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(09/17/12 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana’s loss against Ball State on Saturday had the same end result as last year, but this time the script was different.Ball State defeated the Hoosiers 41-39 on a last-second field goal from kicker Steven Schott.Last year, the Hoosiers lost 27-20 in the first week of the season at Lucas Oil Stadium.Then-sophomore kicker Mitch Ewald hit a 27-yard field goal to bring the Hoosiers within seven points with less than a minute to go. Ewald tried an onside kick after the field goal, but the Cardinals recovered and then ran out the clock for the win.This time, IU freshman quarterback Nate Sudfeld marched down the field with less than two minutes to go, and the Cardinals’ defense was penalized on three separate defensive pass interference calls for a total of 41 yards, allowing IU to drive 77 yards in six plays to take a 39-38 lead.The Cardinals had less than a minute to put Schott in field goal range, but Ball State stormed down the field and left Schott with a 42-yard field goal for the win. With one second to go, he nailed the kick, and the Cardinals were victors again.“I was just praying that he missed it, but he didn’t,” sophomore wide receiver Shane Wynn said.Sudfeld said despite losing, playing in the game will help him and the rest of the team learn from mistakes and improve as the season continues.“Coach said we played really well, but there is still a lot we need to improve on,” Sudfeld said. “We got a bye week this week, and that should help out a lot.”Second-year IU Coach Kevin Wilson said he is confident about where this team is and where they are going.“This is a good team that’s going to get a heck of a lot better every second of every day,” Wilson said.
(09/14/12 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After defeating UMass 45-6 on the road, IU (2-0) returns home to Memorial Stadium to face Ball State (1-1) for their third game of the season. In last year’s game, the Cardinals defeated the Hoosiers 27-20 at Lucas Oil Stadium in the first week of the season.Sophomore quarterback Cameron Coffman is listed first on the team’s depth chart and will likely make his first career start following sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson’s season-ending leg injury last weekendCoffman saw his first action as a Hoosier last week when Roberson left the game.Coffman connected 16 of 22 attempts with 159 yards and one touchdown.Running backs freshman Tevin Coleman and sophomore D’Angelo Roberts will complement the passing game for IU.The two backs combined for 139 yards on 24 rush attempts last week.Hoosier running backs will need to protect Coffman since the Cardinals will send many defenders to attack him throughout the game, Roberts said.“From watching their defense, we know they have a good coordinator that will send a lot of blitzes, so that’s going to be different from the last two teams we’ve played,” Roberts said. “We need to pay attention to pass protection, because if they blitz, we don’t want our quarterback to get touched.”Ball State will bring a run game of its own to the field on Saturday. The Cardinals are ranked seventh in the nation in rushing yards.The dual running back system of sophomore Jahwan Edwards and freshman Horactio Banks has combined for 437 yards on 52 attempts, which is 8.4 yards per carry.“One running back had over 200 yards in one game, and now another running back popped up at Clemson with over 100,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said.Edwards is ranked 14th in the country in rushing yards. Six of the seven Ball State touchdowns have come on rushing plays from these two.“Because they get their running going, then they have a mature quarterback to get the pass going,” Wilson said.IU running backs Coach Deland McCullough said the main difference from last year’s game is some Cardinals have graduated, but the ones who remain will bring confidence to the field.“They have lost some guys,” McCullough said. “However, they continue to play really hard. Some guys are going to come in here with a swagger to themselves based on what they did to us the last couple times they have faced us.”The Hoosiers defeated their first in-state team of the season in the first week against Indiana State. Their second in-state rival will look to repeat last year’s victory.“They got the best of us last year, but we are ready to get some revenge,” junior defensive back Greg Heban said.
(09/14/12 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This year in college football brings about three crucial rule changes. With a focal point on player safety, these rules could have a noticeable effect in games.First, kickoffs are now at the 35-yard line instead of the 30. Additionally, touchbacks have been moved forward to the 25-yard line, not the 20.The yardage change allows for more touchbacks, which means fewer players will be hit during kickoffs.IU Co-Defensive Coordinator Doug Mallory said this rule would impact the kickoff game.“Moving it up five yards, you are not going to see as many returns,” he said. “It seems like it’s going to take a little away from the kickoff game.”Second, when a player’s helmet comes off during the game, he must step off the field for the following play. The player can stay on the field if it happened because of a flag against the other team, such as a facemask. There have been mixed reactions to this rule, with some in support of the change for player safety and others, like senior defensive tackle Larry Black Jr., realizing this could result in an important player’s removal during a crucial play in the game.“The helmet one is going to cause a lot of stirs,” Black said. “The helmet just comes off when you are going hard. If it comes off and on the ground, then you have to come out a play, and you could miss a key offensive or defensive player.”College football players have seen this rule in action during its first week of play. Northwestern junior quarterback Kain Colter’s helmet came off in a play during the fourth quarter against Syracuse.“I was just watching a little of the Syracuse-Northwestern game, and here they are in second down, and a kid gets his helmet knocked off, and he has to come out,” Mallory said. “Well, then you put in the backup quarterback for a critical situation. So, kids just have to strap their helmets on better.”Safety is a factor in the Big Ten Conference, as it is one of the toughest in the country, senior defensive tackle Adam Replogle said.“The Big Ten is known for physical play, and I don’t think anything is going to change,” he said.Low blocking is now allowed only for linemen within seven yards of the snapper and for defensive backs in the tackle box.“Low blocks have always been an emphasis,” Mallory said. “Anything for the safety of the game and the safety of the players, I’m in total agreement, just ’cause you are always trying to eliminate injuries.”Both Black and Replogle said these rules are being implemented in practice. This way, issues such as a helmet flying off are less likely to occur during games.“If a helmet comes off during practice, you are out for a play,” Black Jr. said. “We were doing that all camp, so it’s normal to us now.”These rules are for the players’ benefit to keep then uninjured and able to play football for a long time, Black said. “If it’s anything to keep the players safe, I’m all for it,” he said. “It’s a very dangerous game.”
