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(10/14/11 3:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A kid playing high school basketball.That’s who we’re still talking about, right?Because when Hoosier Hysteria was scheduled Saturday seemingly to accommodate visiting five-star recruit Gary Harris, who had a football game Friday, I had a hard time believing one high school senior possessed so much clout.No official statement from the Athletics Department or IU men’s basketball team has explained why Hoosier Hysteria will take place Saturday instead of the night prior, as in years past. However, it appears to be a forgone conclusion that the Hoosiers’ annual season kickoff date-change coinciding with Harris’ personal schedule is more than a coincidence.As a senior in high school I wasn’t allowed to decide what was for dinner, let alone influence the date of when a major college program and its thousands of fans celebrated the start of another season.But then again, unlike Harris, I wasn’t a sought-after, five-star shooting guard.I doubt Hoosier Hysteria’s bumped-up start will come as an inconvenience to anyone. And if IU makes the change for anyone it should be Harris, who is the best uncommitted IU recruit in the class of 2012.The Hamilton Southeastern standout is ranked as the third-best shooting guard in his class by Rivals.com and the top shooting guard on ESPN.com. IU is considered one of the top contestants in the Harris sweepstakes along with Purdue, Michigan State, Louisville and Kentucky.I’m not bitter about IU being the only college basketball program to schedule its variation of Midnight Madness on a Saturday night. Nor do I hold anything against Harris for playing in his football game and inadvertently influencing Hoosier Hysteria.This is all part of feeding the college basketball recruiting beast: Fans tracking the process of courting that “can’t-miss” prospect and hanging onto his every word.“Who’s in his top five this month?”“He was sighted wearing University X’s sweatshirt. Is he close to a commitment?”“His mom and dad went to X College, but I heard that’s a non-factor.”And then comes that euphoric moment when he utters the name of your school, when you can rub his commitment in the faces of the rival schools he turned down. His recruiting class is seen as a representation of the program’s bright future. Surely the gold stars on his online ranking page shine like the championship trophy he will one day hoist over his head as the school’s fight song plays in the background.For Tom Crean’s 2012 recruiting class, it started with the modest commitments of center Peter Jurkin and shooting guard Ron Patterson. But then Crean started nabbing the big fish, and a single recruiting class evolved from a rebuilding project into the gold medal volcano at the science fair.Elite in-state talents Hanner Perea, Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell and Jeremy Hollowell all committed to Crean, and IU’s team rankings shot up the national charts.The addition of Harris would be adding bacon to the already-juicy double cheeseburger that is Crean’s 2012 class.The 6-foot-6, 198-pound guard would obviously be a huge pickup and would elevate his class from special to legendary. But by no means should he be considered a necessity in maintaining the quality of the 2012 class.But let’s say Harris does sign.After the ticker-tape parade through Bloomington (I’m sure there’s an NCAA violation in there somewhere), one member of the 2012-13 team would need to leave, assuming a non-senior does not open up a scholarship because of oversigning.Then again, this is Indiana. The championship banners hanging in Assembly Hall are reminders that excellence — no, perfection — is expected.Why have one of the best recruiting classes in the country when you can have the best recruiting class in the country?
(10/11/11 2:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Maurice Creek’s performance was almost inconceivable.Thirty-one points? Against undefeated, No. 4 Kentucky? As a freshman?“How about this Creek kid?” said UK Coach John Calipari after the Dec. 12, 2009, IU loss. “I’m telling you, we’ve played a lot of good teams. He’s as good as any player we’ve played. And that’s how you start to build a program.”How quickly things change.With Monday’s news that Creek underwent surgery to repair his left Achilles tendon, which could end his season, it seems IU Coach Tom Crean will need a different mortar to build his program.But, unfortunately, we’ve known for a while that the injury-prone Creek would not be the cornerstone that a resurgence of Indiana basketball would be built around.Creek’s career performance against the Wildcats was just one installment of an abbreviated freshman campaign, in which the 6-foot-5-inch guard led all Hoosiers in points per game with a 16.4 average by season’s end.The buzz in Bloomington had already begun. Amidst a rebuilding year full of low expectations and a high loss total, it seemed this highly touted top-60 recruit from Hargrave Military Academy could be one of the few threads in this era’s silver lining.That all changed against Bryant University, as Creek’s left knee and hopes for the rest of his season came crashing onto Branch McCracken court Dec. 29, 2009. He would sit out the remaining 19 games of his freshman season before missing another 14 games last year with a season-ending stress fracture in his right knee.Creek was already trying to return to health from those two injuries before this unrelated surgery made his road to recovery that much steeper.What has happened to Creek during his tenure at IU has been extremely unlucky — even for the sports world, in which disabled lists and injured reserve decisions run rampant. But it was better for the IU basketball program to receive this news now than to get the diagnosis handed down once play started.Although it was already a forgone conclusion Creek would not be able to play in the beginning of the year, Monday’s surgery solidifies his return to the team could possibly not even occur this season — if at all.Knowing the former freshman standout is lost, Crean and his squad can begin planning around these circumstances instead of holding onto the hope that Creek could return.This is a clear message to Victor Oladipo, Will Sheehey, Matt Roth and freshmen Austin Etherington and Remy Abell that this is their shot. A thinner bench means they will have more opportunities to succeed and need to take advantage of them when they are presented. Obviously, this should ring most true with Abell and Etherington, who could have that breakout performance that Creek experienced just two seasons ago.So what’s next for Creek?I wish I could tell you if I knew for sure whether he was going to return to the hardwood this year. Heck, I wish there wasn’t a small piece of me that thinks Creek played in his last collegiate game last January against Michigan — but there is.Realistically, I think Creek sits all of this season, takes a medical redshirt and will be able to make his return before he graduates, barring further injury.Our bodies are strange, unpredictable things.Sometimes they randomly produce cancerous cells that take away loved ones, and sometimes they take away the ability to play the game we love so much.This third injury in 22 months isn’t the last chapter in the story of Maurice Creek.Whether life takes him away from basketball or back to it, Creek will maintain the “never say die” attitude that has gotten him this far. That mindset allowed him to preserve during the years after his father left him and his mother, get his grades up at Hargrave and get the standardized test scores he needed to be eligible to play for IU.As Creek tweeted Monday, “I Have a Desire to make a Movie About Myself... Thinking of A Title...Hummm what about God Never Gives You What You Can’t Handle.”— azaleon@indiana.edu
