Author: Mike Schumann

February arrives this week, and Indiana is in no position to feel good about a loss — even shorthanded against the No. 10 team on the road. The Hoosiers controlled the early action and led 20-12 at the 8:13 mark of the first half.  But Illinois went on a 26-10 run near the end of the first, and they led by four at the break.  The Hoosiers would build a seven-point second half lead with 12:43 left, but a 9-0 Illini response gave them the lead back.  Although IU had the game tied at 62 with 1:29 left, they wouldn’t…

CHAMPAIGN, ILL — Indiana lost to Illinois on Saturday afternoon at State Farm Center by a final score of 70-62. Illinois led at halftime 38-34.  The Hoosiers were led in the game by Malik Reneau with 21 points. The three keys to the game, final stats and highlights are below. See also:  Mike Woodson and Mackenzie Mgbako postgame. Indiana (12-8, 4-5) will host Iowa on Tuesday in Bloomington. THREE KEYS TO THE GAME 1. Nothing from three.  Indiana did not make a three-pointer the entire game (0-of-9), and the Hoosiers were just 12-of-22 from the free throw line including two last…

After a 7-5 start to the 2001-02 season, no one was thinking about an Indiana trip to the Final Four. But on a late January afternoon in Bloomington, the realm of what was possible for these Hoosiers took a dramatic turn. A 3-point barrage electrified the Hoosier faithful at Assembly Hall on Jan. 26, 2002. Dane Fife scored 20 points, and the Hoosiers set a school record with 17 3-pointers on 27 attempts in an 88-57 blowout victory over No. 9 Illinois.  Guards Fife (6-of-7), Tom Coverdale (4-of-7) and Kyle Hornsby (5-of-8) combined to go 15-of-22 from long range. Coming…

A spring football game will return to Bloomington in April. IU fans will get a first chance to see Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers under the lights on April 18 at Memorial Stadium. Player warm-ups will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the intrasquad game will start at 8 p.m.  The spring game will mark the kickoff of Little 500 weekend in Bloomington. The game will mark the conclusion of Indiana’s spring practice sessions.  IU starts spring practice on March 21. This will be the first traditional spring game in several years for Indiana. Last April the program held an open practice…

When Indiana broke a six-year NCAA Tournament drought in 2022, coach Mike Woodson said at the time and has said on repeat since — Xavier Johnson was a major reason why the Hoosiers got there. Down the stretch of the 2021-22 campaign, Johnson was the best point guard in the Big Ten.  He made major in-season strides, and demonstrated he was coachable in the process. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.9 assists and shot 41.4 percent from long distance in the final 17 games of that season, and he was even better than those numbers in the last five regular season…

If Kel’el Ware plays at Illinois on Saturday, his sore ankle will certainly be tested. IU coach Mike Woodson believes his starting center will need to be ready for a track meet at State Farm Center when the Hoosiers and Fighting Illini tip at 3 p.m. ET (FOX). The 7-foot Ware injured his ankle during practice leading up to the Wisconsin game last week when he was preparing to face Badgers 7-footer Steven Crowl. At Illinois, Ware won’t see anyone his size if he plays, but he also won’t be spending much time defending post-ups.  The Illini are playing a…

Cam Cameron knows the challenges of achieving high level football success at Indiana as well as anyone. Cameron’s five-year record as the head coach of the Hoosiers from 1997 to 2001 was 18-37, with his best season coming in 2001 when Indiana won four of their last five games and posted a 5-6 mark with wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State. The successor to Bill Mallory at IU, Cameron sees success for a coach at Indiana through the lens of the program in the 80s and early 90s. “So far it (Indiana) hasn’t been a place you go and advance…

In an the transfer portal era, front office operations similar to what we’ve grown accustomed to in the professional ranks are becoming increasingly normal. According to a report by Football Scoop, Indiana will make another hire along those lines. That outlet is reporting the Hoosiers will fill their director of player personnel position with Mike Ferrara, who will arrive in Bloomington from LSU.  He served as the associate director of player personnel in Baton Rouge. At LSU, the player personnel department maintains the recruiting board, and identifies players from across the country as potential prospects. They also oversee prospect evaluations…

IU coach Mike Woodson was down in North Carolina to watch Overtime Elite games on Tuesday evening. Playing in front of Woodson in a Lincolnton, N.C. venue were Bryson Tiller and Tyler Jackson.  Woodson offered both junior prospects a while ago. Tiller visited Indiana for the Kansas game last month.  The 5-star forward is in the class of 2025 but has been rumored to at least be considering a move to 2024.  The 6-foot-10 Tiller is averaging 11.4 points and 10.4 rebounds.  Three-point shooting has not been a major part of his repertoire to this point, at least in OTE…

Liam McNeeley is the 34th IU basketball player to be named a McDonald’s All-American, it was announced on Tuesday. From Richardson, Texas, McNeeley is a consensus 5-star and top-15 nationally-ranked recruit. “Liam is a very smart basketball player who will bring leadership, skill, and high-level shooting to our ball club,” IU coach Mike Woodson said when McNeeley signed. “He is a selfless player that will do everything he can to help us win games. His versatility and shooting ability really stood out to our staff throughout the recruiting process. He plays the game the right way, he is a winner,…