(09/13/12 2:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU football team has played five different running backs in the first two weeks of the season.Freshman Tevin Coleman leads the group with 134 yards off 21 carries, which is an average of 6.4 yards per carry.One of the main reasons why the Tinley Park, Ill., native said he chose IU instead of many other programs was because he wanted a team where he could start “right out of the gate.”“I chose IU because of playing time,” Coleman said. “I would have an early chance to play, and obviously I am.”According to rivals.com, he was a three-star recruit and the No. 37-ranked running back of the 2012 class. He was also the 12th ranked player in the state of Illinois.Other schools that offered him scholarships include Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue, Syracuse and West Virginia.Coleman’s goal was to play running back in college, but he previously spent time playing wide receiver, cornerback and kick and punt returner at Oak Forest High School.He also competed in track and field during high school.At the 2011 Illinois Class 2A track meet, he finished fourth in the 100-meter event with a time of 10.86 seconds.When sophomore running back D’Angelo Roberts was asked about who was the fastest of the running backs, he responded quickly by saying, “Tevin, by far.”Coleman said he attributes his success to his quickness.“Speed helps me a lot because I can break arm tackles, and I can just run right past them,” he said.IU coaches said Coleman’s speed was not the only top skill they’ve noticed.“What I’ve seen is a guy who potentially could be a complete package guy, as far as speed, receiving, and a big-body guy who will run through you,” running backs Coach Deland McCullough said.McCullough said Coleman has made major improvements since the first practices.“The biggest thing is getting used to running our type of offense,” McCullough said. “He was a veer-type back in high school that ran outside sweeps. We are getting him to be more like an inside banger and finish plays down field.”McCullough said each of the Hoosier running backs brings something different to the field.“(Junior) Stephen (Houston) is the big body-banger type, D’Angelo is the slasher and very physical back, Zeke (sophomore Isaiah Roundtree) is very explosive and can find those narrow seams and Tevin is a combination of all of them,” he said.Roberts said the group is cohesive.“We all get along as a group, and we learn from each other,” he said.Coleman has earned immediate playing time.The depth chart for the upcoming game against Ball State has Coleman listed as the starting running back for the second time this season.“It’s good to see Tevin as a true freshman to have enough fortitude to get in there and compete with the big guys,” senior center Will Matte said.While Coleman said he sees being a starter this early in the season as an accomplishment, he still needs to work on parts of his game.“I want to continue to make big plays, make the right reads,” he said. “I just need to keep practicing and learning.”
(09/10/12 4:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This weekend’s 45-6 win against Massachusetts (0-2) brings a list of firsts to IU Coach Kevin Wilson’s résumé.It was Wilson’s first Football Bowl Subdivision victory, first road victory and his team’s first time to score more than 40 points as IU’s coach.The Hoosiers (2-0) jumped out to a quick lead in the first half behind three touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson in the first quarter.On the Hoosiers’ second drive of the game, it took one offensive play, a 50-yard run from Roberson, to put IU on the board.The Minutemen responded quickly with a three-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 47 seconds. It proved to be the team’s only score of the game.The game would have been tied at that point, but UMass kicker Blake Lucas missed the extra point.On IU’s next two drives, the team scored two consecutive touchdowns with a 39-yard run from Roberson and a 5-yard screen pass to sophomore wide receiver Shane Wynn.By the second quarter, the Hoosiers led 21-6.On IU’s next drive, nearly two minutes into the second quarter, the Minutemen defenders stopped Roberson on third down just short of the goal line, where the Hoosier starting quarterback broke his leg. Roberson was carted off the field in an ambulance after several minutes, and after the game, the team announced the sophomore would be out for the season.After an ambulance took Roberson off the field, junior kicker Mitch Ewald nailed a 19-yard field goal to give the Hoosiers a 24-6 lead.Sophomore quarterback Cameron Coffman entered the game and led the offense after Roberson’s injury.Coffman and the Hoosiers scored two more touchdowns before halftime.Two-yard touchdown runs from both junior running back Stephen Houston and sophomore Isaiah Roundtree contributed to the lead.By halftime, the Hoosiers led 38-6, equaling the highest point total Wilson’s squad reached in any game from 2011.“I don’t know if we are great, but we have enough good players that when they all come together, the offensive line plays well, and the quarterback manages the game,” Wilson said. “We have enough receivers, tight ends and running backs to cause problems for the defense.”Yet after a high-scoring first half for the Hoosiers, neither IU nor UMass scored in the third quarter.“We still need to finish some blocks on the perimeter, we can always be cleaner in the pass game, and we struggled when the ball was wet in the third quarter,” Wilson said. “We had a few three-and-outs and need to manage first and second downs better to avoid third and long situations.”Both teams were forced to punt on their first two possessions of the third quarter.The Minutemen’s third drive of that quarter led them to a 36-yard field goal opportunity, which Lucas missed.The missed field goal gave the Hoosiers possession on their own 20-yard line, and IU marched 80 yards on 14 plays to score a touchdown on a 12-yard pass from Coffman to senior tight end Charles Love III early in the fourth quarter.“I felt comfortable out there, and I wasn’t too nervous,” Coffman said. “I think it went pretty well, but there is a lot I can improve on.”Wilson said the main reason his offense was able to score more points than it ever had in a game during his two seasons at IU was strong play on the other side of the ball for the Hoosiers.“The reason we scored so many points was the defense, because they kept getting the offense the ball,” Wilson said. “The defense is playing better. We are faster and we are a little bit better with conditioning and recruiting, but we are a lot better in knowing what we are doing, playing faster and rallying to the ball.”