(10/04/11 1:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The line of mourners spilling out the front door of Gill Funeral Service on a picturesque fall afternoon in Washington, Ind., patiently waited in a queue that wrapped around East Walnut Street.“Is the line normally this long?” I asked the man standing next to me.“No,” he said with assurance. “But these are special circumstances.”I was already disappointed in myself for arriving 10 minutes late to the open house for the late Debra Miiller, but that feeling only worsened when I realized that minor setback meant taking my place behind an entire community that was sure to not be tardy.Included in this throng of Hoosiers was IU freshman forward Cody Zeller, accompanied by his mother Lori.Their family has grown close with the Miillers since 2006 when Debra’s husband of 39 years, Gene, took over the reins of the Washington High School basketball program. Gene, who also serves as Washington’s athletic director, coached both Cody and his older brother Tyler to a combined three Class 3A IHSAA state titles, including championships in the past two seasons.Debra, or “Debbie” as she was known by her friends, cannot be found on the rosters of those championship teams that have brought so much pride to a small town that encapsulates a portion of Indiana State Road 57.Her name won’t live on in record books as the head coach or star forward, but she was just as much a part of those teams as the uniformed players and coaches on the court.“She was definitely a big part of our state championship run,” Cody said. “A lot of times after games, we would go over to (the Miillers’) house and she had a whole spread of food out for us. “She was just there for us, taking care of us and she was definitely a great lady, one that put others before herself. And I think the community is definitely going to miss her.”Debbie’s hospitality and selflessness made her house — where team meetings and the annual Christmas Party were — the Zeller brothers’ “home away from home” and rendered Debbie “another mom,” said Lori.Cody said at games Debbie’s enthusiasm would at times rival that of her husband. “In a game she was always yelling at the refs — sometimes more than Coach Miiller,” said the youngest Zeller brother. “Basketball was definitely important to her, but I think more important than anything, everyone else around her was more important than herself.”Outside of her famous desserts and being the Washington Hatchets’ biggest fan, Debbie left her mark on Cody with lessons that transcended basketball. In addition to the selflessness Cody said he learned from Debbie, Lori saw something else rub off on her sons.“Debbie was always a fighter and she never gave up,” said Lori, who works with Gene Miiller as an Athletic Office Assistant. “She was one of the toughest ladies I knew and I think for the boys, they would see that and they would know that that was something they could learn from her.”Once a group finished its visit and exited through the same pure white door from which it entered, many community members would walk back down the line, greeting nearly every familiar face along the way. Smiles, head nods, conversations about Hatchet sports started with first-name greetings and proceeded until they got to the out-of-place student journalist with unsure eyes nervously grasping his pen and black notepad.There was a reason the seemingly infinite line at Gill formed so rapidly. There was a reason bouquets of flowers lined the walls of the open house, including a yellow arrangement with a card from the Washington High School basketball team. And there was a reason the Debra Miiller Scholarship Fund was created shortly after her passing.“Washington is a great, small town,” Cody said. “When anyone is sick, especially a great lady like herself, the whole town comes together and does whatever they can. It’s definitely a big loss to the community.”Debra Miiller, 58, suffered a heart attack Sept. 26 and passed away Sept. 29. Her loss is felt in Washington, with the Zellers, and in the four high school communities where Gene has coached.“It’s difficult for the boys to see (Gene’s) heart so heavy,” Lori said. “He has taken us on a wild ride of (three) state championships while my boys have played, and we’ve had the best of times, and now this is probably the lowest that we’ve been.”
(09/27/11 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This will be the year junior Christian Watford plays the role he was meant to play.With the addition of freshman forward Cody Zeller, IU’s frontcourt receives some much-needed depth that allows Watford to slide into the small forward position where he belongs.Too often last year, the 6-foot-9-inch junior was forced into the post against taller Big Ten centers because he was the best option if Tom Pritchard or Derek Elston were on the sidelines. In the four or five slot, Watford simply looked overmatched — undersized on defense and without enough space to create opportunities in the paint on offense.But let’s not kid ourselves. Although Watford was occasionally put in these unfavorable circumstances, his raw talent still resulted in another statement year.That lengthy talent out of Alabama, which Rivals ranked as the sixth-best small forward in his 2009 recruiting class, led the Hoosiers in rebounding and points last season, averaging 16 points and 5.4 rebounds a game. That scoring total was the 10th-highest in the Big Ten.It is a number fans can expect to grow if Watford becomes comfortable in a swing-man role. When I think of signature Christian Watford, I envision him holding the ball at the top of the key and creating offense with fluid movements moving towards the basket and shooting from the shoulder or deciding to drive to the hoop, using his length to draw a foul.That’s where Watford thrives, and that’s where he needs to be.“(I’ve been working on) ball handling and ball moves, things like that,” Watford said. “With Cody coming in, I feel like I’m going to be able to step out a little bit more, so I wanted to work on explosion moves.”Watford added that he became stronger during the summer. He said he thinks it is a realistic goal to regularly record a double-double.What I worry about is Watford’s ability to guard smaller opponents while Zeller and Pritchard attempt to hold down the post.While Watford’s natural talent and length will reflect in the box score, moving to small forward will create issues against a three-guard squad. If Watford has to guard a small, fast guard, I can easily see a mismatch taking place where defense would need to shift.But Watford remained confident that playing defense as a “3” will not be too tall of a task.“I think I can do all right against smaller players,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenge but I’m up for it. There aren’t very many small ‘3’s’ anyway. They are mostly 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8, so I think I’ll be okay.”As the Hoosier with the most draft stock, Watford will need to make this a season that puts him on the map — something I’m sure he has thought about. If he plays where he feels most comfortable and the Hoosiers make some noise in the Big Ten, Watford could be receiving the national attention that was sometimes lost playing on a cellar-dwelling IU team the past two years.“I only have two years left, so I’m on the down slope of my career here,” Watford said. “It’s going downhill now, so you want to win and win fast.”— azaleon@indiana.eduAvi Zaleon is a senior in journalism
(09/23/11 4:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Tom Crean looked out onto the sea of light blue that illuminated an otherwise dark, rainy Thursday evening and did something that was not in his job description.Acting as co-host at the Shine 4 Lauren concert, Crean’s role as head basketball coach transcended the hardwood and placed him as the voice of a community trying to bring peace to a family whose daughter has been missing since June.Crean didn’t need to be in Dunn Meadow, where temperatures in the 50s and a steady downpour failed to hamper the spirit of a steadfast crowd.He could have been watching film, at home or any place with a roof.But he was at Dunn Meadow, standing before Lauren’s parents and the Bloomington community, delivering a message he believed was at the core of the efforts to find Lauren.“We have got to do the right thing, no matter how painful that is, no matter how challenging that is, certainly no matter how unpopular that is, and that’s where we sit right now,” Crean said.Amongst musical acts that included Clayton Anderson, Dot Dot Dot and Daniel Weber and Bryce Fox, Crean served as the leader of a community — a figure that could be looked upon as a source of guidance and motivation.The same exuberance fans are used to seeing Crean exhibit on the sidelines was used to ignite a crowd and a community that has banded together as an extended family.“I think what has gone on here, in this community, since the disappearance of Lauren, has been one where people have to look and say, ‘That is so sad. That is so terrible. I can’t imagine what’s going on, but look at that community trying to help figure it out,’” Crean said.His huddle was a mass of umbrellas. His opponent, an unfathomable wrong committed against a 20-year-old IU student and those who knew her. His arena was a muddied field. His focus, though, remained the same.Although Crean signed a contract to become the head coach of one of the most storied college basketball programs in the country, he has learned that being at the helm of the basketball team is about more than the game that crams Assembly Hall every season.It’s about helping a community when it’s in need, helping a student’s parents when their daughter has gone missing and becoming a voice to rally around, just when it seemed the rain had washed away any remaining hope.Thursday night, there was a buzz in the air.It went beyond five national championships or a top-ranked recruiting class. It was about one city, one university, one family — all striving for the same goal.
