Author: Mike Schumann

From big man on campus to beer man off campus? It almost happened. Although Archie Miller grew up in a basketball family, he had his sights set on another path for a hot second as his playing career at North Carolina State was coming to a close. As a five-year player for the Wolfpack, Miller had one of the more recognizable faces in Raleigh by his last season there in 2002. When you coupled Miller’s popularity at N.C. State with the fact that people in college cities like to drink alcohol, having Miller sell liquor in Raleigh seemed like an…

Indiana University Athletics announced what it regards as a first of its kind in-house Name, Image and Likeness Task Force, marking a continuing effort by the institution to get out in front of anticipated new NCAA rules for student athletes. Previously the school announced a partnership with Opendorse to help student athletes learn about NIL, assess opportunities, and take action. The release from the school regarding the task force follows. Bloomington, Indiana – Indiana University Athletics has announced the formation of a first-of-its-kind Name, Image and Likeness Task Force, further solidifying its position as a leader in a new and…

Class of 2022 4-star in-state wide receiver Omar Cooper, Jr. got his junior season off to a fast start. The 6-foot-1 Cooper’s first two catches in 2020 were 62 and then 64-yard touchdown receptions from IU class of 2021 quarterback commit Donaven McCulley. Cooper, the No. 313 player in the 2022 class according to the 247Sports Composite, has offers from Arkansas, Cincinnati, Indiana, Purdue, West Virginia and Wisconsin coming into the season. As a sophomore at Lawrence North, Cooper had 53 receptions for 1,024 yards and 13 touchdowns. Cooper’s highlights from his impressive week one are below. To watch the…

IU football class of 2021 verbal commit Josh Sales and his Brownsburg Bulldogs got off to a strong start in week one of the Indiana high school football season. With Sales anchoring the line, Brownsburg rushed 36 times for 198 yards (5.5 ypc) in a surprising 38-7 romp over traditional power Ben Davis. With Sales protecting his blind side, quarterback Ben Easters was an efficient 14-of-19 for 137 yards passing and a score. In his week one highlight reel, Sales shows a quick burst out of his stance along with an ability to get downhill fast and finish off blocks.…

There is no doubt that new IU basketball assistant coach Kenya Hunter is a proven recruiter.  We documented that yesterday. Now the question — how soon can he deliver the goods at Indiana? A couple weeks ago we brought you thoughts from Bruiser Flint’s top class of 2021 recruiting targets when the news of his departure broke. Today we will look at it from the other direction — who was Hunter recruiting at UConn, and can Indiana get involved? Here are some of the key names to know. JAVONTE BROWN-FERGUSON (2020) Brown-Ferguson is an interesting name to revisit real quick. …

Want to feel normal for a few minutes? As it does each year in August when classes begin, the IU basketball program released its updated roster on Monday.  While that should not be interpreted as meaning the 2020-21 season will start on time, briefly reveling in a sense of normalcy is both allowed and encouraged. And as we do each year when the new roster is released, here are all of the key notes, updates and observations based on our review of the details of the 2020-21 squad. ROSTER COMPOSITION The roster composition is exactly the same as 2019-20.  Indiana…

I’ll own it.  I underestimated what Archie Miller was capable of with this hire. On Sunday the news broke that Indiana will welcome former Connecticut assistant Kenya Hunter to fill the void left by the departure of Bruiser Flint. Hunter checks every single box I thought Miller might prioritize. I had the base profile right. “High major coaching experience, a proven recruiter, has ties to the east coast, and an African American.” Check, check, check, check. As I researched names that might fit the profile last week, I cruised right past the UConn staff.  Didn’t even look at it.  Why?…

Archie Miller has pulled from one of college basketball’s top brands to fill the void left by the departure of assistant coach Bruiser Flint. The IU head coach also went back to a familiar face according to a report by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Indiana has hired UConn assistant coach Kenya Hunter, who has been part of two programs during his career at the same time Miller was there. Hunter will arrive at IU after two seasons at UConn under head coach Dan Hurley.  He was on the opposing bench when Indiana defeated the Huskies at the Jimmy V…

Although they had first hand knowledge of the conditions on the ground, the Big Ten’s athletic directors were shut out of the league’s decision to postpone fall sports according to a report by Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald. That’s significant, because according to the report, all 14 of the Big Ten ADs wanted to play football this fall. Instead, McKewon’s report highlights what has been suspected — the university presidents and chancellors got involved in the process, and suddenly everything changed. Just days after the league released its revised 10 game schedule, meetings were held involving Big Ten Commissioner…

You have to wonder what difference a few days might have made. Not long after the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed their 2020 seasons, Yale University unveiled a COVID-19 testing breakthrough. A saliva test, known as SalivaDirect, developed via a partnership with the NBA, earned emergency FDA approval Aug. 15, just four days after the two leagues decided to push their fall athletics to the winter or spring. Another so-called rapid saliva test from the University of Illinois gained emergency use authorization Aug. 19. While there is still much work to be done, the saliva-based tests could make the difference…