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(11/17/21 2:43pm)
Two of the top 10 winningest programs in NCAA basketball history collide for a Gavitt Games matchup Wednesday as Indiana welcomes St. John’s. Both teams are looking to start 3-0 following comfortable victories in each of their most recent contests.
Indiana looks to carry over an improved defensive effort from its latest outing in hopes of stopping the St. John’s attack. The Red Storm features its own all-conference threat in Julian Champagnie. The Hoosiers will have multiple bodies to throw at Champagnie, who led the Big East in scoring last year at 19.8 points per game.
St. John’s received several votes in the AP poll and are seen by many as a tournament team which would come as no surprise to its decorated head coach Mike Anderson.
Part of Anderson’s recruiting class last year is its talented guard Posh Alexander. Alexander won the honor of Big East Freshman of the Year joining names such as Patrick Ewing and Allen Iverson. Not bad company, right?
Indiana’s dynamic duo of Xavier Johnson and Big Ten player of the week Trayce Jackson-Davis have started strong. Now it’s time to show out on the nationally televised stage of FS1. Not only that, but some of the fresh faces will have to make their mark in order for Indiana to emerge victorious.
Parker Stewart and Miller Kopp have been relatively quiet in the starting five. They could see more opportunities off of Jackson-Davis double teams leading to more open 3s. Open shots have to begin falling for Indiana, and getting these two those looks is imperative.
It marks the eighth all-time meeting between IU and St. John’s, with their last meeting coming in 2015. The Hoosiers won 83-73 in Bloomington.
Wednesday night will show us a lot about how IU is coming together early in the season. The Hoosiers are currently 6.5-point favorites at home.
(11/13/21 5:25am)
IU put together a full 40 minutes of suffocating defense in its 85-49 victory Friday, holding Northern Illinois to just 30 percent shooting from the field in a wire-to-wire Hoosier blowout.
Trayce Jackson-Davis took it upon himself to host a block party Friday night and every Husky player was invited. He sent shots back left and right, tallying seven total rejections, a new career high which tied Steve Downing for the fourth most blocks in a game in program history. Indiana collected nine total blocked shots.
Jackson-Davis was not alone in his efforts. The point guard combination of Xavier Johnson and Rob Phinisee harassed the opposition on the perimeter, rarely allowing their guards to initiate any sort of offense in the half court.
Seeing the two play together has been a common sight through these first two games and afterward head coach Mike Woodson spoke on what they bring to the table in the backcourt.
“Both guys can defend, both can initiate our offense, so that’s a bonus for me," Woodson said.
Woodson went on to detail more of his team's defensive approach and what brought the game plan to fruition.
“We were solid right from the start, I thought we did a great job on their perimeter play…we did a great job of moving our feet and keeping them in front of us," Woodson said.
The Huskies dragged along, making just 14 field goals. In fact, three of those never actually entered the hoop because of goal tending calls. Keshawn Williams scored 21 of their 49 points and was their only player who had more than six.
It was the type of defensive effort Indiana should expect to put forth in the coming months as the offense tries to catch up. Woodson wants a team that is going to bring its hard hat to work every day and look to play well enough defensively to give the team a chance to win every game.
This roster is built around collective buy-in defensively. Woodson has instilled that message in his players because he believes it will teach them how to win.
“I’ve always thought there’s always another level that a player can get to and from a coaching standpoint that’s what we’re trying to push these guys to continue to play at a high level and play harder," Woodson said.
After not being disappointed with a close victory Tuesday night, Woodson said he loved what he saw from his guys in a more comfortable win.
“I just thought tonight it was a total team effort. Everybody that played tonight gave us effort and did exactly what we asked them to do which was kind of nice to see,” he said with a smile.
Indiana is 2-0 to start for the fourth consecutive year. IU awaits another non-conference opponent when St. John’s comes to Bloomington in what promises to be an early test for Woodson’s Hoosiers.
(11/09/21 12:27pm)
The wait for Indiana men’s basketball is over. A new era begins Tuesday night.