(09/20/11 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hoosier Nation’s blossoming love affair with Twitter has manifested itself into a simple, yet impactful hashtag: #iubb.Sure, it’s just four letters representing Indiana University basketball, but understand that the seemingly insignificant creation and subsequent popularity of #iubb is something not seen within any other basketball program’s online community, to my knowledge. Although hashtagging a school name or nickname has become commonplace — #Badgers, #BoilerUp, etc. — it does not specify a team or sport within that athletic department.During the summer, when IU Coach Tom Crean’s recruiting bonanza was picking up steam, an IU commit for the class of 2012 began using the hashtag “#TheMovement” — a trend that quickly caught on with both fellow recruits and fans alike. In Nov. 2010, when now-freshman Cody Zeller made his decision to play for IU instead of the University of North Carolina, the name “Cody Zeller” trended worldwide on Twitter.If that doesn’t display how plugged in IU fans are to the ’Net, I don’t know what does. Whether through popular humorous fake accounts or official feeds administered by the IU Athletics Department, the IU basketball universe has been permanently integrated into Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere. Not only have IU sports enthusiasts embraced the endless opportunities presented to them through these Internet venues, but they’ve made them an unavoidable component of being an informed and involved fan.For many, Twitter has become the fastest way to consume information, which is then funneled into a blog post or online article containing more detailed information and finally, at least for print publications, a full article.Heck, if you’re one of a growing number of online publications, the published story will be online before the sun sets on game day.If you crave content from fans giving their own unfiltered opinions and analyses, look no further than the multitude of message boards and blogs that somehow double in size, faster than a bar tab at Kilroy’s.The appetite for online content has even gotten to the point where Internet live chats are arranged during IU basketball games so that fans can interact with sports writers as the game is played.It’s strange to think this swirling abyss of online chatter, rants and information is all centered around a group of five college students trying to put a ball in the hoop more times than their opponents.So is the way of our changing world — and IU fans have the distinct honor of being part of one of the most tech-savvy collegiate programs in the country.The count as of Monday night:Tom Crean’s Twitter account? 40,861 followers. University of Kentucky Coach John Calipari? 1,139,966. Butler Coach Brad Stevens? 16,422. Illinois Coach Bruce Weber and Purdue Coach Matt Painter? Neither have tweeted since 2009, but both have more than 5,000 followers.What about 84-year-old Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno? Well, during 2009 Big Ten Media Days, college sports’ favorite grandpa had this to say about Twitter: “You guys have to talk about something. The fans have got to put something on those, what do you guys call those things, Twittle-do? Twittle-dee? I haven’t got the slightest idea what you’re looking at.”Well, Coach, what I’m looking at is a platform of communication that unites a community and continues to serve as an open forum amongst journalists, fans and players.— azaleon@indiana.eduAvi Zaleon is a senior in journalism.
(09/13/11 3:03pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Part of Victor Oladipo’s summer workout plan scared me.“Getting faster, getting stronger, jumping higher — believe it or not,” the sophomore guard said of his offseason physical improvements.So the 6-foot-5 high-flyer that easily jumped over a group of eight kids as if they were ants is working on jumping higher? I’ll alert Gus Johnson to start warming up his pipes now.But we knew Oladipo could make it onto a highlight reel easier than a freshman with five dollars getting into a Villas party. This season, the Maryland native needs to improve on his decision making and the diversification of his game.With the ball in his hands last year, it was a forgone conclusion Oladipo would immediately drive to the basket with that fast first step. This predictable attack would sometimes result in dazzling slams, which have become Oladipo’s staple, but the IU guard said he’s been working on an effective midrange jumper and three-point shot to complement his known athletic ability.“I think if I did that, I could expand my game and get my defender off his feet and have an easier lane to the basket,” Oladipo said. “Last year I would just catch and drive and go as fast as I can to get to the basket. Now, I think I have different parts of my game that I’ve been working on that I can use effectively in a game.”Oladipo already used his range during a Reach USA trip to China over the summer, in which he drilled a game-winning trey against a Lithuanian team with 2.2 seconds left.However, Oladipo and I agree in order for him to play to his potential this season, the second-year guard will need to improve his ball discipline and decision-making. Too many times last season the then-freshman would commit turnovers that left fans conflicted between the break-away dunk Victor they loved to cheer on and the sloppy mistake-prone Victor that gave them headaches.Between the Hoosiers’ four main guards last season (Oladipo, Jordan Hulls, Verdell Jones and Jeremiah Rivers), Oladipo had the worst assist-to-turnover ratio at .64 and committed the second most turnovers-per-minute, trailing only Jones.“My freshman year I made a lot of dumb mistakes,” Oladipo said. “I guess it was because it was my first year. I had high expectations for myself and for this team, so I got to be disciplined with the ball. If I’m not, we’re going to suffer for it, and then I won’t play.”Not only will Oladipo get the opportunity to show improved play this year, but he will be able to do so in a position he feels comfortable in. With a thin and undersized front court last season, the Hoosiers sometimes asked the DeMatha High School graduate to play as a small forward — a spot not fit for the undersized Oladipo.With added depth courtesy of this year’s freshman class, Oladipo and the rest of the squad will be able to play in the roles they thrive in. And for the sophomore, he said that will mean showing new guards Remy Abell and Austin Etherington the way things are done.“I’m a leader,” Oladipo said. “I want to be a leader. I want to lead this team and do whatever it takes to help them win. Just be a guidance to the younger kids and follow the older kids and encourage them. I just want to be a leader, and I think this team can win. I want to lead them in winning.”This could be Oladipo’s breakout season — the year he cuts down on turnovers, becomes a multi-faceted threat on offense and emerges as a team leader in the huddle.This could be the year it all clicks for him, if he can take what he has been working on over the summer and carry it into the season.— azaleon@indiana.eduAvi Zaleon is a senior majoring in journalism.
(09/13/11 2:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Part of Victor Oladipo’s summer workout plan scared me.
“Getting faster, getting stronger, jumping higher — believe it or not,”
the sophomore guard said of his offseason physical improvements.
So the 6-foot-5 high-flyer that easily jumped over a group of eight kids as if they were ants is working on jumping higher?
I’ll alert Gus Johnson to start warming up his pipes now.
But we knew Oladipo could make it onto a highlight reel easier than a
freshman with five dollars getting into a Villas party. This season, the
Maryland native needs to improve on his decision making and the
diversification of his game.
With the ball in his hands last year, it was a forgone conclusion
Oladipo would immediately drive to the basket with that fast first step.
This predictable attack would sometimes result in dazzling slams, which
have become Oladipo’s staple, but the IU guard said he’s been working
on an effective midrange jumper and three-point shot to complement his
known athletic ability.
