Community Arts

A bid farewell

SALT LAKE CITY -- It's time to say goodbye. Words can't begin to express what ended Saturday. A season that began with limitless dreams quickly dissolved into a coaching fallout. But when the fires tamed, the Hoosiers that originally garnered enthusiasm rose again. A five game losing streak beget a five game winning streak that beget IU's first tournament berth in three years.

Who has the better 'stache: Calloway v. Morrison

Throw out the stats. Forget the ball skills. The real issue at hand leading up to Saturday's Gonzaga-IU game is quite simple. It comes down to one question. Who's got the better 'stache? Gonzaga's Adam Morrison has drawn attention all season for his fuzzy, caterpillar-like facial hair, but one Hoosier in particular feels a little under appreciated.

Vaden feeling good, Strickland a game-time decision

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Hoosiers' top three have looked, as of late, a little bit like "the walking wounded", as a reporter referred to them in a question from Friday's press conference. Sophomore forward Robert Vaden sprained his ankle against Ohio State and had an ice bag taped around it after Thursday night's game. He wore a different sized shoe on that foot to account for the swelling, but he seemed unaffected as he played a team-high 36 minutes and hit the game-winning shot.

All eyes on Adam

SALT LAKE CITY -- Only three other teams in the country can relate to the predicament facing IU. Maryland, Memphis and Virginia are the only teams in the nation that know what it is like to play Duke's J.J. Redick and Gonzaga's Adam Morrison. After Saturday night, the Hoosiers will be able to relate. And perhaps the only thing scarier than playing both players is the tendency for one to upscale the other.

Friday, March 17

I think my heart is still racing from last night's game! Last night's game is pretty typical of how our season has gone I would say. We started off well, were down in the middle of the game, and then found a way to rally around each other and pull out a victory. We never gave up and we found a way to 'get it done' which has been our motto these past couple of weeks. San Diego State played very well and deserves a lot of credit. We knew they were a good team going into the game and that they shouldn't be overlooked.

San Diego Stunned

SALT LAKE CITY -- Twice in the second half a loose ball ended up in the hands of sophomore Robert Vaden. Twice Vaden took that ball and drained an open look from three. And only twice in that half did the Hoosiers hold a lead over No. 11 seed San Diego State. Fortunately for IU, the second of those two similar occurrences came with only 3.3 seconds left.

Late-game heroics power Hoosiers past Aztecs

SALT LAKE CITY -- San Diego State fans might still be blinking. In the closing seconds, junior guard Rod Wilmont attempted to throw the ball in the post to senior forward Marco Killingsworth for a game-stealing post up with IU down 83-82. But SDSU forward Marcus Slaughter knocked the pass loose for what looked to be a game-ending turnover. The ball flew in the air and sophomore guard Robert Vaden skied over an Aztec defender to come down with it around the three-point line.

Phillips: Big Shot Rob saves my job

Whew! So that's what it's like to have a team in the NCAA tournament huh? Let me just say, I like it.

Wednesday, March 15

We arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on Tuesday night around 7:30 PM Utah time (9:30 PM in Bloomington). The flight was a little bumpy at times and was about 3 hours long. The seniors got to sit in first class with the coaches and their families while the rest of the team was in coach along with the band, cheerleaders and alumni. Some guys played UNO to pass the time while others watched movies or played games on our PSP's. I started watching a movie, but ended up sleeping for most of the flight.

Thursday, March 16

It's 5:30 p.m. and more importantly, it's gameday today! We play in less then two hours and everyone is getting anxious. Marshall and I were sitting in our hotel room and Rod came in singing and telling us how hyped he was. We'll definitely need that energy tonight because San Diego State will not be easy. They are an athletic team that really goes to the offensive rebounds and like to run the floor and drive the basketball to the rim. We'll need to continue to play well defensively like we have the past couple of weeks and we'll especially need to block out.

March memories few and far between

SALT LAKE CITY -- Senior Marshall Strickland struggles to remember it. Senior Sean Kline said it feels like it's been 10 years. But the reality is that IU last danced just three years ago -- it only seems longer. Strickland and Kline represent the only players on IU's roster to have worn cream and crimson in the NCAA Tournament. Seniors Marco Killingsworth and Lewis Monroe both have a Sweet 16 appearance to their names, but that came at Auburn.

Hoosiers' diminished frontcourt to deal with Aztecs' front two

SALT LAKE CITY -- The San Diego State Aztecs hail from the Mountain West Conference, but they look familiar to the Hoosiers of the Midwest. And even 1500 miles away from Bloomington, the IU players see themselves fighting a familiar battle Thursday night, despite being emerged in the Rocky Mountains surrounding the Jon Huntsman Center.

IU seeded sixth, will face San Diego State Thursday

IU drew the No. 6 seed of the Oakland Bracket and will take on No. 11-seeded San Diego State in Salt Lake City on Thursday afternoon, as selected on Sunday night by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

IU NCAA Tournament tickets

Hoosiers drop heartbreaker in semifinals

INDIANAPOLIS -- Junior guard Rod Wilmont laid stomach-down on the Conseco Fieldhouse floor with his hands covering his eyes, as he cried after a failed attempt to win the game. Wilmont's 16 points led IU in its 52-51 loss to Ohio State Saturday afternoon. The redshirt junior failed to connect on a short jump shot in the lane after rebounding a missed baseline jumper from senior forward Marco Killingsworth, who shot a season-worst 27 percent in a 10-point, 10-rebound outing. Wilmont's shot missed off the back of the rim with three seconds remaining, and Killingsworth's clanged out at the 14-second mark.

Big Ten Tourney Blog: Ohio State

INDIANAPOLIS -- Age doesn't matter after a loss like that. When Rod Wilmont's last-second shot clanked off the iron and fell into the hands of the Buckeyes, the emotions were too much for men and children alike. Wilmont needed to be scooped up off the floor by his coaches and teammates as he buried his face in his jersey -- overwhelmed by the weight of forty hard-fought minutes seeming to fall squarely on his shoulders.

Big Ten Tourney Blog: Wisconsin

INDIANAPOLIS -- It took a long time for everything to settle in. After driving down streets whose names had been changed to represent every big ten team. After spending several hours in an arena that looked schizophrenic in its pallet of colors. And even after seeing rich alumni laughing with homeless men while talking basketball after the game. function openWin(URL){ var theNewWindow = window.open(URL,"thewindow", "toolbars=no, width=670, height=580" ); theNewWindow.focus(); }

IU opens tourney with win

INDIANAPOLIS -- IU added another key victory to its NCAA Tournament resume Friday with a 61-56 defeat of Wisconsin. The Hoosiers (18-10, 10-7 Big Ten) won the contest in the second half, scoring 46 of their 61 points on 64 percent shooting. Senior guard Marshall Strickland and senior forward Marco Killingsworth each put up 14 points in the final 20 minutes to help give IU its fifth straight win. Killingsworth finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Strickland had 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.

IU joins campaign to phase out sweatshops

A proposal that requires companies that produce IU apparel to do so in "sweat-free" factories will likely be implemented this summer. The plan, which IU President Adam Herbert signed earlier this semester, adopts the Sweat-Free Campus Campaign to require companies such as Nike, adidas and Reebok to manufacture collegiate apparel under standards pushed for by IU's No Sweat! group.

Clean sl8

In its eight years, the Big Ten Tournament trophy has never called Bloomington home. While six other teams have tasted the sweetness of victory, the Hoosiers have only swallowed bitter pills of defeat. IU wipes the slate clean Friday afternoon and begins another tournament.