Author: Mike Schumann

The annual preseason Big Ten basketball media poll is out. The annual poll features at least one writer covering each Big Ten team. In this first year of the 18-team Big Ten, 33 media members participated in the poll. The group projects Purdue will repeat as league champions in 2025, with Indiana finishing second. IU center Oumar Ballo was also named to the preseason All-Big Ten first team, while several other Indiana players received votes. The full results below are via Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch. PROJECTED BIG TEN STANDINGS (first-places votes): 1. Purdue, 572 (20) 2. Indiana, 549…

A pair of former Hoosiers will take center stage in October as the 2024 MLB Postseason gets underway. Kyle Schwarber (2012-14) will play in his fifth-consecutive postseason while left-handed reliever Tim Herrin (2016-18) makes his playoffs debut. Over the past five seasons, Schwarber has appeared in the playoffs with the Cubs (2020), the Red Sox (2021) and the Phillies (2022-24). He is the owner of 20 career postseason home runs and has one World Series ring to his name, winning the Fall Classic with Chicago in 2016. He hit three home runs in the 2022 World Series, but Philadelphia fell…

Last year’s breakout wide receiver for Indiana has become a midseason transfer portal casualty. Donaven McCulley is no longer listed on the program’s roster and will enter the transfer portal, a source confirms with The Daily Hoosier. The 6-foot-5 McCulley posted a 48 catch, 644 yard and six touchdown 2023 season. McCulley also entered the portal after the 2023 season and the resulting coaching change but decided to return to play for new head coach Curt Cignetti. Cignetti and his staff loaded up the receiver room during the offseason with a number of veterans from the portal.  It was clear…

Indiana sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team as determined by a media vote, the league announced on Tuesday afternoon. Ballo, a transfer from Arizona, was twice named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, a two-time All-Pac-12 Tournament Team selection, a 2023-24 All-Pac-12 Defensive Team addition, and was tabbed as the Pac-12 Most Improved Player following the 2022-23 season. He was also touted as the Preseason Big Ten Newcomer of the Year, Preseason All-Big Ten, and Preseason All-America Fourth Team by Blue Ribbon Yearbook. The Koulikoro, Mali, native averaged 11.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.2…

Veterans leaving programs midseason with the intent to enter the transfer portal has become a trend in college football. Why? Players who are seeing action in games, generally as reserves or on special teams, decide to preserve a season of eligibility by taking a redshirt season. As a reminder, the college football rules changed a few years ago, allowing players to take a redshirt season if they played in four games or less.  For players who still have their redshirt available, a midseason trip to the portal provides the opportunity to salvage a season and seek a larger role elsewhere.…

As you’d expect, Trayce Jackson-Davis has been keeping a close eye on IU football. The second-year NBA big man was asked on Monday at Golden State Warriors media day whether Indiana is still just a basketball school. “I’m not gonna say we’re not just a basketball school, or we are,” TJD responded.  “We are an everything school. We’re a soccer school. We’ve had natties in soccer, basketball. And now football is on the rise, so shoutout coach Cig and the Hoosiers.” TJD with a “Shout out to Coach Cig and the Hoosiers” at Warriors media day. pic.twitter.com/AbfMwvo4ly — Mike Schumann…

Everyone loves to get a report card after what they know was a good performance. And by-and-large, Indiana was solid once again on Saturday in their 42-28 win over Maryland.  Below are snap counts and notable grades for the Hoosiers as they moved to 5-0 for the first time in 57 years. Through five games, Indiana’s overall PFF grade is No. 4 in the nation, behind only Miami, Fla., Ohio State and Ole Miss.  Their overall offense is tied for fourth, and their overall defense is ninth. Next up for Indiana (5-0) is PFF No. 71 Northwestern (2-2), a team…

After a 5-0 start, IU football is ranked again for the first time since early in the 2021 season. The Top 25 Coaches Poll released on Sunday afternoon has the Hoosiers slotted in as the No. 24 in the country. Indiana was last ranked by the coaches and in the AP poll in the 2021 preseason. Joining IU in the Coaches Poll from the Big Ten are Ohio State (3), Oregon (6), Penn State (7), Michigan (10), USC (15) and Illinois (25). In the AP Top-25 released an hour later, the Hoosiers were ranked No. 23.  All of the same…

Curt Cignetti seems to like communicating with the IU student body. And so do his players, who ran over to the opposite side of the field after Indiana’s 42-28 win Saturday to thank the student section in person. That gesture came after the students made a strong showing at the game despite poor weather conditions. Cignetti chose a more classical form of communication, writing a second letter in as many days to the entire student body, via e-mail. Here’s what Cignetti said to IU students just hours after leading his team to a 5-0 start: “On behalf of the entire…

IU football returned to Rose Bowl Stadium for the first time in 57 years two weeks ago. So it was only fitting on Saturday against Maryland they followed the script of that 1967 season with their first 5-0 start since. “5-0, that’s nice. 57 years is a long time man,” IU coach Curt Cignetti said after Indiana’s win over the Terps at Memorial Stadium Saturday. In 140 seasons of football, Indiana has only reached five wins for the entire season 46 times, and it is just the third time ever they’ve started a season 5-0. The only 5-0 season other…