“I think if I did that, I could expand my game and get my defender off
his feet and have an easier lane to the basket,” Oladipo said. “Last
year I would just catch and drive and go as fast as I can to get to the
basket. Now, I think I have different parts of my game that I’ve been
working on that I can use effectively in a game.”
Oladipo already used his range during a Reach USA trip to China over the
summer, in which he drilled a game-winning trey against a Lithuanian
team with 2.2 seconds left.
However, Oladipo and I agree in order for him to play to his potential
this season, the second-year guard will need to improve his ball
discipline and decision-making.
Too many times last season the then-freshman would commit turnovers that
left fans conflicted between the break-away dunk Victor they loved to
cheer on and the sloppy mistake-prone Victor that gave them headaches.
Between the Hoosiers’ four main guards last season (Oladipo, Jordan
Hulls, Verdell Jones and Jeremiah Rivers), Oladipo had the worst
assist-to-turnover ratio at .64 and committed the second most
turnovers-per-minute, trailing only Jones.
“My freshman year I made a lot of dumb mistakes,” Oladipo said. “I guess
it was because it was my first year. I had high expectations for myself
and for this team, so I got to be disciplined with the ball. If I’m
not, we’re going to suffer for it, and then I won’t play.”
Not only will Oladipo get the opportunity to show improved play this
year, but he will be able to do so in a position he feels comfortable
in. With a thin and undersized front court last season, the Hoosiers
sometimes asked the DeMatha High School graduate to play as a small
forward — a spot not fit for the undersized Oladipo.
With added depth courtesy of this year’s freshman class, Oladipo and the
rest of the squad will be able to play in the roles they thrive in. And
for the sophomore, he said that will mean showing new guards Remy Abell
and Austin Etherington the way things are done.
“I’m a leader,” Oladipo said. “I want to be a leader. I want to lead
this team and do whatever it takes to help them win. Just be a guidance
to the younger kids and follow the older kids and encourage them. I just
want to be a leader, and I think this team can win. I want to lead them
in winning.”
This could be Oladipo’s breakout season — the year he cuts down on
turnovers, becomes a multi-faceted threat on offense and emerges as a
team leader in the huddle.
This could be the year it all clicks for him, if he can take what he has
been working on over the summer and carry it into the season.
— azaleon@indiana.edu
(09/07/11 4:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I see you, seasoned IU basketball fan, clutching your Steve Alford jersey as the replay of the 1987 championship game plays on a loop while Martha the Mop Lady dances in your head.The last few years have been pretty tough, considering the brand of Hoosier basketball with which you were raised. No more preseason expectations of making a NCAA Championship run, no longer the crown jewel of the Big Ten, and IU finds itself playing second-fiddle in prime time national broadcast appearances.But you know what? Throughout the roller coaster that has been the last four years of IU basketball, the fan base has done a tremendous job of coming to grips with reality and adjusting their expectations accordingly.This year’s IU senior class will have seen the Hoosiers compile a record of — wait for it — 28-66 in the last three years with a conference mark of 8-46.For students and non-students alike, that’s a pretty hefty pill to swallow, especially if you grew up surrounded by a culture of winning.But even after the Kelvin Sampson megaton bomb wiped out every piece of the program except Kyle Taber, fans continued to cram into Assembly Hall, albeit not to the same magnitude they once had. Instead of having a “Final Four or Bust” mentality, the Hoosier faithful learned to set their sights on a possible NIT berth, a postseason possibility that could turn into reality this season.A buzz surrounding Bloomington still perks up near the time of Hoosier Hysteria even though Ralph Lauren shirts outnumber IU shirts on campus. Excitement surrounding next year’s recruiting class has reached a fever pitch as optimism for the future has, at times, taken precedent versus the present.But with the growing anticipation of Cody Zeller this year and one of the best recruiting classes in the country next season, expectations will deservedly grow.While three straight 20-loss seasons didn’t sit right with most, it was an obstacle they were willing to hurdle if a return to the glory years would greet them on the other side.IU Coach Tom Crean’s clock differs.Some tolerate what has been the worst winning percentage for any IU coach who has been at the helm for more than a season. Others hope Athletics Director Fred Glass has Butler’s Brad Stevens on speed dial.Well, for those antsy fans who have grown tired of settling for the Big Ten’s basement year-after-year, it is justifiable to start creeping those expectations up. It’s not going to bring you back to the nostalgia of Bailey, Killingsworth, Alford, Isiah Thomas and Bob Knight for a long time — but this year is a start.Throughout Crean’s tenure, there has been a generational gap between former and current students, who cannot relate to the stories of IU lore instilled in them by those who lived them at Assembly Hall.When today’s students graduate and look back at IU basketball during their time on campus, they may see it as the period in which the foundation of a revival took place or as the building blocks of a legacy far less ideal.Either way, they will be set apart as the group that yelled their lungs out in Assembly Hall for teams the likes of which this program has never seen.
(03/24/11 4:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack’s worst record in Bloomington, Athletic Director Fred Glass said the five-year coach will return next season. Jack’s current contract is good through June 30, 2013.“Absolutely Felisha will be back. I have a great deal of confidence in her, and we’re looking forward to having her back in a new season,” Glass said.Since arriving at IU, Jack has compiled a record of 81-75, with appearances to the WNIT in 2007, ’08 and ’09. She has never reached the NCAA Tournament with the Hoosiers.Despite the leadership of the seniors — Jack’s first recruiting class — the team struggled this past season, posting a 9-19 record, Jack’s worst at IU.Early injuries to the Hoosiers’ frontcourt reduced depth in the post and left IU without a strong inside presence throughout most of the season.“If Sasha’s (Chaplin) healthy we’re a different team. If Georgie (Jones) didn’t have knee surgery before the season starts we’re a different team,” Jack said. “So our hope is to get those guys healthy and really jump on the postseason right away.”At the conclusion of this season the Hoosiers ranked ninth in scoring, last in points allowed, 10th in rebounding margin, last in assist/turnover ratio and second in steals, according to Big Ten rankings.The Hoosiers lost four seniors at the end of the season, including leading scorer Jori Davis, who left Bloomington eighth on IU’s all-time scoring list.Jack has signed two guards to the incoming recruiting class with room to sign six more players.“I just believe in her,” Glass said of Jack. “You take the whole body of work — and of course that includes wins and losses — and we had more of the latter and less of the former than we wanted to this year, but I believe in her approach to the game.“I believe in her attitude. I believe in what she’s doing. So she’ll be back and so we’re real excited about it.”
