Category: Indiana University Hoosier (I.U) Sports (Page 2 of 31)

While IU football had the day off, Hoosier fans finally got a look at the prospects of this year’s basketball team. South Carolina came into Assembly Hall with an early season loss but at least provided a formidable early season test after a couple exhibition games and two comfortable victories. IU proved that they can hit the three this year, even without intention, after Kanaan Caryle’s lob to Mackenzie Mgbako found the net instead of outstretched hands. Hopefully, it’s a sign of what’s to come following this much improved 8-17 performance behind the arc. Guard play was hampered by injuries to Gabe Cupps, Jakai Newton, and Anthony Leal, but Myles Rice stepped up with 23-points and Carlyle added twelve in this 87-71 victory. There were still a lot of rough edges, but at least turnovers were limited to eleven. 

Trey Galloway put the game away with three of his eleven points at the 10:46 mark for a 62-44 lead, allowing the “first to 60” to work its magic. Oumar Ballo had thirteen rebounds and finally scored his first of seven points once “Sixth Man” Galloway entered the lineup and started to feed him in the post. The fans got fed free French Fries when the Gamecocks’ Jacobi Wright missed two consecutive free throws with 26.9 on the clock thanks to the Finney’s promotion. 

Morris Ugusuk led South Carolina in scoring with 18-points with Collin Murray-Boyles in foul trouble. Mackenzie Mgbako continued to impress with seventeen for the Hoosiers. Next up is UNC Greensboro in Bloomington before they head to the Bahamas and the first Battle 4 Atlantis game against Louisville. 

After a strong run to finish the regular soccer season and sharing a Big Ten title with #1 seed Ohio State, the Hoosiers fell short to Michigan with a strong sense of disappointment since they easily won the regular season match 5-0. They then had to patiently wait for their seeding in the NCAA tournament. The soccer men did then at least get to watch their football team get some means of revenge against the Wolverines on the gridiron. Typically, it’s been the other way around. 

In the meantime, both men’s and women’s basketball were in action. It was not a magical time for the women, losing in surprising fashion against both Harvard 72-68 and Butler 56-46, while falling badly from their initial #25 rating to start the season. The Hoosier women shot a dismal 36% from the field and had 16-turnovers at Hinkle Fieldhouse against the Bulldogs. They had 27-turnovers against Harvard. The IU men had already topped ISUE in their opener and faced the Eastern Illinois Panthers at friendly Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. 

The Hoosier men did not get off to a great start, trailing by five points before going on a 24-2 run early in the second half. Mgbako, Ballo and Reneau combined to make 23 of 32 shots overall and grab 22 rebounds. Indiana outscored Eastern Illinois 54-18 in the second half. They went on to win 90-55. Nakyel Shelton led the upset-minded Panthers with 17-points and made five threes to take an unexpected one-point halftime lead. They were a far cry from the team that lost by 45 at No. 24 Illinois in their season opener. IUs 24-2 run, the Hoosiers made 9 of 14 shots while the Panthers managed only one basket along with 10 missed shots. At the 12:26 mark, Malik’s Reneau’s layup made it a decisive 60-45 on one of eight assists from Trey Galloway. Overall, the Hoosiers added more magic by holding Eastern to well under 60-points. Plus, Luke

When this story began in the Bob Knight era, I wrote about a McDonalds’ promotion for free food for fans with stellar defensive performances. Finney Hopitality Group has offered a similar program, although not really aimed at defense but rather poor free throw shooting by a home opponent. “If an opposing player misses two consecutive free throws during a trip to the free-throw line, fans receive a free order of Finney Fries which will be redeemable at any Finney Hospitality Group restaurant in the state of Indiana which includes – The Tap, Yogi’s, Social Cantina, and SmokeWorks. None of these restaurants existed in Bloomington when Coach Knight and I came to town in 1971. I got my free fries from McDonalds. 

The men host the South Carolina Gamecocks next. The women try to rebound against undefeated #24 Stanford. Will we see more magic and maybe get some free fries?