The 2021-2022 Indiana Hoosiers will tip off their season featuring a new cast of characters partnered with some familiar faces and a whole lot of expectations.
Mike Woodson will make his head coaching debut in front of 17,000 strong inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The buzz around his hire is well deserved. The program itself seems to have been injected with new life and Woodson’s return is at the forefront.
Indiana returns two-thirds of its contributors from a season ago along with several transfers who promise to have an impact. Fans eagerly await to watch a team getting a fresh start while hoping to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016.
As for Tuesday, IU takes on Eastern Michigan, a team on the opposite side of the spectrum. EMU returns roughly 40 percent of its minutes from last year and welcomes six new freshman via scholarship.
The Eagles' program is undergoing a complete rebuild, with a new head coach at the helm. Seventeen-year coaching veteran Stan Heath leads EMU into Bloomington for his first game with the school since his playing career which lasted from 1985-1987.
Indiana is a heavy favorite at home looking to start its non-conference schedule off with a bang. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson make their returns to the starting lineup joined by Xavier Johnson, Parker Stewart and Miller Kopp.
Game one of the Woodson era tips off at 6 p.m. EST.
(10/10/21 5:46pm)
Indiana did not overlook its opponent on Saturday night in Bloomington.
Division three Trine University traveled from Angola, Ind., to play only their second match ever against a Division one opponent. Struggling to contain IU’s offense, Trine fell 9-0.
The Hoosiers scored early and often. All-American striker Victor Bezerra and freshman Sam Sarver opened their accounts in the 9th and 10th minute, respectively. Then, the floodgates opened.
Dominant and superior for the full 90 minutes, Indiana netted eight goals throughout the opening 45 minutes. In fact, the time between IU's 7th and 8th goals -- Herbert Endeley and Sarver, respectively -- spanned just 11 seconds, the second-shortest duration between goals in program history.
Following a grueling victory over Omaha last Wednesday, IU had two days to collect itself and prepare to face a seemingly outmatched opponent. Arguably the Hoosiers' most important week of the season awaits, featuring conference meetings with Ohio State and Penn State.
Head coach Todd Yeagley thanked Trine for scheduling the game, calling it a “unique” opportunity to play an in-state non-conference opponent. More importantly, he told the IU players how they should approach it.
“The most important thing you can do is go out and get after this game," Yeagley said.
And did they ever.
Bezerra blitzed Trine for two goals in just 25 minutes of action. Ditto, Sam Sarver, who recorded his first career brace in a half-worth of minutes. Daniel Munie, Joe Schmidt, Tommy Miahlic, Endeley and Ryan Wittenbrink also joined in on the scoring bonanza.
Prior to Saturday’s match, though, IU hadn't held a lead larger than one goal at any point in the season. On Saturday night, there wasn't any need for breath holding or nail biting.
The sizable first-half cushion granted IU an opportunity to showcase its youth, too. In total Indiana deployed 21 players, with Luka Boha, Andrew Goldsworthy, Isaac Sarosy, Trey Kapsalis, Bryant Pratt and Alex McGill each seeing action for the first time this season.
“To get so many guys in the game…these can pay dividends,” Yeagley said.
Freshman forward Sam Sarver had a career-high two goals and one assist to continue his impressive campaign. Victor Bezerra followed up his golden-goal against Omaha with two goals and an assist himself.
Two new faces were placed in the Starting XI: Lawson Redmon and Ben Yeagley made their first starts of the season. Leading 8-0 at the intermission, Yeagley used the second half to play more of the youth on his squad, getting them extended time they might not see in more competitive matches.
Yeagley said the final 10 minutes of the match were his favorite as he watched players that don't often see game action finally come on as substitues.
“I loved the ending," Yeagley said. "...I just kind of sat back and watched them enjoy that."
Lawson Redmon stood out, starting in place of star left-back Spencer Glass who sat for rest. Redmon played all 90 minutes while giving Indiana a much needed spark.
“Lawson did a nice job…I was pleased with what [he] did,” Yeagley said. “I think it will really help us in these games ahead.”