(09/09/12 12:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Football defeated UMass 45-6 at Gillette Stadium in Week 2.The win marks the first FBS victory and road win for second year head coach Kevin Wilson.In the first quarter, the Hoosiers posted 21 points off of a 50 yard TD run by QB Tre Roberson, a 39 run by Roberson, and a five yard pass to WR Shane Wynn (21-6).Two minutes into the second quarter, Roberson went down with a leg injury in the red zone. An ambulance took the Indianapolis native off the field. Multiple people close to Roberson have tweeted that his leg is broken. Backup QB Cam Coffman came onto the field and continue to run the offense smoothly. The Hoosiers scored two more TDs, a two yard run by RB Stephen Houston and then, another two yard run by RB Isaiah Roundtree towards the end of the first half. Hoosiers led 38-6 at halftime.IU scored one more time time in the game. The Hoosiers scored with 13:09 in the fourth quarter on a 12 yd TD pass from Coffman to TE Charles Love III. Freshman QB Nate Sudfeld also received playing time in the fourth quarter, which takes away his redshirt abilities.IU recorded 606 total yards (321 rush and 285 pass) on offense to UMass’ 264 yards. Coffman went 16 for 22 with 159 yards and one TD. Also, four rushing touchdowns for the Hoosiers.Next week on Saturday at 8 PM, the Hoosiers will face Ball State at Memorial Stadium. Game will be played on the Big Ten Network.
(09/07/12 4:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers started the 2012 season against a Football Championship Subdivision All-American running back, Shakir Bell, who put up 192 rushing yards.“We gave up four long runs for a total of 117 yards,” Co-Defensive Coordinator Doug Mallory said. “If you take that away, then you feel like you kept a pretty good running back fairly well intact. A good back exposed us.”The IU rush defense is going to try to contain the run this weekend against Massachusetts so it doesn’t get “exposed” for a second week in a row, Mallory said.Massachusetts will try to attack the Hoosier defense with two running backs with previous Football Bowl Subdivision school experience.Senior Chris Burns recently transferred from Pittsburgh, while graduate student Michael Cox graduated from Michigan and will play out his last year with the Minutemen.Both were highly-touted running backs coming out of high school. According to rivals.com, Burns was a four-star recruit ranked as one of the top 15 running backs in the 2008 class. He was recruited by Cincinnati and Illinois, as well.According to scout.com, Cox was also a four-star recruit, receiving offers from Boston College, Connecticut, Duke and Maryland. “They’ve got two good quality backs,” Mallory said. “We’ve got to get after them and force them to be one-dimensional.”For the Minutemen’s first FBS game earlier this season, they only recorded a total of three rushing yards.Burns provided 17 yards on 11 rush attempts in a 37-0 loss, but five other Massachusetts players combined for 13 rushes for negative 14 yards.One of the main reasons for the lack of rush yards was due to the UConn defense, IU Coach Kevin Wilson said.“Didn’t let the running game get going, got them going one-dimensional, got them third and long,” he said. “Just kind of rattled them.”First-year Massachusetts Coach Charley Molnar didn’t get the passing game going against Connecticut, either.Freshman quarterback Mike Wegzyn completed 9-of-22 passes for a total of 56 yards.“It’s a first-year head coach at UMass, and they are working out the kinks, and I’m sure we are going to get their best shot,” Co-Defensive Coordinator Mike Ekeler said.Mallory repeated how important the rush defense will be to this game.“We’ve got to be able to take away the run,” he said. “Our defensive line needs to continue to control the line of scrimmage.”
(09/04/12 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A win is a win.The IU football team earned its first victory of the season Saturday against Indiana State 24-17.IU Coach Kevin Wilson said he wasn’t terribly impressed by the season-opening victory.“I thought they were capable and could win if we didn’t play very well,” Wilson said. “We can play better, though.”In 2011, IU gave up an average of 243.7 yards, while posting the worst record in the Big Ten.The Hoosier rush defense showed some improvements from last year.The Sycamores put up 176 net-rushing yards in the game.The Sycamores kept the game close due to the running ability of junior running back Shakir Bell. The Indianapolis native rushed for 192 yards on 24 carries and one touchdown.“I thought Shakir played with heart, ran well, picked up blitzes and just played an all-around game,” ISU Coach Trent Miles said. “He can play on any stage. He is the real deal.”IU’s rush defense struggled to stop Bell, who posted almost 200 rushing yards Saturday.“Obviously, we are going to watch film to see what happened,” senior defensive tackle Adam Replogle said. “He’s a great player. He’s a playmaker. That’s what he did all last year, and that’s what he’s going to do all this year.”Bell recorded 103 of his total 192 yards in the first quarter and averaged 8.1 yards per carry in the game. Bell broke through the IU defensive line midway through the first quarter for a 54-yard touchdown run to give ISU its only lead of the game 7-0.“He (Bell) runs pretty hard,” sophomore cornerback Brian Williams said. “He knows how to run the ball, so I know that’s going to prepare us for any fast, short running back that we play against.”IU allowed Bell to run for more than 10 yards in a play during the first half three more times.The defense made adjustments and allowed Bell to rush for only 47 yards in the second half.“Coach told us to pick it up during halftime,” Williams said. “Third quarter we came out with staying focused and made sure we were on our players.”IU allowed only one run of more than 10 yards in the second half with help from several Hoosier linebackers and secondary players. The leading tackler for the Hoosiers was sophomore safety Drew Hardin. He had eight total tackles, three of them solo tackles.Sophomore safety Mark Murphy and sophomore linebackers Chase Hoobler and David Cooper each had seven tackles in the game.Williams added four tackles and an interception at Indiana’s 27-yard line after the Sycamores were close to the end zone in the fourth quarter. Next week, the Hoosiers will play Massachusetts at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
