Category: Indiana Hoosiers

Huskers’ three-point barrage takes down Indiana 85-70 on the road

The Nebraska men’s basketball team traveled out to Indiana for a Big Ten showdown against the Hoosiers.

The Nebraska men’s basketball team traveled out to Indiana for a Big Ten showdown against the Hoosiers. The Huskers last won a road game in mid-December when they defeated Kansas State. The six-game road losing streak ended against Indiana for Nebraska with an 85-70 win.

The Huskers dominated the Hoosiers throughout the night, even ending the first half up 51-31. Though Indiana attempted a comeback, Nebraska never let the Hoosiers get close enough to take control of the game. The Huskers delivered big from beyond the arc, finishing the night by going 14-of-33 in three-point shooting.

Keisei Tominaga and Jamarques Lawrence served up most of the three-pointers. Tominaga shot four-of-nine from beyond the arc to finish the game with 20 points, leading the team in scoring. Lawrence went a perfect five-of-five from beyond the arc, wrapping up the night with 19 points.

Brice Williams scored 18 points for Nebraska, going 6-of-10 in total shooting. Juwan Gary tallied up 15 points, going 6-of-12 in shooting.

The Huskers move to 19-8 on the season and 9-7 in conference play. Nebraska will return home to host Minnesota on Sunday night. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. and can be viewed on the Big Ten Network.

Another ugly loss has Mike Woodson on hot seat in Indiana

The Indiana Hoosiers were blown out by Penn State on Saturday, is coach Mike Woodson already on the hot seat in Bloomington?

There was a lot of buzz around the hiring of Mike Woodson for the Indiana Hoosiers in 2021, and for good reason. Woodson is a school legend, he had 15 years of NBA coaching experience under his belt, and the program was desperate for a change following the Archie Miller era and a five year hiatus from the Big Dance.

While Woodson did deliver a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in his first two years, year three has been a disaster – and after a deflating 14 point loss to lowly Penn State on Saturday, it is fair to wonder if the 65-year-old is already on the hot seat.

The Hoosiers were up as many as 11 in the first half, but the Nittany Lions outscored them by 18 in the second half and secured an easy victory, while Indiana fell to 5-6 in the Big Ten – having lost four of their last five.

Woodson inherited a roster with All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis, and in the first year following his graduation this team has struggled – despite bringing in talented big man Kel’el Ware via the transfer portal and star freshman Mackenzie Mgbako, who decommitted from Duke to come to Bloomington.

Woodson may get another year – after all he did go to two NCAA Tournaments and seems to be capable of recruiting high end talent – but this Indiana fanbase is beyond frustrated with the team’s falling stock as a college basketball powerhouse, and they won’t be patient for much longer.

Women’s basketball suffers 91-69 defeat to No. 14 Indiana

The Nebraska women’s basketball team faced another big test after squaring off against Maryland last week.

The Nebraska women’s basketball team faced another big test after squaring off against Maryland last week. However, unlike last week, the Huskers couldn’t replicate a win against the Hoosiers, instead suffering a 91-69 defeat.

Nebraska hosted Indiana in front of a season-high 9,059 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Huskers also raised their fourth retired jersey banner in school history, honoring 2014 first-team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year, Jordan Hooper.

Alexis Markowski hit 9-of-14 shots from the field including all three of her three-point attempts to finish with 21 points, notching her fifth 20-point game of the season. Markowski also led Nebraska in rebounds, hauling in six. Freshman Logan Nissley was the only other Husker to finish with double-digit points, scoring 13 points in the loss.

Nebraska falls to 11-4 on the season and will remain home to take on Illinois Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. and can be viewed on Big Ten Network.

Tominaga drops 28 points in Nebraska’s victory over Indiana

The Huskers entered 2024 with a home game against conference opponent Indiana.

The Huskers entered 2024 with a home game against conference opponent Indiana. Nebraska last defeated the Hoosiers in 2017, a drought that ended on Wednesday night with an 86-70 Cornhusker victory. The Huskers took down Indiana behind another big performance from Keisei Tominaga, who put together his best game of the season.

The Olympian racked up a season-high 28 points in the win, making it his third 20-plus point game this season. He also led Nebraska in shooting, earning a season-high nine-of-15 in field goal shooting and a season-high four-of-ten in shooting from beyond the arc.