While the week ahead presents challenges for Indiana, this is still a championship program. Yeagley and his players understand the importance of a comfortable win heading into a week of Big Ten matches.
Yeagley called the match a “building block” for the rest of the season.
If the joy IU played with Saturday night is maintained, that positive mindset should result in a productive end to their year.
(09/04/21 6:22pm)
Todd Yeagley’s body language in the second half said it all. Seated on the bench as it began, watching his team struggle to overcome a 2-0 halftime deficit, and barely moving until the final whistle.
While the Adidas/IU credit union classic had been kind to the Hoosiers in recent history, few saw Friday night coming.
Having won 7 of 8 matches in the last four seasons of the classic, a primetime matchup against Creighton presented No. 1 IU with the opportunity of starting 3-0-0.
Creighton had other ideas, though, looking to do what had not been done at Bill Armstrong Stadium since Oct. 10, 2015: Win a regular-season match against Indiana. And the Bluejays did just that, handing the Hoosiers a statement loss, 3-0.
“They outplayed us in every capacity”, IU head coach Todd Yeagley said. “Got a lot to learn from”.
Streaks are meant to end, especially one that’s endured for over six years.
However, the signs of an upset began brewing long before Friday night’s letdown in front of 3,391 boisterous fans.
“It’s just disheartening, the amount of fans (that attended the game),” Yeagley said. “…It was not an IU performance. I told [the team] that’s unacceptable.”
The we warning signs started in exhibition play when IU conceded four goals against Louisville. Even the Hoosiers' first two victories over Notre Dame and Butler, IU’s backline looked unlike their previous selves from just four months ago in the National Championship.
But Friday night was a culmination of mounting defensive issues, one that Yeagley doesn’t yet have an explanation for.
“I can’t put my finger on it right now”, Yeagley said about IU’s backline woes. "If I had the answer to that we'd have given up less goals."
Though Creighton entered the match winless in their first two games, it took the visitors less than a minute to capitalize on an early IU miscue. Scoring on a costly giveaway by IU goalkeeper Roman Celentano seemed opportunistic for the Bluejays, but their aggressiveness throughout the entire game proved their fast start was no fluke.
Indiana, again, had to face an opponent riding early momentum. Another Bluejays goal in the 43rd minute only made the task of a comeback more daunting, especially with Indiana's star striker Victor Bezerra sidelined for a second-straight match due to injury.
Facing a two-goal deficit at halftime, Yeagley had little choice but to deploy an attack-heavy lineup for the final 45 minutes. Defense had to be sacrificed for offense, but Indiana was still unable to finish off any chances despite a slew of attacking substitutions. IU's 12 corner kicks were a season-high, but their total shots were the lowest of the season with just seven.
The lack of scoring chances only compounded an all-around underwhelming performance.
“I didn’t like our attack tonight," Yeagley said. "...It’s one of those nights when nothing could happen.”
With Bezerra's return looming, Indiana’s attack should grow to be more potent than it showed Friday night. Until then, the backline will have to patch the holes seen by opponents in early matches and prepare for a tough Xavier team Monday night.
However, the season is still young and Indiana was ranked No. 1 in the country for a reason. This team has been here before, facing challenges that any team with aspirations of winning would have to persevere through.
Teams in search of championships have to overcome adversity, and perhaps Friday night was the wake-up call the Hoosiers needed to regain focus and spark momentum toward another championship run.
Yeagley certainly hopes so.
“Hopefully they learn a tough lesson."
(05/20/21 8:13pm)
The HN baseball crew recap Indiana's recent difficult 4-game stretch with a dissection of the Michigan series and what needs to change for IU. Plus a preview of yet another massive weekend against Nebraska and Ohio State.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0f3FFq4dKS72pr36v2S5e0?si=dSdg11e1QxyhI5rJNrbKaQ
(05/17/21 10:25pm)
The No. 21 Indiana Hoosiers fell to the Michigan Wolverines in a weekend series in Ann Arbor, losing two of three games in what was a highly anticipated series.
What does this mean for IU going forward? What went wrong and how can it be fixed as the season nears its end?