(03/21/11 4:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior Derek Drouin’s jump of 7 feet 7.75 inches March 12 in College Station, Texas, did more than give the IU high jumper his third NCAA title.It gave him his second-straight indoor championship. It tied the Corunna, Ontario, native for the Canadian National Record. It broke his own school record and the all-time Big Ten record.IU coach Ron Helmer said Drouin’s performance at the NCAA Indoor Championships puts him in an elite group of athletes.“He won that national championship, then he jumps a bar that tied him for the all-time Canadian record,” Helmer said. “So I think if you look at those statistics, then he’s pretty incredible because that puts him in very, very, very select company. And the great thing that we encourage all of our athletes to get a handle on is being able to perform at those levels when it matters the most.”And the rest of the nation is taking notice.Tuesday, Drouin became the first Big Ten field athlete to ever be named National Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The next day, he became one of 10 male track and field athletes to be placed on The Bowerman award watch list.The Bowerman, which started in 2009, is given to the best overall male and female track and field athlete of the year. Drouin is the first male Big Ten athlete to be put on the award’s watch list.Helmer said Drouin is able to consistently keep his focus every year because he refuses to let the acknowledgments faze him.“You ask your athletes to stay on an even keel,” the four-year coach said. “They never get too down when things don’t go well, and they never get too up when things are going great. He’s not out there pumping his chest and going through a whole litany of ‘look at me’ actions — he takes everything in stride. If things aren’t going particularly well he just stays on task, he fixes it, sets the course straight and away he goes. “He’s a great competitor. He takes great pride in everything he is able to accomplish as a competitor, but he’s not so self-absorbed that it becomes more than what it is. He is very comfortable about what he celebrates, what he gets excited about so that the standard is always set high.”Drouin was one of 13 Hoosiers to earn All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. At Nationals, sophomore Andy Bayer and junior Andrew Poore placed third and seventh, respectively, in the 3000-meter race, while senior Faith Sherrill took fourth in the shot put.Despite the national implications of his jump, Drouin said he is glad to bring a title to Bloomington.“It’s always a big feat to win nationals,” he said. “I am really proud of it, and I am always happy to win a title for IU.”
(03/10/11 5:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Assembly Hall’s lights reflected off the glass encasing four crimson jerseys.Numbers 32, 10, 20 and 14 stood behind the seniors and beside their families.The scoreboard had long been turned off since the final buzzer sounded. It previously reflected a final score of Iowa: 93, Indiana: 79.But for the IU women’s basketball team’s seniors, the day was not about the final score capping off a 9-19 regular season.It was about four women — three of whom made up IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack’s first recruiting class — and their final game in Bloomington before going separate ways after college.From the moment guards Jori Davis, Andrea McGuirt and Whitney Lindsay stepped onto campus there were obvious regional differences. Davis, a native of Rochester, N.Y., came to IU after playing in Greece and England, while McGuirt came by way of Atlanta and Lindsay from Mansfield, Ohio.The trio of freshmen represented half of Legette-Jack’s first recruiting class and were the only ones from that inaugural year to stay at IU for all four years.“I just know that when we inherited this program the academics were in shambles and the character wasn’t as high as it needed to be,” Legette-Jack said after the Senior Day game Feb. 27. “And we went after six kids and three of them you roll the dice on and it didn’t work out. But the three that stayed and sustained have created such a foundation for all to be proud of.”As upperclassmen like Whitney Thomas, Kim Roberson and Jamie Braun led the Hoosiers to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament in 2008, Davis, Lindsay and McGuirt mainly watched from the sidelines. Combined, the trio started in 12 of 33 games.Following a second-straight WNIT appearance in their sophomore year, the three Hoosiers welcomed a fourth member to the class of 2011.Forward Hope Elam, who played her freshman year at St. Louis University and her sophomore year at Vincennes, transferred to IU for her junior year. Elam said there was an immediate connection thanks to her outgoing personality that matched the rest of the group.“I didn’t come in with them,” she said. “But when I did come in, I fell right in with the team and I took them on as my sisters, and they took me on as their sister pretty early.”On the court, though, the maturity of Legette-Jack’s first recruiting class was clear as they played into their upperclassman years.Lindsay went from dishing out 55 assists her first two seasons to 93 and 103 in her junior and senior years, respectively.Davis, who scored 142 points her freshman year and 378 in her sophomore year, finished her collegiate career with the eighth highest scoring total in IU history with 1,565 points. This came after back-to-back seasons with more than 500 points in her junior and senior years.McGuirt has progressively increased her point, rebound and steal total every year at IU. She said her time in Bloomington has taught her more than just basketball.“I think we’ve just grown into women,” she said. “When we came here as freshmen, we were just wide-eyed and new and just taking everything in. Now it’s kind of like we’re ready for the real world where we’ve been exposed to so many different things and we’re just ready to go out there and be leaders in society.”Following school, each young lady has different ideas of what they would like to do.Legette-Jack said although each of her players has different aspirations for the future, she thinks each will excel.“Jori should play pro somewhere. I think that she has a lot of basketball to play,” Legette-Jack said. “Little Whitney wants to go to graduate school or play overseas. Andrea McGuirt is just going to be making more money than I’d ever dreamt of. I hope I haven’t yelled at her too much. Hope wants to be a commentator and maybe play overseas.”For now though, the programs’ departing captains said they will miss the close-knit relationship that they have formed with each other.“Whitney and (An)’Drea from the start, from freshman year, we had to come together and find our way around campus and just by doing things like that we became close,” Davis said. “Obviously, the college life, going out with each other, we always had each other’s back. We never went anywhere without each other and I think over time it was just expected, ‘If you’re going somewhere, let me know.’ “And then Hope came along and we showed her, ‘This is how it is,’ and she fit in with our personalities automatically. So I think it’s just something that we’ve been blessed with.”Elam said her last season with the Hoosiers has been a memorable one, but she is ready to move on.“I think it’s bittersweet for all of us,” she said. “The bitter side is that we won’t have this camaraderie that we’re used to and playing in front of all these fans and having our teammates and our coaches. “But I think the sweet side of it is that we’re moving on to another part of our life, whether it’s basketball or not, we’re all moving on to a new chapter.”As Legette-Jack sat between Lindsay and Davis following their final home game against Iowa, she said the culmination of her seniors’ final season could not be found on a box score.“The basketball went up, down and all around, but if you’re going to be just a great basketball player and not have the other attributes, the ball stops bouncing eventually,” Legette-Jack said. “No one is going to remember this record. What they’re going to remember is Jori Davis, Hope Elam, Andrea McGuirt and Whitney Lindsay, the character and what they left us with – the ability to want to be better people.”
