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(10/13/06 7:39am)
Mike White stood near the back of the press room in Assembly Hall Tuesday afternoon and cracked a subtle, coy smile when asked about his nickname -- "King Kong."\n"I got it in junior college," said the junior forward, who transferred to IU from Lee College in Baytown, Texas earlier this year. "My coach came in at halftime of the game and said, 'Man, you're playing like King Kong out there.'"\nMike White may not be as tall as his fictional namesake (he's listed at an extremely generous 6-foot-6), but he's sure got the strength of Kong.\nJust ask senior guard Earl Calloway.\n"Mike is ... Mike is a man. You know how you a man? You a man," Calloway said. "He plays like a man -- he's strong. Mike jumps higher than (former Hoosier) Marco (Killingsworth), rebounds, blocks shots, he runs, he can shoot the outside jumper ... When you talk about someone of his stature that can jump that high ... He's strong, and he's aggressive."\nSenior guard Rod Wilmont also used the word "man" to describe his new teammate, adding that Mike White never called fouls on himself during open gym time. \n"We hack him, push him. He'll never call a foul," Wilmont said.\nThe junior college transfer averaged 19.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks at Lee last season -- good enough to garner Region XIV co-MVP and National Junior College Athletic Association third team All-American honors. He's consistent; he started all 61 games during his two-year stint at Lee.\nMike White's former coach at Lee, Roy Champagne, described him as "very humble" in a statement back in April when the forward officially signed with IU.\nAt first introduction, Mike White doesn't come across like the outgoing and vocal Calloway or the energetic Wilmont.\nHe speaks in hushed tones and doesn't show much emotion while conversing. If he's anything like his coaches and teammates describe him on court, though, Hoosier Nation is in for a Clark Kent-Superman type scenario.\nShy and reserved off the court -- bruising, take-on-the-world strongman on it.\nThe White IU fans have come to know -- D.J. -- likened Mike's game to former NBA star Charles Barkley's.\n"I'm not gonna say he is a Charles Barkley, but you know that type of player," D.J. said. "(With his) rebounding, he can score a little bit but not as good as Charles, obviously. But I feel he's that type of player." \nThis year's IU team is fitter, stronger and more disciplined than last year's. IU coach Kelvin Sampson had his men up at 5:30 a.m. in the offseason. Former coach Mike Davis didn't. They've gained weight. Good, muscular weight. They ran timed miles and had to repeat the run if they didn't hit a certain time. They had to touch every line during their 'ultimate suicide' drills. If they missed one, even by an inch, they had to run as punishment -- run a lot. \nThe way they've talked, it seems like the Hoosiers are training for a boxing match against Mike Tyson in his hey-day rather than for a season on the hardwood.\nWhether they're hitting the ring or the court, one thing's for certain: you're going to want King Kong on your side.
(09/28/06 4:00am)
He's a little goofy, perhaps even a little neurotic, but that's precisely what we've come to love about Ben Kweller since his 2002 full-length debut, Sha Sha.\nAnd with his new self-titled effort, we're treated to plenty of that, but also Kweller at his best musically -- an eclectic blend of piano and acoustic guitar -- a sound a bit absent from his harder, more in your face disc -- 2004's On My Way.\nThe single "Sundress" plays like a building leveled by dynamite, starting out as a slow piano piece that all comes crashing to the ground in an insanely melodic and striking chorus, with piano notes and guitar strums as the bricks in a rather beautiful pile of rubble.\nThe album's lead track "Run" literally runs along - from the song's opening piano lick to Kweller's "Whoa ohs" and "Oh yeahs" that intermix with his prose about leaving a small town with his girl. Perhaps this is a song penned for his wife, Liz, who gave birth to their first child at the end of May.\n"Penny on the Train Track" is the most lyrically striking song on the disc. "I'm just a penny on the train track/Waitin' for my judgment day/Come on baby girl let me see those legs/Before I get flattened away" BK sings.\nKweller harkens back to On My Way's harder cuts with the album's concluding track "This is War." With an English accent, this song could easily be mistaken for a Bloc Party or Arctic Monkeys song, as it rolls along at a blistering pace.\nKweller's latest effort isn't quite as spot-on as Sha Sha, but it's certainly a step back in the right direction musically from On My Way. \nOn the disc's most poignant song "Until I Die," Kweller sings, "I'm so sorry/I'm so paranoid/It's something in my head/That I can't avoid."\nIt's OK, Ben -- no need for apologies. We feel you.
(09/28/06 2:55am)
He's a little goofy, perhaps even a little neurotic, but that's precisely what we've come to love about Ben Kweller since his 2002 full-length debut, Sha Sha.\nAnd with his new self-titled effort, we're treated to plenty of that, but also Kweller at his best musically -- an eclectic blend of piano and acoustic guitar -- a sound a bit absent from his harder, more in your face disc -- 2004's On My Way.\nThe single "Sundress" plays like a building leveled by dynamite, starting out as a slow piano piece that all comes crashing to the ground in an insanely melodic and striking chorus, with piano notes and guitar strums as the bricks in a rather beautiful pile of rubble.\nThe album's lead track "Run" literally runs along - from the song's opening piano lick to Kweller's "Whoa ohs" and "Oh yeahs" that intermix with his prose about leaving a small town with his girl. Perhaps this is a song penned for his wife, Liz, who gave birth to their first child at the end of May.\n"Penny on the Train Track" is the most lyrically striking song on the disc. "I'm just a penny on the train track/Waitin' for my judgment day/Come on baby girl let me see those legs/Before I get flattened away" BK sings.\nKweller harkens back to On My Way's harder cuts with the album's concluding track "This is War." With an English accent, this song could easily be mistaken for a Bloc Party or Arctic Monkeys song, as it rolls along at a blistering pace.\nKweller's latest effort isn't quite as spot-on as Sha Sha, but it's certainly a step back in the right direction musically from On My Way. \nOn the disc's most poignant song "Until I Die," Kweller sings, "I'm so sorry/I'm so paranoid/It's something in my head/That I can't avoid."\nIt's OK, Ben -- no need for apologies. We feel you.
