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(02/03/21 9:00pm)
Indiana played No. 12 Illinois close all night long, and even led at the half -- but overtime was a different story. Austin, Connor, and Jackson have thoughts on Tuesday night's missed opportunity, what it means in the bigger picture, and what IU needs to do moving forward -- in order to keep NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Plus, is Sunday's game against Iowa actually a "must win?" For more, follow @TheHoosierNet on Twitter.
(01/24/21 8:58pm)
Was a week off just what the doctor ordered for Indiana? On a very special edition of the Indiana Basketball Podcast, the guys are joined by the one and only Jeff Goodman to help break down IU's signature win over No. 4 Iowa. 'Nuff said.
(01/15/21 7:55pm)
Thursday's loss to Purdue is Archie Miller's sixth straight, and it has us asking each other if the pain and suffering will ever end. Seriously though, things just got a lot more difficult for Indiana, with a gauntlet of Big Ten games still ahead. What needs to change now if IU still has prospects of making the big dance? Hines, Render, and Yeary dive into it all on a special edition of the Indiana Basketball Podcast.
(12/31/20 6:24am)
It was anything but clean. But then again, what has been so far for Indiana in 2020? IU-Penn State was exactly what we all expected from a couple teams scrapping for their first conference win — ugly at times, but a physical night in the Big Ten nonetheless, which took overtime to reach a final outcome.
With 13 seconds left in overtime, Rob Phinisee played hero, hitting a turnaround jumper to seal the deal for IU as Archie Miller’s team avoided a scary 0-3 start in conference play. But Wednesday night went beyond Phinisee just stepping up when he was supposed to. Here’s what stands out the most:
(12/29/20 6:04am)
After a ROUGH week for Indiana Basketball, IU finds itself 0-2 in conference play for the first time under Archie Miller. With crucial games against Maryland and Penn State (both 0-2) ahead, is it too soon to say it's do or die? Austin Render, Jackson Yeary, and Connor Hines have takes on the latest edition of the Indiana Basketball Podcast.
(12/22/20 3:51am)
Could this actually be Archie Miller's best Indiana team? How confident should Hoosier fans feel headed into the conference season? Render, Hines, and Yeary have takeaways from Saturday's win over Butler, before getting you set for Indiana's beastly Big Ten schedule, beginning with Northwestern on Wednesday night.
(12/21/20 7:43pm)
Let's first re-state the obvious: the 2020 Indiana football season has been unlike anything we ever could have expected.
What's more is that the last month has been full of improbable twists and turns. Things you just can't make up. After being widely projected to play Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl, IU missed out. Even more baffling: the Citrus Bowl, Indiana's next most likely bowl destination and the bowl that should have claimed the second best team in the Big Ten, also passed on the Hoosiers, opting for Peyton Ramsey's Northwestern Wildcats instead. And at this point, the disrespect is nothing new.
Anyway, Indiana is headed to Tampa to face Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl, absolutely nothing makes sense, and that's, well, sort of okay. Because in 2020, why would it be anything different?
As Indiana learned its fate Sunday afternoon, players across the team took to social media to react.
The overwhelming consensus: absolute and utter disbelief. We lead off with a simple GIF tweeted by one of Indiana's stars, Whop Philyor. Whop always lands on the money, and this time, just really sums it all up:
(12/16/20 12:54am)
Listen to "Indiana Basketball Podcast: It's Time For The Dawgs" on Spreaker.
Well. We know a heck lot more than we did even a week ago about what Indiana can (and can't) do in 2020. With Sunday's win past us, what do we need to see against Butler, in order to truly feel confident about this year's group headed into Big Ten play? Render, Hines, and Yeary discuss on this week's Indiana Basketball Podcast.
(12/08/20 10:03pm)
Listen to "Indiana Basketball Podcast: Let's Go to Tallahassee!" on Spreaker.
On the latest Indiana Basketball Podcast, the guys wrap up Indiana's 2-1 result in Asheville, and assess where IU sits ahead of Wednesday night's throwdown with No. 20 Florida State.