(08/31/12 3:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A new season means new beginnings for IU’s football team.After going 1-11 in IU Coach Kevin Wilson’s first year as head coach, this season marks a clean slate.“Everybody can’t wait for Saturday because it’s a new chapter,” sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson said. “Everybody wants to play as best as they can to get some wins.” The Hoosiers open their season at home against Indiana State at 8 p.m. Saturday.IU is 35-17 in Memorial Stadium openers, which includes winning nine of their last 10 games.This will be the only game against an FCS team this season. IU’s only victory last season came cames an FCS team, South Carolina State.IU Assistant Offensive Coordinator Kevin Johns said the experience returning from last year is one of the positives to the upcoming season.IU returns 16 starters from 2011, which includes seven on offense, eight on defense and one in special teams.Roberson said his improvements from last year helped him keep his starting position.“I think I’ve progressed pretty well,” he said. “I’m throwing the ball much better. I’m more confident in the pass game because I’m going out there and doing what I’m supposed to do.”The running game will show variety, Wilson said. He said three players will have time on the field. Freshman Tevin Coleman leads the depth chart. Junior Stephen Houston returns after averaging 5.3 yards per carry last year and sophomore D’Angelo Roberts rounds out the group. Defense was not a bright spot last year, as it gave up 37.3 points per game. Sophomore safety Mark Murphy, who was second on the team with 76 tackles last season, said he wants to change those numbers.Senior defensive tackle Adam Replogle had four sacks and seven tackles for a loss last year for a team that gave up 243.7 rushing yards per game in 2011.Linebackers junior Jacarri Alexander and sophomore David Cooper are junior college transfers who will start for the Hoosiers. On the coaching end, IU has brought in offensive coordinator Seth Littrell from Arizona and Defensive Ends Coach Jon Fabris, who has worked with six Division I schools and one NFL team. On the other side of the ball, Indiana State went 6-5 last season lead by Head Coach Trent Miles.The Sycamores return 14 starters, which include six on offense, six on defense and two on special teams.ISU is ranked 23rd in the Sports Network Preseason Poll and 25th in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll.Two key components of the Sycamores are junior running back Shakir Bell and senior defensive lineman Ben Obaseki, both of whom were named preseason All-Americans on the FCS level.Bell rushed for 1,670 yards last year with 14 touchdowns, and Obaseki racked up 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss last year.Johns expressed their defense as being athletic, which could create problems for the Hoosiers. Going into the season opener, Roberson said he and his teammates won’t underestimate this team.“They are a pretty good team,” Roberson said. “They are feisty. They have really good players. They are going to be a good matchup for us.”
(08/29/12 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In a college football program that recorded just one win last season, change was bound to happen before the start of the 2012 campaign.Since last year, there have been three changes in the wide receiver position.Damarlo Belcher was dismissed from the team near Halloween last year, and two more receivers are no longer on the team after decisions made in early August.Sophomore Jay McCants will play for Florida Atlantic after being dismissed from IU due to an unspecified rule violation, and sophomore Logan Young left the program for the University of Indianapolis.But as the well-known quote says about change, “out with the old, in with the new.”Coming into this season, the team has six wide receivers listed on the depth chart.The group includes junior Kofi Hughes and sophomores Cody Latimer and Shane Wynn as starters. Listed after them are juniors Duwyce Wilson and Jamonne Chester and multi-sport athlete sophomore Nick Stoner, who sprints for IU’s track and field team.According to the depth chart, Wynn and Stoner will be the kick and punt returners, respectively.In addition to the wide receivers, junior tight end Ted Bolser will return as a starter.Of the players mentioned on the depth chart, Hughes led the team with 536 receiving yards and tied with Wilson for three receiving touchdowns last year.Hughes is one of three players who will miss one game due to an undisclosed violation of team rules, though the specific game hasn’t been announced yet.This group brings more experience, Assistant Offensive Coordinator Kevin Johns said.“A year ago we played a lot of true freshmen and sophomores, and we’ve taken our lumps, obviously,” he said. “Those kids worked hard in the offseason and made a decision that they were going to commit to being the best they could be.”The offseason has certainly helped the receivers both physically and mentally, sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson said.“All the receivers are fast, and they catch the ball,” he said. “They are smart and know what’s going on in coverages.”Johns discussed their physical traits.“We’ve added some muscle to their bodies,” he said. “We’ve added some body weight, so I’m excited to see what they can do this season. I think they are ready.”The coaches and players said they have seen a change in work ethic from last season. Wynn said he notices this specifically in practice.“We are trying to complete more passes than we did the last day,” Wynn said.Wynn said each receiver brought a different set of skills to the field, which should provide depth and balance to the team.“Speed, catching, moves, you know, things like that,” he said. “We have the whole package as a receiving crew.”Players and coaches said they notice a change because of the experience gained from last season and the physical and mental traits improved in the offseason.As the team approaches the season opener against Indiana State, Johns said to expect to see variety with the wide receivers.“I think we are a deep group,” he said. “I know we are going to try and play a lot of guys. I think they have all bought into what (IU) Coach (Kevin) Wilson is selling as our message.”