(09/12/06 3:53am)
At first, there was the initial shock -- the confusion, if you will.\n"Wait, we got Kelvin \nSampson-- who the heck is that?" was the sentiment felt by our fine academic institution March 29 -- the day Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan knighted Sampson head coach of the Hoosiers. \nOh, the guy from the University of Oklahoma. OK, cool.\nNow, with clearer heads and a better understanding of who exactly the man is, the strict practices he runs, his attention to defense and rebounding -- not to mention his rather outstanding winning record -- there's the feeling that he's a pretty good coach. So let's give him a chance and see what he can do with his players on the court.\nBut even before we see what Sampson does in-game, we're being treated to an intriguing and perhaps tenure-defining moment in Sampson's young career here at IU -- the Eric Gordon Jr. saga. \nQuick explanation: Gordon is the No. 1-rated shooting guard in the nation, according to rivals.com. He's from Indianapolis. He verbally committed to Illinois. He was here on an unofficial visit last weekend. And, of course, this situation has enraged Illinois fans and spurred rumors that Sampson is ruining his relationship with other Big Ten coaches (Illinois coach Bruce Weber is at the top of the list). \nYes, I know there is an unwritten rule among coaches that once a guy verbally commits to another school, that's it. Don't recruit him anymore. It's a done deal.\nBut doesn't Sampson deserve some sort of exemption from this? After all, he came in late on the recruiting game, and Gordon's camp indicated it didn't initially consider IU because of the "coaching situation." With Sampson in place, Gordon decided to keep his options open. \nThis isn't 100 percent IU coming after Gordon. There's some obvious interest on his side as well.\nFurthermore, don't we want our basketball coach doing this? Would you rather he just feel sorry that he got here late, not try at all and think "better luck next time?" I'd hope not. \nAnd as far as potential rivalry implications between IU and Illinois, (assuming Sampson lands Gordon) as a fan, you want this.\nSure, we have Purdue, but for the most part it's only really a rivalry because Purdue happens to be another university in our conference that's in-state. \nIt's more of a playful thing -- a fun little rivalry.\nIf Sampson lands Gordon, (or both Gordon and Derrick Rose -- the other star guard who visited last weekend) Illinois will have a reason to hate us. And in turn, we'll throw it right back at them. This has Jesus-Lucifer rivalry potential. (Well, maybe not that far, but you get the picture.) \nThis, my friends, would be awesome.\nBut, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We've lost out on these so-called "sexy" recruits during the Mike Davis years (see Josh Smith to the NBA, Sean May to the University of North Carolina, etc.) and there's no overriding indication why we should believe Gordon will be in an IU uniform next season. \nEither way, this would be a big signing, perhaps an early defining moment in Sampson's tenure in Bloomington.\nGet it done, Kelvin.
(09/07/06 4:00am)
Jessica Simpson confuses the hell out of me. At first she was presented as a goody good songstress, molded from a strong Christian-rooted family. She was no sexy Britney Spears. And she was certainly no Xtina.\nThen came her vastly popular show with Nick Lachey, "Newlyweds," on MTV, and yup, that squeaky clean image quickly disappeared.\nShe was a temptress, the "it" girl of the early oughts, and well, she was really freakin' hot.\nHer dad starting talking about her huge chest. You get the picture.\nBut through it all, her music has pretty much stayed the same - safe, radio-friendly pop songs.\nBut on her newest effort, A Public Affair, Simpson goes in a bit of a new direction with her sound, churning out more a dance record at points than straight up pop.\nIt doesn't work.\nThe disc's lead track and first single "A Public Affair," sounds like a '70s disco cut with some sprinklings of early Madonna.\nSimpson also tries her hand at a cover of Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)." And if Pete Burns hasn't already laid a bitch slap on her by now for ruining his classic cut, it's probably coming very soon.\nThen it just gets embarrassing.\n"Swing with Me" is backed by a big band sound, complete with horns and rumbling drums. You know, like a swing song. Get it? "Swing with Me?" How clever!\nOn "Push your Tush" Simpson does some playful talking to start off the track. "Do you hear that cowbell?/Caca Caca Caca-doodle do" she says.\nHey look! Remember me? I was so goofy and silly on my MTV show! Here I am doing that same bit again on a song called "Push Your Tush." I'm so cute!\nOn a few tracks, such as "The Lover in Me" and "Back to You" Simpson harkens back to her safe pop song style. They come out as the most tolerable cuts on the disc.\nSometimes a change in sound works. (See Clarkson, Kelly.) And in some cases - like Simpson's - it just doesn't.
(09/07/06 2:11am)
Jessica Simpson confuses the hell out of me. At first she was presented as a goody good songstress, molded from a strong Christian-rooted family. She was no sexy Britney Spears. And she was certainly no Xtina.\nThen came her vastly popular show with Nick Lachey, "Newlyweds," on MTV, and yup, that squeaky clean image quickly disappeared.\nShe was a temptress, the "it" girl of the early oughts, and well, she was really freakin' hot.\nHer dad starting talking about her huge chest. You get the picture.\nBut through it all, her music has pretty much stayed the same - safe, radio-friendly pop songs.\nBut on her newest effort, A Public Affair, Simpson goes in a bit of a new direction with her sound, churning out more a dance record at points than straight up pop.\nIt doesn't work.\nThe disc's lead track and first single "A Public Affair," sounds like a '70s disco cut with some sprinklings of early Madonna.\nSimpson also tries her hand at a cover of Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)." And if Pete Burns hasn't already laid a bitch slap on her by now for ruining his classic cut, it's probably coming very soon.\nThen it just gets embarrassing.\n"Swing with Me" is backed by a big band sound, complete with horns and rumbling drums. You know, like a swing song. Get it? "Swing with Me?" How clever!\nOn "Push your Tush" Simpson does some playful talking to start off the track. "Do you hear that cowbell?/Caca Caca Caca-doodle do" she says.\nHey look! Remember me? I was so goofy and silly on my MTV show! Here I am doing that same bit again on a song called "Push Your Tush." I'm so cute!\nOn a few tracks, such as "The Lover in Me" and "Back to You" Simpson harkens back to her safe pop song style. They come out as the most tolerable cuts on the disc.\nSometimes a change in sound works. (See Clarkson, Kelly.) And in some cases - like Simpson's - it just doesn't.