(11/29/20 8:17pm)
Listen to "Indiana Basketball Podcast: Previewing The 2020 Maui (Asheville) Invitational" on Spreaker.
Austin, Connor, and Jackson check back in. Major takeaways from Indiana's season opening win over Tennessee Tech, but then we move on to previewing this year's Maui Invitational, which begins with a matchup against Big East contender Providence on Monday.
What's most important for IU this week in Asheville? Will we see Joey Brunk? What do the Friars bring to the table? Get the guys' take on this and much more -- on the latest edition of the Indiana Basketball Podcast.
(11/23/20 9:08pm)
Listen to "Indiana Basketball Podcast: We Return + 2020 Season Preview" on Spreaker.
Wait, it's time for basketball? The guys return ahead of Indiana's season opener with Tennessee Tech to preview the season, break down a beastly 2020 schedule, dive into the difference makers on this year's team, and much more.
(07/31/20 10:11pm)
With the Big Ten expected to soon release a new schedule for the 2020 football season, our position preview coverage at The HN rolls on. Up next: we take a look at one of the most reliable position groups in recent years.
Six months ago, Coy Cronk surprised all of Indiana Football Nation (that’s a thing, right?) with the announcement that he would be spending his final year of eligibility in Iowa City. Cronk assumed a crucial leadership role in wake of a season-ending ankle injury last fall, and many looked forward to closely following the comeback tour for an integral contributor. But instead, IU enters this fall without him, Darren Hiller’s group now tasked with filling the void.
As it has for the past handful of seasons, Indiana’s offensive line will once again include some household names, among the best in the Big Ten. The catch? Take a closer glance at the depth chart and there’s a fairly steep drop-off in terms of what the group has already proven on the field, making this one of the most intriguing years in quite a while for a critical group.
Leading the way
Perhaps the greatest compliment an offensive lineman can receive is no compliment at all, and that was just the case for the offense’s Newcomer of The Year, Matthew Bedford. Then a freshman, Bedford was called on out of nowhere to replace Cronk, and emerged as a guy firmly ready for an opportunity, playing an entire season in the Big Ten East without any significant hiccups.
Bedford will return to the left tackle spot, flanked by possibly the largest human on the IU roster, 6-foot-8 Caleb Jones. Jones has been feared in Indiana for years, going all the way back to his successful tenure at Lawrence North. Though he didn’t necessarily make an immediate impact upon arriving in Bloomington, the redshirt junior certainly did a season ago. In fact, Jones hadn’t even started a game before last year, and was forced into the spotlight when the team lost Cronk. Perhaps most importantly, that experience from a season ago included time on the field protecting the blindside of Michael Penix, which is exactly the task Jones will be dealt this fall.
Senior and Columbus, Indiana native Harry Crider could see time at left guard, but more than likely, he’ll be Penix’s center during the 2020 season. He’s another guy who has experience in that role with Indiana’s quarterback, despite only playing just a single game at center last year. Crider is competent, reliable, and just last week was named to the Wuerffel Trophy watch list, an award given annually to college football players creating a positive impact through community service. So on top of it all, he’s great for the locker room.
Following those three, the O-line’s picture becomes a bit less clear. A new and intriguing face who could very well assume a starting guard position is Stanford grad transfer Dylan Powell. Though he missed the 2019 season due to injury, Powell has 19 appearances to his name. If nothing else, the 300-pound interior lineman should bring some valuable veteran leadership experience to Bloomington. Regardless, it should be fun to see how he adjusts to a new system.
At right guard will quite possibly be Mackenzie Nworah, who is more than a decent backup option, if he isn’t a day one starter. The redshirt senior played in eight games with three starts, but that work load will almost certainly go up in 2020. He has the experience, which is half the battle for this position group.