(03/04/11 5:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>INDIANAPOLIS — The stage was set for an upset.The 10th-seeded Hoosiers were facing seventh-seeded archrival Purdue.IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack’s first recruiting class was fighting to keep its season alive.But this script did not conclude with an ideal ending for the Hoosiers, who fell Thursday to the Boilermakers 66-62 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse.“This is one shot,” senior guard Whitney Lindsay said. “This is March. I mean, I think that was like the biggest motivation for me was the fact that it’s March. And you win or you go home.”The Hoosiers knew they had to play like there was no tomorrow, but they still succumbed to a flaw that has plagued them all season — finishing the game.In a game that saw 16 lead changes, eight ties and a lead no larger than eight points, IU’s season was ultimately decided in the closing minutes.After amassing its largest lead of the game of eight points with 10:06 remaining, the Hoosier offense stalled, and Purdue was able to climb back into the game. IU scored its final field goal of the game at the 5:28 mark of the second half and watched as the Boilermakers went on a 10-2 run to win the game.Senior guard Jori Davis picked up her fourth foul with 12:27 left in the game and was forced to sub out. She said IU had the opportunity to win the game but failed to take advantage.“I told everybody, I think I was on the bench at that time, it was the fourth quarter,” she said. “It was the fourth quarter, 10 minutes to go and we were up by eight. And we had them in our hands right there. We just had to continue to push. And it was our last little bit of the quarter where we kind of lost it.”The leading scorer throughout the year for the Hoosiers, Davis, had to rely on her teammates to step up offensively while she was on the bench. IU was able to hold the Boilermakers without Davis for nearly four minutes before Purdue came to within a point and Legette-Jack was forced to call a timeout.“I definitely felt the momentum was going in the right direction on our side,” Lindsay said of IU’s late eight-point lead. “And when Jori had to sit for a little bit, my goal — like my job — was I focused mostly on keeping that pressure on Purdue and attacking and keeping the energy and keeping the five of us focused and having Jori’s back.”Lindsay played all 40 minutes, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds.However, the Boilermakers never went away. When IU would drain a momentum-changing three-pointer, there was an answer at the other end of the floor.And in the last 20 seconds of the game, it was junior guard Brittany Rayburn sealing it for Purdue.When it came time for IU to intentionally foul, the last person the Hoosiers wanted to see on the free-throw line was Rayburn, who leads Purdue in free-throw percentage, shooting 88 percent entering Thursday.However, she was able to make sets of free-throws at 20 and 12 seconds to put the game out of reach for the Hoosiers.“We tried to prevent her from getting the ball, and they called the foul,” Legette-Jack said. “It’s unfortunate. She’s a great free-throw shooter and lights out. This is a kid that stayed in her backyard and learned her craft well.”Rayburn, who led all scorers with 23 points and went 12-for-12 from the foul line, said the final Purdue inbound was designed to get her the ball.“Coach set up a play where we had a double screen for me to go get the ball, and our screeners did an amazing job,” Rayburn said. “They switched off on the first screen, and so Alex nailed the second person that switched off, and they switched off again, and it was just a matter of getting open. They did an awesome job of getting me open.”On paper, IU improved in areas in which it has struggled this year.The Hoosiers outrebounded Purdue 40-30. They showed they can play without Davis, who still led her team with 21 points.But, ultimately, this was not enough to upset a Purdue team which has now beaten the Hoosiers three times this season.“Everybody knows that it’s survive and advance or you do go home,” Purdue coach Sharon Versyp said. “And we know playing our archrival Indiana, with them having four seniors, they obviously didn’t want their season to end, and it’s always tough to beat a team three times. But I thought at the very end our defense is what prevailed. We were able to hit some key shots down low by Drey (Mingo) and free throws by Brittany (Rayburn) to obviously clinch the win.”Legette-Jack said although this game closed a chapter on this year’s seniors, it showed the fight in her team.“Unfortunately we fell short,” she said. “But the fact that we kept standing back up makes me proud.”
(02/25/11 4:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Not every story has a happy ending.For the IU women’s basketball team, Sunday’s 2 p.m. game against Iowa represents the chance to end a 9-18 season on a high note.It will be the Hoosiers’ final regular season game before they travel up to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament on March 3.However, the Hawkeyes (20-7, 8-6) will give the four Hoosier seniors a challenge in their final game at Assembly Hall.Iowa began the season strong, posting an 12-1 record before beginning their conference schedule. The Hawkeyes are currently on a three-game winning streak.However, as of late, IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack’s squad has not shared the same success. After beating Illinois on Feb. 10 on the road, the Hoosiers have dropped their last three games.“I didn’t think we were in that big of a hole, but what I love to see is the character of someone else stepping up,” Legette-Jack said, following her team’s 65-57 loss at Wisconsin on Feb. 23. “We’re not a winning team right now, we’re a character team, and I think there is a place for us in the Big Ten.”Senior guard Jori Davis has asserted herself as the team’s top scorer, averaging just more than 19 points per game. However, following her team’s loss to Wisconsin, Legette-Jack said Davis’ supporting cast has to step up and create multiple threats for opposing defenses in order for the Hoosiers to win.The IU defense, which is allowing the most points per game in the Big Ten, must find a way to shut down an Iowa offense that scores the third-most points per game in the conference. Four of the Hawkeyes’ starters are averaging scoring in double figures.Legette-Jack said despite her team’s performance on paper, the 2010-11 Hoosiers have been some of her favorites. This year’s seniors represent her first recruiting class at IU.“They’ve been coming together so significantly,” she said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the wins to back this up, but this is one of my favorite teams that I’ve coached since I’ve been at Indiana because they’re learning the big lessons and are going to succeed in life after this season because of all the adversity we’ve been through. “One thing that we never did was that we never fell apart. We came together and became one, and that’s where we are right now. We’re getting better, and I’m really excited about our chances in the Big Ten Tournament.”
(02/24/11 5:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sometimes the final score doesn’t tell the whole story.The box score can’t measure the effort of a team playing the rest of its season while knowing that no off-season awaits it.The IU women’s basketball team’s 65-57 loss at Wisconsin on Wednesday will be recorded as its third-straight loss, but won’t show the story behind the numbers.The Badgers (15-12, 10-5) led for the first 25 minutes of the game, going up by as much as 14 points with 12:56 remaining in the first half.However, IU (9-18, 3-12) chipped away at the Wisconsin lead to tie the game at 35 with 14:46 left in the game off of an Aulani Sinclair layup.The Hoosiers were able to hold onto a slim advantage for nearly five minutes before Wisconsin was back on top with 9:08 to go in the game.IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack’s squad would come to within one point with nearly four minutes left before the Badgers pulled away for the win.Wisconsin senior forward Lin Zastrow led all players in points and assists. She would finish the game with 21 points, five assists and six rebounds. Wisconsin coach Lisa Stone said she expects this from her senior leader.“When we needed Lin, she came in and she was ready. She responded,” Stone said.For the Hoosiers, seniors Jori Davis and Hope Elam were the scoring leaders, chipping in 17 and 16 points, respectively. Although IU shot 31 percent from three-point range, Elam was the hot-shooter, making 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 three-pointers.However, strong defense and free-throw shooting from the Badgers — they shot 18-of-22 from the line — was too much for IU on the road.“All we could do is fight,” Legette-Jack said. “We can’t look at things happening, we can’t look at it like somebody grabbed our arm or things going bad for us. All we can do is fight because at the end of the day it’s not about the score, it’s about building your character when you’re on the floor and that’s what we talk about.”
