Indiana

Illinois Basketball Report Card: Grades at Indiana (Game 17)

Published

11 months ago

January 17, 2025

Illinois Basketball Report Card: Grades at Indiana (Game 17)

The beats went on for No. 19 Illinois against Indiana on Tuesday in Bloomington – a 94-69 hammering, to be specific – as guard Kasparas Jakucionis returned to the lineup and, along with him, the Illini’s briefly lost mojo. No one could be certain what team would show up to take on the Hoosiers before the opening tip, and by halftime it was clear that it was the Big Ten favorites.

The leap from excellence to sustained greatness is a chasm that would make Evel Knievel balk, but the Illini (13-4, 5-2 Big Ten) seem to have the springs to make it happen. Let’s take a quick look at the individual performances that lifted Illinois – for one game, at least – head and shoulders over its border rival.

After the USC loss, coach Brad Underwood admitted Ivisic need to not only play more minutes but be more involved. Check and check. Against Indiana, Ivisic was an all-around force (17 points, 11 rebounds and four assists), posting a plus-27 plus-minus in his 25 minutes and setting a tone that all future Illini opponents would do well to heed.

Returning from a two-game injury absence, Jakucionis didn’t skip a single beat. He had 19 points (including three three-pointers), four assists and three rebounds in the first half, leading Illinois to a 60-32 halftime lead. What came after (foul trouble and minimal production) hardly mattered. The damage – at his hands – had already been done.

It’s hard to overstate Boswell’s value to the Illini. He can switch effortlessly between the 1 and 2, whether from game to game or moment to moment, providing playmaking, shooting and penetration on one end while terrorizing opposing ball-handlers on the other. His game-high 22 points, seven rebounds and lockdown D against Indiana were the proof.

Gibbs-Lawhorn has carved out a wonderful niche for himself, attacking the rim in transition, sinking big shots in the halfcourt and providing atomic energy off the bench. He had 12 points (two threes) and a couple rebounds against the Hoosiers, posting a plus-17 plus-minus in 16 minutes of floor time.

Johnson had only five points against Indiana, but he hit all of his free throws (3-for-3) and plucked 10 rebounds – four of them from the offensive glass – in 18 minutes. As usual, he did exactly what the Illini need him to do (which is plenty) and took almost nothing else off the table. It’s uncanny, really.

Humrichous came down off his two-game scoring cloud, but his seven points (3-for-6 field-goal shooting), five rebounds and defense-stretching presence were just fine on an evening when several teammates were cooking. They can’t all be 20-point bangers.

Against Indiana, Riley went without a three for the third time in four games – and still acquitted himself nicely. His plus-24 plus-minus in 10 minutes was a bit of a mirage, but he played within himself on both ends (five points, two rebounds and two assists) and appears to be adjusting with each game.

White focused on creating in the paint against the Hoosiers, which didn’t go so well (2-for-9 shooting). in this instance. No worries. It’s rare when White doesn’t make something happen offensively, and he was again a reliable contributor on the boards (six rebounds).

There isn’t a lot of in between with Davis, a shooting specialist who can be targeted on defense. He missed all four of his shots from the floor against IU, but he did add a couple rebounds (one offensive) and an assist.

3 Takeaways From Illinois’ Basketball’s Win Over Indiana

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Illinois Basketball’s Flawless First Half Leaves Indiana at All-Time Low

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Indiana

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

Published

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

Published

19 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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