Indiana

Indiana men’s basketball and Mike Woodson’s most important offseason yet

Published

2 years ago

March 17, 2024

Indiana men’s basketball and Mike Woodson’s most important offseason yet

How a year can change things.

Around this time 365 days ago, Indiana men’s basketball appeared to have some positive momentum for the first time since… 2016? Maybe the Archie Miller honeymoon phase?

The Hoosiers locked up a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Trayce Jackson-Davis was a consensus All-American. Jalen Hood-Schifino guided the team to a sweep of Purdue and was NBA-bound.

Vibes around the program, all things considered, were pretty good. Last offseason presented a massive reload with a lot of talent from the transfer portal and boom or bust potential for the 2023-24 season as a result.

But this wasn’t a boom. It may not have been a bust even, at least on the court.

Indiana got blown out, a lot, but still ended up with 19 wins and sixth place in the Big Ten, which is exactly where the preseason media poll had them finishing. How they got there was very, very weird but it happened regardless.

Off the court? Oh man.

Fan chatter about Mike Woodson’s job status turned into an online fervor that was loud enough to prompt a report that he’d remain for next season. The lone 2024 signee requested out of his letter of intent one day later.

It’s important to remember with inside reports that information is power and when it’s released or delivered in a certain way, it’s usually meant to serve a purpose beyond informing the audience.

Had Indiana collapsed down the stretch to finish below .500, there’s probably a far different conversation to be had. That obviously didn’t happen though, with a five-game winning streak creating a really odd on/off court juxtaposition as to how the program looks instead of everything looking bad.

Does a blowout loss in the Big Ten Tournament change that at all? Maybe a little, but not nearly that much.

Things have gone wrong though. Indiana enters the offseason as the only team in the Big Ten without an incoming freshman recruiting class. That hasn’t happened in years and is usually the kind of thing that comes with a coaching change.

The futures for both Woodson and Indiana as a program hang in the balance in the next month. Moves made in these next few weeks will make, or break, the 2024-25 season.

Woodson cannot afford to be on the outside looking in again when March Madness rolls around next year. Ask Juwan Howard and Chris Holtmann what two years without a tourney bid does to your job.

Indiana has to build a team through the portal. Again.

Last year’s efforts weren’t entirely in vain, adding an All-Big Ten caliber center with NBA lottery upside and a key reserve forward with the kind of athleticism and quickness Woodson likes to have on defense.

But it’s what they didn’t go after, guards, that ultimately caused problems when the season arrived. The Hoosiers had all of one reliable passe and scorer, Trey Galloway, in the backcourt all season.

They’re gonna need someone that can score and multiple players who can shoot, ideally at least one that reaches around 40% from deep. Depending on what could happen with player movement out of the program, portal or NBA Draft, they could need rim protection and general depth in the frontcourt.

The good news? Indiana has plenty going for it in the recruiting process. The facilities are world-class, there’s a coach with NBA connections and a growing track record of sending talent to the next level and NIL is in a really good spot.

The bad news? It’s not difficult to negatively recruit against Indiana given that Woodson enters next year on the hot seat, the offense isn’t particularly modern and there is not a single freshman signee on the way to Bloomington.

The resources probably outweigh that, at least slightly. Indiana will be able to get players out of the portal, it just needs to get the right ones and set them up for success next season and for the future.

If not? The fervor will return, only without a “he’s safe” report to stem the tide of fan outrage.

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Indiana

Statewide Silver Alert issued for two missing Indiana children

Published

7 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Statewide Silver Alert issued for two missing Indiana children

RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — A statewide Silver Alert has been issued for two young children in Indiana.

Police in Ripley County, southeast of Indianapolis, are looing for the children who may be siblings.

The first child is 3-year-old Aaliyah Buckingham.

She was last seen wearing a pink cat shirt and tie-dye shorts.

The younger child is 1-year-old Shane Buckingham, last seen in a red shirt and diaper.

Police think both are with 45-year-old Timothy Buckingham, who was last seen driving a brown GMC truck.

Timothy is described as a 6′ 3″ white man weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Photo of Timothy Buckingham provided by Indiana State Police

Police have not confirmed the relationship of the three, or why the children are believed to be in danger.

Anyone who sees the three are asked to contact the nearest police department.

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Indiana

Indianapolis firefighter hospitalized after battling fire at vacant home

Published

19 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Indianapolis firefighter hospitalized after battling fire at vacant home

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.

According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.

The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.

It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.

According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.

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Indiana

IHSAA football: 10 sleeper teams to watch in Central Indiana for the 2026 season

Published

1 day ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

IHSAA football: 10 sleeper teams to watch in Central Indiana for the 2026 season

The high school football season is a little more than five weeks away. We take a look today at 10 potential sleeper teams for the 2026 season from Central Indiana. To keep things consistent, we considered only teams that finished last season with a .500 record or below.

I had a few hits in this category last year, including Avon (3-7 to 6-5), Carmel (3-7 to 9-2) and Indian Creek (5-6 to 8-4). Here are teams poised for an uptick this season:

Brebeuf Jesuit

A drop off last year was not unexpected for the Braves, who lost a lot of talent from a team that finished 8-3 in 2024. Brebeuf started 0-6 on its way to a 3-8 season, which was its first losing record since going 4-6 in 2016.

There were some mitigating circumstances around last season’s record, extending beyond inexperience. The Braves lost starting quarterback Keegan Bouwkamp to an injury in the first game of the season, though he was able to return to pass for 1,004 yards and 15 touchdowns in just four games. His return as a senior will allow to senior Carter Cosgrove to return to receiver full time. They are part of a group of nine starters returning to an offense that did produce 26 points per game last season and will be anchored by UConn commit Krystian Oakley on the line.

Coach Matt Geske’s team also returns six starters on defense, including junior Joshua Rogers (42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks). There are some new games on the schedule, including Mt. Vernon, Scecina, Columbus North and Cardinal Ritter.

North Central

It might seem like a small thing but North Central finishing 2-8 last season did represent a significant jump after three consecutive 0-10 seasons. In fact, a two-win season is the best for the Panthers since going 6-4 in 2020.

Now, can North Central take another step forward in Collin Coffer’s second season as coach? The Panthers ended a 32-game losing streak in the season opener last year with a 35-13 victory over Brebeuf, then defeated Harrison (West Lafayette) 41-28 in Week 5. If North Central is going to take the next step, it will need to make headway against Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference opponents (North Central’s most-recent MIC win was in 2021).

There is plenty of hope coming into the season with an offense led by junior quarterback Chase Grove (1,901 passing yards, 19 TDs) and an experienced group of receivers. Most of the defense also returns, including seniors Kolton Ablitar-Conner and Jameson Hittle.

Zionsville

The Eagles were 3-7 last year, but four of those losses came by 10 points or less. Zionsville has been stuck on either three or four wins every year since going 9-6 and reaching the Class 5A state finals in 2021.

There are reasons to believe coach Scott Turnquist’s team can make a move in 2026. The offensive line brings back Ball State commit Eli Wildoner and Ben Maxey and has a rising star in junior tight end Theo Schott, who caught 26 passes for 305 yards and three TDs last season. Junior quarterback Finn Giles transferred from Carmel and will battle for the starting spot with junior Mac Wright.

The defense has talent, too, led by senior Ball State preferred walk-on Roman Barth on the line, along with junior Peter Monohan. The secondary returns one of the team’s top tacklers in junior Gabe Vinatieri. Zionsville starts with Pike and Lawrence Central before getting into Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.

Martinsville

The Artesians did drop off from a 12-2 regional championship season in 2024 but still managed to win a sectional title and finish 6-7 last year with a relatively inexperienced team.

Coach Brian Dugger’s group will still be a little bit on the young side in some areas, but there is quite a bit coming back. Leading the way on offense will be senior quarterback Chase Davis (2,510 passing yards, 24 TDs), senior receiver Landon Cazee (95 catches, 1,280 yards, 13 TDs) and senior lineman Kyson Bunton.

The defense loses some key pieces to graduation, though senior linebackers Joel Sumner (67 tackles, five TFLs) and Nate LaFary (47 tackles in eight games) are among those returning. The path to a sectional title became a lot more difficult with Roncalli now in the mix. The Artesians open the season with Bedford North Lawrence and Bloomington South before getting into Mid-State Conference play with new league member Bloomington North in Week 3.

Hamilton Heights

Caleb Small comes over to coach his alma mater after coaching at Northwestern two years ago and Kokomo last season. The Huskies were 4-6 last year with a first-round sectional exit to Guerin Catholic, but there is a lot of experience returning on both sides of the ball.