Michigan saved its best for Indiana. The Wolverines had only won one of their previous three series and welcomed an IU team that was playing its best baseball of the year.
Indiana sat firmly atop the Big Ten in pitching and that was complemented by its offense producing with glorious efficiency. Over seven runs per game in their last seven meant that opposing pitchers would have their hands full from the first at-bat and if their starting pitching could deliver on the road for a second straight series it would spell trouble for Michigan.
Unfortunately for IU, Tommy Sommer struggled to get outs as he had season-lows in innings pitched, total pitches and strikeouts in the 10-3 loss. It was easily his worst outing of the season and in order for Indiana to have continued success the Hoosiers will need their dominant lefty to win his Friday starts.
A key for IU all season has been getting length out of its starters and helping them by taking the lead early. Neither was accomplished in the opener against Michigan, putting head coach Jeff Mercer in the position of deploying five total arms in just the first game. Sommer has shown flashes of being his early-season self but has struggled with comfort and control as of late. He will have to get back to setting the tone, so the bullpen doesn’t need to get the phone.
Game two of recent series have been crazy for IU and Saturday’s was more of the same as the teams scored 21 total runs in a 13-8 Hoosier victory.
Indiana's offense had been rolling ever since a consistent starting nine and batting order was implemented back in its series against Northwestern. This changed on the Hoosiers' most recent road trip and while they have played well overall, their situational hitting left a lot to be desired in this series. A total of 23 men left on base is far too many for a team like IU looking to sit atop the Big Ten standings.
The recent lineup changes could be a reason for the increase in runners left on base. The Hoosiers have performed best when their roles are defined and consistent.
James Espalin is the most recent casualty of the new lineup, with Jeremy Houston filling in at shortstop. Houston is more than capable of handling the role but both men have struggled to hit this year leaving us to wonder if Espalin is worth keeping in the lineup because of his sensational fielding ability.
Indiana's relievers have been giving up hits at an uncharacteristic rate as well.
Reliever Matt Litwicki has also not been his usual self when deployed before the ninth inning against both Iowa and Michigan. Mercer clearly has confidence in his ability but Litwicki has been touched up in back-to-back outings after having not pitched against Nebraska or Rutgers.
Closers are distinctive individuals and no matter how fast they can dial up their fastball, if they are not comfortable it could cost their team a win. This has not been the case in his past two outings but he is the most polarizing arm in the IU bullpen and should be back to his unhittable self when back in his usual role.
For McCade Brown and Gabe Bierman it was another day at the office both building off of their outstanding performances against Rutgers and Nebraska. Both had lengthy starts which looked like they could’ve won IU the series but only one received a cushion from the offense.
Brown took a shutout into the seventh but did not maintain it. Indiana’s offense took pressure off a shaky bullpen performance and plated nine total runs in the seventh and eighth. Brown has looked sharp in his past two starts and is back to making opposing batters look silly at the plate.
(05/06/21 4:45pm)
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0xk2uf3ssJ3JYblsPQti3V?si=Xct0erylTXuG9zr2oulIAQ
On this week's show, the crew discusses Indiana's weekend series victory over Iowa and what has led to their recent success as they have been dominant at home. Along with a look ahead to their upcoming matchups with Rutgers and Nebraska in New Jersey.
(04/22/21 11:52pm)
The crew is joined by Indiana pitcher Gabe Bierman to discuss his recent success and how the team is feeling as a whole. Along with previewing the second half of the season, the guys give out some hardware with a mid-season award show.
For more follow @TheHoosierNet on Twitter
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7eWeKtNQjyjBmg8sVag4t6
(04/10/21 3:11am)
Entering Friday, Indiana had lost five straight following a four-game sweep to Ohio State in Columbus. The Hoosiers left-handed ace Tommy Sommer took the mound sporting his 2.88 ERA looking to get the Hoosiers back to their winning ways against Illinois, the best hitting team in the Big Ten. Indiana would win in walk-off fashion courtesy of a two-run home run from Collin Hopkins.