Ready to take the next step
Indiana missed out on Powell’s former roommate at Stanford, transfer Devery Hamilton, and because of that, the depth chart is blurred. IU has a myriad of guys poised to take the next step; it’s just a matter of who will live up to it when the opportunity comes, much in the way Caleb Jones did in 2019.
If we don’t see Crider at center, it’ll be redshirt freshman Mike Katic. Aidan Rafferty and Nick Marozas are two more names mentioned as potential rotation pieces. Carmel native Britt Beery most definitely has the size, playing a physical brand of football as a former defensive lineman. Walk-on Charlie O’Connor may be one of the more underrated guys on Indiana’s roster; he earned snaps in four different games a year ago.
Newcomers include JuCo transfer Luke Haggard, along with Luke Wiginton, Cameron Knight (the brother of former IU lineman Brandon Knight), Brady Feeney and Randy Holtz, all of whom are expected to redshirt.
In the end, there’s no shortage of options at Darren Hiller’s disposal. Coy Cronk’s transfer is certainly a blow, and only time will tell as far as how much that will come back to bite Indiana, should we see football played this September. A surprise, much in the same way Matthew Bedford was, might be the icing on the cake, but the hope for 2020 is that the talent at the top can do enough by carrying their own weight.
(07/22/20 11:18pm)
Aaron Slegers asked if he could move the time of his scheduled phone call with The Hoosier Network to another day. Less than a week earlier, he had boarded a plane in Phoenix bound for south Florida, Slegers himself entirely uncertain of where he and likely roommate Josh Fleming would be living together — or for how long — while they compete for a 2020 Opening Day roster spot with the Tampa Bay Rays. Just days before, they had both received an invite to the Rays’ abbreviated spring training — “summer camp,” as it has been called — in preparation for the weirdest baseball season ever.
So during that originally scheduled time to chat, he was on the hunt for an apartment in the middle of a pandemic. Rather understandable.
Like all minor leaguers, Slegers, one of the best to ever pitch at Indiana and a member of the 2013 College World Series team, isn’t exactly surprised when a general manager comes calling at 3 a.m., or when he boards a last-minute flight only to play in a professional baseball game later that night, or be told he’ll be living out of a Holiday Inn for days on end (no disrespect intended toward one of the most prestigious hotel chains in the U.S.). It’s the hectic nature of his profession, predicated on attempting to prepare for the unexpected.
But as we’ve heard a million times or more over the past four months, this too is different, unlike anything that professional athletes — or anybody for that matter — have ever had to face. A vast majority of America’s minor leaguers went to bed one night and then woke up to the news that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to compete this summer, while once again trying to climb the ladder in their respective organizations’ farm systems — as if it wasn’t already difficult enough to make it to the show.
And as for the guys like Slegers, who were named to their respective teams’ 60-man player pools, they aren’t sure how long they’ll be kept around, because within the battle to get baseball back on the field this summer, smaller battles have taken place inside each of MLB’s 30 franchises. Battles between teammates. Battles of mental toughness. Battles for roster spots, and therefore also battles for an opportunity to take part in what could be a historic MLB season in uncharted territory for everybody involved.
“I just feel like I’m one of the lucky ones without any guarantees,” Slegers says. “The fact that I can continue this summer with a regimented goal system, I couldn’t imagine not having that for an entire year. Guys who just stay home…they don’t even know if they should keep playing catch or not. I don’t know what I would do with myself.”
Whether it be competing for a slot in a Division I program’s rotation or learning how brutally unfair the minor league grind can feel at times, baseball is a game that often forces you to expect nothing.
Not coincidentally, Slegers has built a career around similar principles, with the first bricks laid nearly a decade ago in Bloomington. Missing essentially his entire senior season of high school ball due to a growth issue in his forearm forced Slegers into walk-on status at IU. An injury suffered after logging just one inning at the collegiate level caused him to use a medical redshirt and sit in 2011. But two years later, Slegers filled a void and seized an opportunity, going 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA, considered the team’s ace in the biggest season ever at Indiana, en route to being named 2013 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year at the season’s close.