I had to let the Michigan game settle in a bit before commenting. I saw the vulnerability of IU’s undefeated season after admittedly being overconfident at halftime. The Hoosiers were clearly in control but not scoring at their usual high level. The Wolverines took the second half kickoff and were promptly stopped, relieving some anxiety that perhaps this was all a dream, too good to be true. Then Michigan “suddenly” took the momentum, using one of announcer Don Fisher’s favorite transitions when things turned on a dime. I was almost embarrassed by the end of the third quarter at the team’s performance. I saw this as a solid team, well balanced on both sides of the ball, but they quickly fell apart – turnovers, bad play calls, dropped passes, missed blocks. It was everything I was accustomed to after watching IU football for sixty-years. 

IU was up 17-3 at one point, but the Wolverines cut the lead to 17-15 in the fourth quarter. The undefeated Hoosiers bent but they didn’t break, never relinquishing the lead and adding a field goal to seal the victory, 20-15, and preserve perfection at 10-0, a historical first. The outcome was hardly with the ease shown in the first nine victories, but this was wounded Michigan, struggling in defense of its national championship. IU Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a Heisman candidate, threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns, but he got no help from the running game and threw a very costly interception from his own end zone. Furthermore, he was sacked four times and pressured many more. 

Michigan had lost just two times against Indiana since 1987. The Wolverines lost in ’87 and again in 2020, so any kind of a win should have been satisfying. However, I don’t think any IU fan, team member, or coach was happy. The game really meant nothing because Ohio State loomed ahead and only that kind of victory would have turned heads. Beating Michigan was simply a big step in getting to Columbus and a real chance to prove themselves to the college football experts.

Winning against the Wolverines certainly didn’t matter much in the ratings! Even undefeated, the Hoosiers are still ranked fourth in the Big Ten and fifth in the nation. This is because people are used to seeing Indiana as a bottom feeder of the Big Ten, and while IU is a really good football team, Michigan lost the game because the Hoosiers couldn’t effectively close. Is this because there’s a flaw in coach Curt Cignetti’s plan or can’t his front line execute effectively down the stretch? I guess we’ll find out in two weeks against Ohio State.

At this time in my life, it’s better to focus on sports rather than prostrate or back problems. It’s also best to whine over losses than pain, but I’m not suffering at all. Even though the Elkhart Lions lost a tough one Friday night in the high school football playoffs, they are really not my team anymore, having abandoned the Blue Blazer nickname. Besides, the nearby Venice Indians, my new HS team, won 42-8 over Sarasota Riverside to go 9-1 on the season. IU soccer, basketball, and football are on winning streaks, so I’m living a charmed life. On the other hand, Da Bears play today, after a painful finish last weekend, but I’m used to that!

Five years ago, I wrote an article about my Spartan frustrations called, “O for East Lansing.” (See Post #1509). It seemed like every time my football Hoosiers traveled to East Lansing they were crushed, especially if I went myself. The same was sadly true for games in Bloomington, dating back to Rob Stradley, a friend Kim’s brother, who wore #22 for the team. A sense of dread always fills me when I hear the name “Sparty.” I even once attended a pep rally in East Lansing where I was the only one wearing red. Other friends named Craig Cole and Jeff White gloated in victory. I mention all these names because they are weeping green tears today. 

Winning against Michigan State doesn’t happen very often, considering the all-time series record is 50-19-2, but I.U. prevailed yesterday 47-10 in East Lansing, despite falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter. I don’t ever recall a chance to watch our players victoriously spit in the Old Brass Spittoon, a nasty ritual. I’m sure that at the end of the first quarter, Spartan fans like Stradley, White, and Cole were thinking that the Hoosiers were overrated. However, 47-straight points later they were crying in their beer, if they were still watching at all. I was!

Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, returning from thumb surgery, threw for 263 yards and four touchdowns, including two to Elijah Sarratt, and Amare Ferrell had two interceptions Saturday to lead No. 13 Indiana to its first 9-0 start in school history. #10 Texas A&M and #11 Clemson both lost, assuring IU of a Top 10 ranking and spot in the college Playoffs, if they continue to win. That won’t be easy against Michigan, Ohio State, and Purdue.

The Spittoon trophy, first introduced in 1950, had been in the hands of the Spartans since 2007. It only lived in Bloomington a dozen times in all those years, filled with DNA from seasons past. 1967-69 was the longest stretch of Hoosier victories over the Spartans, all three in East Lansing, coinciding with IU’s only Rose Bowl appearance and only the second time they had won nine games until this year. I was still in high school, not yet a season ticket holder, so yet to experience “0 for East Lansing.” I can only hope that it never happens again! Go Hoosiers!

Continued from Post #2637. 

