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Indiana State basketball is in complete rebuild mode. Meet the 8 new Sycamores players.

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Indiana State basketball is in complete rebuild mode. Meet the 8 new Sycamores players.


Indiana State basketball fans will always remember the 2023-24 season. But that’s all that’s left — memories. The coach and team that rejuvenated the Hulman Center are gone.

Josh Schertz left for Saint Louis. Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope followed. Jayson Kent and Julian Larry transferred to Texas. Ryan Conwell landed at Xavier. Masen Miller picked North Dakota State. Augustinas Kiudulas chose VMI. Jake Wolfe and Xavier Bledson graduated.

Only Aaron Gray, Jayden Daughtry, Derek Vorst and Cooper Bean remain from last year’s NIT runner-up team. Bean redshirted and the other three combined for 6.1 points per game last season.

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New coach Matthew Graves has been busy on his root-and-branch rebuild adding eight new players so far. Here’s a look at who Sycamores fans will need to get to know ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Merritt Alderink, F, Zeeland, Mich.

Alderink committed to the Sycamores when Schertz was in charge and stuck with the Sycamores after Schertz left for SLU. Ranked the No. 3 player in Michigan in the 2024 class, per 247Sports, the 6-6 Alderink checks in as a three-star prospect and No. 64 power forward in the class. He led Zeeland West to the best season in program history, with district and regional titles, and earned Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Best of the Best and Detroit Free Press all-state honors this season.

Picked ISU over offers from Kent State, Toledo, Miami (Ohio) and others.

Bobby Cannon, F, Lewisville, N.C.

Cannon originally signed with New Orleans to play for Mark Slessinger. After 13 years at UNO, Slessinger decided to return home to Indiana and joined Graves’ staff as associate head coach. Cannon followed the coach to Terre Haute.

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“Bobby is a dynamic player with a dynamic personality,” Slessinger said when Cannon signed with UNO. “He plays with great energy and passion. With his size at 6-10 his ability to shoot the ball and spread the floor is tremendous. He has great skill level offensively handling and passing the ball beyond scoring.

“His length also gives him opportunities defensively to change a lot of shots.”

Cannon averaged 11 points and 6.1 rebounds per game as a junior. Before committing to UNO, he had offers from East Carolina, Old Dominion and Winthrop.

Tyran Cook, Milwaukee (VMI)

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He started 23 of 32 games last season as freshman for the Cadets, averaging 12.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. A 6-2 guard, he shot 34% from behind the arc. He scored a season-high 28 points vs. Chattanooga on Feb. 8 when he went 6-of-6 from deep.

He graduated as Waukesha South High School’s second all-time leading scorer (1,913) and rebounder (650) and he finished second in the state in the high jump.

Markus Harding, F, Toronto (Central Michigan)

A 6-10, 255-pounder, Harding averaged 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and shot 53.3% from the field last season for the Chippewas. He junior forward started 39 of 46 games over the past two seasons. He hit 21 3-pointers at a 30% clip in 2022-23, but saw that number shrink to just seven 3s at a 19% rate last season.

He arrived at CMU via Eastern Florida State College by way of Toronto after only starting to play basketball at 14 years old.

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Jahni Summers, G, Evansville, Ind. (Coffeyville Community College)

The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference freshman of the year, Summers averaged 18.2 points, 4.5 rebounds a game and shot 37.1% from 3, earning second-team All-KJCCC honors. He also had offers from Appalachian State, Eastern Kentucky, UC Riverside, Winthrop, IU Indianapolis, FGCU and others.

A standout at Evansville Harrison, schools contacted him or his coach weekly. Division II programs couldn’t believe he didn’t have more offers. Division I schools wanted to watch his film. But between the transfer portal and the extra year granted because of the pandemic, no one provided him a chance.

“I had to come to the realization that it takes time,” he told Courier & Press reporter Kyle Sokeland in 2022. “Patience is something I had to go through. I’m just letting it sink in day by day. Trying to be in the gym every day and go hard.”

Samage Teel, G, Greenville, N.C. (Presbyterian)

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Teel started 21 of 32 games for Presbyterian last season as a junior, averaging 13.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He shot 41.5% from behind the arc, with 54 makes from deep. The 6-2 guard scored over 20 points five times last season, finishing last year with a season-high 28 points in a CBI first-round loss to Montana.

He started his college career at Winston-Salem State, scoring 594 points over two seasons. In high school, he helped lead Farmville Central to two North Carolina state championships.

Camp Wagner, G, Dallas (Rice)

A 6-6 guard, Wagner played in 18 games last season as a freshman for the Owls, averaging 3.5 minutes a game (1.2 points). Coincidentally, he scored a career-high 11 points against… yup, you guessed it, Indiana State, hitting three 3s.

He played at Link Prep Academy (Mo.) where he averaged 16.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a senior.

Jayan Walker, G, Raleigh, N.C.

A 6-6 combo guard out of Charlotte’s Combine Academy (N.C.), Walker had offers from Marshall and Georgia State, and added new offers from Utah State and Kennesaw State. He was offered by Indiana State on April 22, visited campus on May 3 and committed May 4.

