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(10/03/11 2:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There was no shortage of talent Friday on the IU campus.A packed house of Hoosier greats gathered in the Henke Hall of Champions to usher in the IU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2011.The contemporary inductees included Clarence Doninger (athletic director, 1991-2001), Trent Green (football, 1990-92), Kristen Kane (diving, 1991-94), Don Ritter (basketball and baseball, 1947-49), James Sniadecki (football, 1966-68) and Ray Tolbert (basketball, 1978-81).“Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I’d be standing here today,” Doninger said.All but Kane, along with their loved ones, were on hand to acknowledge their accomplishments. Every present contemporary inductee delivered a speech, each reliving different moments that shaped their careers at IU.Tolbert said a moment he’ll never forget came before he was even an IU student.Tolbert was in the locker room after a high school game. A heavily recruited prospect at the time, Tolbert was met by then-Purdue Men’s Basketball Coach Fred Schaus. Tolbert said Schaus complimented him and told him how great a player he was.Enter Bob Knight, stage left.The former IU Men’s Basketball coach walked up to Tolbert after Schaus left. He was quick to make his point.“(Knight’s) words exactly: ‘Tolbert, you’re going to IU, and we’re going to win a championship. See you later,’” Tolbert said. Tolbert went on to lead IU to a national championship in 1981.Another 1980s IU inductee was Green, who led IU Football to three bowl games with former IU Coach Bill Mallory. But, as Green shared in his acceptance speech, he wasn’t always the favored general in Mallory’s offense.In Green’s redshirt sophomore year, he started the first seven games. But, to his surprise, Green was benched for the rest of the season. Green said the demotion made him question whether he wanted to stay at IU.But Green met his future wife, Julie, and said he found a new sense of motivation to star at IU. Three bowl games and 15 years in the NFL later, Green stood at the podium, giving his inductee speech.The night allowed other inductees, such as the dual-threat Ritter, to rewind to childhoods in Indiana.“As a young boy, growing up in the small town of Aurora, Ind., I never dreamed that I could ever go to Indiana University and play basketball and baseball,” Ritter said.Ritter did exactly that, leading former IU Men’s Basketball Coach Brach McCracken’s 1948 squad in scoring. Ritter also was a first-team All-American baseball player during his senior year, leading IU to its last Big Ten regular season title in 1949.Whether they dreamed of being Hoosiers since childhood or were cornered by a Hall of Fame coach in a locker room, all of the Class of 2011 left a lasting legacy at IU. And for that, they will be forever enshrined amongst the IU greats.“To be a part of this is something that’s very humbling,” Tolbert said. “And, as you know, I was a very emotional guy when I played basketball, and I’m very emotional right now because this is such a prestigious thing that’s been presented to me, and I’m so grateful.”
(09/30/11 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 30th IU Athletics Hall of Fame induction dinner will be Friday night at the Henke Hall of Champions.Normally, the inductees consist of one member of administration, three contemporary members and two pioneer members.However, the classes were expanded this year to one administrative member, five contemporary members and 12 pioneer members.Why expand the Class this Year?“There are a lot of athletes who were here in the teens, the 20s, the 30s and even into the 40s who were very good athletes in their day, but because there’s been such a separation of time, nobody saw any of these athletes play,” said Kit Klingelhoffer, assistant athletic director for game management . “What we tried to do in the Hall of Fame this year was an attempt to recognize those athletes who did have superior playing careers here in that era so they could be recognized for their contributions.”“Because the IU Athletics Hall of Fame didn’t start until the early 1980s, because IU has such a great tradition of athletic success, there’s a whole bunch of people that don’t get in because there’s a backlog,” IU Athletics Director Fred Glass said. “What we decided to do in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the hall of fame, that we would add a number of pioneer people that were highly deserving but in the normal course of events, we would never catch up because we were putting in just two pioneers a year.”What sets this class apart?“If you look at the entire body of work for everybody going in with this class, it goes across the board with a lot of different sports,” Klingelhoffer said. “I think that’s the great thing about the people in our Hall of Fame: that they represent every single sport we’ve ever had on this campus.”“The most remarkable thing to me about this class is definitely its star power,” Glass said.Contemporary Inductees
Clarence Doninger (athletic director, 1991-2001)
Trent Green (football, 1990-92)
Kristen Kane (diving, 1991-94)
Don Ritter (basketball and baseball (1947-49)
James Sniadecki (football, 1966-68)
Ray Tolbert (men’s basketball, 1978-81)
Pioneer Inductees
Dean Barnhart (men’s basketball, 1909-11)
Fred “Fritz” Batsian (men’s tennis, 1919-21)
Bryce Beecher (track and field, 1929, 1931, 1932)
Eddie Belshaw (wrestling, 1930-32)
George Belshaw (wrestling, 1930-32)
Bob Jones (football,1931-33)
Rodney Leas (cross country, 1928-30, track and field, 1929-31)
Harlan Logan (men’s basketball, 1924-25, tennis, 1924, track and field, 1925)
Bill Menke (men’s basketball, 1939-41)
Gene Thomas (men’s basketball, baseball, football, track and field, 1920-23)
Chris Traicoff (wrestling, 1937-39)
Joe Zeller (football, 1929-31, men’s basketball 1930-32).