(08/31/06 4:00am)
Danity Kane are inherently formulaic. Diddy's handpicked, burgeoning five-member all girl group of MTV "Making the Band 3" stardom are one part Pussycat Dolls (spectacular looking women), one part Paris Hilton (get the hottest producers to make your tracks) and one part Ashlee Simpson (MTV reality show giving your debut CD all kinds of exposure before it drops.)\nThese are all ingredients in the recipe for commercial music success these days, no doubt. Diddy's choice in sticking to this formula seems to be working. \nThe group's debut CD "Danity Kane" shot to #1 on iTunes' top 100 album list\nand is projected to debut in the top three spots on the Billboard charts among the likes of proven veterans Outkast and Christina Aguilera.\nThe disc springs to life with "One Shot" an upbeat, infectious track that subtly plays with a police siren in the beat. (Sounds annoying, but isn't.) Danity's first single "Show Stopper" is a breathy, sexy trance imploying a "snap beat" to pace the song. One of the albums ballads "Ride For You" succeeds in avoiding lameness (see Rihanna's "Murderer") and highlights the individual singing talents of the girls (however manufactured it may be at times.)\nAundrea pops out as the star of the disc (as she was in "Making the Band 3") leading off vocals on many of the tracks. \nThe lyrics are rather mundane and repetitive (that is, unless you love hearing the word "boy" and "lovin'" in damn near every track) and touch on the topics of love, heartache and relationships. (Shocking!)\nAt 15 tracks, the CD is a bit much to stomach. A few cuts, such as "Come Over" and "Stay on Me" probably could have been shelved, making Danity's debut a tighter, cohesive and overall more enjoyable listen.\nThe groups's name stems from a female anime superhero doodled and conceived by band member Dawn.\nAnd with all their sharply produced beats and micro-managed image, it may be one of the few things Diddy's girls can really claim as their own.
(08/31/06 2:43am)
Danity Kane are inherently formulaic. Diddy's handpicked, burgeoning five-member all girl group of MTV "Making the Band 3" stardom are one part Pussycat Dolls (spectacular looking women), one part Paris Hilton (get the hottest producers to make your tracks) and one part Ashlee Simpson (MTV reality show giving your debut CD all kinds of exposure before it drops.)\nThese are all ingredients in the recipe for commercial music success these days, no doubt. Diddy's choice in sticking to this formula seems to be working. \nThe group's debut CD "Danity Kane" shot to #1 on iTunes' top 100 album list\nand is projected to debut in the top three spots on the Billboard charts among the likes of proven veterans Outkast and Christina Aguilera.\nThe disc springs to life with "One Shot" an upbeat, infectious track that subtly plays with a police siren in the beat. (Sounds annoying, but isn't.) Danity's first single "Show Stopper" is a breathy, sexy trance imploying a "snap beat" to pace the song. One of the albums ballads "Ride For You" succeeds in avoiding lameness (see Rihanna's "Murderer") and highlights the individual singing talents of the girls (however manufactured it may be at times.)\nAundrea pops out as the star of the disc (as she was in "Making the Band 3") leading off vocals on many of the tracks. \nThe lyrics are rather mundane and repetitive (that is, unless you love hearing the word "boy" and "lovin'" in damn near every track) and touch on the topics of love, heartache and relationships. (Shocking!)\nAt 15 tracks, the CD is a bit much to stomach. A few cuts, such as "Come Over" and "Stay on Me" probably could have been shelved, making Danity's debut a tighter, cohesive and overall more enjoyable listen.\nThe groups's name stems from a female anime superhero doodled and conceived by band member Dawn.\nAnd with all their sharply produced beats and micro-managed image, it may be one of the few things Diddy's girls can really claim as their own.
(05/05/06 4:30am)
After former IU middle linebacker John Pannozzo suffered a season-ending hand injury against Michigan State Oct. 29 in East Lansing, IU coach Terry Hoeppner looked to outside linebacker Kyle Killion to fill the void. \nNow, both former IU standouts will be looking to fill voids on NFL teams.\nKillion and Pannozzo both signed rookie free agent contracts earlier this week -- Killion with the Indianapolis Colts and Pannozzo with the Atlanta Falcons.\n"I'm definitely excited to be playing in the NFL, but there's a lot of hard work ahead of me," said Killion. "I'm trying to make the team and there's a lot of good players out there. Hopefully it will work out for me."\nBefore singing with the Colts, Killion was contacted by a few other NFL teams and coaches who wanted to find out more about him and introduce themselves. After running him through a grueling physical, it was the Colts that offered Killion a contract while the seventh round of the NFL Draft unfolded Sunday in New York. Killion will get his first chance to battle with 18 other former college stars for a spot on the team when he reports to rookie camp this weekend in Indianapolis.\n"During his time in Indiana, Kyle had become a Colts' fan, so this is a dream come true for him," Hoeppner said in a statement. "I spoke with (Colts') Coach (Tony) Dungy at length last week about Kyle. Kyle is excited, and I am excited for him because it is a good fit."\nKillion echoed his coach's statement.\n"I'm pretty good friends with a whole bunch of Colts fans," said the Kingwood, Texas native. "They rubbed off on me."\nPannozzo played fullback his first three years at IU and after switching to linebacker this past season had an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. The Brooklyn native recorded three sacks, 52 tackles (40 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries before the hand injury ended his IU career.\n"I'm happy for John," Hoeppner said in a statement. "He has worked hard. It's a good organization he's going to. I look forward to watching him play in the NFL."\nKillion recorded 323 career tackles during his tenure at IU, good for sixth all-time.\nThe linebackers join two former teammates in their quest for a spot on an NFL team. Defensive end Victor Adeyanju and offensive lineman Issac Sowells were picked back-to-back in the fourth round of the NFL draft this weekend. Adeyanju went to the St. Louis Rams and Sowells was selected by the Cleveland Browns.
