurdles. \nSenior Stacey Clausing earned herself a third place finish in the 200-meter dash invitational with a time of 24.17. She was also the anchor leg on the third place 4-by-400-meter relay team, joining seniors Michele Huber, Molly Beckwith and sophomore Caitlin Lauer. Sophomores Audrey Smoot and Tiffany Howard finished third in the 600-meter run with a time of 1:36.61 and in the shot put with a throw of 13.82 meters, respectively. Freshmen Vera Neuenswander and Faith Sherrill each recorded personal bests during the weekend, as Neuenswander finished fourth in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.77 meters and Sherrill tied for third place with teammate and sophomore Tiffany Howard with a throw of 13.82 meters. \nNow three weeks out from the Big Ten championship, the Hoosiers are building momentum and eagerly anticipating the future competitions. IU heads to Arkansas, the host of the 2007 NCAA Indoor National Championships, to compete in the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., on Feb. 9-10.