Author: Seth Tow

INDIANAPOLIS — If this Indiana men’s basketball season has been defined by its ebbs and flows, perhaps it’s only fitting for the Hoosiers to encounter one more speed bump before Selection Sunday. IU fell to Oregon on Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament second round. Mike Woodson’s team made several surges after halftime, but never gained a second-half lead in a 72-59 defeat. So now, Indiana no longer has its March Madness fate in its own hands. And as much as some of the IU players enjoy casually watching other games, it’s tough for them to have such little control…

Incoming Indiana women’s basketball guard Maya Makalusky has been named Gatorade Indiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year, the award group announced in a release Thursday. Makalusky averaged 22.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game this season at Hamilton Southeastern High in Fishers, Ind. She shot 40.1 percent from 3-point range and 80.3 percent on free throws. She helped the Royals reach the Class 4A state semifinals this year. Westfield High head coach Kelsey Steele called Makalusky “an incredible shooter” in the release. “She has expanded her game to being able to finish through contact this…

IU head men’s basketball coach Mike Woodson has been dialing things up at halftime. One of the biggest keys to Indiana’s turnaround this season has been its performances in second halves. IU has become a second-half team since the beginning of February. The Hoosiers have scored more points in the second half than the first half in seven of the nine games since that point, and they’ve recorded a 7-1-1 record in second-half scoring in those games. The Hoosiers trailed Ohio State 29-25 at halftime on Saturday, after shooting 30 percent from the field and 11.1 percent from 3-point range…

BLOOMINGTON — The biggest shot of Trey Galloway’s Indiana career wasn’t exactly a Hollywood-scripted moment. IU held a 58-56 lead over fellow NCAA Tournament bubble contender Ohio State with 1:45 remaining at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday. OSU forward John Mobley Jr. dribbled the ball off his foot, and it rolled into the backcourt and out of bounds in front of the IU bench. This gave the Hoosiers possession, but with just 20 seconds on the shot clock, as they passed it in from beyond halfcourt. But both Indiana players and coaches were confused. “We didn’t know the rule.…

INDIANAPOLIS — Teri Moren left no uncertainty on her team’s position. IU women’s basketball fell to USC on Friday in a close, 84-79 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals loss at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. In her postgame press conference, Moren was asked if she’s feeling positive that Indiana will make the NCAA Tournament. She gave a succinct, confident response. “Yeah, there’s no doubt,” Moren said. Indiana (19-12) entered Friday’s game as a projected No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament in ESPN’s Women’s Bracketology, among the last four byes. Even in defeat, the Hoosiers played well against a strong USC team and likely…

INDIANAPOLIS — IU women’s basketball faced a daunting task on Friday in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. Indiana’s reward for beating Oregon on Thursday was a rematch with regular-season conference champions USC, currently ranked No. 2 in the country. The Hoosiers kept things close against the Trojans in January at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, but this game had different stakes and a different atmosphere. Still, IU hung right in with USC. The Hoosiers won the second and third quarters, and never trailed by double digits. But the Trojans just had more firepower than Teri Moren’s team could match, and they…

This is the seventh in a series of profiles of potential candidates for Indiana’s open basketball head coaching position. Candidate: Ben McCollum Age: 43 Current position, tenure: Drake head coach since 2024 Previous Jobs: Northwest Missouri State head coach 2009-24; Emporia State assistant coach 2005-09 Accomplishments: If IU fans are looking for a Curt Cignetti replica for the men’s basketball program, McCollum is probably the closest comparison in terms of his résumé. He spent 16 years coaching Division II Northwest Missouri State, and when you Google him, you’ll see that he does, in fact, win. McCollum won four Division II national…

INDIANAPOLIS — With every whistle blown against her team in the first half Thursday, IU head women’s basketball coach Teri Moren grew increasingly animated. She could only hold in her frustration for so long as her Hoosiers accrued foul after foul in the Big Ten Tournament second round against Oregon. Moren clearly felt that the referees weren’t calling the game evenly at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and that the Ducks were allowed to play with more physicality than IU. Juniors Lilly Meister and Yarden Garzon each had three fouls around midway through the second quarter, and senior Karoline Striplin picked up her…

INDIANAPOLIS — In the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, Indiana women’s basketball took care of business. The ninth-seeded Hoosiers opened their conference tournament run at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with a 78-62 win over eighth-seeded Oregon on Thursday. IU advances to Friday’s quarterfinals against No. 1 seed USC at noon ET. Indiana (19-11) started with a strong first quarter for the second game in a row. The Hoosiers built a 23-11 lead thanks to seven Oregon turnovers, which turned into 13 IU points. The Ducks (19-11) finished with 18 turnovers on the game. Junior Shay Ciezki spearheaded Indiana’s strong offensive start on…

After a rough senior night loss to Maryland, Indiana women’s basketball aired out some frustrations both publicly and privately. Head coach Teri Moren called out her players after that Maryland game for their focus and fight. The team responded with a comfortable win at Purdue on Sunday to close out the regular season. The Hoosiers had two days in between the Maryland loss and the Purdue win, and they had plenty of conversations in that span to make sure everyone was on the same page. Moren said she specifically talked to her veteran leaders, graduate students Sydney Parrish and Chloe…