(04/24/06 5:21am)
Late Friday afternoon, the IU community experienced a range of emotions on both sides of the campus.\nUp on the north side at Bill Armstrong Stadium, thousands cheered on Kappa Kappa Gamma rider Jess Sapp's sprint to the finish line to seal her team's fifth overall title. There was elation in the faces of the riders as they celebrated near the finish line and on the faces of Kappa sisters as they ran around the track for a victory lap.\nBut during the race, a press conference announced the names of five IU music students who died in a plane crash early Friday morning. To those close to them on the south side of campus at the Jacobs School of Music, there were no tears of joy in victory -- only ones of sorrow at the loss of their friends and colleagues.\nMost IU students (especially Little 500 riders) most likely had no idea the crash occurred until it was referenced in a moment of silence before both the men's and women's races.\nThis kind of tribute has been a staple of the Little 500 the past two years. With the event culminating the end of the school year and being a long-standing tradition at this University, it's a fitting stage to publicly recognize and honor these students.\nLast year, the Little 500 recognized the deaths of Kappa sister Ashley Crouse and IU student and National Guardsman Brett Hershey with a moment of silence. And this year, in addition to the music students, the prayer before the race referenced the recent deaths of junior Christine Wampler and Delta Zeta's Nicole Birky, who also had green and pink balloons released before the race in her honor.\n"We see the Little 500 as a celebration of life," said Little 500 director Rob Rhamy. "Although unfortunately these students perished, this is a chance for us to celebrate their life and pay respect to that."\nFor the riders, the race can transcend the athletic competition from one of bicycles and strategy to one of life and love.\n"This is a race of life," said Kappa rider Colleen Groth. "I get off the bike and I feel alive. That strength makes you thankful for and appreciate the lives of Ashley and all those other people."\nDelta Zeta wore green wrists bands with 'BIRKY' written on them during the race.\n"It made it a lot more of a meaningful day because it made it more than a race," said Delta Zeta rider Amanda Marquet. "The race isn't the important part as much as doing it for Birky ... we can look up and see the balloons and know she's up there. We look down at our wrists and it's another constant reminder. Every time we looked at the crowd, they all had green bowties. Green's the color we've dedicated to her. Everywhere we looked, it was constant motivation to keep going no matter how tired our legs were."\nShortly after the women's race, the sun broke on a day that was overcast all morning and afternoon. Was it Crouse and Birky and all the others smiling down on their peers for a job well done?\nWe'd like to think so.
(04/19/06 5:16am)
The fans of the Mexican U-17 National Team came out to Bill Armstrong Stadium last night in the thousands, donned in sombreros and draped in their country's green, white and red flag. \nAnd as they cheered and chanted while their team ran out of the tunnel onto Yeagley Field, one thing was apparent -- these guys looked like they were going to be loud all night.\nIf you scraped away IU's championship banners and signs, the match could have easily been mistaken for an IU away game.\nBut once the game began, it was Hoosier fans who had something to cheer about.\nRedshirt freshman John Mellencamp (and yes, there is a relation to that other John Mellencamp -- no word on whether Mexican U-17 player Edgar Ivan Pacheco Rodriguez is related to Detroit Tiger catcher Ivan Rodriguez) rocked a perfectly placed ball into the upper left corner of the goal from 18 yards out in the 14th minute and the Hoosiers never looked back.\n"It's a great game for us, it's an extra game we get," said IU coach Mike Freitag. "You look at the crowd at close to 6,000 -- it's an atmosphere you don't see at your everyday soccer game. I love it."\nThe official count on the game's attendance was 5,739 -- good for second-most in Bill Armstrong Stadium history.\nThe Mexican crowd remained raucous for the rest of the first half, but IU's play in the second half silenced them for good.\nThe Hoosiers dominated play the last 45 minutes, accented by junior John Michael Hayden's corner kick into the box that junior Kevin Robson was able to get a foot on and into the goal to notch IU's second and final goal of the night.\nRobson also hit the crossbar twice after he netted his goal. This game could have easily been a 4-0 blowout with Robson capturing a hat trick.\n"Last year, it was different, we were a little flustered," said Mellencamp of the squad's 2-1 loss to the U-17 Mexican squad last year. "This year, we were a little more confident and for that reason I feel like when we hit the field, we were real aggressive. We knew we could play with them and we knew we could win."\nWhile most Mexican fans sat on the visitors' side, the small contingency that sat on IU's side offered a perfect ending to the night. \nDistraught and dejected, the group that once stood waving their flags, chanting and bantering back and forth with IU fans next to them, sat with their heads down.\nAnd as the IU fans next to them cheered and sang along as the pep band played 'Shout' near the end of the match, the Mexican fans slowly filed out of the stands and into the night.\nIt might have taken 85 minutes, but IU fans had finally taken over their stands for the night.
