Indiana
Andrew Nembhard shines during Indiana Pacers 2024 FanJam plus other scrimmage thoughts
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers held their annual FanJam scrimmage yesterday, and while the event is designed to be a treat for fans, it has also grown into an evaluation tool for the Pacers themselves.
In the last two years, the team has shifted toward taking the intrasquad battle more seriously. “It’s not just going to be a FanJam, mess-around scrimmage. It’s going to be a live competitive game with some kind of consequence,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said a week ago. He later shared that he viewed that event as something similar to a fifth preseason game, and it’s a measuring stick for the Pacers.
In that way, the game did have some important takeaways for the blue and gold, who kick off preseason play tomorrow in Atlanta against the Hawks.
An important note before looking at takeaways from FanJam — here were the 2024 rosters. White team: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Kendall Brown, James Johnson, Tristen Newton, Enrique Freeman, Johnny Furphy (DNP) Blue team: T.J. McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker, Obi Toppin, James Wiseman, Cole Swider, Quenton Jackson, Isaiah Jackson (DNP). The coaching and training staffs were divided among the two squads.
Andrew Nembhard rose above the rest
Many players had moments that made them stand out, but third-year guard Andrew Nembhard had perhaps the best outing of anyone who suited up.
The starting two guard finished with 20 points, two rebounds, and one assist. He shot 6/8 from the field and had multiple runs where he was the best scorer for his team. From the mid-range, he was dominant. He got to the rim for passes and canned two outside shots.
At one point, he and teammate Bennedict Mathurin went back-and-forth trading attempts to score. They are both competitive, dating back to the day they were both drafted to the Pacers.
In the 20-minute game, Nembhard was the only player to reach 20 points. His efficiency and competitiveness stood out. He’s fresh off of playing in the Olympics, and his confidence is shining heading into a third season.
“I was just trying to hoop,” Nembhard said of FanJam. “Nice to just get out, play, have fun, get our shape back.”
James Wiseman made his one half count
James Wiseman has been recovering from a groin injury for much of training camp, but he was able to play for one half of the FanJam scrimmage. He started for the blue team with Isaiah Jackson out.
The four-year pro put together a nice outing. He scored eight points in 8:11 of playing time with his size standing out. He pulled in three boards and didn’t turn the ball over once while working through a new system.
Wiseman joined the Pacers to grow. He believes in the team’s development program and hopes that his career can turn around in Indiana. So far, he has fit in well. “He’s a great young prospect,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said.
His first showing in front of fans was solid. His defense will be worth watching once the Pacers take on non-intrasquad opponents, but Wiseman had a strong start.
“James is great. He’s perfect for the team. Athletic, fast,” Toppin said of Wiseman. “He already knows how to play with all of us, the chemistry is already there.”
Veterans did their thing
In a game that takes less than an hour from start to finish, high point totals will pop. Scoring is important when the final score is only 60-55.
Yet two veterans stood out for their stable play in T.J. McConnell and Pascal Siakam. Those two project to be the only players over 30 years old in Indiana’s rotation, and they showed why on Sunday afternoon.
McConnell, who will be the backup floor general, led the second unit with his passing. He had seven assists — 25% of the assist total for the entire game — and kept the ball moving. Last year, McConnell played a major role in the Pacers leading the NBA in bench scoring.
Siakam, meanwhile, pulled in six rebounds and then pushed in transition. If he can take another step in the open floor for the fast-paced Pacers, his role could slightly change in a positive way this season. The recently re-signed forward threw a few impressive cross-court passes, too.
Much of the focus on Indiana’s improvement this season will focus on young guys. The vets shined on Sunday.
Indiana’s bench unit is still being formed
Between Wiseman only playing for one half and Jackson being out, it’s hard to get a feel for the Pacers second unit. That stacks on top of Jarace Walker operating as a backup three in training camp at times and Ben Sheppard impressing his teammates.
McConnell, Mathurin, and Toppin will almost certainly be in the Pacers second unit. Beyond that, not much is known, and FanJam showed different types of units. Wiseman’s injury influenced things, but it’s hard to get a feel for what Indiana hopes their bench will look.
Maybe Walker and Sheppard both play in a smaller group that has Toppin at the five. Perhaps Jackson is the backup center and only one of Sheppard and Walker are involved. Where does Wiseman fit in? It’s hard to pin things down, and preseason performances could play a part in deciding how the bench looks.
You can watch the less serious part of FanJam — the rookie singing and dancing performances — here.