(09/30/11 2:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Big Ten Conference lives by the phrase ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ more than any other conference in America.It’s the oldest Division I college athletic conference. Only two universities, Penn State and University of Nebraska, have been added to the conference in the last 57 years, and nine of the Big Ten’s 12 schools joined the conference before World War I. But in the last four years, the Big Ten made two major changes to keep up with the times. The Big Ten Network was launched in 2007 and become the first internationally distributed network devoted to a single conference. Nebraska joined the conference, causing the Big Ten to split into the Leaders and Legends divisions and ultimately allowing for a football conference championship game.“Didn’t Darwin say something like, ‘It’s not the strongest that survives, it’s the most adaptable that survives’?” IU Athletics Director Fred Glass said. “To preserve our great traditions, we’ve had to keep up with the times. We’ve adapted to the times with the Big Ten Network. We’ve adapted to the times with expansion — but not crazy expansion or big-in-numbers expansion. Rather, the right expansion.”The theme across the board of the last college football off-season seemed to be expansion and realignment. Powerhouses like Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas were all rumored to be searching for a new conference to call home, which some viewed as the possible end of the Big 12. Though all three schools stayed put, the Big 12 saw Colorado, Nebraska and Texas A&M leave for other Bowl Championship Series conferences.Also, the Pac-12 Conference, formerly known as the Pac-10, changed its name because of its expansion to 12 teams. The expansion also allowed for a Pac-12 conference championship game.With other conferences generating millions of dollars in revenue from football conference championship games, Big Ten expansion was deemed necessary by the heads of the conference. But the university selection process was one that couldn’t afford to be rushed, Glass said.“I wouldn’t describe it as urgency,” Glass said. “Part of the goal was obviously to have a championship game. But it wouldn’t be worth it if that’s all you got.”Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany announced June 2010 that Nebraska would become the Big Ten’s 12th team at the start of the 2011-12 season. With Nebraska’s addition, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern joined the Leaders division while Illinois, IU, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin joined the Legends division. Glass said the Legends and Leaders divisions will only heighten some of the Big Ten’s historic rivalries.“I think the realignment is great,” Glass said. “I think it’ll create a lot of interest. I think we’ll pay more attention and get more excited about a divisional game as opposed to a more general game. In some ways, there’ll be more to play for.”The division of Legends and Leaders also means, for the first time in the Big Ten’s 115-year history, a football conference championship game will be played this season on Dec. 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Adding a conference championship game is something Glass said will spice up the Big Ten’s bland period of the year. “We tend to go quiet as a conference at Thanksgiving and not perk up again until our guys show up in bowl games, and that’s not good for the conference,” Glass said. “I think it’ll give us a higher profile in the national football world in addition to generating significant revenue.”Besides generating revenue in football, the Big Ten also found a consistent way to increasingly nationalize the conference in a way that’s financially beneficial. The introduction of the Big Ten Network was unlike anything in college sports at the time. After ongoing disputes with major cable companies, the Big Ten Network eventually worked out a deal to become available on cable in 19 of the countries’ top 20 media markets, according to the Big Ten official website.In addition to providing the conference with an international audience, the Big Ten Network annually puts an estimated $17 million into the pockets of every Big Ten school. This frees up room to upgrade facilities and pay coaches higher salaries, which ultimately helps recruiting. It’s a paycheck that has Big Ten athletics directors like Glass gushing.“The fact of the matter is the Big Ten Network is the best thing since canned soup,” Glass said. “When you combine the financial benefits with the exposure benefits and then add in the fact that Indiana makes out like a bandit on this thing, I’d say it’s been great for the Big Ten and especially great for Indiana University.”For a conference that prides itself on tradition, the Big Ten adapted well to the commercialization of college athletics. The conference doors didn’t swing open with every whiff of BCS realignment. But on the rare occasion those doors were open, only a top-notch university was allowed in. The Big Ten Network proved to be a financial jackpot that allowed the conference to gain national notoriety. Tradition is still at the core of Big Ten roots, but recent actions showed that a little change can bring in a lot of ... well, change.
(09/28/11 4:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Don Ritter has been looking forward to this day.Ritter was in his sophomore year and his first season on the IU men’s varsity basketball team. All of Ritter’s family and friends made the hour-long drive from his hometown of Aurora, Ind., to Miami University to watch him play.The sophomore guard gave his loved ones a show, scoring seven points in the final minute to lead the Hoosiers past the Red Hawks. Ritter said that night stood out more than any other in his days at IU.On Friday, Ritter will again be celebrated by his friends and family when he is officially inducted into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2011. The award is something Ritter said came out of the blue.“It was a complete surprise,” Ritter said. “I’ll be 87 years old in October. It’s been 62 years since I graduated, so it was quite a surprise to get the call from Mr. Glass. But I was very happy because you always like getting rewarded for your accomplishments.”Ritter played IU basketball, leading the Hoosiers with 13.8 points per game in an era where individual scoring efforts were few and far between. While the 5-foot-10-inch guard made a name for himself running former IU Coach Branch McCracken’s offense, he had even more success on the baseball diamond.The last time the IU baseball team won a Big Ten regular season title was on the shoulders of Ritter in 1949. Not only was Ritter a first team All-Big Ten selection, he was also named first team All-America, one of two in program history. The senior captain finished his career in Bloomington with a .389 batting average, which is now listed at eighth all-time.“When you’re talking about a guy who was the leading scorer in basketball one year and the leading hitter and an All-American on the baseball team another year, obviously, you’re talking about an exceptional athlete,” said Kit Klingelhoffer, a fellow Aurora native.Though the time commitment of playing multiple sports while balancing a full class load has forced some student athletes to choose one over the other, Ritter said he never had to make a choice.“I enjoyed both sports just as much, and it gave me something to do in the offseason,” Ritter said. “I never had any problem with it, and I didn’t think it made any difference one way or the other.”When Ritter returns to his old stomping grounds this weekend, it will not be his first time in Bloomington since glory days in the late 1940s. What is different about this visit will be the attendance of Ritter’s family, usually spread out across the country.Ritter’s family stretches all the way to Texas, Georgia and Wisconsin, but everyone will be in Bloomington this weekend. Even Ritter’s two older siblings will be in Assembly Hall to honor their younger brother.The Hall of Fame ceremony will mark the first time the family has been together in 10 years. Just like when Ritter’s family cheered him on years ago, Friday will be a night full of memories Ritter won’t soon forget.“I can’t really express how honored I am of the award and being part of such a distinguished group of athletes that have already been awarded,” Ritter said. “That’s just a wonderful, wonderful experience.”
