Author: Seth Tow

From the beginning of Indiana’s game against Kent State, it was clear what the moment meant to Race Thompson. While some IU players needed time to settle into this NCAA Tournament first-round game, Thompson gave maximum effort right away. Whether it was running the floor in transition, diving across the floor to go after a loose ball, or playing good defense, Thompson was on his game. He’d let out emphatic screams after big plays, matching his passion to his energy. Thompson’s performance was huge in helping Indiana over the line Saturday. The Hoosiers defeated Kent State, 71-60, in Albany, N.Y.…

Indiana women’s basketball knows it’s a popular pick to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers have seen brackets pour in across social media since Selection Sunday, with many people pegging them as a Final Four or national championship team. And they’ve found it cool, or even surreal, to see those predictions. But those aren’t the brackets that stick out to Grace Berger. She fixated on the ones that have the Hoosiers falling out earlier. “I’d pick us too if I was them. But there are a couple brackets that have us losing early. I think those…

Indiana football had trouble finding the right way to utilize its running backs on many occasions in 2022. IU recognized Jaylin Lucas was its most explosive option out of the backfield, and that Josh Henderson was its most productive, but struggled to get them enough touches to make a big impact in a lot of games. The Hoosiers started to figure that out more near end of the year, though. And with both Henderson and Lucas back in 2023, IU will hope they both continue making plays. Those two are likely to lead the Indiana backfield in 2023. Lucas earned…

Mackenzie Holmes’ historic season for Indiana women’s basketball just added a new headline. Holmes was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press on Monday. It’s the first time a Hoosier has earned that distinction. The senior placed seventh in the country with 22.3 points per game, and her 68.8 field goal percentage ranked second in the nation. She also averaged 1.9 blocks per game (32nd in the country), which helped her earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. She added 7.3 rebounds per game to those figures. Holmes is a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award,…

Indiana opens March Madness against a familiar tournament foe. The fourth-seeded Hoosiers take on No. 13 seed Kent State on Friday around 9:55 p.m. at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y. The Golden Flashes won the MAC Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Indiana and Kent State played in the NCAA Tournament in two consecutive years in the early 2000s. The Golden Flashes beat the Hoosiers in the first round in 2001, but IU got revenge in the Elite Eight in 2002. This is Kent State’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2017, when it earned a No. 14…

When Indiana men’s basketball returned to the NCAA Tournament last season after a six-year absence, the Hoosiers got just a brief taste of the experience. For all the buildup to this event, it doesn’t last long for most of its participants. Indiana wasn’t alone in having a relatively short stay in the tournament. But IU went through a chaotic week with its First Four victory in Dayton, quickly flying to Portland and dealing with travel issues, and then playing in the round of 64 just two days later. That showed the Hoosiers what it takes to succeed in March Madness,…

Coming off its roughest week of the season, Indiana women’s basketball spent time regrouping. The Hoosiers suffered two losses in a seven-day span at the end of February and beginning of March, after dropping just one prior game all season. And it left IU with over a week until Selection Sunday, and two weeks until its next game. So the Hoosiers went back to the drawing board. They crumbled against Ohio State’s press defense in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, and knew that required attention. And now, they finally had time to address it. And Indiana needed to recover from…

CHICAGO — No word may sum up this IU men’s basketball season better than ‘inconsistent.’ Unlike last year, Indiana won’t have to sweat out Selection Sunday. IU is projected to earn a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to Bracket Matrix. The Hoosiers will play in March Madness for the second consecutive season, for the first time in seven years. In that sense, IU’s had a good season. But after entering the season as Big Ten favorites, and after repeated references to adding another banner at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, simply making the tournament can’t be the barometer…

CHICAGO — Malik Reneau’s freshman season at Indiana has been frustratingly tantalizing. He’s flashed potential from the beginning. He forced his way into Indiana’s crunch-time lineup during the big road win over Xavier in November. But he’s had so many moments — and prolonged stretches — of typical freshman mistakes, rawness, and ineffectiveness. But during Indiana’s win over Maryland on Friday in the Big Ten Tournament, Reneau provided a reminder of his capabilities — and showed growth from earlier faults. “(Reneau’s play off the bench) was very important,” Woodson said. “I tried (Jordan) Geronimo a little bit, but I thought…

CHICAGO — For ages, the Big Ten Tournament was not kind to Indiana men’s basketball. The Hoosiers endured seemingly yearly frustrations, whether it was early losses, letdown performances, or otherwise. But last year, when IU needed it most, it delivered a memorable showing with clutch wins over Michigan and Illinois, and nearly defeating Iowa in the semifinals. That run secured Indiana’s first NCAA Tournament berth in six years. Heading into this year’s Big Ten Tournament, the Hoosiers are leaning on that success from 2022. They know they can perform in this event, and know what it takes to make a…