(04/17/06 4:08am)
It's hard to glean a lot of insight from the Hoosier football team in one spring game (especially when it's two-hand touch on the quarterbacks and coach Terry Hoeppner called a few penalties himself), but Saturday's Cream and Crimson spring football game gave attending fans one thing to think about after they left Memorial Stadium -- this team can create a lot of offense through the air.\nWe're talking a combined 659 yards of passing from three IU quarterbacks coupled with five touchdowns and only one interception.\nIt helps that the receiving corps is insanely deep. Last season the wide receivers were supposed to be one of the weak spots of this Hoosier team, but James Hardy and crew quickly erased the skepticism held by many who thought they were too young and too inexperienced.\nHardy sat out the Cream and Crimson game with a groin pull, and all that seemed to do was open up the door for other wideouts to showcase their skills.\nSophomore James Bailey led the group, catching four passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Jahkeen Gilmore caught three balls for 94 yards and a score in the second quarter -- scoring style points when he hopped up on the fence behind the end zone and struck a pose after his touchdown.\nRedshirt freshmen Chris Banks and Andrew Means and everyone's favorite rapper/kick returner/wide receiver Lance Bennett combined for 262 yards on nine catches for two touchdowns.\nThe running game is still very much in limbo, with plenty of guys vying for the starting spot. Much has been made about Marcus Thigpen's move from wide receiver to his more natural position at running back, but he simply didn't get enough carries to show what he can do.\nFort Wayne native and redshirt freshman tailback Bryan Payton seems to be the frontrunner for the job, carrying the ball nine times for 51 yards.\nAt the quarterback spot, senior back-up Graeme McFarland (11-16, 216 yards, 2 TD) was as equally impressive and smooth as junior starter Blake Powers (7-11, 289 years, 3 TD). Redshirt freshman Kellen Lewis threw the lone interception of the day, but he played well in streaks and has the ability to run as well as throw.\nSo was the offense simply dominating an undersized and under-skilled defense or are they really that good?\nThey are good, but with all the long completions to wide receivers who were consistently burning the cornerbacks, it would appear as if the defense needs to improve immensely before this fall.\nIf the IU offense can run circles around this defense, think about what Ohio State and Michigan can do to these guys.\nAnd without a solid defense, we could be headed down a familiar road. One that's traffic-less and smooth sailing during the early non-conference schedule, but riddled with potholes, bumps and a foot of snow when the team reaches the Big Ten season.\n"Dr. (IU President Adam) Herbert at halftime wanted to know who was coaching the corners and I told him it wasn't me," Hoeppner joked after the game. "I don't think they played their best today but I think the defense is on track. We made some structural changes and I'm optimistic that the defense will be much improved from where it was last fall."\nLet's hope he's right.\nIt's hard to glean a lot of insight from the Hoosier football squad in one spring game, but one thing was certain.\nOne side of the ball played like it was November, while the other played like it was -- well -- April.
(04/14/06 5:22am)
IU signed a new five-year deal with two Indianapolis-based radio stations owned by Emmis Communications to broadcast men's basketball and football games. The agreement begins at the start of the 2006-07 athletic year. \nWLHK-FM 97.1 will air men's basketball games while WIBC-AM 1070 will air football games, as well as weekly coaches' shows. \n"Our goal is to find partners in the marketplace who provide better coverage and signal," said Bob Agramonte, IU sports properties general manager. "That's what we were able to find with Emmis. They are the market leader in Indianapolis, and their promotional power will be huge. We're happy to join forces with them."\nDon Fischer has been the play-by-play voice of Hoosier football and basketball for 33 years.\n"I'll still have the same time frame for the talk shows (coaches' shows) we've had for the past several years," Fischer said. "The normal scenario is Monday nights because it has the fewest conflicts with games and other programming."\nWIBC-AM 1070 runs a news and talk radio format while WLHK-FM 97.1 format is country music. Fischer said the pairing of a country music station with men's basketball game broadcasts has worked well in the past.\n"Back when I first started in 1973, we were on WIRE, which was a country music station, and IU sports was a big part of that," Fischer said. "The country music format and sports has always seemed to fit well together."\nFischer said he likes the switch to WIBC because of the station's reputation.\n"WIBC has been one of the best radio stations in the country for the last 35-40 years," he said. "It's been an outstanding radio station for a long, long time."\nAgramonte added that Emmis will be doing a number of promotional events for the new partnership, including kick-off events right before the football and basketball seasons, and later this month or in early May they will be shutting down the circle in Indianapolis to announce the partnership.\n"We're going to bring up as much IU flavor as we can," said Kent Sterling, assistant operations manager for WIBC and Network Indiana, in regards to the announcement of the partnership in the city's circle. "We are going to try and get a portion of the marching band to come out and maybe even Kelvin Sampson. WIBC is the voice of Indiana, and to extend that to IU is a great thing for us"
(04/12/06 5:28am)
This one hurt.\nJust when the IU faithful thought the women's basketball program had received a wave-up from the bouncer guarding the door at the club of emerging basketball programs, we were promptly given the boot once we reached the front of the line. \nCoach Sharon Versyp is gone.\nNow, I'm not saying the team can't continue with its current success. I just believe it would have been an easier feat to accomplish with Versyp sitting at the top of the bench.\nIn her first year, she led the team deep into the WNIT Tournament, finished the season with a 19-14 record and recruited the Gatorade high school players of the year in both Connecticut and Wisconsin.\nThings were happening.\nBut as soon as the Purdue job opened, she followed her heart. And so the search for a new coach begins.\nPerhaps the nation's busiest and most secretive director of athletics, Rick Greenspan (seriously this guy should be a consultant for Batman, Superman and ninjas everywhere) will be out conducting one of his infamous 'nationwide' searches to find the next suitor of the women's basketball throne. (I heard Randy Wittman's a done deal. How about you?)\nBut Versyp's departure seems to be attached to a larger issue within the athletics department at this University -- the revolving door of coaches.\nVersyp took the escalator up to West Lafayette, while Mike Davis took the elevator down to Birmingham, Ala. Former IU baseball coach Bob Morgan retired and current baseball coach Tracy Smith came over from the University of Miami-Ohio to take over this year.\nThis could all be about timing, though. Morgan was at the helm of the baseball team for a whopping 22 years and decided to retire. We all know it was time for Davis to move on. And Versyp -- a four-year Boilermaker player -- is black and gold through and through, capitalizing on perhaps the only chance in her life to snatch the Purdue women's basketball coaching job.\nSo maybe, it's not a problem only at this University, but in collegiate athletics as a whole. It seems that just as a coach has made his or her mark on a program, he or she gets scooped away by more money, a better program or a better and more competitive conference. (Or in Davis' case, somewhere he wouldn't get pelted with criticism at every misstep. Besides, the money is pretty nice for him at UAB. He has an incentive-laden contract that could garner him close to a million dollars. Add that to the $400,000 IU will be paying him next year and he's sitting pretty.)\nLoyalty and contractual commitment seems to sometimes take a backseat to the driving forces of the "big time." In the case of Mark Few, he's making a program like Gonzaga into the "big time" and doesn't seem to want to relinquish that position anytime soon.\nAnd again, you really can't blame Versyp. Her loyalty was and will always be toward Purdue. So as much as it might hurt the IU program, we must realize where Versyp's mindset was when she made the decision -- this was her dream job.\nSometimes we think of the sports world as a separate entity from life as a whole, an escape if you will. But is a coach moving onto bigger and better things really different from you taking a job for more money and more benefits at a new company -- a dream job?\nCertainly not.\nAnd unfortunately for IU basketball fans, Sharon Versyp agrees.