(09/08/11 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 2011-12 IU men’s basketball schedule was released Wednesday. The Hoosiers will kick off the season when they play Stony Brook at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at Assembly Hall.IU will also get the chance to square off against other in-state foes in non-conference play. For their first road game of the year, the Hoosiers will travel to the University of Evansville to face the Purple Aces Nov. 16.A week and a half later, IU will face back-to-back NCAA Tournament runner-up Butler on Nov. 27 at Assembly Hall in the Hoosier Invitational finale. The last time the central Indiana schools squared off was in 2006 when IU lost 60-55 to Butler at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Hoosiers will also take on Notre Dame as part of the Crossroads Classic Dec. 17 at Conseco Fieldhouse.To round out the Big Ten regular season, IU will face rival Purdue, which will be the first time the Hoosiers end the conference slate against the Boilermakers since 2001.2011-12 Indiana Men's Basketball ScheduleNOVEMBER7 p.m. Nov. 11 against Stony Brook in Bloomington on BTN5 p.m. Nov. 13 against Chattanooga+ in Bloomington on BTNTBA Nov. 16 at Evansville in Evansville, Ind., on TBA8 p.m. Nov. 19 against Gardner Webb+ in Bloomington on BTN6:30 p.m. Nov. 21 against Savannah State+ in Bloomington on BTN7 p.m. Nov. 27 against Butler+ in Bloomington on BTNBig Ten/ACC Challenge 7:15 p.m. Nov. 30 at N.C. State in Raleigh, N.C., on ESPN2DECEMBER4:30 p.m. Dec. 4 against Stetson in Bloomington on BTN.com5:15 p.m. Dec. 10 against Kentucky in Bloomington on TBACrossroads Classic (Conseco Fieldhouse) 4:30 p.m. Dec. 17 against Notre Dame in Indianapolis on ESPN26:30 p.m. Dec. 19 against Howard in Bloomington on BTN6 p.m. Dec. 22 against UMBC in Bloomington on ESPN37:30 p.m. Dec. 28 at Michigan State* in East Lansing, Mich., on BTN6 p.m. Dec. 31 against Ohio State* in Bloomington on ESPN2JANUARY7 or 9 p.m. Jan. 5 against Michigan* in Bloomington on ESPN2Noon Jan. 8 at Penn State* at State College, Pa., on BTN8 p.m. Jan. 12 against Minnesota* in Bloomington on BTN1:30 or 4:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at Ohio State* in Columbus, Ohio, on CBS7 p.m. Jan. 18 at Nebraska* in Lincoln, Neb., on BTNNoon Jan. 22 against Penn State* in Bloomington on BTN9 p.m. Jan. 26 at Wisconsin* in Madison, Wisc., on ESPN26 p.m. Jan. 29 against Iowa* in Bloomington on BTNFEBRUARY6:30 p.m. Feb. 1 at Michigan* in Ann Arbor, Mich., on BTN7 p.m. Feb. 4 at Purdue* in West Lafayette on BTN8 p.m. Feb. 9 against Illinois* in Bloomington on BTN6:30 p.m. Feb. 15 against Northwestern* in Bloomington on BTN1 or 4 or 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at Iowa* in Iowa City, Iowa, on CBS/BTN7 p.m. Feb. 22 against North Carolina Central in Bloomington on BTN.com1 or 4 or 6 p.m. Feb. 25 or Feb. 26 at Minnesota* in Minneapolis, Minn., on CBS/BTN/ESPN27 p.m. Feb. 28 against Michigan State* in Bloomington on ESPNMARCH6 p.m. March 4 against Purdue* in Bloomington on BTNBig Ten Tournament (Conseco Fieldhouse) TBA March 8-11 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis on TBA+ Hoosier Invitational* Big Ten Conference opponentAll times listed are Eastern
(08/11/11 11:27pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the words “Indiana University got our guy,” IU Athletics Director Fred Glass assured Hoosier fans that newly-hired football coach Kevin Wilson was at the top of his list.“We honed in one guy pretty quickly, and I’m thrilled to death that we got him,” Glass said. Just more than a week after Glass fired former IU football head coach Bill Lynch, he locked up “his guy” to a seven-year contract at $1.2 million per year. After Lynch was fired on Nov. 28, Glass took the reins to fill the vacancy. Glass said he would contact the collegiate sports consulting group Neinas Sports Services and consultant Chuck Neinas. The connection with Neinas turned out to be the reason Glass was pointed in Wilson’s direction. With no head coaching pedigree and no current connection to IU, Glass admitted that before Neinas’ guidance, Wilson was not on his radar.“That’s the purpose of having a good guide,” Glass said. “When you go out in the river, you need a fisher guide to tell you where the good fishing holes are.”Glass said Wilson was one of the first guys Neinas identified. Dozens of phone calls were made to respected sources asking questions about Wilson, and Glass continued to hear positive things.“As I called around, people would go, ‘oh yeah, that’s a good one,’” Glass said. Glass hit the ground running, flying out to Norman, Okla., with IU Associate Athletics Director Scott Dolson to interview Wilson. “As soon as I met Kevin Wilson, I knew that everything I had heard about him was true,” Glass said. “As a matter of fact, Scott Dolson and I were dropped off by coach at the Norman Airport on Friday, and as soon as we shut the door, I turned to Scott and I said, ‘this is our guy.’”Instead of going through a lengthy process during several weeks, Glass did not deem it necessary to wait when he had his ideal candidate in front of him.“If I wasn’t focused on a good guy, we’d be out there floundering, and we couldn’t do that at Indiana University,” Glass said. “We had to identify the right guy and get him. And that’s what we did.”Originally published in the IDS Dec. 7, 2010.
(05/31/11 4:32pm)
These are the teams everyone at IU is talking about. Get in the stands to check out what they're all about this year.
(02/25/11 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Terrance Turner has worked his whole life to get to this weekend.But a late start on the 40-yard dash, a cramp in the 225-pound bench press or a slip on the three-cone drill could hurt Turner’s dream of playing in the NFL. The former IU receiver will be competing at the NFL Draft Combine this weekend in Indianapolis, along with 45 other college wideouts all hoping to boost their draft stock.“It’s fun because this is for real and it’s like a big job interview for the future,” Turner said. “It gets a little hectic at times, and it’s physically and mentally draining, but it’s definitely fun.”Since leading the Hoosiers to a 34-31 overtime win against archrival Purdue in the season finale, Turner’s life has revolved around training for the NFL. The Auburn Hills, Mich., native has been working with trainer Mike Gough of Athletic Edge Sports to prepare himself for the combine.Gough said Turner has a work ethic that is hard to instill in everyone who walks through his door.“I wish everyone put in the effort that he did,” Gough said. “He’s a bit of a perfectionist and has strived for perfection in the different aspects of the combine.”Turner often played third fiddle alongside former IU receiver Tandon Doss, who will also be performing at the combine, and IU junior Damarlo Belcher. But instead of having his teammates to rely on if he can’t get open, Turner will determine his own success this weekend.It’s a role Turner said he relishes.“It’s a lot, but I like that feeling, being in position to show what you have and prove yourself,” Turner said. “I look at it as a big opportunity to show what I have. I don’t want to hide anything.”What the charismatic receiver has is a knack for catching balls over the middle, which was demonstrated this past season. Turner hauled in 67 passes for the Hoosiers, good for third in the Big Ten. The fifth-year senior fittingly tallied a collegiate-high 10 catches in his final game as a Hoosier to bring the Old Oaken Bucket back to Bloomington.Turner’s reputation as a possession receiver has permeated to the ones who will be scouting him this weekend. According to the NFL Scout Combine official website, Turner “runs pretty good routes in the short passing game, shows natural hands and can make the first man miss.”While Turner may be considered a reliable option in short yardage, he was criticized for his speed in the deep-passing game. In response to his critics, Turner said his main focus has been improving his 40-yard dash time. Currently, Turner’s fastest listed time is 4.52 seconds, which he said he hopes to get down to 4.4 seconds at the combine.If Turner cannot reach his desired 4.4, Gough said it will not be from a lack of effort.“He brings his lunch pale and puts in a hard day’s work every day we’re training,” Gough said. “He works his butt off, he wants to succeed and he wants to have a long career in the NFL.”For a player that scouts have projected as a “late-round prospect,” this weekend could propel or plummet Turner’s draft stock.No more quick slants from IU quarterback Ben Chappell.No more Bucket games.No more two-a-days in the dog days of a Bloomington summer.All of these experiences have helped Turner arrive at this point. The reality of this opportunity is something Turner said has been a long time coming. “It’s something that I’ve been thinking about since I was a child,” Turner said. “The fact that it’s here right now is kind of surreal.”