(08/22/12 1:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore Tre Roberson is the only quarterback with game experience from a football season in which IU went 1-11. Though there is a quarterback battle, Roberson appears to be the frontrunner due to his understanding of the offense and the leadership qualities he brings to the table.IU Coach Kevin Wilson said he thinks the Indianapolis native will stand out in the quarterback competition.“Contrary to other guys, he has been a pretty good player who has embraced the challenge of competition, and he’s competed,” Wilson said.Key to Roberson understanding the offense is the addition of IU Offensive Coordinator Seth Littrell, who came to Bloomington after spending three seasons at Arizona. Littrell said he and the other coaches are helping Roberson learn to make more throws in the new offense. Littrell added Roberson’s ability has improved with experience.“I think he’s getting a little more comfortable within the system. Obviously, in the spring, he didn’t throw many balls,” Littrell said. “I think he feels a lot more comfortable with the passing game and really, overall, how to run an offense.” As practices continue with just 10 days remaining before the Sept. 1 home opener against Indiana State, Roberson said he understands the passing system.“I feel more confident in the passing game, and the pass game is easier to figure out,” Roberson said. “I know the timing of the routes and where to throw the ball in different coverages.”Littrell said the pass-run ratio is still undecided and will depend on IU’s opponent, but Roberson has seen more passes in practice so far. “We’ve been a lot more pass and a little less run, but we are going to do whatever works best,” Littrell said. “If we are running the ball really well that night, then we are going to run. If we are passing the ball really well, then we are going to pass.”Though this will be Roberson’s second season under center, his teammates have positive words about him as a leader for the team. “Tre is taking more control over the offense, calling the plays faster and being able to read the coaches’ minds when they call the plays,” junior running back Stephen Houston said. “He studies the game more than anybody I’ve met.”Compared to last season, the main difference senior center Will Matte said he sees is Roberson’s ability to control the offense. “I think the biggest thing is his leadership,” Matte said. “His presence in the huddle is much improved.”Matte said Roberson has done a good job so far of understanding the offense, specifically the passing plays in which Matte said the quarterback’s skills are most crucial. Roberson’s teammates said they feel his ability to lead has helped make him the favorite to be the team’s starting quarterback, and his teammates are behind him going into the 2012 season. “He knows how to read the defense, even when they try to disguise it,” Houston said. “He has really come on to be that prime time quarterback.”
(12/12/11 5:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior center Sasha Chaplin hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to help the Hoosiers earn their third season victory Dec. 11.Chaplin aided IU’s (3-6) 65-64 victory against IUPUI (4-6).The St. Petersburg, Fla., native scored the Hoosiers’ final four points, as she went 4-4 from the charity stripe.“It’s fun that we are having each others’ backs,” IU Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said.The win ends the Hoosiers’ five-game losing streak.This wasn’t the first time Chaplin showed what her coach calls “ice in her veins.”Chaplin also knocked down two free throws in the close Murray State win in the final seconds.Chaplin’s free throws were crucial to the win against IUPUI, but 42 percent of the offense came from junior guard Jasmine McGhee.“I’ve been challenging Jaz, and she handled it,” Legette-Jack said. “Jaz is one of the special players in our conference, and she has to play at that level on a consistent basis. Today was a breakthrough day.”McGhee recorded 27 points, shooting 9 of 15 from the field and 8 of 11 on the free throw line. She collected 15 rebounds, earning her second double-double this year. The Vincennes University transfer had a career-high afternoon in points and rebounds.Freshman guard Candyce Ussery also helped on the rebounding end, grabbing a career-high eight boards.The Hoosiers shot 40.7 percent from the field and outscored IUPUI 18-9 in second-chance points. IUPUI responded in the second half due to the play of junior forward Kerah Nelson and sophomore guard Dawn Luster. Nelson had 25 points and five rebounds, and Luster recorded 15 points and four rebounds.The women’s team, who was in attendance for the IU men’s basketball team’s defeat of No. 1 Kentucky, said the passion helped them on their game day.“It’s a family here,” Legette-Jack said. “We are trying to create something special. The way our men are playing is really going to feed off with them.”IU has an extended break during this week, when the student athletes will be taking their finals. IU will take on Northern Illinois on Dec. 17 at Assembly Hall. They hope the confidence from the IUPUI win will last until the their next competition.“It was about this team for the entire 40 minutes. Everybody did the best they could,” Legette-Jack said.