Bob Knight’s son, Patrick, the new coach of Marian University in Indiana, ironically named the Knights, brought his NAIA team to Bloomington for the last exhibition game, Exhibit B. He spent the last 10-years as a scout for the Indiana Pacers after head coaching jobs at Lamar University and Texas Tech, where he replaced his father. He also played for Indiana from 1990-1995, so it was a fitting return to his alma mater. However, the warm welcome quickly turned into an expected 106-64 rout. 

The Hoosiers jumped to a 9-2 lead before Pat Knight had to use a timeout less than two minutes into the contest. The lead quickly stretched to 26, as Indiana shot a blistering 65.7 percent from the field despite a poor 1-for-11 performance from beyond the arc, a gnawing concern. IU had a similar 0-11 start from deep against Tennessee in Exhibit A. There was hope that this fatal flaw that had haunted us over the past few years had been fixed. They did find more success from the perimeter in the second half, sinking five of their 14 attempts from beyond the 3-point line, but 6-25 overall is hardly encouraging. 

Malik Reneau had 18 points and eight rebounds, while Oumar Ballo totaled 16 points and seven rebounds for the Hoosiers. Freshman Bryson Tucker, who missed the first exhibition against Tennessee, led the IU scoring attack with 19-points. By the six-minute mark of the second half, Indiana led by 45, easily surpassing the magic 60-mark. Mike Woodson brought on walk-on Jordan Rayford and Dallas James, a transfer from South Carolina State, scoring their very first Hoosier points, as well as Jakai Newton after recovering from injuries. 

There were only four-days to prepare for the season opener against SIU-Edwardsville at Assembly Hall. Hopefully, some of that time is spent practicing free-throws after a dismal 8-14 performance, not to mention 3-pointers. At least, the team showed better ball control with just 10-turnovers, compared with 13 against Tennessee. Let the season and its magic begin! 

There’s never been a better time to be an Indiana University sports fan with an undefeated football team, a promising basketball season for both the women and men, and a BIG Ten regular season soccer championship. Swimming was once all the rave, basketball has since gotten the most attention, but it’s been decades since a National Championship, and football could go 9-0 for the first time in history, but it’s been soccer that has had the most consistent winning ways. Here’s the back story: 

In 1976 IU soccer beat Hartwick 2-1 in the semifinals and lost the final to San Francisco 1-0 in Coach Jerry Yeagley’s first trip to the College Cup in Philadelphia. His son Todd was there; he was four years old. 

In 1978 the Hoosiers topped Philadelphia 2-0 in the semifinals but lost to San Francisco again 2-0 in the final. San Francisco went on to defeat IU for a third time in the 1980 finale 4-3. Finally in 1982 the soccer Hoosiers beat SIU-Edwardsville 1-0 and Duke 2-1 in eight overtimes for the school’s first-ever soccer national title and Jerry Yeagley’s first. His son Todd was once again there, only 10 years old.

The second title came in 1983 over Virginia 3-1 in the semis, followed by an overtime thriller against Columbia 1-0. They returned to soccer’s version of the Final Four in 1984 but lost to Clemson 2-1 after defeating Hartwick 2-1. Four years later in 1988 came the third title, won in Bloomington, over both Portland and Howard by the same 1-0 scores. 

Santa Clara beat them in 1989, 4-2 in the semifinals and again in 1991 2-0. It was son, Todd Yeagley’s, freshman year as a player. In his 1994 final game as a player, they lost to Virginia 1-0 after a decisive win against UCLA 4-1. The Bruins came back to haunt them in 1997, a 1-0 semifinal loss in three overtimes. 

Although coach father and player son did not win a national title together, a fourth title for the Senior Yeagley happened in 1998 over Stanford 3-1, and a fifth the following year over Santa Clara 1-0. This was after a four-overtime 3-2 marathon over UCLA. Back-to-back championships for the first time!

It wasn’t until 2003 that Jerry achieved his sixth and final trophy as head coach, following a couple years of disappointment. In 2000 they had lost the semifinal match to Creighton 2-1 in three overtimes and 2001 the title game to North Carolina 2-0. Victory was sweeter as father and son enjoyed #6 on the sideline together, Todd as an IU soccer volunteer assistant. It was Jerry’s 554th and final win at Indiana, an NCAA record. Mike Freitag, who played at Indiana, and was Jerry’s assistant for 11-years, took over the program in his place and claimed the second back-to back title and seventh overall by defeating Maryland and then UC-Santa Barbara on penalty kicks.