(02/03/11 5:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU football coach Kevin Wilson unveiled his 2011 recruiting class Wednesday on National Signing Day.Following the Dec. 7, 2010 hiring of Wilson, many questioned how he would be able to recruit given the limited amount of time he had. Wilson and his staff responded by bringing in 21 signees, including quarterback Tre Roberson, who was the 2010 Indiana Mr. Football award winner, linebacker Zack Shaw, IU’s first Rivals.com four-star recruit, and 12 three-star recruits.Although the Hoosiers were able to sign some players that were highly touted, Wilson said the recruiting process for him and his newly hired staff was an abbreviated one.“I felt a little bit like we showed up at the dance when they were playing the last song and a lot of the dates were already taken,” Wilson said. “The last couple weeks have been pretty hectic, and I think they did a great job of getting on some quality kids and we were able to land a few guys late.”One player the Hoosiers were able to land late was wide receiver Shane Wynn from Glenville High School in Cleveland. Wynn was the only signee that had not previously given IU a verbal commitment. With offers on the table from Ohio State, Miami (FL), Michigan and USC, Wynn decided to take his talents to Bloomington.The decision of junior receiver Tandon Doss to enter the NFL Draft left a hole in the return game that Wynn figures to be in the running to fill. Wynn’s 5-foot-7, 165 pound frame may seem small, but Wilson said he has a big future ahead of him.“He saw that our system could be a good fit for him and in my world, he was uniquely a good fit for something we needed,” Wilson said. “I’m grateful that he came our way.” Many have questioned whether or not Roberson will continue to play quarterback or if he will switch to wide receiver, similarly to IU freshman wideout Kofi Hughes. Wilson said Roberson’s athleticism and decision making can make him a signal caller at the collegiate level.“It’s kind of nice when your quarterback is an athlete,” Wilson said. “I think he’s got the makeup of what you want in a young quarterback both physically and the way he acts, thinks and carries himself. I think he has a bright future as a quarterback.” Roberson is one of 12 three-star signees that IU was able to reel in, its second most in the last 10 recruiting classes. While Wilson acknowledged the talent that is in this new recruiting class, he said a highly ranked prospect does not automatically translate into a successful college player.“If you don’t want to work hard, if you don’t want to go to class and you’re not going to go about things the right way, this is not a good fit,” Wilson said. “A talent of being a good player is called working hard. We expressed that, ‘Hey, for you to be good, you got a chance, but are you going to come in and work?’” With offensive and defensive signees across the board, the Hoosiers did not sign a kicker or a punter. Wilson addressed the issue with a simple response.“We’re going to go for it on fourth down,” Wilson joked. “The defense has promised shutouts, and we’re going for it.”
(01/28/11 4:20am)
For the the first time in the Tom Crean era, the Hoosiers knocked off a ranked opponent, beating No. 20 Illinois 52-49.
(01/19/11 3:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Although current and former Hoosiers have been in the news lately, not all have been in the brightest light. Hoosiers like senior Faith Sherrill and current NBA guard Eric Gordon have shined while former IU basketball player Armon Bassett has had problems off the court. Here is an update on what these three Hoosiers have been up to recently.Sherrill sets national marksSherrill did not waste any time getting her senior year off on the right track. The IU shot putter garnered Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors after her 18.00-meter (59 feet, 0.75 inches) throw shattered a Big Ten record in the Indiana Open. The throw is still currently the longest throw in the world.Not to outdo herself, Sherrill followed up her record-breaking performance Jan. 15 at Purdue with a 17.92-meter (58 feet, 9.5 inches) throw, good for second in the world behind only her Indiana Open throw. Sherrill broke a Lambert Fieldhouse record and earned her second straight Big Ten Athlete of the Week award.Gordon finding niche in NBAJust three years after being a diaper dandy at IU, Gordon has taken the NBA by storm. The former All-American guard is leading the Los Angeles Clippers with 23.9 PPG, which ranks eighth in the NBA. In his third year in the NBA, Gordon is averaging seven more points per game this year as Blake Griffin’s running mate. While the Clippers remain in the lower ranks of the Western Conference at 15-25, many believe that the duo of Gordon and Griffin can lead them out of their habitual mediocrity.Bassett faces drug chargesUnlike Gordon, Bassett has not had success since leaving IU after the 2007-08 season. Bassett was arrested for marijuana possession during the weekend and held at the Vigo County Jail before being released. The former IU guard transferred following Dan Dakich’s takeover after the Kelvin Sampson firing in the 2007-08 season. Following his transfer to Ohio University, Bassett sat out his first season due to NCAA regulations. In his only full season at Ohio, Bassett led the 14th-seeded Bobcats past 3rd-seeded Georgetown with 32 points in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. After the Bobcats’ loss to Tennessee in the second round, Bassett was accused of assaulting a doorman at an off-campus bar in Athens, Ohio. Instead of facing an indefinite suspension by the university, Bassett elected to take his talents to the NBA Draft — where he went undrafted.— Connor O’Gara
(12/31/10 6:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Brent Pease and Kevin Wilson stood on opposite sidelines during the 2007 Fiesta Bowl when Pease’s Boise State team upset Wilson and the Oklahoma Sooners.But next season, the two coaches will be standing together as they try to revive the IU football program.Wilson announced on Thursday that Pease will be the team’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.Pease was most recently the wide receivers coach at Boise State for the last five seasons and has served as an assistant coach for the last four years. Although Pease is coming off a season-long national championship hunt at Boise State, there were multiple aspects that attracted him to IU.“I met with coach Crean, coach (Tracy Smith) and what they had to say about (IU Athletic Director Fred Glass), the kids, the area and coach Wilson made me think that this is a good opportunity,” Pease said. “I would love to just be one of the pieces of the puzzle that makes this whole thing work.”Pease’s coaching resume dates back 20 years when he started out as an assistant coach in 1991 at his alma mater, Montana. In 1995, Pease helped coach the Grizzlies to a Division I-AA national championship.After coaching eight years at Montana, Pease had stints at Northern Arizona, Kentucky and Baylor before reaching Boise State in 2006.The newly-hired Pease helped lead the Broncos to a bowl game in all five of his seasons at Boise State. The Broncos were ranked fourth in total offense in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season, compared to the 54th ranked IU offense that Pease will inherit.Having coached a couple of the top offenses in college football at Boise State and Oklahoma, the duo of Pease and Wilson gives IU two offensive minds with proven success on the national level.Pease already liked what he saw from Wilson.“I really think he has a plan,” Pease said. “I really think he’s zeroed in on what he wants to do, how he wants to work and what kind of kid he wants to get. That’s what I really liked about him.”In addition to the change of title from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator, Pease will also have to adjust to going from a national title contender to a last-place Big Ten team. Pease’s Boise State teams were 61-5 while the Hoosiers were 24-35 during that five-year stretch.But Pease believes that this program has the pieces in place to improve on that 24-35 record over the next five years.“I think that we’re on the verge of being close,” Pease said. “You have to change the culture a little bit and make these kids understand working hard and teach them what it takes to win.”