The Huskies should be strong at the skill positions with senior running back A.J. Flanagan (813 rushing yards, seven TDs; 20 catches, 181 yards) returning, along with senior quarterback Drew Woodruff (1,742 passing yards, 13 TDs).

The defense should be strong in front seven with junior linebackers Grayden Dahlstrom and Landon Hickman among the returnees. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back 4-win seasons after going 11-1 in 2023 and making a run to the sectional title game. Small has a lot of experience on his staff, including eight coaches who have coached at the Class 6A level.

The sectional no longer includes Guerin Catholic or Bishop Chatard – the two programs that have knocked the Huskies out the past six seasons.

Mt. Vernon

This might seem like a lot to ask after Mt. Vernon finished 0-10 last season. Coach Mike Kirschner returns after getting the Marauders’ program a jolt from 2018 to 2020, helping to set the stage for a run to the Class 4A state title in 2021.

Can Kirschner help to make it happen again? Mt. Vernon allowed 46.2 points per game last season, so a major overhaul will be needed on that side of the ball. There is some experienced there, including senior James Battee on the line and Zach Spalding and B.J. Johnson at linebacker.

The offense returns four starters on the line, along with Arizona State baseball recruit Mason Meyer (1,517 passing yards, 11 TDs; 420 rushing yards, six TDs) at quarterback and Johnson at receiver. Instead of Noblesville and Franklin, Mt. Vernon will open with Kokomo and Brebeuf Jesuit before getting into Hoosier Heritage Conference play.

Monrovia

The Bulldogs struggled to a 4-7 record last year after back-to-back 9-3 seasons. Coach Andy Olson’s team could be in line for a bounce back season with three top rushers returning in junior Ryder Bain (978 yards, 12 TDs), senior Coewen Stinson (957 yards, 10 TDs) and junior Gavin Wolsiffer (746 yards, six TDs). Monrovia averaged 261 rushing yards per game last season.

The defense struggled last season, especially late. The Bulldogs lost 57-56 to Heritage Christian in the second round of the sectional. The good news is that Monrovia returns plenty of experience on that side of the ball, including senior Gauge Tolan (123 tackles).

Monrovia has not had back-to-back losing seasons since 2019 and 2020.

Cardinal Ritter

Ritter has been competitive the past three seasons under coach Levar Johnson but have not been able to break through with a winning season since 2020. The Raiders were 3-7 last year with wins over Tech, Greenwood Christian and Covenant Christian.

Can Ritter get over the top with a winning season in 2026? Junior linebacker Bam McCullough (99 tackles, eight TFLs, 3 ½ sacks) is a Division I talent and will be joined at the linebacker spot by junior Ve’Sean Miles (81 tackles, 6 ½ TFLs). Ritter has three other returning starters on defense.

The offense has three returning starters on the offensive line (eight overall) and several talented skill position players, including junior running back Tavien Fox (659 rushing yards, nine TDs), who is moving back from quarterback. Senior Renaldo Thomas (534 rushing yards, three TDs) also has experience. Junior Jordyn Graham, a transfer from Crispus Attucks, is the likely starter at quarterback.

Greenwood

It is a new era for the Woodmen in the Hoosier Legends Conference, where 4A Greenwood will be one of the larger schools in the eight-team league. The Woodmen were 2-8 last year, a drop after going 6-6 two years ago and 4-8 last season.

Greenwood will have experience at the skill positions on offense, led by Lindenwood commit Benjamin Hommell at wide receiver (26 catches, 625 yards, eight TDs) and junior running back Leland Morton (596 rushing yards, three TDs). There is some experience up front on defense with Aidyn Wiley on the line and linebackers James Hurley, Damyan Hernandez and Gage Hall.

Areas of concern for Greenwood will be a young offensive line and secondary.

Scecina

The Crusaders were on this list last year and did make a two-win jump, improving from 3-7 to 5-5. Scecina lost in the first round of the sectional, 47-29, to Monrovia in Dan Harris’ second season as coach.

Scecina returns plenty talent and experience at the skill positions, including senior quarterback Bryce McDonald (1,990 passing yards, 21 TDs), senior receiver Tristan Brown (65 catches, 708 yards, six TDs) and senior running back Gavin Connel (578 yards, four TDs). The Crusaders have good size up front but not a lot of experience.

The defense will include some of the same names from the offense, along with Mannie Stevens and C.J. Heard on the line and Kaiden Dugan at inside linebacker.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.

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