“Before that season…I never truly believed that I belonged in the professional ranks, let alone the major league ranks,” he said. “The stars aligned…that was the biggest season of my life, really.”
Fast-forward to the summer of 2020 and that mantra still serves its purpose: nothing given, everything earned, and most importantly, remaining grateful for the opportunity. Not unlike the experience that Indiana’s spring athletes were dealt when their respective seasons were canceled, Slegers operates under not knowing what tomorrow may or may not bring. It’s the ultimate test of "living for now" and staying focused on preparing for when his name is called.
“In baseball and in life, really, there’s going to be plenty of things that you can point at…things that didn’t go your way but should have,” he said. “If there’s anything I’ve learned in this game…when you’re complacent enough to start expecting things is when you should worry.”
Slegers is a part of the player group benefitting from the expanded roster system being instituted in Major League Baseball this summer. One of seven former Hoosiers named to a 60-man MLB pool, Slegers has worked the past month primarily out of the Rays’ spring training facility in Port Charlotte, about an hour’s drive south of Tropicana Field.
Should he step onto the turf at The Trop this summer, it’ll be in the interest of adding depth to the bullpen, appearing more than likely due to injuries and/or positive COVID-19 test results within the organization. So consider those chances pretty high.
On top of all the external factors at play while trying to complete a MLB season in 2020, it’s a separate challenge altogether to lock in and still perform at the highest level. For fringe players who have spent much of their careers in the minors, the past month has been an audition in front of major league coaching staffs, guys hoping to leave a lasting impression so they are considered as a reliable option if needed. And reliability has been Aaron Slegers’ calling card for his entire career. Known to provide longevity whether it be in a starting role or not, he knows he’ll serve some sort of role with Tampa Bay; it’s just a matter of when and how that happens.
He calls pitching “the true litmus test” for a team, and for a team that has received its fair share of offseason hype, it’s an exciting time belonging to one of the deepest organizations in baseball. The Rays are one of the teams thought to be potentially dangerous in the shortened season format, firmly in a position to “win now.”
“This organization is as stacked as I’ve ever seen,” Slegers said. “My firsthand knowledge of seeing all the guys in the bullpen, they have some of the nastiest pitches I’ve ever seen. We’re going to be in really good shape.”
To compete in MLB’s 2020 season is to be a part of history, and Aaron Slegers is close. He knows that he just as likely could be on the couch, watching it all happen with so many others just like him, but he’s not. So until that time comes, he’ll be in Port Charlotte, doing what he’s done so well his entire career — locking in and working, like nothing else has changed.
“If there’s one opportunity you have, like my current one, getting to compete to be a part of a big league roster this year,” he said, “then I’m going to do my absolute best to do that, to the best of my ability, and be grateful for the opportunity.”
An opportunity. Maybe that's all Aaron Slegers needs. A reminder that regardless of time, place or circumstance, he's still one of the lucky ones with the chance to again compete this summer, as different as it may look and feel. And that's more than most can say.
There are certainly no guarantees. But then again, when are there ever?
(05/15/20 8:05pm)
To say at this point that Steve Aird is in some ways just like the rest of us isn’t exactly breaking news. Always personable and relatable, he too is navigating these strange times from home, albeit with three kids under the age of 10. But even then, he’s still managing to set new standards ahead of his third year at the helm.
Aird and his program, a relationship three years young, provided some much-appreciated positive news with the announcement of Indiana Volleyball’s 2020 recruiting class, a group ranked 15th in the country by PrepVolleyball.com, and one that includes two Under-Armour All-Americans and the No. 32 ranked player in the class, 6-2 outside hitter Tommi Stockham. It's the highest mark ever for an Indiana class.
“It takes a couple years to get your feet underneath you,” he recently said. “They’re bright, they’re tough, they’re fun. We’re very excited about it.”