(12/13/10 5:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Besides his role as the former Oklahoma offensive coordinator, who is IU football coach Kevin Wilson? What makes him different than Bill Lynch? What sort of recruiting background does he have? All of these questions were answered during an exclusive IDS interview with Wilson.The recruiterWilson began his collegiate coaching career at Winston-Salem State University, a historically black college in North Carolina. As the offensive line coach in 1987, Wilson faced the challenge of recruiting for a program without facilities in unfamiliar territory.“When I go back and look at the things I’ve done, it’s probably one of the best opportunities I’ve ever had,” Wilson said. The early recruiting days of his career, spent at Winston-Salem and as a coordinator at North Carolina A&T, is what Wilson believes shaped him into the coach he is today.“It makes me very comfortable in a lot of recruiting environments with that experience,” Wilson said. “As a recruiter and a coach, it was a blessing. At the time, I’m like ‘Wow, I didn’t expect this.’”Developing a starWilson was the offensive guru behind 2010 No. 1 NFL Draft pick Sam Bradford at Oklahoma during the team’s run to a spot in the 2009 Bowl Championship Series National Championship. But what many people forget is that Bradford was not a polished Heisman Trophy winner when he came out of high school.“Sam Bradford was a three-star recruit,” Wilson said. “I said to our team, ‘if you’re a three-star recruit, raise your hand’.”Wilson credits Bradford’s work ethic and late development for his emergence and believes that the same results can translate to IU.“I think it’s the aura of our place makes us seem a little bigger than we are,” Wilson said about Oklahoma. “For some reason, I think our thought process here is that our people here don’t think our guys are as talented as potentially we are.”Helping Doss and BelcherMuch to the dismay of IU fans, Wilson is helping junior receivers Damarlo Belcher and Tandon Doss find out their NFL draft stock. Belcher said after the Purduegame that he would be back at IU for his senior season but has put in the paperwork to learn of his NFL prospects.“What’s best for them is that if they want to go pro, they need to make sure they know exactly their true dollar value,” Wilson said. “You better be comfortable with your value.”Wilson has seen both sides of the NFL Draft spectrum at Oklahoma. All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson left early and was selected seventh overall in the 2007 Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.Wilson also coached players such as Washington Redskins’ offensive tackle Trent Williams. Had Williams gone pro after his junior year, Wilson estimated he would have been selected in the late first or early second round.But Williams came back to Oklahoma and was an All-American. Williams was drafted fourth overall in 2010 by the Redskins and ultimately made what Wilson estimates to be around $56 million for coming back to school.“Not that that’s Tandon, but know where you’re at, take the money and run, spike your stock,” Wilson said. “It’s all a business.” Changing the PerceptionHaving coached for a team that will be playing in its fourth BCS bowl game in the last five years, Wilson has seen the inner-workings of what a successful program looks like. He believes that all the pieces are in place to turn the program around.“It’s got great players within the state. It’s got great players in this region that we should attract to,” Wilson said. “The reality is there’s the opportunity that we should have a chance to be a good football program.“Can we do it? We’ll see if we can get through the perceptions of starting a foundation about how to be real and how to get it done. We’ll see where it goes.”
