Indiana
Is Indiana Men’s Basketball Better Than Michigan State?
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This story is part of a series that will continue through October. Is Indiana better than each of its Big Ten opponents?
Nine categories were chosen. There will be no ties in individual categories. Think of it like you would the Supreme Court.
The categories: Point guard play, free throw shooting, inside scoring, perimeter shooting, rebounding, perimeter defense, rim protection, how much proven Power Five talent is on the roster, and intangibles.
The daily series will cover both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and it will alternate between the teams.
Michigan State is next in the series. For much of Tom Izzo’s tenure, the Spartans have been the Big Ten gold standard, but Michigan State’s recent performance in the standings doesn’t lie.
The key season when taking the Spartans into consideration is 2020. It was the last time Michigan State won more than 11 Big Ten games, the last time the Spartans lost fewer than 10 games overall, and the last time the Spartans were included in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The Spartans are coming off of a 20-15 season in 2024 – one which had high hopes going in as they were picked fourth in the preseason poll. Much of that core – Tyson Walker, Malik Hall, A.J. Hoggard – graduated or transferred.
Izzo famously avoids the transfer portal – one player was brought in for the upcoming season – so his development skills will need to be at their best as several players who got limited minutes in 2024 will take on greater roles in 2024.
Here’s how the battle between the Hoosiers and Spartans shakes out.
• Point guard play – Hoggard (5.2 apg) moved on to finish his college career at Vanderbilt. Sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr. got a taste of action in 2024, and there were promising signs before he missed all but two games of the Big Ten season after he was shot in Joliet, Ill., while on his holiday break.
Fears played 15.3 minutes before his absence, but still managed to average 3.3 assists per game. In a very small sample size, Fears struggled from 3-point range and at the line, but he also displayed decent underlying advanced defensive statistics. Fears might be good, but Indiana has proven pieces in Myles Rice, Trey Galloway and Gabe Cupps. Edge: Indiana.
• Free throw shooting – Indiana struggles in proven quality in this department with only Mackenzie Mgbako (82.1%) and Rice (81.1%) having converted 70% or better in 2024. The Spartans have also struggled in this department. Guards Tre Holloman (80%) and Jaden Akins (73.9%) are the only returning Spartans who were above 70%, but Izzo’s one transfer – former Omaha forward Frankie Fidler – tips the Spartans over the top as he converted a stout 85.4% for the Mustangs. Edge: Michigan State.
• Inside scoring – How much faith one has in Michigan State depends on how much is placed on the shoulders of Indianapolis native Xavier Booker. Izzo brought Booker (3.7 ppg) along very slowly in 2024. He never played more than 20 minutes in a game and didn’t play at all in eight contests. The 2023 McDonald’s All-American is undeniably gifted and should get a chance to shine in 2025. But Indiana has veterans in Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau so the Hoosiers have to be the pick here. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter shooting – The Spartans were a good 3-point shooting team in 2024, ranked 51st nationally with a 36.3% team average. Michigan State retained enough of that shooting to still be dangerous. Holloman (42.5%) and Akins (36.4%) are both back. Fidler also shot 35.6% at Omaha. Indiana isn’t too much worse off based on 2024 production. Illinois transfer Luke Goode (38.9%), Mgbako (32.7%) and Kanaan Carlyle (32%) can be productive, but they fall just short of the Spartans’ trio. Edge: Michigan State.
• Rebounding – In proven production, Ballo (10.1 rpg) and Reneau (6 rpg) have the edge over Michigan State’s post players. Fidler, a 6-7 forward, averaged 6.3 rebounds, but that was in the Summit League. Booker and center Carson Cooper – both 6-11 – should put up jazzier numbers with more playing time, but unlike Indiana’s duo they haven’t proven it yet. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter defense – In Big Ten games, Indiana held foes to 32.6% 3-point shooting, third-best in the conference. Michigan State ranked sixth at 35.2%. The Spartans led the Big Ten in steals in conference play, but much of that was produced by departed players. Both teams have some dependable defenders. Indiana hopes to force more turnovers with more athleticism in the backcourt in 2025. As long as Indiana maintains its 3-point defense, they should be solid here. Edge: Indiana.
• Defense at the rim – Minutes were limited for both, but Booker (7% block percentage) and Cooper (4.8% block percentage) have the underlying stats to support solid rim protection. Ballo (5% block percentage) does too, but Indiana’s other post defenders still have something to prove. Edge: Michigan State.
• Proven Power 5 ability on roster – The standard here is whether a player averaged 25 minutes or more at the Power Five level at their current or former school.
Michigan State’s loss of three starters and lack of any Power Five additions puts the Spartans at a big disadvantage here. Ballo, Carlyle, Galloway, Mgbako, Reneau and Rice all played big Power Five-level minutes in 2024. Edge: Indiana.
• Intangibles – Michigan State would seem to be in a vulnerable state with so many young players stepping into larger roles, but long-time Big Ten observers know to underestimate Izzo teams at your own peril. Even though Michigan State hasn’t performed at an elite level in the 2020s, Izzo still has enough credit in the bank to get the benefit of the doubt. Conversely, Indiana has had high expectations before and still has to prove beyond doubt that it can live up to it. Edge: Michigan State.