(02/22/11 5:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The ball is tipped, and Kurt Pangborn sees a orange blur thrown into the air.It’s the same orange blur he has been watching his entire life, whether it was sitting inches away from the television set watching IU basketball, witnessing Zach Hahn drain a jumper for New Castle in the 2006 3A state championship game or helping rebound at an IU women’s basketball practice.Pangborn, a student manager for the IU women’s basketball team, said he has always loved basketball despite being legally blind in both his eyes.He was born with primary congenital glaucoma and bell’s palsy on his right eye, disorders that have caused his sight to worsen with age. He said now his vision is at 20-450 in the left eye and 20-300 in the right. Both are worse than the 20-200 considered to be legally blind. Pangborn said he is almost totally blind in the left eye, only being able to see light and motion. In his right eye, he said he has more stable sight but has lost his peripheral vision and can only see a certain area in front of him.He has had 37 different eye surgeries to try and “salvage” what vision he has left.After being diagnosed the day after his birth, Pangborn’s mother, Rosie Dellinger, said he was sent to Riley Children’s Hospital to have what she thought would be the first of only a couple of eye surgeries.“I left him that night and it was horrible,” Dellinger said. “You’re expecting a baby and you think you’re going to be able to take him home and enjoy it, and that’s not at all what happened.”Pangborn’s vision was already so impaired since birth that the expected “couple” of surgeries could not save his vision.A FUZZY FUTUREThis is where Kurt Pangborn’s life could have stayed dormant, a point at which he could have lowered his head and accepted his disability as the means to a life without goals or aspirations. But that just wouldn’t be him.“There’s going to be barriers in your life, but why make them barriers? Why not make them hurdles that you can jump and rise above?” he said.Early on, Dellinger was determined to raise a son that believed just that.“I would always say to him, ‘Kurt, just because you’re legally blind does not mean you can’t be normal. I don’t want you lying around the house and living off of the government for the rest of your life. You can be just as good as anybody else. You can be the president if you want to be. It may take you longer, it may be twice as hard, but you can do it.’ And I think he really took that to heart.”This determination to succeed was applied to sports. Growing up, Pangborn said he loved watching IU basketball and was raised in a household of big Hoosier fans. However, Dellinger said playing and watching quickly became two very different things.“There was something about basketball. He wanted to play it because he would constantly tell the doctors, ‘I want to play, I want to play.’ And they would tell him no,” she said. “And I think to him it was like, if I can’t play and be actually in the game, I want to find something to where I don’t care if it’s on the sidelines. I want to be a part of the game.”Pangborn got his chance to be put in the game late in his tenure at Union Elementary School.“I was always directed not to play sports,” Pangborn said. “When I was young they let me play tee-ball, but once I got to a certain level of competition, for health reasons, they said that it wasn’t a good idea because of the scar tissue and molteno tubes. So any kind of contact to the head could cause me to lose all vision.”Although Pangborn does not see his three-year stint in the tee-ball league as significant, his mother said that was when she saw the potential in him.“He got up to where they used the pitching machine and it was amazing to watch,” Dellinger said. “His eyesight had grown worse gradually, but he was getting to the point where he was hitting home runs. And I asked him how he was hitting those and he said, ‘Mom, the pitching machine sounds different and I know my timing when to hit it.’”Pangborn said as his sight gradually worsens, his other senses grow stronger. He said he is able to especially use his hearing to help during basketball practices.“There’s so many tools you can use to learn the game. It doesn’t have to simply be getting in the game, playing those years and getting all that experience,” Pangborn said.His first experience as a basketball manager came in fifth grade when he traveled with his elementary school’s team and assisted them.However, Pangborn said his career really took off while at New Castle High School, where his friend Hahn, a basketball player, told coach Steve Bennett to give Pangborn a shot at being student manager.“Coach Steve Bennett has one of the highest winning percentages in the state,” Pangborn said. “So for me it was a great place to build a foundation of basketball, how it should be done, and I learned an awful lot there.“There was some involvement within high school basketball where I actually had the opportunity to get on and play a little bit with them. So that was really neat because I never had that opportunity in my younger years to actually get out and play.”New Castle went on to win the Class 3A Indiana State Championship his junior year. Dellinger said that remains one of the highlights of Pangborn’s life.“When they won, it was as if he had won. He was part of the team.”COMING INTO FOCUSAfter graduating high school with an ignited passion for basketball, Pangborn attended Vincennes University, where he resumed his duties as student manager. But he said women’s basketball coach Harry Meeks was understandably hesitant.“I went in, told him (Meeks) my story and he said, ‘Well, we’d like you to help.’ But it’s funny because you can always see that little bit of hesitation,” Pangborn said. “It’s like, ‘Oh no, I’m going to work with this guy who’s visually impaired. I want to help him but what is he going to do?’ So at every level there’s that little bit of hesitation: What do I do? What do I say? What don’t I do?”At Vincennes, though, Pangborn excelled.In addition to his usual duties managing the uniforms and equipment, Pangborn supervised and created individual workouts for the players.This year, Vincennes is ranked second in the National Junior College Athletic Association. Pangborn said the coach there still uses a black book he used to keep track of all the systems for shooting drills and workouts. To Pangborn, unlocking a player’s potential at Vincennes was a welcome challenge.“It’s kind of like a puzzle where all the pieces start coming together, where we all formed a system off of the input that I had,” Pangborn said.One day after a game, Pangborn was asked to see Meeks on the court to meet someone. That someone was IU women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack.She was on a recruiting trip scouting now IU senior Hope Elam.However, she learned that Pangborn was finishing his second year at Vincencess, earning his associate’s degree in sports management and marketing.She offered him a position as her team’s student manager, knowing that he would be attending IU in the fall. He gladly accepted, relishing the opportunity to work for the school he had watched in his childhood.In 2009, Pangborn resumed his role as student manager, but this time, for the Hoosiers.In addition to the responsibilities he carried at New Castle and Vincennes, Pangborn has become a member of the IU women’s basketball family off the court.He frequently hosts players at his home, cooking dinner as they watch game film.“A lot has to do with not necessarily what you have on paper, but more of being that support system for a player and talking with them and working with them through things,” Pangborn said of being a student manager.“I consider him to be pretty much my brother,” fellow student manager Britanny Hollingsworth said. “He’s important to this team and he’s important to me as well.”Sophomore Aulani Sinclair, who arrived in Bloomington the same year as Pangborn, agreed.“He’s just a genuine, great person. He’ll do anything for us on the court or off the court.”CYRSTAL CLEARPangborn will be earning his bachelor’s in recreational sports management from IU this year and said he plans to head to graduate school. He does not know where he will end up, but he knows he wants it to be somewhere offering him a position as a graduate assistant and he prefers to stay in Indiana.Ultimately, he wants to become a collegiate athletic director.“I’m amazed but I’m not surprised,” his mother said of where Pangborn has gone in his life.“So many people that have a disability or are visually impaired, unfortunately don’t make it out of high school. So to be able to take that next step into college and work in college athletics is such a blessing to me,” Pangborn said. “I can’t explain every day there’s a sense when I get up that I really am doing something and making a difference when there’s people like me that could be sitting at home saying, ‘What am I going to do the rest of my life?’“There’s days that are worse than others when you think, ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ But the absolute thing that I always think of is my faith, and I’ve come so far, so why would you want to quit? Why should I fear tomorrow when I don’t know what’s out there? But if I just simply try and give it my all, then nothing but good can come out of it.”Legette-Jack put it simply: “We just need more people like him in this world. He’s a good man and I’m going to miss him.”