But what makes Indiana Volleyball’s rebuild unique isn’t necessarily the type of players now being recruited to Bloomington — though talent and skill is obviously a crucial product of the process, which of course sooner or later leads to results. Rather, it’s Aird’s acknowledgement of and focus on just about everything else.
“I’m an outside-of-the-box thinker,” he said. “I’m a 30,000-foot view kind of guy who likes to think about a lot of different things.”
The hype of the past two seasons and the culture Aird has quickly implemented in Bloomington gives you the sense that this is a plan with years and years under its belt. Amidst the tailgates, revamped student section and buzz generated by the team’s new home inside Wilkinson Hall, it’s easy to let slip that while this technically is his second full class, it’s this incoming group that makes Indiana’s head coach most excited about the future. He anticipates many of its members to play a major role in what IU does this fall.
Humble from the moment he was introduced as IU’s new head coach, he’s quick to acknowledge that nothing successful happens overnight, or without a support system:
(05/11/20 11:32pm)
Even before COVID-19 abruptly canceled all college sports for the remainder of the academic year, the sense of uncertainty around the Indiana Softball program was clear. But that's not where the story stops. The Hoosier Network's Connor Hines recently caught up with IU's seniors to talk about next year's "victory lap."
(04/25/20 11:26pm)
The Hoosier Network · The HN Film Room: 'Breaking Away'
The HN Film Room returns with a special collaborative podcast between The Hoosier Network and CrimsonCast. To help ease the pain of a Little 500-less April, we dive into one of our all-time favorites, 'Breaking Away.'
Griffin Gonzalez and Connor Hines are joined by Galen Clavio, along with Chris Williams of IU Artifacts, to reminisce about the greatest college week in America that didn't happen in 2020, chatting about what makes the film one of the best and one of the most unique.
Want more movie talk? Grif and friends are talking 'Indiana Jones' on the latest edition of Reel Talk: www.thehoosiernetwork.com/2020/04/21/r…diana-jones/.
(04/09/20 10:09pm)
Honoring this year's IHSAA basketball playoffs that will never be played, we're celebrating the spirit of the sport that drives us all by talking about one of the greatest sports movies ever made. Griffin Gonzalez joins Connor Hines to breakdown their re-watch of "Hoosiers" on the very first edition of The HN Film Room.
Want more movie talk? Check out the latest 'Reel Talk' HERE.
Want more high school hoops? Listen to our special IHSAA edition of the Indiana Basketball Podcast HERE.
(04/06/20 2:22pm)
2016: Villanova 77, North Carolina 74
Villanova lost five times during the 2015-16 year. The first of those five came early in December, a convincing 23-point victory for Oklahoma in Hawaii. Four months later, the No. 2 seeded Wildcats returned the favor on the biggest stage, walloping the Sooners 95-51 -- the most lopsided victory in a Final Four game ever, and a microcosm of what Villanova did so well all year long: respond. With wins over Duke, Virginia (and Indiana) in the past month, Roy Williams and North Carolina were playing at their best when it mattered most, and it showed again on April 4th in Houston. The game itself will of course be remembered for the finish, but also the work that Jay Wright and his group did to get to that buzzer-beater three, shot by Kris Jenkins, who only played four minutes of the first 20. Out of the break, Nova stormed back in front off a 13-2 run, and led by a game-high 10 with under five to play – responding. This came even after trailing at halftime, and failing to capitalize on UNC’s 32% shooting on two-point attempts. North Carolina favored in the game? Three of the starting five who would soon be chosen in the NBA Draft? It didn’t matter. Villanova reacted with enough gusto, as the Wildcats had all year, playing in the same trademark way they have ever since Wright arrived.