(12/09/11 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The moral lesson “don’t judge a book by its cover” could easily apply to junior guard Jasmine McGhee.On the outside, she is just another student athlete representing the University and playing for the women’s basketball team. She is the starting shooting guard this season and averages 11.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. But on the inside, McGhee is a self-trained musician who has a passion for playing, writing and listening to music. Both the passion for basketball and music started at an early age. As she grew up in a musically inclined family, it was easy for her to pick up a taste for music.Her father is a pastor in Anderson, Ind., where she was raised. She never had traditional music lessons, but she learned from her relatives. Jasmine said her uncle was one of her musical inspirations. “I started around 8 (years old). My uncle taught me some basic things on the piano,” McGhee said.As she grew older, she not only became better at piano, but also learned other instruments. When McGhee was 11, her brother taught her how to play drums. Never really having lessons or classes, McGhee said she practiced and constantly played to get better. Her father’s church was her place to perform in front of an audience. “I grew up in a church,” McGhee said. “I just love to listen to a lot of gospel music.”Some of her teammates said she tells them about growing up singing gospel music. “She told me that she played piano at her father’s church,” junior forward Aulani Sinclair said. The experience of practicing and performing in front of others really helped improve her musical abilities, McGhee said. McGhee played basketball at an early age, as well. Basketball has always been one of her main loves in life, she said. McGhee played basketball at Anderson High School. After completing her high school career, the 5-foot-11-inch guard played two years at Vincennes University. In those two years, she built herself into one of the top junior college players. She was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Junior College Player of the Year. As a sophomore, McGhee averaged 16.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and was ranked as the No. 2 junior college prospect in the country by the All-Star Girls Report.She committed to Indiana as a member of the Hoosiers’ 2011 recruiting class that All-Star Girls Report ranked 23rd in the country.While at Indiana, her teammates have witnessed her musical passion. One time, she played the piano and sang at a restaurant while the team was waiting for a table.“Everyone was really surprised,” Sinclair said. “Jaz is the best musician on the team.”McGhee said they were impressed with her talents.“They were pretty amazed that I played the piano so well,” she said.McGhee sometimes performs at her house, as well, Sinclair said. Her musical abilities have grown to where she can play songs on any instrument after she listens to the song a few times, she said.“When I listen to songs, I can learn to play that song in the next few days,” she said.Currently, she is taking one music class at IU: World Music and Culture.Basketball and music have been important in McGhee’s life, she said, and she would do either professionally.“If I get a chance, I’d like to be a songwriter or play the piano professionally,” she said.
(12/07/11 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said she isn’t happy with the first part of the season.With a team that is 2-5 with a three-game losing streak, few coaches would be.The Hoosiers will be on the road today to face St. Bonaventure (6-1), a team that already has a road win against West Virginia but also a loss to Delaware at home.IU is also going to have to weather an ACL tear to senior forward and co-captain Georgie Jones, a player averaging 8.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game before going down to injury against Virginia.“It’s a big blow,” Legette-Jack said. “She’s not going to play the rest of the season.”St. Bonaventure guard Jessica Jenkins averages 13.9 points per game to lead the team while forward Megan Van Tatenhove follows with 11.9 points per game.This is the third meeting between the two schools. The Hoosiers won last year 50-44 in Bloomington.IU is led by junior forward Aulani Sinclair with 13.3 points and junior guard Jasmine McGhee with 11.4 points per game.“During the offseason I focused a lot on my shooting,” Sinclair said.Sinclair put up 23 points in IU’s loss against Oklahoma State on Sunday, going 5-for-10 from three-point range. “I just went out there and gave it everything I had,” she said. Legette-Jack said the problem the Hoosiers had with Oklahoma State’s ability to shoot and make three-pointers proved to be one of the difference makers in the game. The road-seasoned Hoosiers play their fifth road game of the season against the Bonnies as they look to improve on their slow start. “I told this team that we are going to be good late because we are still getting to know ourselves and each other,” Legette-Jack said. “If we stay focused, we are going to be good, and we are going to be good soon. We’ve learned that if we lose, we have to learn lessons through those games.”
(12/02/11 5:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers are playing two games this week for “bragging rights” in the conference.“It’s important to go out and compete and represent Indiana and the Big Ten in the best fashion that we can,” IU Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said.On Thursday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Virginia defeated the Hoosiers 65-49.Virginia’s balanced scoring, with four players in double figures, troubled the Hoosiers.Ataira Franklin led the Cavaliers with 16 points.UVA led the entire game and outrebounded the Hoosiers 44-39.Virginia brought experience to the court, which Legette-Jack said the Hoosiers couldn’t counter.“You can’t just come to an ACC school like Virginia and not be seasoned,” Legette-Jack said. Players agree that you have to bring that extra effort on the road.“You have to work even harder on the road,” senior forward Georgia Jones said.Offensively, the Hoosiers weren’t proactive with getting to the rim, Legette-Jack said.“You have to go with attack mode, and tonight we played passive, and we learned a lesson,” she said.The Hoosiers’ lack of consistency on offense was a problem, as they shot 26.5 percent from the field. Junior center Sasha Chaplin recorded a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds, while junior forward Aulani Sinclair led the Hoosiers with 12 points, her fourth consecutive game in double figures. Although IU (2-4) wasn’t able to come out on the winning side, it will have another chance to help the conference Sunday against Oklahoma State in the Big 12/Big Ten Challenge.Oklahoma State (3-0) is building on a season off of early woes. Two of their games were canceled due to the deaths of Head Coach Kurt Budke and Assistant Coach Miranda Serna in a plane crash Nov. 17.“I can’t tell you how I feel because words don’t describe what I feel for what they are going through,” Legette-Jack said. “It’s a sad situation. It puts things in perspective. It makes you hug your children a little bit longer.”The Hoosiers will have to slow down two top scorers for the Cowgirls. Guard Tiffany Bias averages 15.3 points per game and center Kendra Suttles adds 13.7 points per game. Suttles also leads the team with nine rebounds per game. Coming back to Bloomington after Thursday’s defeat, the team is hoping for a positive result.“We want to become a team that learns lessons through wins,” Legette-Jack said.