(04/07/06 7:19am)
He might be two years removed from retiring as the IU men's soccer coach, but that doesn't mean you won't find Jerry Yeagley on the sidelines of Bill Armstrong Stadium. Wednesday night, Yeagley was in the stands, shaking hands and laughing with old friends while watching the IU soccer team take on the Cincinnati Kings in an exhibition match.\n"One of the things I've been doing is following the team," the legendary coach said, as he peered out onto the field. "I'm a groupie; I follow after the IU soccer team. I wouldn't call myself a super fan but I'm into the team and still feel very much attached."\nAnd who can blame him? He built the soccer program at IU, compiling 544 wins in his 31-year tenure (good for best all-time) and led the squad to six national titles. When he took over the team after earning his master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1963, the team only had club status. With no money from the University, Yeagley lined the field, washed the uniforms and promoted the team on campus with his players and his wife, Marilyn. After his hard work, the team achieved varsity status in 1973.\nHell, he is the IU soccer program.\n"What I miss the most is the day-in and day-out interactions with the players," Yeagley said. "But every now and then I go and get my fix, by hanging out at practice and rubbing up next to them, you know. I try to keep my distance. I think it's been a healthy situation. But, there's still some boys out there who I recruited and brought here to IU and I feel attachment and a bit of responsibility to the program. Even after the guys I recruited are gone, I'll still feel that way. (IU coach) Mike (Freitag) is like a younger brother and of course my son (assistant coach Todd Yeagley) is out there -- it's family."\nYou can feel his love for the team in his voice. He's the proud grandfather of this team and he can't help but share it with you. But it's more than just the love for the soccer team; it's his love for the University as a whole. \n"I'm an IU guy and I want to see all the programs succeed," Yeagley said. "I'm proud of what Ray (Looze, IU swimming and diving coach) did this year. I think we have some outstanding coaches. (IU Director of Athletics) Rick Greenspan is a real professional with the leadership he's providing. I just feel really good about the future. His hires and just the way he leads, he's a real professional."\nYeagley is still extremely involved with the IU athletic department, working fundraising campaigns for scholarship endowments and better facilities. He was given the opportunity to have his own office, but he declined -- saying he wanted to give back to the University and do it on a voluntary basis. With Yeagley's increased free time, he's been working on his golf game, spending time with his grandchildren and taking trips with his wife. They spent all of February and March in Florida. But it always comes back to IU soccer for Yeagley.\n"We have excellent players. It's going to be a young team," Yeagley said of the current squad. "There's no reason to think that this team can't achieve the same high standards or play to the same high standards and have the same goals -- you know what the goals are for IU soccer -- they don't change. And they know that as well."\nAnd that's all thanks to one man -- Mr. Jerry Yeagley.
(04/07/06 7:18am)
-- On his relationship with the current IU soccer team:\n"One of the things I've been doing is following the team. I'm a groupie; I follow after the IU soccer team. I wouldn't call myself a super fan, but I'm into the team and still feel very much attached. What I miss the most is the day-in and day-out interactions with the players. But every now and then I go and get my fix, by hanging out at practice and rubbing up next to them, you know. I try to keep my distance. I think it's been a healthy situation. But, there's still some boys out there who I recruited and brought here to IU and I feel attachment and a bit of responsibility to the program. Even after the guys I recruited are gone, I'll still feel that way. (IU coach) Mike (Freitag) is like a younger brother and of course my son's (Todd Yeagley, assistant coach) out there -- it's family." \n-- On what he does with his free time:\n"With my time, I'm trying to get my golf game better, I'm doing a lot of things I wasn't able to do with my wife, like going to Florida for two months -- February and March -- taking some trips, spending more time with family and grandkids and I'm still very much involved with helping in the area of development in IU athletics, doing some fundraising -- and I'm enjoying that. I'm doing this capitol campaign that's going on to try and get our scholarship endowments and improve our facilities -- things like that. I'm going to help as much as I can. I'm trying to give something back that way -- it's all voluntary. They wanted to give me an office and I said 'no.' I just wanted to do it on a voluntary basis." \n-- On his relationship with the IU athletic department:\n"I've tried to stay close with the coaches and the department. Now and then some of the younger ones will call me for advice or ask me my opinion on things and I get a lot of satisfaction out of that and hope that my experience and knowledge might be a little bit of help. I'm an IU guy and I want to see all the programs succeed. I'm proud of what Ray (Looze, IU swimming and diving coach) did this year. I think we have some outstanding coaches. (IU Director of Athletics) Rick Greenspan is a real professional with the leadership he's providing. I just feel really good about the future. His hires and just the way he leads, he's a real professional." \n- On whether or not he liked the hiring of Kelvin Sampson for the men's basketball head coaching job:\n"I sure did. The more I hear and read about how he was respected and liked in Oklahoma, I'm real excited. I think what he's been successful with in the areas you need to be consistent in, in terms of effort and discipline and work ethic -- those things -- he demands those. Your talent may be off a bit, and your execution, but if you're consistent in those areas and your preparation is right -- I feel very good about that." \n- On this year's IU soccer squad:\n"We have excellent players. It's going to be a young team. You know, getting the right chemistry, the right mix and perhaps finding a way to score -- I think that's going to be a challenge for this team and for Coach Freitag. And yet, I think in time, it could be a pretty proficient and effective offense. Sorting out the defense and then sorting out the new players, we could have a number of freshmen on the team. (Kevin) Alston and (Ofori) Sarkodie, they don't play like freshmen. And then with several more coming in who have international experience