(12/08/10 5:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There’s no shying away from the fact that Kevin Wilson’s salary with IU is an enormous upward climb for the program. According to the terms Wilson and IU athletics director Glass have agreed to — there’s no final contract as of yet — Wilson stands to make $1.2 million per year at IU with a seven-year deal.In comparison, former IU coach Bill Lynch made $658,750 per season according to the 2009 USA Today Salary Survey.Where will IU get the money?“There’s really two sources on that,” Glass said, before noting that the money is not coming from hoped-for increases in tickets sales. “It’s not wishing. ... I think that would be irresponsible.”Instead, the money is coming from a renegotiated marketing agreement with Learfield Sports as well as expanded revenues coming to IU via the Big Ten Network.To get that go ahead, Glass had to get approval of the funds from IU president Michael McRobbie. The school president was involved with Wilson’s hiring and met with the new coach Monday in Indianapolis.“Ultimately the allocation of those funds goes through the University,” Glass said. “And while I think the University will appropriately retain some of those for non-athletic purposes, they will let us have enough to do the things that we need to do to show our commitment to the football program.”Straight businessThe demeanor of Wilson never delineated much from a business-like approach during the announcement. His answers concerning the day-to-day operations of his team followed suit — and might have included an off-hand reference to former coach Bill Lynch’s practice style regularly avoiding full contact.“The place I come from, shoot, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days,” Wilson said. “We’re going to learn how to win on a daily basis.”‘We’ll meet again’With Nebraska having played their last game in the Big 12 against Wilson’s Oklahoma Sooners, he was asked his thoughts about having to face Nebraska again when they joined the Big Ten. Although Nebraska and IU are not scheduled to play each other for the next two seasons, Wilson confidently believed their paths could still cross.“If they’re good enough to win their division, then we got a chance to see them in the next two years,” Wilson said with a straight face amidst a roar of laughter from the crowd referring to the newly-created Big Ten championship game for 2011. “So we’ll see if they can get there.”A family manSeated in the front row for the announcement was Wilson’s wife Angie and their five children who made the trip Tuesday from Norman, Okla. To close the press conference, Wilson had them all stand while he introduced each by name — somewhat to the chagrin of his 14 and 11-year-old daughters.“We’ve already enhanced our attendance right there,” Wilson joked.Players present, unavailableWilson met with IU’s current players in a meeting just before Tuesday’s press conference, and several of them watch Wilson’s announcement inside the Henke Hall of Champions.Those players included wide out Tandon Doss, linebacker Jeff Thomas, offensive lineman Justin Pagan, defensive tackle Larry Black, linebacker Chad Sherer and others. However, none of the players were permitted to talk with the assembled media.Offensive strategy a fluid ideaWilson has been blessed with the likes of working with Heisman-winning NFL quarterback Sam Bradford and All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson. But at IU, Wilson will be working with less experienced ball offensive players such as sophomore tailback Darius Willis and redshirt freshman quarterback Edward Wright-Baker.Instead of being set on running the oft-used spread as he did at Oklahoma, Wilson is not willing to pinpoint a specific style of offense that he will incorporate. Wilson’s style of play will be determined from the personnel.“We’ll play to what we can block, and we’ll play to what the quarterback can handle,” Wilson said. “If we can’t do it or we can’t block, then it doesn’t matter.”Wilson begins pitch to current IU recruitsLynch was set to bring in his highest rated recruiting class in 2011. With Lynch’s termination, several of these recruits have either opted to go elsewhere or are evaluating their options.Wilson, who will honor all prior commitments, is now faced with the task of convincing the on-the-fence recruits to stay committed to IU.“A commitment is no different than getting engaged. We can all bail out if want to until we walk down that aisle,” Wilson said, again drawing laughter. “But in the end, they picked a great school, they picked a tremendous community in a Big Ten environment, and I don’t think they’ll do anything but be excited about what we’re going to put on the field for them.”Fiesta Bowl plansWith Oklahoma preparing to take on Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl, Wilson’s status as OU’s offensive coordinator after the hire is very much in the air.Wilson said he would be staying in Bloomington for the next few days to get acclimated. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will decide if Wilson will coach the Fiesta Bowl, Wilson said. Meanwhile, he’s not leaving IU out to pasture.“Within our league we got eight teams playing bowls. They’re not sitting around eating sweet potato pie,” Wilson said. “I need to give our team some direction in the next month.”
(12/08/10 2:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the words “Indiana University got our guy,” IU Athletics Director Fred Glass assured Hoosier fans that newly-hired football coach Kevin Wilson was at the top of his list.“We honed in one guy pretty quickly, and I’m thrilled to death that we got him,” Glass said. Just more than a week after Glass fired former IU football coach Bill Lynch, he locked up “his guy” to a seven-year contract at $1.2 million per year. After the firing of Lynch on Nov. 28, Glass took the reins of heading the search to fill the vacancy. Glass made sure to emphasize that if there were any talks related to the coaching search beside what he was publicly saying, the listener should take it with a grain of salt. Glass stated that he would contact the collegiate sports consulting group, Neinas Sports Services and consultant Chuck Neinas. The connection with Neinas turned out to be the reason Glass was pointed in Wilson’s direction. With no head coaching pedigree and current connection to IU, Glass admitted that before the Neinas’ guidance, Wilson was not on his radar.“That’s the purpose of having a good guide,” Glass said. “When you go out in the river, you need a fisher guide to tell you where the good fishing holes are.”Uncertainty about Lynch’s future allowed Glass to map out a contingency plan before the firing took place. Glass said Wilson was one of the first guys Neinas identified. Dozens of phone calls were made to respected sources asking questions about Wilson, and Glass continued to hear positive things.“As I called around, people would go, ‘oh yeah, that’s a good one,’” Glass said. Glass hit the ground running, flying out to Norman, Okla., with IU Associate Athletics Director Scott Dolson to interview Wilson. They spent time with Wilson and his family, meeting his wife, five kids and his cats and dogs. Right away, Glass knew that Wilson was the right fit.“As soon as I met Kevin Wilson, I knew that everything I had heard about him was true,” Glass said. “As a matter of fact, Scott Dolson and I were dropped off by coach at the Norman Airport on Friday, and as soon as we shut the door, I turned to Scott and I said, ‘this is our guy.’”But with Wilson still serving as the offensive coordinator for Oklahoma, Glass had to hold off on talks while the Sooners defeated Nebraska to win the Big 12 Championship. Glass admitted he could not contain his excitement.“We started talking in earnest on Sunday because I promised to leave him alone, and I was about to burst because when I left that meeting with him, I really knew he was the guy,” Glass said.Instead of going through a lengthy process during several weeks, Glass did not deem it necessary to wait when he had his ideal candidate in front of him.“If I wasn’t focused on a good guy, we’d be out there floundering, and we couldn’t do that at Indiana University,” Glass said. “We had to identify the right guy and get him. And that’s what we did.”