The Huskers edged out the Hoosiers in the stat sheet, going 27-of-59 from the field, 12-of-32 from 3-point range, and 20-of-26 from the free throw line. Indiana went 24-of-51, 9-of-18, and 13-of-19, respectively. Nebraska dominated in the turnover category, snatching 18 and producing 27 points. The Hoosiers managed nine turnovers for six points.

Alongside Tominaga’s performance, three other Huskers cracked double-digits in scoring. Brice Williams finished the night with 15 points, going five-of-10 in shooting, three-of-four from beyond the arc, and six rebounds.

Jamarques Lawrence scored 12 points in the win, finishing four-of-eight in shooting and two-of-six in 3-point shooting. C.J. Wilcher rounded out the majority of Nebraska’s scoring, delivering 11 points on the night and going three-of-six from beyond the arc.

The Huskers move to 12-2 on the season, making it their best start to a season since 2010. Nebraska will face its next big test on Saturday afternoon at No. 21 Wisconsin. Tipoff is set for 1:15 p.m. and can be viewed on the Big Ten Network.

Kansas pulls off huge comeback, stuns Indiana in 75-71 victory

The Kansas Jayhawks erased a 13-point deficit and secured a huge road victory over the Indiana Hoosiers behind 21 points from Kevin McCullar.

The Indiana Hoosiers led for the first 35 minutes on Saturday against the Kansas Jayhawks, including by as many as 13 points, but a late surge from Bill Self’s squad led to a massive 75-71 road victory.

Kevin McCullar finished with 21 points, including key free throws down the stretch, while Hunter Dickinson finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds in a familiar environment at Assembly Hall, having spent the past two years in the Big Ten at Michigan.

A triumphant performance from senior guard Trey Galloway, who had to step up in the absence of guard Xavier Johnson, nearly led the Hoosiers to a huge upset. Galloway had a career-high 31 points on 12-17 shooting, including multiple big shots at the end of the game.

Kansas took their first lead with 4:51 left in the game on a hook shot from Dickinson, which was followed quickly by a bucket from Malik Reneau to give Indiana back the lead – before Kansas point guard Dajuan Harris scored a few seconds later. That ended up being the story of the final few minutes before Kansas was able to extend the lead to multiple possessions, and then finish Indiana off at the charity stripe.

This was the first true road test for the Jayhawks, who are now 10-1 on the season with only a loss to Marquette in the Maui Invitational. Kansas hosts Yale out of the Ivy League on Friday, December 22, at 8:00 PM

Meanwhile Indiana drops to 7-3 on the year, although their losses are to UConn, Kansas, and Auburn. They’ll take on Morehead State on Tuesday at 6:30 ET on the Big Ten Network.

Report: Indiana to hire James Madison head coach

Curt Cignetti has never suffered a losing season as a head coach in a tenure that spans 13 seasons. 

According to ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel, the Indiana Hoosiers are close to finalizing a contract with current James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti to be their next head coach.

Cignetti has led the Dukes to a combined 19-4 record since they moved up to the FBS level. He has an overall record of 52-9 at JMU and 11-1 this season. Due to the lack of bowl-eligible teams, the Dukes are eligible for the postseason.

Cignetti returns to the Power Five for the first time since he was an assistant under Nick Saban at Alabama from 2007 to 2010. He also had stops at Pittsburgh and North Carolina State. He led the IUP Crimson Hawks from 2011 to 2016 and Elon Phoenix in 2017 and 2018 before taking over the Dukes’ football program.

Overall, Cignetti has a head coaching record of 119-35 and a combined playoff record of 10-8. He was recently named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year for the 2023 season.

Cignetti will feel the role left vacated by Tom Allen, who was fired after the last three lackluster seasons with the Hoosiers. This feels like a strong higher by an up-and-comer in the college ranks. He played quarterback at West Virginia before joining the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant in 1983 with the Pitt Panthers.

It remains to be seen who he might bring to Bloomington once the hire becomes official. Curt Cignetti has never suffered a losing season as a head coach in a tenure that spans 13 seasons.