(02/17/11 4:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The fight. The heart. The effort.They were all there for the Hoosiers at the Wednesday game against Michigan, but it wasn’t enough, as IU fell on the road 88-76.The Wolverines (15-10, 8-5) were able to expand on a 15-point halftime lead to go up 64-46 with 11:22 remaining in the second half.However, the Hoosiers (9-17, 3-11) refused to quit, going on a 17-to-1 run in just more than four minutes to draw to within two points of Michigan with 7:10 left to play.The Hoosiers’ late run was fueled by senior guard Jori Davis, who scored 18 points in the second half. She finished the game with 27 points, six rebounds and three assists.But Michigan had sharpshooters of its own.A three-point basket by sophomore Kate Thompson with 6:54 left in the game quelled the IU run and sparked a Wolverine squad that never surrendered its lead.Three-point field goals and foul shooting became the main sources of offense for the Wolverines, with IU outscoring Michigan 30-18 in the paint.Michigan shot 13-of-26 from beyond the arc and 27-of-32 from the free throw line, which accounted for 66 of its 88 points.“Making shots is a big part of the game,” Michigan coach Ken Borseth said. “We had open shots and we made them.”The IU guards continued to excel, with senior Whitney Lindsay and junior Alisha Goodwin chipping in 10 points apiece.However, a high-powered Michigan offense had five players score in double figures, led by junior Carmen Reynolds, who connected on 5-of-7 three-point shots to finish with 19 points. Off the bench, Thompson contributed 18 points, shooting 4-of-5 from long range.“We were able to pretty much, as a team, get whatever shot we wanted,” Reynolds said. “We were really good at passing it around the perimeter, passing it in and out. Everyone was getting shots, everything was open, it felt like.”IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said the team’s late surge was not enough to compensate for defensive miscues.“The surge to get back into the game was great, but we dug ourselves into a hole,” Legette-Jack said in a statement provided by IUHoosiers.com. “We knew what they were going to do. They are a very good three-point shooting team and our defense was just not there. Jori Davis was just fantastic. She gave us her all on defense and offense tonight. She is a special player for this program. We just need others to follow her lead.”
(02/13/11 7:53pm)
The IU women’s basketball team surrenders a 11-point halftime lead to lose 80-77 to No.23 Penn State at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers were outscored 48-34 in the second half and failed to hold onto a slim lead with under two minutes remaining, falling to the second-best team in the Big Ten.
(02/10/11 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s basketball team is in quicksand and in need of a helping hand to drag it out.The Hoosiers are hoping that an 8 p.m. game at Illinois today will pull them out of a nine-game losing hole.Although the Illini took the first meeting against IU (2-9, 8-15) on Jan. 13, Illinois (2-9, 7-17) now stands in last place in the Big Ten and is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak. Its last victory was the meeting with IU in Bloomington.To procure their first victory since Jan. 2, the Hoosiers will need to get a strong scoring effort from senior guard Jori Davis while containing the inside game of Illinois sophomore forward Karisma Penn.Penn has been the leading scorer and rebounder for the Illini in six of the last seven games. Against Michigan on Feb. 6, Penn posted her 15th double-double of the season, leading the Illini with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Her 15 double-doubles leads the Big Ten and is fourth in the nation.“She’s tremendous, she’s unbelievable, she is clearly one of the best five players in our conference and she’s only a sophomore,” IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said of Penn. “Some people you just can’t really stop and she might be one of them. We’re going to try to keep her on her heels, but honestly, she gets it. We’re gonna try to keep her guessing, but at the end of the day, she’s going to get a double-double. So we got to stop the other four (players).”For the Hoosiers, Davis is on the doorstep of a career milestone. She is nine points away from 10th place on the IU all-time scorers list. If the Big Ten’s third-leading scorer can meet her 18.3 points per game average, Davis will not only help her team but also solidify her place in school history.Senior guard Whitney Lindsay said the key for the Hoosiers will be creating offense from their defense.“We got to pick up the defensive intensity. This game is going to be a big game for us defensively, and we’re hoping to get our offense from our defensive stops and our transition game,” she said.Legette-Jack said she still has faith in her team as it progresses with each practice.“I think that we’ve had a lot more hunger the last couple practices, and a lot more people have stepped up,” she said. “I’m just excited about the way we look right now, which might seem like a weird thing to say when you’re on a nine-game skid, but our kids are getting better. They really are.”
(02/07/11 2:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s team has had other losses this year — 15, to be exact.But this one was different.“This may be the first game that we played where I felt like our kids didn’t have the desire to represent Indiana, and that was very disappointing,” IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. Her team fell Sunday to Wisconsin 75-49 at Assembly Hall, giving the Hoosiers their ninth-straight loss.The 26-point margin is the biggest point difference of the year — and the outcome of this game was apparent early.The Hoosiers’ (8-15, 2-9) last lead of the game came with 9:54 left in the first half with the score 17-16.However, the Badgers (13-10, 8-3) closed out the half shooting 8-of-12 from three-point range to give them a 14-point lead heading into halftime. This consistent outside shooting killed momentum for the Hoosiers, as they saw the energy from big plays squashed by a Badger 3-pointer on the other end of the floor.Wisconsin coach Lisa Stone said a balanced attack was the key to her team’s lopsided victory.“You make eight threes in the first half, you want to make sure that you go inside in the second half to balance it out, and our team did a good job of that,” she said.In the second half, IU limited the Badgers to 1-for-7 from beyond the arc but allowed Wisconsin to shoot 45.8 percent.IU then watched as the Wisconsin lead grew to as much as 28 with 8:45 left.“It was seesaw midway through the first half, and then we caught fire,” Stone said. “But being up at half, there’s still another half to play and you want to make sure you don’t let them get confidence to get momentum.”Wisconsin’s numbers prior to the game came as advertised.Senior guard Alyssa Karel, Wisconsin’s top scorer, led all players with 21 points.“Karel is a special kid,” coach Legette-Jack said. “She’s playing like a senior and getting a pick set by a senior who knows her well and the person who’s passing the ball to them is a senior.”IU senior guard Jori Davis led the Hoosiers with 14 points while junior guard Alisha Goodwin added 12 off the bench.Karel said while IU continued to fight to get back into the game, Wisconsin remained poised to finish strong.“I think that’s actually been a struggle for us this entire Big Ten season — getting a lead and getting teams back in it,” she said. “So we just made ourselves conscious of that.”Legette-Jack said she will remain steadfast in her approach to the game and emphasize to her team the importance of fundamentals.“It’s not like they’re bigger, stronger, faster. We’re missing free throws, we’re missing layups, we’re missing putbacks,” she said. “The system works. The players got to make the system work now and have to be held accountable, and they understand that.”