Indiana

Bennedict Mathurin Reminds Everyone What He Can Be For Indiana Pacers

Published

1 year ago

October 25, 2024

Bennedict Mathurin Reminds Everyone What He Can Be For Indiana Pacers

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 16: Bennedict Mathurin #00 of the Indiana Pacers looks on against … [+] the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center on December 16, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Pacers 127-109. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

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DETROIT — The Indiana Pacers lost guard Bennedict Mathurin to an injury late last season. The Pacers crushed the Dallas Mavericks in early March, and Mathurin had a solid outing. But he suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder — his shooting shoulder — that night. He didn’t play again in 2023-24.

That kept the young ball handler out for his team’s first winning campaign. He was also absent for the postseason, and Indiana made a run. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals as Mathurin rehabbed, and while the team had success, they were missing Mathurin’s dynamic abilities.

“I think [Mathurin] saw what it takes to play the way we really want to play, what it takes to be successful in a playoffs setting,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said a few weeks ago. He added that Mathurin took all of that information in and processed it during the postseason. “I think you’ll see a different side to him this year that’s really playing and adapting to the way that we play.”

Mathurin is still blending his game with the unique way the Pacers operate. But he’s a low-turnover ball handler who can get to the rim with ease and make plays in a slowed-down setting. That’s the makeup of a player who could add value in the playoffs. And the Pacers happened to play against two teams that Mathurin had success against during the regular season in Milwaukee and New York.

Indiana found ways to win two rounds, but their young ball handler was missed. He’s an emerging talent as a scorer and attacker — the Pacers had to look elsewhere for those skills for the final two months of the 2023-24 season.

Wednesday night, Mathurin returned to action in Detroit. The Pacers opened up the season against the Pistons, and it was Mathurin’s first game with consequences since March 5. 232 days had passed since he last hit the hardwood.

Onlookers weren’t able to tell. The Arizona product looked as good as ever. Mathurin was terrific in the fourth quarter and changed the makeup of the game with his ability to get off shots and pump energy into an otherwise flat Pacers offense. Indiana was down by eight with 10:38 to play, yet they were able to get a win thanks to Mathurin. He didn’t miss a beat upon returning.

“Performance? I don’t really care, to be honest. I’m just happy we got the win,” Mathurin said when asked if it meant anything to have a strong outing in Detroit after so much time off. That mindset is important, but the team wouldn’t have gotten the win without his play.

Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) brings the ball up court against the Detroit Pistons … [+] during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Entering the fourth quarter, Mathurin had five points. His head coach, Rick Carlisle, shared that the young guard got pulled from the game after some rough defensive moments earlier in the second half. It was a mediocre night for the 2022 lottery pick to that point.

He owned the fourth quarter. Mathurin flicked in three foul shots in the first minute of the frame, and his ability to get to the free throw line is part of what makes him so special. With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps that should have been a signal of special things to come.

Less than two minutes later, the 22-year old cashed in another shot from the foul line. 19 seconds passed, then he embarrassed Jaden Ivey with a stepback jumper and drilled it. He had six points in about three minutes to open the fourth quarter, and the Pacers were now down by just two.

That was just the beginning. With seven minutes to go, Mathurin buried another jumper to give Indiana a lead. That edge felt flimsy until the shooting guard hit a key three with 2:55 remaining that extended his team’s advantage to four. Finally, the Pacers had some breathing room, and Mathurin created almost all of it.

“Time of the game,” Mathurin said when asked what changed for him in the final frame. “Just keeping the game simple. I know it’s the fourth quarter. We’ve got to make a run. Got to get a different perspective on the game. That’s when I thrive.”

He would score two more points down the stretch as the Pacers erased a double-digit deficit to earn their first win of the season. Mathurin’s late-game play made it all possible.

In just the fourth quarter, the young ball handler finished with 14 points, two rebounds, and one assist. He played the entire frame, and Indiana outscored Detroit 33-19 in the period. Mathurin took nine free throws in that quarter — his ability to get to the charity stripe has always been nearly elite.

Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, right, takes a shot against Detroit Pistons forward Ron … [+] Holland II, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

“[Bennedict] Mathurin was great in this game. He just has that attitude as an attacker and as a scorer,” Carlisle said during this postgame press conference. “I thought defensively, as the game went along, he got better.”

Mathurin finished the outing with 19 points and six rebounds. Indiana almost certainly wouldn’t have grabbed a victory without him. Going forward, the key takeaway is that the young guard reminded everyone of exactly who he is.

Even on a night where Mathurin was off for some stretches, he could take over the game with his offensive firepower. When a battle slows down, he thrives. On an Indiana team that tries to play fast and keep the ball moving constantly, that change of pace can be valuable.

For Mathurin, the next step is consistency. He saw his team make a postseason run without him, and it’s his job to fit into that system. Moving the ball, defending, and making quick decisions will be key in making that happen.

Yet he also has to blend those improvements with the gifts that make him a high-ceiling player. The third-year pro, who will be eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension next offseason, showcased how he can do that on nights where the Pacers are slowed for much of the game.