Rutgers football: Rod Carey shows progress in first game as Indiana’s offensive coordinator

Indiana offensive coordinator Rod Carey knows Rutgers football well.

For Rod Carey, last Saturday marked a significant day in his career. As Indiana took on Michigan, Carey was the offensive coordinator for the Hoosiers.

Carey was named the permanent offensive coordinator earlier this month following the dismissal of Walt Bell.

While Carey had a challenging task in his debut, the Hoosiers offense did show some encouraging signs. In the first quarter, the Indiana offense put seven points on the board while the defense kept Michigan scoreless. However, as the afternoon progressed, the Wolverine offense came alive and scored 52 points.

Against Michigan, Indiana recorded 232 total yards and 15 first downs. Their biggest issue was protecting the football, as they turned it over four times. While Carey’s offense only scored one touchdown, Tom Allen saw some improvement.

“Got off to a good start, which was definitely a positive. We made a big emphasis about trying to start fast as a football team,” Allen told reporters on Monday.

“We were able to do that in the first quarter. We were not able to sustain that. But obviously a tough task offensively against such a good defense. But at the same time, saw some good things.”

On Saturday, Carey will have the chance to build on last week when Indiana welcomes Rutgers to Bloomington. For Carey, this matchup represents a shot at redemption.

In 2021, he was the head coach of Temple when they lost 61-14 to Rutgers.

REPORT: Auburn and Indiana to play neutral site game in Atlanta

Auburn and Indiana are set to meet this December in a neutral site matchup according to reports.

As the offseason progresses in college basketball, non-conference games for next season continue to be scheduled. On Saturday afternoon, Jon Rothstein reported that the Auburn Tigers and Indiana Hoosiers have agreed to square off in a neutral site game next December.

The matchup between the Tigers and Hoosiers is expected to take place in Atlanta according to the report.

A matchup between the two programs would be just the second time ever, the last time the two teams met was in the 1987 NCAA Tournament. That year, the Hoosiers were a No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional and defeated the No. 8 Tigers 107-90 in regulation. Current Nevada head coach Steve Alford led all scorers in that game with 31 points and it would help lead the Hoosiers that year to a national title – the Hoosiers’ last national championship victory.

Auburn this past season went 21-13 overall including 10-8 in SEC play, finishing seventh in the conference. Their performance, however, would be good enough to earn a No. 9 seed in the Midwest regional where they would eliminate No. 8 Iowa in the first round before falling to No. 1 Houston in the Round of 32. It was the second straight season that Bruce Pearl’s program made the NCAA Tournament and the fourth time in five seasons not counting the 2019-2020 COVID-shortened season.

Indiana, on the other hand, went 23-12 including 12-8 in Big Ten play, finishing second in the conference. They would go on to be a No. 4 seed in the Midwest regional, eliminating No. 13 Kent State in the first round before losing in the Round of 32 to eventual Final Four participant, No. 5 Miami (FL).

Next season will be the program’s third under head coach Mike Woodson has delivered the program to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances after missing the last four NCAA Tournaments.

Indiana picks up big time transfer in Oregon center Kel’el Ware

Top transfer center is heading to the Midwest.

The Indiana Hoosiers added one of the best players in the transfer portal on Monday when Oregon center Kel’el Ware announced on his social media that he was transferring into the Hoosiers program.

The 7-foot, 210-pound center from North Little Rock, Arkansas, averaged 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game this season. He shot 45.7% from the floor including 53.4% from within the perimeter.

Ware signed with the Oregon Ducks as part of the 2022 recruiting class where he was a consensus top-10 prospect across the country as well as one of the country’s top three centers.

He committed to the Ducks over Arkansas, Kansas, Auburn, Illinois, and Texas Tech among others.

With the Hoosiers, Ware will have to follow in the footsteps of Trayce Jackson-Davis who is set to move onto the NBA after posting 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists this past season.

The Hoosiers will also be looking to follow up a 23-12 season which included a 12-8 conference record and their second-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament as a No.4 seed in the Midwest Regional. The Hoosiers fell in the Round of 32 to the No.5 Miami Hurricanes after defeating No.13 Kent State in the first round.

If Ware has a successful sophomore season with Indiana, he’ll likely find himself as a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

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