Author: Seth Tow

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana women’s basketball knew there would be challenges going into the NCAA Tournament. And the fourth-seeded Hoosiers were certainly challenged on Saturday. No. 13 seed Fairfield, which entered Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on a 29-game winning streak, was clearly unfazed by the big stage and the raucous atmosphere. It became clear — quickly — that IU would have to really earn its spot in the round of 32. And that’s exactly what it did. The Hoosiers pulled away from the Stags in the third quarter and came away with a 89-56 victory. Indiana (25-5) will take on the winner…

During the middle of Indiana women’s basketball’s season, assistant coach Ali Patberg made a decision. Sophomore guard Lexus Bargesser had shown development on both ends of the court from the beginning of the season and earned an important role coming off the bench, along with a seven-game stint in the starting lineup due to Sydney Parrish’s foot injury. But her inconsistent shooting limited her impact at times. Opponents often sagged off Bargesser in coverage, feeling safe allowing her an open jump shot, and they were equally comfortable putting her on the foul line. Through the first 20 games of the…

Indiana football is back in action. The Hoosiers held their first practice of spring ball on Thursday at Memorial Stadium. They’ll have 13 practices over the next four weeks leading up to the spring game on April 18. Head coach Curt Cignetti met with the media after Thursday’s practice. Here are a few key points from that press conference. Day one This was Cignetti’s first practice after taking over as head coach at IU in December. So there’s plenty of adjustment for everyone, both coaches and players. “Day one it’s how you do things, and this was new for everybody…

Mike Woodson has some work to do. After Kaleb Banks, CJ Gunn, and Payton Sparks all entered the transfer portal, Indiana has six open scholarships for next year’s team. And that number could increase depending on NBA Draft decisions from guys like Kel’el Ware and Mackenzie Mgbako, or any other potential transfer portal entrants. With no 2024 signees, after Liam McNeeley decommitted, the Hoosiers will have to build up a good portion of their 2024-25 roster from the transfer portal. It’s not impossible to remake a roster like that, but it’s a difficult challenge. Knowing the task at hand for…

Mackenzie Holmes is once again an All-American. The Gorham, Maine native was named a second-team All-American by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USWBA) on Tuesday. And on Wednesday, the fifth-year was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press. This puts Holmes at eight total All-American honors throughout her illustrious Indiana women’s basketball career. This is her third selection from the AP — she was Indiana’s first-ever AP All-American as an honorable mention in 2021, and she became IU’s first-ever first-team All-American in 2023. And this is Holmes’ second All-American selection by the USWBA, after earning first team recognition…

Indiana defensive lineman Philip Blidi announced on social media Monday night that he’s entering the transfer portal. Blidi will be a graduate transfer, allowing him to transfer for a second time in his college career with immediate eligibility. He transferred to IU from Texas Tech in spring 2023. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound lineman started 11 of Indiana’s 12 games last season, and was a key veteran presence in the defensive line room. Blidi finished the year with 30 tackles, including four tackles for loss, along with two QB hurries and one pass breakup. As of January 26, Indiana was three players over…

Upon first glance, Indiana women’s basketball received a tough NCAA Tournament draw. The Hoosiers (24-5) earned their No. 4 seed, giving them home-court advantage in the first two rounds. But they’re up against a No. 13 seed in Fairfield (31-1) that hasn’t lost since mid-November and may feel it deserved a higher seed. If IU defeats the Stags, it may face No. 5 seed Oklahoma (22-9) — the Big 12 regular season outright champions, which swept No. 1 seed Texas and played a more challenging non-conference schedule than the Hoosiers. Should Indiana get through to the Sweet 16, it would…

Selection Sunday has arrived. Indiana women’s basketball has waited all week to learn its NCAA Tournament fate, as the Hoosiers hope to host for the third straight year. The selection show is Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. IU has projected as a No. 4 seed in each of the selection committee’s top 16 seed reveals, but the team ended on a sour note after blowing a big lead against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. That result stoked fears that Teri Moren’s squad could slip to a No. 5 seed and have to travel for March Madness.…

Indiana men’s basketball ended a disappointing season with an overwhelmingly disappointing performance. IU bowed out of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday with an ugly 93-66 loss at Target Center in Minneapolis. The Cornhuskers ran away with the game in the first half by going 12 for 20 from 3-point range, creating too large a deficit for IU to manage. Multiple reports emerged as the game ended — which a source with knowledge of the situation later confirmed to The Daily Hoosier — that the Hoosiers (19-14) would decline a potential NIT bid to focus fully on recruiting. So this officially…

Indiana men’s basketball didn’t have the smoothest game on Thursday in Minneapolis. IU played a strong defensive game in its Big Ten Tournament opener, regularly forcing Penn State into tough looks and holding the Nittany Lions to a 27.6 field-goal percentage. But the Hoosiers couldn’t fully capitalize on it on offense, and they found themselves in another tight game. So perhaps it’s only fitting the game was decided by someone who hasn’t had the smoothest career in Bloomington. With the game tied at 59 with 24 seconds remaining, IU head coach Mike Woodson called a play to set up a…