• Verdict – The Hoosiers take it 5-4. It feels like a turning point season for both programs. Izzo has to halt the so-so seasons of recent years and put Michigan State back near the top of the league. Woodson has to prove he can put Indiana back near the top after a second-place finish in 2023. It will be fascinating to see which program comes closest to its goal.
Previous Is Indiana Better Than Men’s Basketball Results
Oregon – Indiana 7-2.
Rutgers – Indiana 7-2.
Maryland – Indiana 6-3.
USC – Indiana 6-3.
Penn State – Indiana 5-4.
Minnesota – Indiana 6-3.
Michigan – Indiana 6-3.
UCLA – UCLA 5-4.
Ohio State – Indiana 7-2.
Iowa – Indiana 5-4.
Indiana basketball practice observations from June 25: Freshmen mixing in
IU has a game-changer, Thursday’s practice open to the media showed. IndyStar IU insider Zach Osterman explains what he saw.
BLOOMINGTON — Whatever he can.
That’s the answer. The question — one prompted by an urgency to add strength to his game — is what Vaughn Karvala, Indiana basketball’s athletic freshman wing, is doing to add weight. IU’s highest-ranked signee in the 2026 class, it’s not hard to envision a role for Karvala in Darian DeVries’ second season in Bloomington. The player himself knows that starts with meeting the physical demands of the college game.
Which starts with building onto to his 6-foot-7, 190-pound frame.
“The biggest thing for me is just putting on weight,” Karvala told reporters after practice Thursday. “That’s my biggest thing, getting stronger, trying to play with these guys that are three, four years older than me. I have to get stronger, I have to get faster, everything.”
A three-year letter winner at Oregon (Wisconsin) High School, Karvala spent his senior season at Bella Vista Prep in Arizona, bolstering a profile that saw him ranked No. 62 nationally per the 247Sports Composite.
Karvala averaged 26.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in his final season with Oregon, shooting close to 42% from behind the 3-point line. He averaged another 14.7 points per game with Team Herro on the EYBL circuit.
He handed DeVries a major recruiting win last fall, when Karvala picked the Hoosiers over Xavier and Cal. Now, both at the rim and behind the arc, Karvala looks like a player who can contribute meaningfully in his first year in college.
“I know my athleticism catches the eye, but I can still shoot it,” Karvala said. “But another thing is just working on rebounding, trying to get extra possessions for us.”
Whether on the glass or elsewhere, embracing the physical challenge of college basketball has been an emphasis for Karvala since he arrived in Bloomington earlier this summer.
That manifests itself offensively, when he tries to push the ball downhill and leverage that athleticism to attack the rim. It shows up defensively, where Karvala said he’s comfortable guarding the two, the three and, matchup depending, the four.
It even plays out on the glass, battling bigs up to including 7-2 teammate Samet Yigitoglu, who Karvala described with a smile as “the biggest guy I’ve ever seen.”
“Physicality, 100%,” Karvala said, when asked where he’s challenging himself. “Just playing with all these guys that have 20, 30, 40 pounds on me.”
Which starts with the physical demand of more weight. Karvala said he’ll eat chicken, steak or “whatever we have in the locker room” that can help him in that effort. His focus, he said, is simply to “eat a lot, and work out every day.”
As that weight and strength begin to build, Karvala knows the next step — to mentally prepare for the rough-and-tumble nature of life on the floor in the Big Ten — is just as important. Preparing his body comes first. Challenging himself to toughen up once it’s required follows quickly after.
“Just getting fully there, mentally,” he said. “You’re going to have to push your body to get through this.”
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KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — It’s fair season and a new law uncorks adult beverage sales!
The new Indiana law will go into effect July 1st, making it legal to sell alcohol at county fairs.
The Kosciusko County Fair is set to kick off in just a few weeks and Indiana is officially allowing alcohol to be sold.
The law is bringing back something that’s not necessarily new to this fair.
Here’s what you need to know
The new law will go into effect on July 1st. It officially allows county fairs to apply for fee-free permits to sell alcohol.
Officials with the Kosciusko County Fair say they are participating this year. They are implementing the same guidelines they used when they sold alcohol just at grandstand events.
The difference now is, you can walk around the grounds with your drink. But strict guidelines will be in place for purchasing a drink.
“Actually, we’ve never had any issues. Because we card everybody, so we take that seriously. We also got the ID guides so we can identify the different types of IDs,” said Sheal Dirck, Treasurer of Kosciusko County Fair.
The Kosciusko County Fair already have guidelines in place, so this was an easy transition for the fair.
They will be the only vendors selling alcohol, which will make it easier to control distribution.
The sales will also bring in more revenue.
“Hopefully it allows to keep our ticket prices where they are because right now, insurance, utilities and everything else is going sky high and it’s hard to make ends meet,” said Dirck.
However, some fairs cannot participate because of the July 1st start date, like the Pulaski County Fair, which is going on right now. Pulaski County officials said it is on the agenda for next year. Whereas other fairs are choosing to sit this year out.
“We wanted not spend some time to, to see what that really means for us. It was not a decision we wanted to rush into. But we are happy for the option of it,” said Shelly Steury, GM of Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds.
Leaders at the St. Joseph County and Elkhart County Fairs said neither of them are selling alcohol.
The Kosciusko County Fair is the only fair that will sell alcohol in our area this year.
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