Connect with us

Indiana

Indiana Football Begins First Fall Camp Under Curt Cignetti

Published

on

Indiana Football Begins First Fall Camp Under Curt Cignetti


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A new era of Indiana football kicks off on Aug. 31, which means it’s time for fall camp.

The Hoosiers had their first non-padded practice on Wednesday at the outdoor practice fields beside Memorial Stadium and Mellencamp Pavilion. Instead of the megaphone-carrying Tom Allen coaching Indiana, a less boisterous Curt Cignetti oversaw Wednesday’s practice ahead of his first season with the Hoosiers.

It was a hot and humid day in the mid-80s, different from the mild conditions of Cignetti’s first practices last spring.

“It forced us to think and play football on day one, so that was good,” Cignetti said.

Advertisement

“We want to develop players, develop more consistency in performance day in, day out, play in, play out. It’s the second time through the offense, defense and special teams now. Guys ought to be playing faster, thinking less. And we want to promote competition.”

Much of the summer was spent working with Derek Owings, Indiana’s new director of athletic performance. Cignetti said he has a lot of trust in Owings, who held the same role at James Madison from 2020-23, because of his knowledge, work ethic, commitment and the respect he gains from players. 

With the season opening in about a month against Florida International at Memorial Stadium, the Hoosiers have heightened their focus on getting in game shape and preparing for their first game. 

“The big takeaway today is you can’t replicate football. No matter what you do in the summer, football is just a set of different movements,” Cignetti said. “A lot of start, stop, and then you throw the heat in there and it was a real test and a challenge. So we’ve got to get into football shape now. We took off weight. We put on good weight. We got stronger, quicker, faster, cut down on body fat, all that good stuff. Now we’ve got to get into football shape.”

Cignetti said he introduced a lot of new concepts during spring practice sessions. But now that it’s the team’s second time through, he’s coaching with an eye on the fine details and finishing. He wants to see all 11 players doing their job at a high level on every play.

Advertisement

Indiana has a new-look roster with 30 incoming transfers and 17 freshmen. Cignetti coached 13 of those new Hoosiers at James Madison, but he has to get the rest of the team to embrace the style of football he demands. 

He often describes that as fast, physical, relentless, smart, disciplined and poised, seen through his James Madison teams that went 52-9 in his five seasons and led the nation in run defense last year. The Dukes had the fewest penalties in the Sun Belt in 2022, and they ranked 12th out of 14 teams in that category last season. Cignetti also mentioned turnover ratio, a stat in which James Madison ranked 24th nationally in 2023.

In addition to those key stats, Cignetti strives to develop a resilient mindset with the Hoosiers that was reflected in his James Madison teams. He referenced the Dukes’ first Sun Belt game in 2022 after moving from the FCS to FBS as an example.

James Madison traveled to Appalachian State, a team which two weeks before won 17-14 at No. 6 Texas A&M. The Dukes trailed 28-3 in the second quarter but came back to win 32-28. Cignetti wants his Indiana team to play with that mentality, where they are not affected by the positive or negative circumstances of a game.

“It’s kind of a mindset and an identity,” Cingetti said. “Those intangibles that we want to develop in camp as well.”

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Indiana

How to Watch: Louisville Cardinals vs. Indiana Hoosiers

Published

on

How to Watch: Louisville Cardinals vs. Indiana Hoosiers


LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Following a four-game home stand to open up the 2024-25 season, the Louisville men’s basketball program is heading back to The Bahamas to participate in the Battle 4 Atlantis, and will kick off the event against regional rival Indiana.

The Pat Kelsey era of the Cardinals is off to solid start, although they have played imperfect basketball during their 3-1 start to the season. They’re averaging 81.0 points per game and have a 18.3 scoring margin, but have shot just 29.4 percent from deep on the year, and lost by 22 to Tennessee in their lone game vs. a power conference team.

As for the Hoosiers, they’re off to an undefeated start in year four under head coach Mike Woodson. All of their games have been won by at least double figures, including an 87-71 victory over South Carolina. Mackenzie Mgbako is leading the charge for IU with 18.8 points per game.

This will be the 22nd all-time regular season meeting between Louisville and Indiana, with the Hoosiers owning a 12-9 advantage. IU has won the last two matchups against UofL, including a 74-66 decision back on Nov. 20, 2023 in their last matchup in the Empire Classic.

Advertisement

(Photo of Chucky Hepburn: Jamie Rhodes – Imagn Images)

You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:

Facebook – @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter/X – @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram – @louisvilleonsi

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Indiana

New Orleans takes on Indiana, seeks to end 4-game slide

Published

on

New Orleans takes on Indiana, seeks to end 4-game slide


Associated Press

New Orleans Pelicans (4-13, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (7-10, ninth in the Eastern Conference)

Indianapolis; Monday, 7 p.m. EST

Advertisement

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Pacers -5.5; over/under is 228

BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans heads into the matchup against Indiana as losers of four straight games.

The Pacers are 5-2 in home games. Indiana ranks fifth in the league with 17.0 fast break points per game led by Bennedict Mathurin averaging 4.5.

The Pelicans have gone 1-7 away from home. New Orleans averages 14.2 turnovers per game and is 3-4 when turning the ball over less than opponents.

The Pacers are shooting 48.7% from the field this season, 0.2 percentage points higher than the 48.5% the Pelicans allow to opponents. The Pacers average 103.8 points per game, 14.3 fewer points than the 118.1 the Pacers allow to opponents.

Advertisement

TOP PERFORMERS: Pascal Siakam is averaging 20.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Pacers.

Brandon Ingram is scoring 22.9 points per game and averaging 5.8 rebounds for the Pelicans.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 4-6, averaging 111.7 points, 38.9 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 9.0 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.5 points per game.

Pelicans: 1-9, averaging 100.2 points, 42.7 rebounds, 23.0 assists, 7.8 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 42.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.7 points.

INJURIES: Pacers: Aaron Nesmith: out (ankle), Andrew Nembhard: out (knee), Isaiah Jackson: out for season (calf), James Wiseman: out for season (calf), Ben Sheppard: out (oblique).

Advertisement

Pelicans: Zion Williamson: out (hamstring), Yves Missi: day to day (shoulder), CJ McCollum: day to day (thigh), Herbert Jones: out (shoulder ), Dejounte Murray: day to day (hand), Jose Alvarado: out (hamstring).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.




Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Indiana

Wizards Drop 11th Straight in Loss vs. Pacers

Published

on

Wizards Drop 11th Straight in Loss vs. Pacers


The Washington Wizards are still in the loss column after falling to the Indiana Pacers 115-103 inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday evening.

The Wizards remained competitive throughout the game, especially after the first half when they led by two points going into halftime.

However, the Pacers pulled ahead in the second half and were able to cruise to a double-digit victory.

The Pacers had seven players scoring in double figures, including a team-high 22 points from Pascal Siakam. Myles Turner had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Advertisement

The Wizards were sorely missing their leading scorer in Jordan Poole, who was ruled out prior to the game with a hip injury. That put Kyshawn George into the starting lineup, where he scored 15 points while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out five assists.

All five starters scored in double figures with Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr scoring 17 points apiece for the team-high.

With 11 consecutive losses, the Wizards remain at the bottom of the NBA standings, but there are some positives that the team will walk away with.

The Wizards will look to snap their losing streak back at home on Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending