Sports

Jeffries chooses NBA over IU

He's gone. One week after IU's loss to Maryland in the NCAA Tournament championship game, IU sophomore Jared Jeffries declared himself eligible for the June NBA Draft, forgoing his final two years of eligibility. "All my life, I've had two dreams -- the first was to hear my name called on college graduation day," Jeffries said in a press conference in Assembly Hall Monday afternoon, when he made the formal announcement. "The second was to hear my name called in the NBA Draft."

Later, Sooners

IU defeated Oklahoma 73-64 to advance to the national title game. Forward Jeff Newton led the Hoosiers with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks off of the bench. Senior Jarrad Odle contributed 11 points. Freshman Donald Perry added 10 points, including 5 for 6 from the foul line. For the Sooners, Aaron McGhee scored 22 points but fouled out with 4:40 left in the game. IU takes on Maryland on Monday in the championship game. The Terrapins defeated Kansas 97-88 in their national semifinal matchup. Photo Gallery

Knight to receive Texas Tech job

Bob Knight has wanted another chance to coach college basketball since IU President Myles Brand terminated his contract with IU Sept. 10. Today, Texas Tech appears ready to grant Knight his wish. The school in Lubbock, Texas, 1,100 miles southwest of Bloomington, will announce Bob Knight as its 12th men's basketball coach during a 7 p.m. press conference at the school's new United Spirit Arena.

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Fun, friends and family

The first Friday of every month, the Outreach Program sponsors family night. There is a range of events from a toddler discovery room to open basketball to open swimming.

Coaching staff grows

Football coach Gerry DiNardo is methodically piecing together a coaching staff that has a local flavor. One of the newest additions to DiNardo's staff is Bloomington South coach Mo Moriarity, who is regarded as one of the top high school coaches in the state. Moriarity joined DiNardo's coaching staff earlier this week along with Al Borges and Steve Addazio.

Students toss bottles, light fires after Maryland victory

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Students lit bonfires, threw bottles, climbed onto business roofs and shot off fireworks after Maryland beat Indiana to win the NCAA tournament. One reveler was tackled by an ice cream shop employee when he tried to ram a police barricade through the shop's window. Another student was badly cut after getting hit in the head with a bottle.

Women prepare for match with Butler

Chances are Butler won't show the women's basketball team anything they haven't already seen early this season. At 0-4 Butler is losing by 35 points on average. IU on the other hand has faced two top ten teams in Stanford and North Carolina State, and while the Hoosiers came up short in those two games, the experience of playing top teams has prepared the Hoosiers for the rest of its non-conference schedule.

Women's rows 7, 8 have high hopes

Row 7 no. 19 Alpha Phi (3:07.417) The attitude of Alpha Phi this year is a 180-degree turnaround from last year's team. Whereas last year's squad was more interested in having fun, this year's team is looking for a top finish. And, with three returning riders and a pair of rookies, captain Allison Ferro thinks the team has the talent to do just that.

Defense falters again

Familiarity is comforting, except when it's losing. And that's just what the Hoosiers did Saturday in Iowa City against the Hawkeyes. They lost 42-28, in an all too familiar fashion. A dominant offense, an invisible defense. The tone of the game was set a mere 1:45 seconds into the game when Iowa scored on a 75-yard touchdown run. The entire drive consisted of three plays, and from then out the Iowa offense scored on all but one possession in the first half.

Just missed

The IU men's water polo team took to the SRSC aquatic center on Friday, Oct. 26 for the Big Ten Championship. An overtime loss to the nations top team Purdue crushed IU's chance for a birth in the National Championship Tournament on Nov. 9. The top two teams of the conference tournament advance to the National Tournament. IU entered the conference tournament with the third seed, behind first and second seeds, Purdue and Michigan. The tournament held true to the seedings.

Transfer looking to improve guard play

Experience will not be something the women's basketball team will be lacking this season. The team's top two returnees -- seniors Jill Chapman and Heather Cassady -- have started a combined 153 games in their college careers. What a luxury, then, that coach Kathi Bennett was able to add junior Kristen Bodine to her squad. Bodine, a transfer from Butler who sat out last season but practiced with the team, is penciled in to start at the point guard for the Hoosiers this season.

Williams defeats obstacles, earns position

Little League football said senior Levron Williams was too big to play running back. He was talented enough to play both offense and defense, but they would not let him carry the ball. "I was supposed to play running back the year I started to play, but they had a weight requirement I had to meet, and they said I was overweight," Williams, the Hoosiers starting running back, said. "I was kind of bigger than everyone else." Williams said his future as a running back began in middle school. "I just showed them I could run the ball and they let me play running back," he said.

IU 2, St. John's 1

The men's soccer team moved one step closer to its sixth NCAA title Friday night, with a 2-1 win over St. John's in double overtime. After a defensive battle first half that left both teams scoreless, St. John's midfielder Jeff Matteo broke the Indiana block for the game's first goal. The goal also broke IU's shutout streak at 702:19 minutes. With only 25 minutes remaining in regulation, freshman Mike Ambersley tied the score with a 22-yard shot. The game remained tied into a second overtime, when sophomore Vijay Dias scored the goal that pushed IU to the next level.

Team travels across country for tournament

The IU volleyball team left to travel across the country Thursday to The Loyola Marymount Invitational -- a tournament they could not be more excited about. "I've never been to California," said sophomore Melissa Brewer, "I'm very excited. Hopefully we'll have some free time to look around and this trip should give us a chance to regroup."

Lady Hoosiers travel to Illinois

The IU women's basketball team prides itself on its leadership from four starting seniors. Illinois looks for inspiration elsewhere with only one senior in its opening lineup. "Senior leadership is important, but you have to be passionate and you have to be hungry and you got to want to make it happen," Illinois coach, Theresa Grentz, said. "If you don't have seniors, you go with what you have. The key is to be passionate. You have to have great desire."

Questions remain after first half of season

The All Star break is upon us fans of Major League Baseball, meaning the season is a little more than halfway home. So, with that in mind, it is time to reflect on what we have seen in the previous few months, and what may be to come as the season winds down to a close. 1) The Next Great Home Run Race? 2) Surprise Division Leaders. 3) The Trading Deadline.

Armstrong wins 3rd straight Tour

About the time people here in America were waking up from a nice deep sleep Sunday morning, halfway across the globe, a fellow American was accomplishing something monumental. Lance Armstrong was crossing the finish line in the final stage of the Tour de France as the champion for the third year in a row -- the first time any American had ever accomplished such a feat. For those that aren't familiar, the Tour de France is like the Super Bowl of bicycling. It starts out with a time trial and then goes on for 20 consecutive stages before its conclusion. The race tours the French countryside, from the flats to the mountains, including some time spent in the Alps. The tour ends up in Paris, by the famed Champs-Elysees. For all the riders in the world, this is the event they train for during the year. It is actually more prestigious than an Olympic medal.

Field finalized for Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS -- Arie Luyendyk led a surprising speed show Sunday that filled a record-setting field for the Indianapolis 500 before rain cut short the last day of qualifying.

Alone in first place

Wednesday night, the Hoosiers played zone defense, something they almost never do. Wednesday night, IU used a trapping press to try to disrupt Ohio State, a tactic the Hoosiers almost never use. The Hoosiers were playing for first place in the Big Ten last night, late in February, something it hasn't done for nearly a decade.