Author: Seth Tow

Indiana’s fate is out of its hands. The Hoosiers entered the Big Ten Tournament projecting as a No. 4 seed for the NCAA Tournament. They’d slipped at Illinois after the first top-16 seed reveal in mid-February, but immediately recovered with their best win of the season, at home over Iowa. That turnaround helped IU stay on the four-line. As long as Indiana won its first game in Minneapolis, it would be in good shape to secure the top-four seed that brings NCAA Tournament home games with it. But that didn’t happen. The Hoosiers collapsed in the second half against Michigan…

Indiana women’s basketball was hoping to rest Mackenzie Holmes during its Big Ten Tournament opener. Holmes entered Friday’s quarterfinal game against Michigan recovering from a knee injury she suffered on Sunday against Maryland. She participated in IU’s morning shootaround, and was listed as questionable on the team’s availability report. But IU head coach Teri Moren told Big Ten Network at halftime that the fifth-year may not enter the game if the Hoosiers could maintain their comfortable lead. They didn’t. Holmes checked in with 6:28 left in the game. It didn’t matter. Michigan rode a dominant second-half performance to a 69-56 win.…

Indiana men’s basketball has confirmed at least two players are participating in senior day ceremonies on Sunday. But the Hoosiers may have only one of those players available for the actual game against Michigan State. Forward Anthony Walker suffered a right knee injury during the second half of IU’s win at Minnesota on Wednesday, and did not return for the rest of the night. He was back on the bench by the end of the game. IU head coach Mike Woodson didn’t have any update on his status after the game on Wednesday. On a media availability over Zoom on…

MINNEAPOLIS — Mike Woodson knew it was coming. His Indiana men’s basketball team had just defeated Minnesota, 70-58, Wednesday night at Williams Arena. The Hoosiers — left for dead not long ago, with growing concerns over whether they’d win even one more game this season — have now pulled out three straight victories. But after the game, in front of a small local media contingent that traveled to Minneapolis, Woodson knew what he’d eventually be asked about. Hours before tipoff, reports surfaced — first by IndyStar, and later confirmed by The Daily Hoosier — that Woodson will return next season as…

Early in the season, as Mackenzie Mgbako had some initial trouble settling in at the collegiate level, Indiana head men’s basketball coach Mike Woodson preached patience. He repeatedly advised fans and media alike to give the five-star freshman time, reminding everyone that not all touted recruits come to college and immediately thrive. That was definitely the case for Mgbako. Through his first five games with IU, he shot just 32 percent from the field and 7.7 percent from 3-point range for 5.0 points per game. Mgbako still has room to improve, but he’s made a lot of progress. “For a…

Mackenzie Holmes and Sara Scalia have earned first team All-Big Ten honors, selected by both the media and the coaches. Holmes was selected unanimously for her third career first-team honor. She led Indiana with 20.7 points, 7.1 rebounds per game, and 1.5 blocks per game. The graduate student shot 67 percent from the field. This was Scalia’s first-ever first-team selection. She was named to the All-Big Ten second team in 2021-22, her final season at Minnesota, but never the first team before this season. The fifth-year averaged 16.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, and she shot 43.8…

Heading into the Big Ten Tournament, Indiana women’s basketball has two major question marks. After both Mackenzie Holmes and Lilly Meister suffered injuries on Sunday against Maryland, the status of both post players is of utmost concern for IU going to Minneapolis. The Hoosiers are the No. 3 seed, so they won’t play until Friday — against either No. 14 seed Rutgers, No. 11 seed Minnesota, or No. 6 seed Michigan. Holmes left Sunday’s game with 1:20 remaining in the third quarter after bumping knees with a Maryland defender — the same knee she’s had problems with at the end…

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Despite all the basketball Mackenzie Mgbako has played in his life, he’d never had a four-point play. That changed on Sunday. During a second-half run against Maryland, Xavier Johnson shoveled a pass over to the freshman near the corner in front of the IU bench. Terps forward Julian Reese knocked Mgbako down during his follow-through, and the shot fell. The New Jersey native yelled from the ground as his teammates swarmed him going into a media timeout. That was Indiana’s 10th straight made field goal, during a streak that reached 12. And it cut Maryland’s lead…

One of the few constants of this Indiana men’s basketball season has been the team’s fight. The Hoosiers have had so much go wrong this season, from injuries to ineffective play. But even when facing lopsided deficits, they’ve shown resolve in nearly every game. IU’s made second-half runs in so many games that still ended up double-digit losses. Against Wisconsin on Tuesday, that fight extended through the entire contest. With the way things turned from bad to worse in February, there were plenty of reasons the Hoosiers could’ve packed it in and just gone through the motions for the rest…

As Indiana women’s basketball debriefed from a blowout November loss at Stanford, head coach Teri Moren wanted an answer from her players. The Hoosiers fell flat in their second game of the year, suffering their most lopsided defeat in seven seasons. And in a team huddle after returning to Bloomington, Moren asked a simple question. “What is it? You guys tell me. What is it?” After hearing that, Chloe Moore-McNeil couldn’t hold it in. The Greenfield, Tenn. native knew what needed to be said, and she had to get it off her chest. “Guys, we’re soft right now. Let’s keep…