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Heavy rain soaks central Indiana, but drought relief uneven across the state

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Heavy rain soaks central Indiana, but drought relief uneven across the state


Central Indiana has seen a very wet start to March, with several rounds of rain and storms moving through the region over the past few days. In fact, the city of Indianapolis has already received more rain in the first four days of the month than it typically gets during the entire month of March.

So far this month, Indianapolis has recorded 3.90 inches of rainfall, which already exceeds the normal March monthly average of 3.79 inches. Much of that rain came during a widespread soaking on Tuesday, when a strong system pushed steady showers and thunderstorms across the state.

Some of the highest totals over the past three days have been recorded across central Indiana. Rain gauges show 5.86 inches in Marion County, 5.02 inches in Morgan County, 4.97 inches in Hancock County, 4.95 inches in Shelby County, 4.57 inches in Johnson County, and 4.26 inches in Hendricks County. These totals represent a significant amount of rainfall in a short period of time and have left many areas with saturated ground and standing water in low spots.

Despite the widespread rainfall, the impact on drought conditions has been somewhat uneven across the state. According to the latest drought monitor, the areas that received the heaviest rain over the past few days are largely the same areas that were already in relatively good shape in terms of moisture levels. Meanwhile, parts of northern Indiana that have been dealing with more persistent dryness have seen much lighter totals.

Cities such as Kokomo, Lafayette, and Muncie have generally picked up less rain compared to areas farther south. Forecast models suggest that pattern may continue over the next several days.

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Additional rainfall is expected through Thursday, with another round possible around midday Saturday. Current projections show the best chance for another inch or more of rain focusing once again across the southern half of the state, while northern Indiana may see lower totals.

That means while the recent rain has certainly helped improve soil moisture in many areas, it may not fully address the lingering dryness farther north. For now, the pattern remains active, and Hoosiers should expect more wet weather before the system finally begins to move out later this weekend.



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Watch Indiana basketball’s Lamar Wilkerson give his mom a Cadillac

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Watch Indiana basketball’s Lamar Wilkerson give his mom a Cadillac


Indiana basketball sharpshooter Lamar Wilkerson is known for his generosity.

Upon joining the Hoosiers, he gave a tidy sum of his NIL earnings to his previous program, Sam Houston State.

“I was blessed to be able go from that, from not having a lot, to being here, having a lot more than I even knew what to do with,” Wilkerson said at the time. “I just thought, I can give them this.”

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He upped the ante on IU’s Senior Night, giving his mother a Cadillac after the Hoosiers throttled Minnesota.

You could imagine her reaction.

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.



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Indiana basketball vs. Minnesota score, updates tonight: Start time, where to watch

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Indiana basketball vs. Minnesota score, updates tonight: Start time, where to watch


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  • The Indiana Hoosiers have lost four straight games and are scrambling to earn an NCAA Tournament berth.
  • The Minnesota Golden Gophers are trying to reach .500 for the season. They beat IU in a Big Ten opener in December.

Indiana (17-12, 8-10 Big Ten) has no room for air as it hosts Minnesota (14-15, 7-11). The Hoosiers have lost four in a row, leaving them on the NCAA Tournament bubble, while the Golden Gophers have won three of their last four. Minnesota beat IU in a conference opener.

We will have score updates and highlights, so remember to refresh.

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What time does Indiana basketball play Minnesota tonight, March 4? Start time for Minnesota basketball vs Indiana on Wednesday, March 4, 2026

  • The Indiana-Minnesota game is at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

Where to watch Indiana vs. Minnesota tonight, March 4? What channel is the Minnesota-Indiana on college basketball game today?

Watch college basketball with a free Fubo trial

Indiana vs. Minnesota predictions tonight, March 4

  • Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Indiana 75-69 
  • “Indiana is on the ropes. Minnesota has nothing to lose. Gophers already beat IU once this year. So picking Minnesota here is going to be trendy. Too trendy. The Ohio State game is tougher to forecast, but the Hoosiers win here.”
  • Michael Niziolek, Herald-Times: Indiana 78-70
  • “Can Minnesota spoil IU’s Senior Night? The Gophers upended Indiana in Darian DeVries’ Big Ten debut earlier this season and have been a tough out in conference play. They are just 7-11, but six of those losses are by single digits and two of those came in overtime. The Hoosiers need to do a better job of locking down the perimeter while getting a more balanced scoring effort. Indiana should be able to pull this one out and keep its NCAA Tournament chances alive for another night.”

Where to listen to Indiana vs. Minnesota tonight, March 4, 2026

How much are Indiana vs. Minnesota tickets tonight, March 4, 2026?

IU basketball tickets on StubHub

Basketball rankings college: Indiana vs. Minnesota

As of March 2

(all times ET; with date, day of week, location and opponent, time, TV)

  • 0, Jasai Miles
  • 1, Reed Bailey
  • 2, Jason Drake
  • 3, Lamar Wilkerson
  • 4, Sam Alexis
  • 5, Conor Enright
  • 6, Tayton Conerway
  • 7, Nick Dorn
  • 10, Josh Harris
  • 11, Trent Sisley
  • 12, Tucker DeVries
  • 13, Aleksa Ristic
  • 15, Andrej Acimovic

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.



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