Indiana basketball practice observations from June 25: Freshmen mixing in
IU has a game-changer, Thursday’s practice open to the media showed. IndyStar IU insider Zach Osterman explains what he saw.
BLOOMINGTON — Whatever he can.
That’s the answer. The question — one prompted by an urgency to add strength to his game — is what Vaughn Karvala, Indiana basketball’s athletic freshman wing, is doing to add weight. IU’s highest-ranked signee in the 2026 class, it’s not hard to envision a role for Karvala in Darian DeVries’ second season in Bloomington. The player himself knows that starts with meeting the physical demands of the college game.
Which starts with building onto to his 6-foot-7, 190-pound frame.
“The biggest thing for me is just putting on weight,” Karvala told reporters after practice Thursday. “That’s my biggest thing, getting stronger, trying to play with these guys that are three, four years older than me. I have to get stronger, I have to get faster, everything.”
A three-year letter winner at Oregon (Wisconsin) High School, Karvala spent his senior season at Bella Vista Prep in Arizona, bolstering a profile that saw him ranked No. 62 nationally per the 247Sports Composite.
Karvala averaged 26.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in his final season with Oregon, shooting close to 42% from behind the 3-point line. He averaged another 14.7 points per game with Team Herro on the EYBL circuit.
He handed DeVries a major recruiting win last fall, when Karvala picked the Hoosiers over Xavier and Cal. Now, both at the rim and behind the arc, Karvala looks like a player who can contribute meaningfully in his first year in college.
“I know my athleticism catches the eye, but I can still shoot it,” Karvala said. “But another thing is just working on rebounding, trying to get extra possessions for us.”
Whether on the glass or elsewhere, embracing the physical challenge of college basketball has been an emphasis for Karvala since he arrived in Bloomington earlier this summer.
That manifests itself offensively, when he tries to push the ball downhill and leverage that athleticism to attack the rim. It shows up defensively, where Karvala said he’s comfortable guarding the two, the three and, matchup depending, the four.
It even plays out on the glass, battling bigs up to including 7-2 teammate Samet Yigitoglu, who Karvala described with a smile as “the biggest guy I’ve ever seen.”
“Physicality, 100%,” Karvala said, when asked where he’s challenging himself. “Just playing with all these guys that have 20, 30, 40 pounds on me.”
Which starts with the physical demand of more weight. Karvala said he’ll eat chicken, steak or “whatever we have in the locker room” that can help him in that effort. His focus, he said, is simply to “eat a lot, and work out every day.”
As that weight and strength begin to build, Karvala knows the next step — to mentally prepare for the rough-and-tumble nature of life on the floor in the Big Ten — is just as important. Preparing his body comes first. Challenging himself to toughen up once it’s required follows quickly after.
“Just getting fully there, mentally,” he said. “You’re going to have to push your body to get through this.”
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KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — It’s fair season and a new law uncorks adult beverage sales!
The new Indiana law will go into effect July 1st, making it legal to sell alcohol at county fairs.
The Kosciusko County Fair is set to kick off in just a few weeks and Indiana is officially allowing alcohol to be sold.
The law is bringing back something that’s not necessarily new to this fair.
Here’s what you need to know
The new law will go into effect on July 1st. It officially allows county fairs to apply for fee-free permits to sell alcohol.
Officials with the Kosciusko County Fair say they are participating this year. They are implementing the same guidelines they used when they sold alcohol just at grandstand events.
The difference now is, you can walk around the grounds with your drink. But strict guidelines will be in place for purchasing a drink.
“Actually, we’ve never had any issues. Because we card everybody, so we take that seriously. We also got the ID guides so we can identify the different types of IDs,” said Sheal Dirck, Treasurer of Kosciusko County Fair.
The Kosciusko County Fair already have guidelines in place, so this was an easy transition for the fair.
They will be the only vendors selling alcohol, which will make it easier to control distribution.
The sales will also bring in more revenue.
“Hopefully it allows to keep our ticket prices where they are because right now, insurance, utilities and everything else is going sky high and it’s hard to make ends meet,” said Dirck.
However, some fairs cannot participate because of the July 1st start date, like the Pulaski County Fair, which is going on right now. Pulaski County officials said it is on the agenda for next year. Whereas other fairs are choosing to sit this year out.
“We wanted not spend some time to, to see what that really means for us. It was not a decision we wanted to rush into. But we are happy for the option of it,” said Shelly Steury, GM of Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds.
Leaders at the St. Joseph County and Elkhart County Fairs said neither of them are selling alcohol.
The Kosciusko County Fair is the only fair that will sell alcohol in our area this year.
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