and have been on our youth national team, I think they're going to press to play. And some of the guys who have been in the wings are stepping up. I'm pretty really pleased to see that -- to watch players develop. It's their time and they want to put their mark on it. I think the competition for position is going to be key -- and I think that's a healthy situation. Leadership is important within the team and I think that is something that needs to emerge. And it will be interesting to watch that -- how the internal leadership is as this young team grows. But I like the team. I think it's very athletic and they're out there playing as a group and playing for each other. There's no reason to think that this team can't achieve the same high standards or play to the same high standards and have the same goals -- you know what the goals are for IU soccer -- they don't change. And they know that as well." \n- On this summer's World Cup:\n"I think it's going to be a great World Cup. I think the United States -- even though a lot of people think we're in a tough bracket -- I think the U.S. is going to surprise people. A lot of people don't think we have a chance of moving out of the first round. I have a feeling we may surprise some people. Then there's your standard powers. I've always been a fan of Brazilian soccer. I've been down to Brazil and just love the way they play. Germany may not be a beautiful team, but they're playing at home. So, I think it's wide open. But the U.S., they could be one of the surprises -- I'm not saying they'll win it"
(04/05/06 5:20am)
For IU men's lacrosse midfielder Jason Bowman, his team's 12-8 win over the University of Pittsburgh was indicative of what the team is capable of -- but also of what is holding the squad back.\n"We showed signs of a championship team," Bowman said. "The only thing stopping us is ourselves. When we are playing at our best, it will be very hard for teams to compete with us. We have all the parts, but putting them together is the hard part."\nThe squad seemed to have put all the parts together early and often against the Panthers, storming out to a 7-0 lead after the first quarter against their Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association South rivals. But the remaining three quarters were a different story, as the team seemed to be stopping themselves and all the parts seemed to be drifting apart instead of together.\nThe Hoosiers were outscored 8-5 in the remaining frames, while scoring only two second-half goals, to hold for a 12-8 win.\n"They started out very fast and were excited," said coach Todd Boward. "They knew it (the game) was important. But they got a little complacent and let Pittsburgh fight their way back in." \nCoach Boward implemented a new technique during man-down situations against Pittsburgh, bringing in freshman goalie Joe Meisel and a completely new defensive squad.\n"For man-down we rotated in some different guys, and we had about an 87 percent success rate doing that," said Boward. "I saw on TV the University of Denver brought in a completely different goalie, and it seemed to work pretty well. Joe is right-handed, and Steve (Brown, senior starting goalie) is left-handed, and I think that threw (Pittsburgh) off a bit."\nLike he has all season, junior forward Matt Hof led the scoring attack, netting four goals in the contest. Sophomore James O'Callaghan scored four goals, as well. Bowman, freshman Chris Allen, sophomore Ryan Furman and sophomore midfielder Pete Lindblom added a goal apiece.\nThe weekend of March 24-26 the men's lacrosse team beat West Virginia 7-6 and the University of Buffalo 10-7. Their only loss in the three-game set came at the hands of the University of Miami-Ohio, a match they dropped 12-10.\nWith Saturday's win, the Hoosiers moved to 8-3 on the season and 3-1 in the CCLA South, good for a first place tie with the University of Pittsburgh. The squad has two games remaining in the CCLA South, against Ball State University and Purdue University.\n"After beating Pitt, we need to win these next two games if we want any chance of getting first place and securing a first round bye in the playoffs," Hof said.
(03/28/06 6:04am)
The last Saturday night of spring break, members of the IU student body were all over the place. Some paraded on the beaches of Mexico and Florida. Others caught the IU-Gonzaga game on CBS. But on ESPN at about the same time, there was one IU student busy making history in Oklahoma City.\nHis name is Joe Dubuque.\nThe IU senior wrestler quietly won his second consecutive national title in the 125-pound weight class March 18.\nBut really, there shouldn't be anything quiet about it -- at least that's what his coach Duane Goldman says.\n"He's been in such a loaded weight class his whole life, and he's always been the underdog, always been overlooked, and yet he comes away with title after title," Goldman said in a statement. "With the quality of wrestlers, it's probably the toughest weight class at the national championship and (the toughest to) walk away with two national titles. He has to be categorized as one of the best of all time."\nAnd Dubuque hasn't even won a Big Ten title.\n"Last year, it didn't matter to me," Dubuque said of not capturing a Big Ten crown during his junior season. "This year, it did because I was a senior and really wanted a Big Ten Championship. It says a lot about how tough our conference is. It was a disappointment and gave me a blow to my confidence. But I sat down and talked to the coaches, regrouped and got my mind right."\nRegroup he did.\nDubuque knocked off No. 2-seed Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma 2-1 in his semifinal matchup, a rematch of last year's title bout. He then dominated freshman Troy Nickerson of Cornell 8-3 in the final.\n"People thought I was going to pack it in after the Big Tens even though I was the \nreturning national champ," Dubuque said. "People were looking for Hazewinkel and (Nick) Simmons (Michigan State wrestler and Big Ten Champ) to be in the finals. Most thought I would finish fourth or some place around there."\nAlthough this was his second national championship, Dubuque set a first for IU wrestlers -- he is the only person in IU wresting history to capture back-to-back national titles.\nAnd not since the 1930s has an IU wrestler won two national titles in his career, when Charlie McDaniel captured back-to-back titles in 1935 and 1938. You know, the 1930s -- when the Great Depression raged in America and Adolf Hitler reigned in Germany.\nNeedless to say, Mr. Dubuque is in extremely rare territory.\n"I'm not going to sit down and look down on my career because I didn't win a Big Ten title; I think I can overlook it with two national championships," he said.\nI think we'll all overlook it, Joe.