(11/29/10 5:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WEST LAFAYETTE — It was not the way Terrance Turner wanted to end his five-year career as a Hoosier. It was not the way the leader of the self-proclaimed group “TBIA” (The Best In America) was supposed to play against the team’s biggest rival.It was not the way the charismatic wideout was supposed to be remembered at IU.The redshirt senior lost two fumbles that set up momentum-shifting Purdue touchdowns.But Turner shook off the fumbles and ended his run at IU with a career day in the Hoosiers’ 34-31 win Saturday for the Old Oaken Bucket.“I just forgot about it,” Turner said. “You would think that I had it on my mind, but after it happened I went to sideline and I thought about why it happened and a way to fix it.”Turner’s 10 receptions, which were a career high, went for 100 yards. While he led the Hoosiers in receiving, it was his miscue on special teams that plagued the Hoosiers early on.Trailing 14-7, the IU defense forced a three-and-out before Purdue could get inside IU territory. Instead of sending out first-string punt returner Tandon Doss, the coaching staff decided to give him a breather before the next offensive possession.With Doss briefly on the shelf, Turner assumed the punt returning duties.Turner located the high punt and waved his hand for a fair catch. It was just business as usual. The Hoosiers would have a chance to tie it up as the first half wound down.But Turner muffed the punt. A swarm of black jerseys feasted on the loose ball before Turner could get a chance to cover up his mistake. The Boilermakers recovered on the IU 10-yard line to set themselves up to gain a two-possession lead.Three plays later, the Boilermakers punched it into paydirt to make it a 21-7 game.Turner’s struggles continued.With the Hoosiers threatening to break a 21-21 tie in the third quarter, senior quarterback Ben Chappell dumped off a short pass to Turner with an open field ahead. Turner bobbled the pass and gained possession as he prepared to absorb the hit.But just like it did on the fair catch, the ball squirted out.The Boilermakers again pounced on the Turner fumble and flipped the switch on the Hoosiers. Instead of the Hoosiers potentially taking their first lead of the game, Turner’s fumble gave the Boilermakers the momentum.They made sure to make it hurt.On the first play after the fumble, Purdue quarterback Rob Henry completed a 52-yard touchdown pass to receiver Cortez Smith to regain a 28-21 lead.Instead of getting lit up on the sidelines for his fumbles, however, Turner got an encouraging response from his teammates.“There are some football teams where when a guy makes a bad play, it’s like they got a disease and everybody stays away from them,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “On that sideline, there were 69 other guys rallying around him.”Determined to keep his classmate in the mix, Chappell kept targeting Turner. With the Hoosiers still behind 28-21 in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, IU was in need of a big play to get into Purdue territory.Turner delivered it.Chappell launched a 38-yard pass that floated into Turner’s hands as he went out of bounds at the Purdue 11-yard line. The over-the-shoulder grab was not only Turner’s longest career reception, but it also set up a game-tying touchdown pass to Doss.“The team that stays steady throughout is the team that’s going to come out on top, and I think he summed it up to a T,” receivers coach Billy Lynch said. “He came back and answered with that catch on the table when we had to turn around and score.” Turner was not done erasing his rough start.Trailing 31-28, the coaching staff called on Turner’s number again to overcome a deficit. Turner’s three catches on the final drive of regulation helped set up a game-tying field goal to force overtime. After seeing the game-winning field goal by redshirt freshman kicker Mitch Ewald split the uprights, Turner sprinted onto the field with jubilation. Their first Big Ten win.An overtime win over the bitter rival.A five-year career ending the way it was supposed to.“It’s real emotional because the guys you fought with for four and five years all culminates to a win for the Bucket,” Turner said. “When you’re able to win one and go out with a win with your brothers, it’s crazy, man. It’s unexplainable.”All of these emotions surfaced for Turner as he triumphantly hoisted the Bucket with his teammates for the last time. He went from potentially being the goat to one of the heroes in a game that will be remembered for years to come among the IU faithful.“He’s the best leader I’ve ever been around,” Billy Lynch said. “I’m just so proud of him in the way he bounced back.”
(11/28/10 8:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Three Big Ten wins in three years.That was the underlying reason IU Athletics Director Fred Glass made the decision to fire football coach Bill Lynch.“The bottom line is three Big Ten wins in three years isn’t the basis for an extension,” Glass said. “While it’s a very tough decision, I’m confident that it’s the right one.“My experience is that a lot of times the right thing to do is also the hardest thing to do, and for me, this is one of those times.”Lynch went from celebrating his team winning the Old Oaken Bucket in an emotional 34-31 overtime victory at Purdue to losing his job less than 24 hours later. Glass had planned to make his decision on Lynch’s job status promptly rather than letting him stew with uncertainty.“I thought it was really important that whichever way this went not have Bill twisting in the breeze either way,” Glass said. “I told him a couple weeks ago that I thought it was important this was resolved one way or the other the day after the Bucket game.”With one year remaining on Lynch’s four-year contract, Glass said he knew he had a variety of options to consider at season’s end.Although Glass had repeatedly stated that he believed in honoring contracts and that Lynch would serve the remainder of his, he had to reconsider given the crossroads of entering the final year of the contract.“Either we could extend the contract, we could not extend the contract and go through the final year leaving open the issue of whether it would be renewed or not, or we could go in a new direction,” Glass said. “My view was that given the circumstances of the last three seasons was that extending the contract was not a viable option.”While Lynch’s tenure at IU is comparable to many of his predecessors, Glass said he knew he could not base the future of the program on what Lynch accomplished related to past IU coaches.“It would send the wrong signal of what merited an extension at Indiana University, and in my view, it was not the right thing to do,” Glass said.With a slew of IU’s playmakers not returning due to graduation or pursuit of the NFL Draft, Glass said he understands a transition phase will not warrant an overnight turnaround for the program.Instead of making assertions of improvement next season, Glass faced the rebuilding discussion head-on.“I don’t enter into that naively,” Glass said. “I think any change often results in at least one or two steps back. I don’t pretend a case couldn’t be made for the other two options which I’ve chosen not to pursue.”For a team that missed a bowl game two straight years entering this season, the debate of “What would Lynch need to do to keep his job?” surfaced throughout the duration of the season. At the end of the day, no one will never know what would have kept Lynch in Bloomington.“I gave up answering hypothetical questions a long time ago,” Glass said.
(11/22/10 5:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>LANDOVER, Md.— Edward Wright-Baker admitted that he did not expect to play against Wisconsin last week. His fumble on the first play after starting quarterback Ben Chappell went out with a hip injury proved his words to be true. With Chappell spending limited time in practice all week, Wright-Baker said he was not caught off guard.“I was definitely more prepared and more ready,” Wright-Baker said. “I was ready to prove something.”The rotation of Wright-Baker and Chappell sparked the IU offense in a 41-24 loss to Penn State at FedExField.The Hoosiers’ 14-0 deficit in the second quarter suggested they were still hung over from their 83-20 beatdown at Wisconsin. Determined not to let history repeat itself, IU decided to mix things up against the Nittany Lions.With Chappell working the pass plays and Wright-Baker in for the running plays, IU broke off chunks of yardage for the first time of the day. “It’s something that I don’t think Penn State was really ready for,” Wright-Baker said. “That’s just hard to stop because we can do anything with it.”No play went for more than 14 yards.The Hoosiers did not face a third down. Every pass was completed.It was one of the rare occurrences in recent memory that the Hoosiers methodically drove against a defense without the aid of a big play — and it came at the hands of the rotating IU quarterbacks.Wright-Baker admitted he did not mind rotating in as Chappell’s understudy.“I was just ready to relieve Ben from getting hit every play,” he said. “Chap takes beatings in games, and we had to figure out a way to keep him from getting hit every play.”After a 6-yard run by Wright-Baker to get to the Penn State 13-yard line, Chappell hurried in to keep the Hoosiers’ momentum going. But Chappell did not have the help that he was used to.The Hoosiers set up in their “Zebra” formation, which had everyone but the center shifted off the ball on the opposite hash. The play resembled the shifting field goal formation that many schools use on extra point attempts.With Penn State’s defense confused, Chappell took the unprotected snap out of the shotgun and delivered a 9-yard completion to junior receiver Tandon Doss. The unconventional play earned IU a first-and-goal, their fifth earned first down of the drive.A 4-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Trea Burgess ended a 10-play, 78-yard drive that jump-started a struggling IU offense. The rotation of quarterbacks was not a look that the IU offense had shown this season. “I thought it was a great package for us,” Chappell said. “It’s something we did last year and hadn’t done that much this year. We found a little wrinkle, and we executed it pretty well.”Although the Hoosiers had not run the package this season, it might be in the repertoire for the Old Oaken Bucket game next week at Purdue because of its success and the Hoosiers’ offensive struggles in Big Ten play.Whatever the case, Wright-Baker said he will mimic the same approach he took to prepare for Penn State. “I expect to play next week,” Wright-Baker said. “It worked today, and I’ve got to be prepared for anything.”