(12/02/11 5:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers are playing two games this week for “bragging rights” in the conference.“It’s important to go out and compete and represent Indiana and the Big Ten in the best fashion that we can,” IU Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said.On Thursday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Virginia defeated the Hoosiers 65-49.Virginia’s balanced scoring, with four players in double figures, troubled the Hoosiers.Ataira Franklin led the Cavaliers with 16 points.UVA led the entire game and outrebounded the Hoosiers 44-39.Virginia brought experience to the court, which Legette-Jack said the Hoosiers couldn’t counter.“You can’t just come to an ACC school like Virginia and not be seasoned,” Legette-Jack said. Players agree that you have to bring that extra effort on the road.“You have to work even harder on the road,” senior forward Georgia Jones said.Offensively, the Hoosiers weren’t proactive with getting to the rim, Legette-Jack said.“You have to go with attack mode, and tonight we played passive, and we learned a lesson,” she said.The Hoosiers’ lack of consistency on offense was a problem, as they shot 26.5 percent from the field. Junior center Sasha Chaplin recorded a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds, while junior forward Aulani Sinclair led the Hoosiers with 12 points, her fourth consecutive game in double figures. Although IU (2-4) wasn’t able to come out on the winning side, it will have another chance to help the conference Sunday against Oklahoma State in the Big 12/Big Ten Challenge.Oklahoma State (3-0) is building on a season off of early woes. Two of their games were canceled due to the deaths of Head Coach Kurt Budke and Assistant Coach Miranda Serna in a plane crash Nov. 17.“I can’t tell you how I feel because words don’t describe what I feel for what they are going through,” Legette-Jack said. “It’s a sad situation. It puts things in perspective. It makes you hug your children a little bit longer.”The Hoosiers will have to slow down two top scorers for the Cowgirls. Guard Tiffany Bias averages 15.3 points per game and center Kendra Suttles adds 13.7 points per game. Suttles also leads the team with nine rebounds per game. Coming back to Bloomington after Thursday’s defeat, the team is hoping for a positive result.“We want to become a team that learns lessons through wins,” Legette-Jack said.
(11/21/11 1:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>All it took was a Facebook message to get the ball rolling to have two ESPN “30 for 30” directors visit IU.On Friday, Thaddeus Matula, director of “Pony Excess,” and Billy Corben, director of “The U,” were on campus for screenings of their movies and a Q-and-A session.It began when Matula received a Facebook message from Southern Methodist University alumna and current IU graduate student Catherine Campbell. “Facebook — it’s an amazing thing,” Matula said. “Catherine Campbell — she was a women’s basketball player at SMU — reached out to me because she loved my film and was excited that they were teaching it and using it in a course she’s in here at IU.”Once Matula was on board to come to Bloomington, he got Corben, a friend and fellow “30 for 30” director, on board.“Billy and I became really good friends, and when they decided to bring me up here ... I then invited Billy, as well, and was sure he would come,” Matula said. Matula’s film was about the rise, fall and rebirth of the Southern Methodist University football program after it received the “death penalty” for major infractions. “A big thing that I wanted to do with this was to win fans and bring fans into the program,” he said. “SMU used to be great. They have a storied tradition, a national championship, and they have a Heisman trophy.”He spent almost two years putting the film together, and said he felt his work paid off.“There is not a metric that you can use to track the difference of the trajectory of my career from before and after,” Matula said. “I was the only completely unknown director of the ‘30 for 30’ series. There are times when I’m walking through Dallas, and I’m kind of a celebrity.”Students asked the directors about their films and advice for breaking into the film industry during the Q-and-A session.“Both gave perspective on how they got to where they are today and discussed current sports issues, like the Penn State scandal,” senior Ben Baroff said.Baroff said he appreciated Matula’s advice to be persistent and do what you love, even if you hear “no.”“I thought that applied to anybody,” he said. “That was one of the most valuable things they spoke about.”The audience then watched “The U,” directed by Corben. Unlike Matula, Corben was a well-established director, which helped him land one of the “30 for 30” film spots. ESPN gave Corben a deal to make a film before the network announced the series. “The U” chronicles the dominance of the University of Miami football program from the 1980s to the early 1990s. The Hurricanes won four national championships in nine years.Matula spoke highly of Corben’s film, explaining that it was one of the best, if not the best, films of the “30 for 30” film series.“‘The U’ was our gold standard,” he said. “I said to my team, that’s the one we need to top.”School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation professor Galen Clavio said he thought the event went smoothly.“We had good crowds for all three events, and I was pleased with how engaged the students were with the content,” he said. “We were very excited about bringing Thaddeus and Billy in, both because of their excellent work and because of their abilities to connect with audiences of college-age people.”He said he wants to bring the two directors back to IU.“Hopefully we can convince them to come back when they’re promoting their next great sport film projects,” Clavio said.
(11/18/11 5:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers have to become road warriors.When six of the first nine games are on the road, those teams with the home court advantage don’t have as hard a test.This is something IU Coach Felisha Legette-Jack emphasized earlier in the year, getting her youthful team experience away from Bloomington.In the third game of the season, IU (1-1) takes on Belmont at 7 p.m. Friday in Nashville, Tenn.With losses to UT-Martin, Memphis and Auburn, the Bruins are 0-3 on the year. Those three games were all on the road.IU lost its first road game of the season when it opened its schedule with Central Arkansas, 58-46.The Hoosiers returned home with a 70-67 victory against Murray State at Assembly Hall.“It gives us a lot of confidence knowing that we can come back from a deficit to win,” senior forward Danilsa Andujar said.Through two games, junior guard Jasmine McGhee leads the Hoosiers with 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.Complementing McGhee is the senior forward and co-captain Georgie Jones, with 10 points and nine rebounds per game. Jones discussed her comfort in knowing McGhee is on the court.“We feed off each other very well,” Jones said.The Hoosiers carry an all-time 3-0 record in games played against Belmont.“(Belmont) can shoot the ball from the perimeter and have very aggressive post players,” Legette-Jack said.One of those post players Legette-Jack is referring to is senior Haley Nelson.The Bruins are led by the 6-foot-2-inch center, who averages 15 points and nine rebounds per game.Legette-Jack talked about Belmont Coach Brittney Ezell’s style of putting up a similar size advantage.“They are feisty. They are tall. They are going to meet us eye-to-eye,” Legette-Jack said. “We have to continue to get better. Every little piece of this journey is important.”Defense has been a key component to this team’s growth and fight against other opponents.“Defense is always emphasized in every practice,” Andujar said.Andujar also said the players’ confidence comes from improving their use of negatives during the last two games to succeed on the road in this one.“We’ve watched film and know our weaknesses and what we need to fix in order to win,” Andujar said.