The longer the wait, the sweeter the kiss. I think that’s how it goes? He’s one of -- if not the most -- excellent and outstanding coaches we’ve seen in the last 50 years. And still, it took Wright 14 tries, three Big East conference titles, and even a trip to the Final Four in 2009 before he could officially live up to such a name. For that reason and many others, Villanova’s second-ever NCAA title remains the sweetest in recent memory. Wright took a decade-plus trying to finish the job in Eastern PA, and finally, he did. It was the metaphorical monkey off his back, all at once allowing Wildcat fans to finally be OK with enthusiastically embracing their guy for what he had spent so long building. A program-high 35 wins. Tagged as perhaps the most dominant tournament run all time – it certainly may have been from a statistical perspective. More than 14 years later, Jay Wright called it one of the greatest games he’d ever been a part of. It certainly was one of the greatest we’ve ever seen. -- Connor Hines
2008: Kansas 75, Memphis 68 (OT)
Though I was only eight years old, this game has to be my favorite national championship game of my lifetime. I admit I was a big band-wagon fan of Kansas during that era, but guys like Sherron Collins, Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush and Darell Arthur were so much fun to watch. It was back and forth for the majority of the game and showcased some of the best players in college basketball that season. And who could forget the Mario Chalmers buzzer-beater to force overtime? Eight year old Jack was going crazy. Memphis had a chance to lock up the game, but missed free throws left the door open for Kansas. Throughout my elementary school years and even into middle school, I loved to imitate Chalmers coming off the screen, squaring up and nailing a three-pointer.
Though I was rooting hard for the Jayhawks, I was also a big Derrick Rose fan because of his Chicago ties. Rose played at Simeon in high school and was one of the best high school players to ever come out of Chicago. Another reason I look back at this game fondly is because the Bulls, my favorite NBA team, ended up drafting Rose with the No. 1 pick later that summer. It is hard to believe that a game 12 years ago still ranks as my favorite national championship game, but something about the nostalgia of that game and the players involved keep it atop my rankings. -- Jack Ankony
2010: Duke 61, Butler 59
Hello, my name is Drake Garbacik, I grew up in Indiana, and I am a Duke basketball fan. Please feel free to send me hate mail. Long story short, before I was born my grandfather once sat next to Coach K on a 10 hour flight, from that moment on he loved Duke basketball. I was raised not being able to differentiate who was more important, Coach K or the President.
Because of this, my favorite national title easily was the 2010 title game in which Duke outlasted Cinderella Butler and Hayward's heave. This was a game for the ages and an instant classic, regardless of anyones' affinity. But for me, an Indiana kid, getting to see a small time Indiana squad go up against the Goliath (and my favorite team) on the national stage was incredible. In addition, two of the three Plumlee's (Warsaw, IN natives) headlined that Duke squad, along with my personal favorite players Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. -- Drake Garbacik
My fondest memory of the NCAA National Title would be one that is both amazing and heartbreaking. As an Indy area native, and my dad being a former Butler baseball player and alum, I had a lot invested in this game. My family and I were so amazed and enthralled by the Bulldog's run to the title game and it made it even more special that it was held in Indianapolis.
My dad was lucky enough to go while I watched at home, but even though I wasn't there it was still amazing to watch. The game was intense from start to finish and had about as dramatic of an ending as it gets. It was so painful for Hayward's last shot to be just off.
I always wonder about what would have happened had it gone in. Nonetheless, the title run was incredible and it put Butler on the map nationally. I'll never forget that special run. -- Jackson Yeary
2018: Notre Dame 61, Mississippi State 58 (WBB)
The 2018 Women's Basketball Final Four will go down as one of the best the sport has ever seen. The tournament went complete chalk leading up to the Final Four, with all four No. 1 seeds making it to Columbus, Ohio. Louisville, Notre Dame, UConn, and Mississippi State were undoubtedly the best four teams in college basketball that year.
Both national semifinals went to overtime with Mississippi State, the previous year's national runner-ups, advancing past Louisville. In the second national semifinal, one of Notre Dame's most unsung heroes, Arike Ogunbowale, stepped up to hit the biggest shot of her college career. With just under three seconds left, Ogunbowale pulled up from just inside the three-point line on the right side of the court to take the lead from Katie Lou Samuelson and undefeated UConn.