(11/19/10 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was not the start of the season that Penn State wanted.The team dropped its first two Big Ten games to Iowa and Illinois, both by at least 20 points. Questions of even earning bowl eligibility arose as the Nittany Lions searched for answers. Their answer came at the hands of third-string, walk-on quarterback Matthew McGloin.The sophomore quarterback led Penn State (6-4, 3-3) to wins in three of its last four games and will look to continue that trend when they take on the Hoosiers (4-6, 0-6) at noon Saturday at FedExField in Landover, Md.“It seems like the biggest difference is when they made the change at quarterback,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “It just seems like they got a little zip when (McGloin) came in there and played.”McGloin took his first snap when he filled in for injured true freshman quarterback Robert Bolden against Minnesota.With the Nittany Lions playing on the road without a Big Ten win, they had to rely on McGloin to steer the ship. McGloin’s two touchdown passes led the Nittany Lions against Minnesota for their first Big Ten win. With Bolden still on the shelf the following week against Michigan, McGloin picked up where he left off. The Scranton, Pa., native took care of business with 250 passing yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) in a 41-31 win against Michigan. The win was the first time this season that Penn State won a shootout-style game.Staring at a 21-0 deficit against Northwestern the following week, McGloin stepped up again. McGloin led a 35-point, unanswered comeback to stun Northwestern 35-21. McGloin’s four-touchdown performance resulted in Penn State’s third-straight win and made the team bowl eligible.“I remember watching that game, and this guy has really become the leader of that football team,” Lynch said. Instead of facing questions of uncertainty when Bolden went down, McGloin has quickly turned around this historic program. McGloin’s ability to get the ball downfield was an element the Nittany Lions were not getting from Bolden.“We’ve seen him make some plays downfield, and he’s not scared to throw the ball up,” IU senior cornerback Richard Council said. “He looks like he has confidence in his receivers, so just watching him throughout his few games you can tell that he’s played quarterback before so he feels comfortable.”Since McGloin took over at quarterback, he has thrown nine touchdown passes. The Nittany Lions averaged 18.2 points per game when Bolden was at quarterback. In the four games in which McGloin played, the Nittany Lions averaged 30.8 points per contest.The Nittany Lions even had No. 9 Ohio State on the ropes in Columbus, Ohio last week. Penn State went into halftime leading 14-3 but could not hold off the high-powered Buckeye offense in the second half.The Hoosiers know that they are dealing with an improved team, even if Penn State is no longer ranked in the top 25 poll like it was earlier in the season. The defense feels that getting pressure on McGloin is a must if the Hoosiers hope to slow down Penn State.“We’ve got to do whatever we can up front,” IU defensive tackle Mick Mentzer said. “We can’t leave him on islands out there all day.”
(11/16/10 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When IU quarterback Ben Chappell left Saturday’s game at Wisconsin, the rest of the team went down with him.After the senior signal-caller suffered a hip injury in the second quarter, the Badgers went on a 66-10 run. IU coach Bill Lynch noticed the change in demeanor in his team from that moment on.“I’ve never seen a game change like that with a guy getting hurt,” Lynch said. “You kind of felt it on the sideline. It was like the wind was just let out of our sail when Ben went out. That’s not an excuse, and that should not happen.”The hip injury that Chappell sustained is improving, Lynch said. He said he thinks Chappell will be able to play on Saturday against Penn State.Even though Chappell has been banged up throughout the year, last week was the first time he left the game because of an injury. But Lynch said he is optimistic about Chappell’s return.“I really think he’ll be able to play,” Lynch said. “He’s been beat up a lot this year now, and he keeps bouncing back. His attitude yesterday when I saw him in the training room was ‘I’ll be ready.’”If Chappell doesn’t play…Saturday was not the best day for the health of IU quarterbacks.Redshirt freshman quarterback Dusty Kiel suffered a right thumb injury while replacing Chappell. The injury happened on a follow-through when Kiel’s thumb hit the helmet of a Wisconsin defender. Unlike with Chappell, Lynch was not optimistic about Kiel’s status.“It’s one of those injuries where if he was another position he’d probably play, but in terms of playing quarterback and gripping the ball, I think that would be very, very difficult,” Lynch said. “I really don’t expect Dusty to be able to play this week.”If Chappell and Kiel are unavailable Saturday, Lynch said redshirt freshman Edward Wright-Baker would be the starting quarterback. With Chappell likely to be limited in practice, Lynch said Wright-Baker would be getting the majority of the snaps this week.If Wright-Baker were to go down, sophomore quarterback Adam Follett would step in.The hangoverHow does a team get past a 63-point loss?How does a team get past allowing the most points in school history?How does a team get past an 0-6 start in the Big Ten?“The reality of it is it was a loss,” Lynch said. “Obviously the points jump out at everybody, but we can’t let that affect where we are and what’s ahead of us.”In truth, both the 18-13 loss against Iowa the week prior and the 63-point loss to Wisconsin are the same in the loss column.“Whatever the final score was, it’s a loss,” Lynch said. “What’s tougher? Getting beat like that or getting beat on the last second where your Big Ten-leading receiver drops it? It’s a loss.”Lynch cited conventional theories for responding to a loss.“You’ve got to bounce back,” Lynch said. “It’s all the cliches, but it really is true. Any time you face adversity, it’s not what happened, it’s what you do about it.”