(03/22/06 5:36am)
His signature resides on the ankle patch of perhaps the most popular shoe in American history. He's a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and mingled with such basketball legends as John Wooden, Red Auerbach and Dean Smith. But up until now, nobody knew the true story of Chuck Taylor.\nEnter Abe Aamidor.\nThe former IU adjunct professor and current feature writer at The Indianapolis Star spent three years digging up the facts and filtering out the myth of Chuck Taylor's life to write the first-ever biography on the Columbus, Ind., native.\n"I was excited to learn there was never a book written about him," Aamidor said. "It was kind of like finding a gold coin in the street and nobody's around -- you just pick it up."\nBecause Taylor played in the pre-modern era of basketball that newspapers did not cover much and Converse misled the public about which pro teams Taylor played for, there was a lot for Aamidor to discover.\n"Part of the mission was to debunk the mythology," Aamidor said. "There was a lot of junk in the standard brief stuff on Chuck's life, but there was also a lot that wasn't talked about."\nTaylor was born in 1901 and spent most of his early years in Azalia, Ind., and Columbus, Ind.\nHe never played college basketball, which before World War II was the most watched and publicized level of the game. Instead, Taylor became involved with industrial league hoops, more prominent during the 1920s than professional basketball.\nTaylor was also a great basketball coach -- a part of his life that is often overlooked, Aamidor said. He coached the Wright Field (Ohio) Army Air Force "Air-Tecs" of the U.S. Army's Special Service Division. The team toured the country playing college and other military teams and is regarded by some as the best service basketball team in history, winning more than 90 percent of its contests during the 1944-45 season.\n"All the good players from colleges that were already playing pro ball were drafted (for military service)," Aamidor said. "In those days, you didn't get a deferment from the draft because you were a great ball player."\nInstead of being well-known for his coaching abilities, Taylor became most famous for his relationship with Converse and its "All-Star" shoe. Although stories range on just how Chuck became involved with the company, he most likely became a salesman for Converse in 1921 and after proving to be a valuable asset to the company, his name was added to the All-Star patch in 1932.\nOne way Taylor marketed the shoe was through the "Fundamentals of Basketball" clinics he put on throughout the country. These clinics were put on at high schools and small colleges and on average drew about 300 to 400 guests.\n"Before World War II, football and baseball were the big sports," Aamidor said. "So, in the clinics, he explained the game to a lot of people who weren't familiar with it."\nTaylor promoted the shoe in a variety of other ways, ranging from traveling with the Converse All-Stars basketball squad to personally contacting and visiting owners of small-town sporting goods stores.\n"In a way, his dealings were a bit shady, but he was ultimately honest and likeable," Aamidor said. "Nowadays, every photograph is airbrushed and any statement made is through a spokesman and interviews have to be granted. While Chuck's ways weren't perfect, they were much more honest"
(03/09/06 5:20am)
Inside Assembly Hall on Tuesday night, the announcer of the intramural basketball finals attempted to recreate the atmosphere of an IU men's basketball game. \n"Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time for the American Eagle Live Your Life Fan Cam!" he shouted during a timeout of the men's division I final.\nNo one was fooled.\nThe lighting was low. Instead of thousands of screaming fans, about 200 sat on the west side of the stadium. Without a fraternity competing in this year's final, attendance wasn't as high as in previous years. No expensive warm-up suits or uniforms graced the backs of players -- just a few screen-printed pennies and T-shirts with markered numbers on the back.\nThe atmosphere and players in the stadium might have been different, but the play on the court was anything but.\nU Mad and the Family, the two teams that made the men's Division I final, traversed their way through a field of 94 teams to make it to Branch McCracken Court. You don't just back into the finals of a 94-team tournament -- these teams can play.\nU Mad, a student team consisting entirely of Bloomington natives, (props for not calling yourself the Cutters) was hot from beyond the arc early and led by as much as 17 in the first half. At the half, it held a 36-22 advantage over the Family.\n"They were knocking down all their shots in the first half," said the Family's Matt Lacy of U Mad's shooters. "They hit basically every shot they took. We knew they'd be missing in the second half, so we had to just keep playing our game, getting the defensive rebounds and playing better help-side defense. We knew our offense would come around, we just needed to play better defense." \nThe plan seemed to work. After the Family worked its way back to within a point of U Mad, Lacy swiped the ball from a U Mad player at the top of the key and scored on a breakaway layup to put the Family up 56-55 with 6:20 to go. After Lacy's layup, the teams switched leads three times before the Family went on a 6-0 run to go up 66-60 to all but seal the deal. It held on to win the title 74-72.\nIn the women's division I final, the Eyeballers, led by the inside post moves of first-year grad student Shannon Szuba, broke away from a tightly defended, close game late in the second half to take the crown 37-29 against Alpha Omicron Pi.\n"We were just catching the ball and standing there," Szuba said of her team's play during the beginning of the second half. "Their defense is good so we had to pick it up on offense and move the ball faster." \nFor the Eyeballers and the Family, there were no trophies or plaques to hoist above their heads or basketball nets to wear around their necks when the final buzzer sounded. Just a green T-shirt reading 'Everyone loves an intramural champion.' Not the most glamorous reward, but no one complained. \nHeck, it sure beats the drink the second place teams got.