That was the biggest shot of her career, for two days. Two nights later in the National Championship, Ogunbowale played the hero again. Her three-pointer in the right hand corner against Mississippi State will go down as one of the greatest shots ever. It was a shot that left even Hall of Fame Coach Muffet McGraw stunned in utter disbelief. Notre Dame, who played just six players in the National Championship, was perhaps a year too early to the big stage. But with not one, but two game winning shots from Ogunbowale, the short-handed Fighting Irish secured the program's second national title.
Adam Amin's call of Ogunbowale's heroics in the 2018 National Championship will live on forever. That's why it's my choice for the greatest National Championship of my lifetime.
2006: Florida vs. UCLA, 2010: Duke vs. Butler, 2015: Duke vs. Wisconsin
The last three national championships in Indianapolis all make for my favorites. I was at the 2006 title inside the RCA Dome when Florida downed UCLA for the first of two championships in a row. Some friends of a family friend who were there to see George Mason in the Final Four gave up their tickets, it was thrilling to experience a championship setting at age 8. I was hooked on those Gator teams and was doing the Gator Chomp by the second half.
Both Duke titles in Indy have been awesome too - 2010 against Butler is probably the best villain vs. hometown heroes game we will ever get. Everyone remembers the Hayward shot, but not many remember Duke's big three of Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith carrying them all season long. They had a good arc, especially after being written off by most of the country losing a blowout to Georgetown in December.
2015 Duke vs. Wisconsin was just a really good ball game -- I also think the Indy 500 themed court/color scheme at Lucas Oil Stadium is underrated. Wisconsin was destined to win that game after knocking off 38-0 Kentucky two nights before, but Duke pulled it off. I'll never forget listening to Coach K's pre-game interview on national radio before and thinking "He knows it won't be their night and they will lose." Looking back I think he was really in tune with the process and that Blue Devil team's detachment from the outcome led to them taking another title. We also met Grayson Allen in that game. -- Sam Neidermann
2013: Louisville 82, Michigan 76
It's the year that technically doesn't have a national champion, but it was an incredible tournament run for Michigan, and an incredible championship game. Michigan was a four seed, making a magical run led by Naismith Player of the Year Trey Burke. He obviously hit the big shot against Kansas on the way to the national championship. Burke put up 24 points in the National Championship and Michigan led by one at the break. But his efforts came up just short.
Louisville got big contributions from an unlikely hero, Luke Hancock. The junior averaged 8.1 points per game on the season, but he was just waiting to unleash his full potential in the biggest game of the year. He knocked down five three pointers, including four in a row in the first half. He ended with 22 points and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2013 Final Four, the first non-starter to earn this award in the 75-year history of the award. That's what made this game so fun. A guy who was supposed to come in and relieve a starter for a few minutes knocked down five threes and led his team to a National Championship. What a story.
A lot has happened since. Louisville no longer technically has the 2013 National Championship and Rick Pitino has gone to Greece and come back now to coach Iona. But, you can't take the banner away from Louisville, and you can't take that performance away from Luke Hancock. -- Austin Render
(03/14/20 1:59pm)
On Thursday afternoon, the Big Ten Conference officially canceled all remaining athletic competition on the calendar for the 2019-20 school year, in response to the growing concerns about COVID-19. The NCAA swiftly followed, canceling all remaining winter and spring championships. The move is obviously devastating for athletes, coaches, fans, the sports business as a whole, and people like us, who rely on events and competitions to give us things to talk and write about.
(03/04/20 3:39am)
Following a strong showing in Raleigh where Emily Goodin recorded her second career no-no, Indiana got its "bye week" before continuing with the rest of the non-conference schedule. Sam and Connor get caught up on the latest news and notes from around the program and preview this weekend's slate in the desert. The guys then get a chance to sit down with senior right fielder Gabbi Jenkins, talking life, leadership, and what she plans to do past her days in Bloomington. Don't miss this week's packed episode of Take 60.