“Be myself. I work hard, I was out for a minute. So the main thing for me is just to come back into the team,” he said of what he focuses on when the game slows down and defenses are honing in on him. “I’m not trying to turn people around and say ‘I’m back’. I’m just making sure my teammates know I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

Mathurin certainly did that on Wednesday. The Indiana Pacers are 1-0, and their young guard helped everyone remember exactly who he is to secure the victory.

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Indiana

Freshmen from Indiana show potential in UConn-Butler game: ‘Heck of a player’

Published

4 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Freshmen from Indiana show potential in UConn-Butler game: ‘Heck of a player’

Former UConn forward, NBC Sports broadcaster Donny Marshall knows a thing or two about talented UConn guards.

The former Husky played for legendary coach Jim Calhoun and was teammates with the fifth pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, 10-time NBA All-Star Ray Allen. Watching UConn play against Butler on Tuesday night, Marshall said he sees a lot of Allen in reigning Indiana Mr. Basketball Braylon Mullins.

Mullins made the second start of his career against the Bulldogs. The former Greenfield-Central star missed UConn’s first six games of the regular season with an injury, but the 6-foot-6 guard is quickly coming into his own and showing why he’s a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Against Butler, Mullins showed off his sweet jump shot, going 2 for 5 from 3-point range. He finished with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal.

“He’s a scorer,” Butler coach Thad Matta said of Mullins. “He’s got a scorer’s mentality. He gets his shot off quick. They move him around and create some angles for him. Obviously, he’s a heck of a player.”

Mullins did most of his damage in the first half, scoring eight of his 12 points before halftime. The former five-star recruit was the highest-ranked player in UConn’s 2025 class. Butler’s top-ranked recruit, Azavier “Stink” Robinson isn’t the NBA prospect Mullins is, but he held his own after a shaky start to the game.

Robinson has been thrust into the starting lineup with starter Jalen Jackson out for the season with an ankle injury. Robinson looked out of sorts at times in the first half, going scoreless with two assists and a turnover. In the second half, Matta moved him off the ball, giving him catch-and-shoot looks, and opportunities to drive to the basket without worrying about running the offense.

The former Lawrence North star responded with one of the better halves of his career, scoring 10 points on 3 for 6 shooting, including 2 for 5 from 3 to go along with two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one turnover.

Facing a veteran team like UConn, nothing comes easy. UConn’s guards harass ball handlers and getting into an offensive set is not easy. This time last year, Robinson was still in high school and, on most nights, the most athletic player on the court. Playing a UConn team where the goal is a national championship, Robinson was forced to grow, and he did not back down from the challenge in the second half.

“He’s coming along,” Matta said of Robinson. “That’s the first Big East road game of his career against maybe the best team in the country. It tells you how tough he is. He’s resilient. He keeps going.”

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Indiana

Indiana's Curt Cignetti becomes the first back-to-back winner of AP coach of the year

Published

16 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Indiana's Curt Cignetti becomes the first back-to-back winner of AP coach of the year

Curt Cignetti has been named The Associated Press coach of the year in college football for the second consecutive season. He is the first coach to win the award back-to-back since it was first presented in 1998. Cignetti has led Indiana to unprecedented success, with a 24-2 record over two seasons. The Hoosiers are 13-0 this year, Big Ten champions for the first time since 1967, and the top seed in the College Football Playoff. Cignetti received 47 first-place votes. Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea received two each, and Virginia’s Tony Elliott got one.

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Central Indiana schools announce closures, delays planned for Tuesday

Published

1 day ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Central Indiana schools announce closures, delays planned for Tuesday

INDIANAPOLIS — Some schools in central Indiana are planning to close or delay the start of their classes on Tuesday.

The closures and delays come in the wake of a difficult weekend of severe winter weather in the Hoosier State. On Saturday, a wintry system dumped more than six inches of snow in some portions of the state.

Points north of Indianapolis like Lafayette received between three and four inches of snow. Towns south of the Circle City like Seymour saw similar snowfall totals. As for Indianapolis itself, more than five inches of snow were recorded in some portions of the city.

After Saturday’s snow, frigid temperatures took hold in the area. A Cold Weather Advisory was issued for much of the state as wind chill values dipped well below zero.

The cold and snow triggered a bevy of school closings and delays for Monday. Schools began to announce delays and closures for Tuesday late Monday night as snow removal crews across the state continued to try to keep roadways clear.

Though some schools plan to close or delay the start of classes on Tuesday, temperature improvements are forecasted. High temperatures are anticipated to exceed the 32-degree freezing threshold and hit 36 degrees. The warming trend is expected to continue on both Wednesday and Thursday, with high temperatures forecasted to reach 40 and 50 degrees, respectively.

Precipitation is forecasted for Thursday, though temperatures are expected to remain warm enough for Indiana to get rain instead of snow.

FOX59/CBS4 is tracking the closures and delays schools plan to implement on Tuesday. Check out the latest available list of closings below:

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