Author: Mike Schumann

Well known for being a challenging cover for sportswriters, not even Bob Knight could bring himself to dislike Bob Hammel. In fact, the two were close friends, especially in their respective retirements. That has always been the most obvious indication there was something special about Hammel, who covered IU Athletics for decades. Truth be told, I’ve never heard a negative word spoken about the man, who passed away this weekend at the age of 88. And in several “I’m not worthy” moments, I was able to see first-hand the pedestal Hammel sat on in Bloomington. Indiana saved a media seat…

Indiana offered class of 2027 center Darius Wabbington this weekend. Wabbington attends Sunnyslope H.S. in Phoenix, Arizona, where he averaged 13.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game as a sophomore.  He shot 26% from three on 99 attempts.  Sunnyslope reached the state finals in Arizona’s top class. Typically listed in the 6-foot-9 to 6-foot-11 range, Wabbington is one of the first centers IU has offered in the rising junior class, along with Indianapolis Pike H.S.’s Isaiah Hill. Based on the average of the national recruiting sites, Wabbington is a 4-star, the No. 23 overall player in…

A season that almost never happened became one of Indiana’s best ever. As the COVID-19 virus created chaos around the globe, the summer of 2020 saw several modifications to the Indiana football schedule. First the Big Ten canceled nonconference games, then it moved to postpone the entire season to the spring. Coming off a solid 2019 season with most of his key players back, IU head coach Tom Allen was not happy to see a promising season imploding. “It has been very frustrating,” Allen said in August after the postponement. “This has been a season that I have been looking…

The 2025 edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is underway. Here’s what you need to know from an IU basketball perspective: WHO:  Assembly Ball is a team made up primarily of former IU basketball players.  Assembly Ball’s current roster includes 11 former Hoosiers: 0 – SF – Troy Williams – Indiana 1 – PG – Jordan Hulls – Indiana 2 – PF – Christian Watford – Indiana 5 – SG – James Blackmon – Indiana 10 – PG – Jordan King – Richmond 11 – PG – Yogi Ferrell – Indiana 12 – SF – Miller Kopp – Indiana 13…

Indiana continues to aggressively recruit the Washington D.C. metro area. The program’s latest offer to a DMV player went out Friday to 2027 guard Jymin Veney. A 6-foot-3 guard, Veney attends St. John’s College H.S. in Washington D.C. Veney’s only national ranking so far is by Rivals.  That outlet says he’s a 3-star and the No. 139 player in the 2027 class.  He’s been generating buzz this summer, so a move up the rankings and more offers won’t come as a major surprise. Indiana appears to be the first high major offer for Veney.  He’s also been offered by LaSalle,…

Towards the end of his second day on the job, IU coach Curt Cignetti jumped right into the Indiana and Purdue rivalry with two feet. “I’ve never taken a back seat to anybody and don’t plan on starting now.  Purdue sucks,” he told a packed house at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. A year later he backed it up, pummeling an indeed very sucky Purdue team 66-0. It was a Boilermaker loss so bad it left no doubt then head coach Ryan Walters would be fired, and he was just days later. That opened the door for new Purdue head coach…

Indiana Athletics announced its winners of the IU Athlete of the Year awards for the 2024-25 school year on Thursday, recognizing swimming and diving seniors Carson Tyler and Anna Peplowski for the second consecutive season. Combining for three national titles and 10 All-America honors between them, Tyler and Peplowski led the IU men’s and women’s programs to historic performances at the 2025 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Repeating as CSCAA National Diver of the Year and Big Ten Diver of the Year, Tyler also won consecutive national championships in the 3-meter springboard and platform events while becoming the first athlete…

Indiana has had one player chosen as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. And it has been a minute. Richard Corbett “Corby” Davis stands alone as the only IU football player to be selected as the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.  He was taken by Cleveland with the first choice in 1938. Could IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza be the next Hoosier to go No. 1? ESPN is telling you there’s a chance. That outlet’s Jordan Reid placed 14 players in three categories as it relates to becoming the No. 1 pick — serious contenders, potential…

We’re firmly in list cut and official visit scheduling season for rising seniors. And with the final live periods wrapping up this weekend, it’s time to take another look at where things stand with Indiana and their primary class of 2026 targets. New IU basketball coach Darian DeVries and his staff have extended more than 20 offers in the class of 2026, and we’ve reported on all of them. Here’s the latest on where things stand: COMMITTED:  Let’s get the easy one out of the way.  Indiana has one commit in the 2026 class, and he is 4-star guard Prince-Alexander Moody. …

Victor Oladipo is not ready to shut things down. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, Oladipo played in a “well-attended” private workout in Las Vegas on Monday morning, with what Woo described as a large contingent of NBA and European teams attending. Woo said Oladipo played full-court five-on-five in a group workout of international pros. “Multiple team sources in attendance came away impressed, with Oladipo described as being in excellent shape as he pursues another comeback,” Woo wrote. Inducted into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame last year, Oladipo reached the pinnacle of his NBA career with the Indiana Pacers, when he…