(11/16/11 5:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When only the top schools in the country have basketball practice facilities, it can separate them and put them in a higher category. IU opened its practice facility, Cook Hall, in 2010.The men’s and women’s basketball teams said they easily fell in love with the building.“It’s the Taj Mahal of practice facilities,” IU Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. Not only is it right next to famed Assembly Hall, where both men’s and women’s teams play their games, but an underground tunnel connects the two buildings.“We are definitely privileged and have an advantage to have a facility like this provided to us by the University and athletic department,” woman’s basketball senior forward Danilsa Andujar said.Although the building includes a museum dedicated to IU basketball, the main use of the building is to practice, train and condition for these two varsity teams. Legette-Jack elaborated on how much this facility is a game changer for the programs.“We are a very blue-color state and University,” Legette-Jack said. “We haven’t done it flamboyantly for a long time, but when we decided we wanted to do something we take it to a new level.”The trend of building a basketball practice facility is starting to be seen at all the major college basketball institutions. Two notable facilities are the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center at Syracuse University and the Joe Craft Center at University of Kentucky.And IU’s Cook Hall may not be the prettiest building on campus, but it’s what’s inside that matters. All of the amenities are doubled, except for the weight room that is shared, giving the men’s and women’s players their own space.The amenities include: Legacy Court, a museum decked out in IU Basketball history and memorabilia, men’s and women’s locker room, two courts separated by a wall — which are replicas of Assembly Hall’s court — staff offices, two state-of-the-art video rooms, a whirlpool tub, a treadmill integrated hydrotherapy pool, a hot and cold plunge pool and weight and conditioning rooms.The women’s basketball team is reaping those benefits and more from the $20 million facility. And Cook Hall has numerous reasons that make it a benefactor to the varsity team.The main importance is the availability of the building, players said.“As individual players, it gives us 24-hour access to have whenever we want,” Andujar said. “Which has helped certain players in the late hours.”For Andujar, the main attraction of the facility is the individual court.“It’s always there and I like the fact that we can plug our iPods in and have the music blasting and just focus and concentrate,” she said.The facility’s popularity with the team also stems from no longer having to share the Assembly Hall court with the men’s team.“We’ve often been kicked off the court ‘cause the men wanted to come on,” Andujar said.Cook Hall also is used as a recruiting tool. It’s one of many reasons to come to this institution, Legette-Jack said.“All the kids have to do is take a peak,” Legette-Jack said and called the facility a “slam dunk.”The players of the women’s basketball team said they feel special knowing this facility is to help them grow as basketball players.“I hope everyone on this team knows its worth and uses it to their advantage,” Andujar said.
(11/16/11 5:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One thing that can describe the women’s basketball team is its diversity. There are six players from Midwest states, but also five from southern or southeastern states, one from Hawaii and two from the eastern European country of Latvia. Junior forward Linda Rubene and sophomore center Kristiana Stauere both play for Indiana, but their path to the Hoosier State was very different.“I don’t look at them being a foreigner or black, white. I just treat them all as my kids,” IU Coach Felisha Legette-Jack said.Though the sport is the same, sometimes living in a different country can be a culture shock. One of the main differences both players said they noticed was the food.“This is a fast food-eating country,” Stauere said. Rubene responded by saying, “What I miss most is the food.”Both Latvian players said they had a love of basketball from an early age and met each other in the early years of high school.“We met in high school almost seven years ago through basketball,” Rubene said.Even with a switch late in school, the two still played with each other on the club team. Both also had international experience by playing for the Latvian youth National teams.“With international teams you do way more scouting because you have to know your opponents,” Stauere said.But the two took different paths to playing for IU’s Coach Legette-Jack.Rubene went to Iowa Western Community College for her first two years in the United States. After those two years, Rubene transferred to play for the same school as her friend Stauere: IU.Stauere, though, came directly from Riga, Latvia, to earn a scholarship and play for the Hoosiers as a freshman. Rubene explained that Stauere was the “cherry on top” that made her commit and transfer to IU.“I just loved this place. I love my coaches, my teammates, but she was an addition to all of that,” she said.She also said the transition to transfer to Indiana was also very easy because of Stauere.“It was definitely easier for me ‘cause she was already here and has been here for a year,” she said. “She was giving me advice. School-wise, basketball-wise and what the coaches were expecting."Luckily, college basketball in America has been a smooth transition for both players.“That’s really cool that they came from the same country and on the same international team, but they come to America and discover other people,” Legette-Jack said.The main difference the two women noticed is the strength and conditioning emphasized in American basketball, they said.“I think basketball here is more physical. That’s why we spend a lot of time in the weight room,” Rubene said.Both said they feel they have versatility in their positions with their height. Stauere at 6’4” plays forward and Rubene at 6’3” plays forward as well.Their experiences from basketball in high school to international to college have helped them improve their fundamental skills.Shooting ability is something they both pride themselves on.“We are both excellent shooters,” Stauere said.Rubene and Stauere took different roads to Indiana University, but both ended in the same destination, playing for Coach Legette-Jack on the same team.Their connection and relationship as friends, roommates and teammates on the court can be a benefit to this Hoosier team.