I guess you could consider the next seven Yeager-less years to be a draught – not just for soccer but for IU sports in general. The basketball banners were gathering dust, the 2007 Insight Bowl was a football bust, and Hoosier basketball didn’t even make the NCAA tournament from 2009-2011. There wasn’t much to cheer for until Todd Yeagley was named head soccer coach in 2012. He proceeded to win his first national title and the team’s 8th over Georgetown 1-0 in 2012. The Yeagley magic was back! However, it took him five more years to get back to the College Cup. The Hoosiers lost to Stanford 1-0 after two overtimes after beating North Carolina 1-0 in the semifinals. 

In 2018, I went to the Santa Barbara College Cup to watch them fall short to Maryland 2-0. The 2021 team beat Pittsburgh 1-0 in the national semifinals but lost to Marshall 1-0 in overtime in the title game. That season was played in the spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten-years had passed since a championship when they defeated Pittsburgh 2-0 in the 2022 national semifinals and lost to Syracuse on penalty kicks 7-6 after 2OT periods tied at 2-2. They were the first team since Maryland (2018) to make a championship game without conceding a goal throughout the NCAA Tournament and the seventh team all-time to achieve that feat. More misfortune followed in the 2023 Elite 8 loss to Notre Dame on PKs 5-4 after a 1-1 tie.

The 2024 Indiana Hoosiers just claimed their 35th Big Ten Championship, 19th regular season title, and fifth league crown in seven seasons. They had a final game against unheralded Trine that ended 4-1 at Jerry Yeagley Field before the tournaments started. The team is ranked only 16th because of a slow start to the season and hungry to end a bad streak of five College Cup losses in the last 12-years without that 9th national championship. Will they ride the football and basketball momentum to victory at last?

The typically long wait between I.U. basketball seasons was significantly shortened by an undefeated football start. At the same time, however, the recruiting wars were not going well thanks to Dan Hurley’s UConn program. He first locked onto Montverde Academy’s Liam McNeeley after decommitting from I.U. and then wooed Eric Reibe and Braylon Mullins, two key Mike Woodson targets. Fortunately, we were able to land Montverde’s 6’7″ forward Trent Sisley, at least “temporarily,” as happens too frequently these days. We’ll have to once again rely on the portal to be competitive in the future.

The fruits of the 2024 recruiting class and portal were on public display for the first time at Hoosier Hysteria, during homecoming weekend, and in a charity exhibition game at the University of Tennessee a week later. Bryson Tucker, Langdon Hatton, Luke Goode, Kanaan Carlyle, Oumar Ballo, and Myles Rice joined last year’s regulars Mackenzie Mgbako, Gabe Cupps, Anthony Leal, Malik Reneau, and Trey Galloway on the court. Galloway and Tucker are still recovering from injuries, along with Jakai Newton. The rest of the team includes Shaan Burke, Jordan Rayford, James Goodis, Jaden Bobbett, Jackson Creel, Ian Stephens, and Dallas James – “Your 2024-25 Indiana Hoosiers!”

It was a challenging first assignment against a preseason Top 25 team that finished last year 27-9, won the SEC Championship, reached the Elite 8, and are coached by a well-respected veteran Rick Barnes. IU entered the game ranked 17th, while the Volunteers were judged 12th. Both teams had significant personnel losses from the previous year, and the ugliness of regrouping was obvious. 

Indiana started the game with four straight turnovers on offense, then proceeded to miss all eleven of their 3-point attempts. The Volunteers weren’t much better, going just 3-of-20 from distance. In the second half, the shots started to fall, as both teams eventually settled from opening jitters. Six points was the largest margin in Tennessee’s favor, but a Malik Reneau 3-pointer put the Hoosiers ahead 55-54, headed to that magic mark of 60. 

Myles Rice was credited with the reason for I.U.’s four-point victory. The Washington State transfer finished with 20-points and four assists. The Hoosiers got to 60 first and won 66-62. Reneau led all scorers with 21-points and a game-sealing dunk. Mgbako had 12-points, while Ballo pulled down 11-rebounds and added 6-points. “Exhibit A” was a solid way to start the season, before “Exhibit B,” the final exhibition game, on November 1st against Marian.