Indiana
IU trip to Bahamas will reveal a lot about Hoosiers, who can’t come home empty-handed
BLOOMINGTON – Indiana heads to The Bahamas this week with plenty to gain — and plenty to prove.
The Hoosiers placed virtually all their nonconference emphasis on their first-ever trip to Battle 4 Atlantis, and they cannot afford to come home without some quality wins pocketed from a Thanksgiving spent on Paradise Island.
What makes this a successful holiday tournament trip? Five thoughts …
Greater consistency
Through four wins in four games, we’ve seen the idea of Indiana burst through the clouds. Stretches when the Hoosiers’ array of talent and experience makes them virtually unplayable at both ends of the floor, when even a high-major opponent like South Carolina looked simply overwhelmed.
We haven’t seen it often enough, though.
In a way, that’s fine. No basketball team should be fully formed in November. Anyone playing their best right now is in big trouble come March.
But IU needs it this week. A reasonable path through this tournament will see games against top-50 competition at least once, probably multiple times. That means opportunity, but it also means the hot-and-cold performances thus far need to be smoothed over a little more. Those windows into what Indiana can be need to open a little wider this week.
Point guard play
Myles Rice has been outstanding through these first four games. Trey Galloway has had moments, as he continues his steady progress back to full fitness following offseason knee surgery. Indiana will need their best this week.
In settings like these, players with their creativity and experience, are crucial. Sightlines are weird. The whole environment can make shooting difficult. The teams that can force the ball to the rim and either finish or draw fouls (or both) have an added advantage.
The axiom in basketball that guards win games generally always applies. But in neutral venues, when certain elements of a team’s offense might be stunted, the ability to force action and either score or create moving downhill — something both Galloway and Rice have shown proficiency in doing — becomes invaluable. Both players must deliver in The Bahamas.
Rebound the ball
It was too often a problem last season, and it’s been too often a problem this season.
Yes, Indiana is playing smaller. And yes, games like UNC Greensboro can go a little sideways in this department when an overmatched opponent chucks and chases because it knows there’s little point in trying to attack the rim.
But a team with IU’s size and athleticism cannot be a sub-200 team in opponent offensive rebound rate. The Hoosiers cannot afford to be so poor in closing out possessions. This team will undermine its offensive improvement and its athletic advantages if it continues to be so poor on the glass.
Indiana doesn’t need to be (and probably won’t ever be) dominant here. That’s not how the Hoosiers are constructed. But they are and must be better than they’ve been so far in this area, and three games in three days against demanding competition will require immediate improvement.
Mackenzie Mgbako’s continued growth
Indiana’s leading scorer had his quietest game of the season Thursday, scoring just nine points on 2-of-11 shooting and seeing his second-half playing time eaten into by Bryson Tucker’s bench performance. Everyone’s allowed a bad day at the office.
But Mgbako would do well to ensure he leaves those at home this week. IU’s most dynamic offensive player early in the season, Mgbako has flashed three-level scoring potential the likes of which few players with his size and athleticism can claim.
Few teams, even good ones, have adequate cover for a 6-8 wing who can shoot from multiple levels and finish around the rim the way Mgbako does. Couple that to improved rebounding and defense, and when he’s on, Mgbako is perhaps this team’s biggest individual game changer.
A microcosm of his team’s task this time of year, Mgbako needs to strive for consistency in those areas. Make the off nights few and far between. Find ways to impact games in multiple ways, and shift the way he scores to suit what his opponent struggles against.
This week is a good test for Indiana, and it’s certainly a good test for Mackenzie Mgbako. Both will get a better look at their ceiling in Atlantis.
Quality wins
It’s the simplest and most important storyline following Indiana to the islands.
The Hoosiers put all their faith in this tournament, in terms of being able to add quality to their NCAA tournament in nonconference play. Barring a surprise breakout from South Carolina, IU isn’t likely to beat anyone of meaning from a NET perspective anywhere but in Atlantis.
That represents a calculated gamble for Mike Woodson, whose program learned the hard way how far behind the eight ball an empty-calorie nonconference resume can set a team from an NCAA tournament perspective. The Hoosiers cannot repeat that this year.
Which means they need to make hay in the sunshine in Atlantis. Louisville might stand up as a decent win, somewhere between Quads 1 and 2. Gonzaga and/or Arizona would be worthwhile scalps. Oklahoma, Providence and West Virginia all might be in time.
Whatever its performances, Indiana needs to leave The Bahamas with some wins, or it will leave itself with a lot to do in conference play to ensure Selection Sunday isn’t a stressful experience.
Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Indiana
Madam Walker Legacy Fest block party celebrates Black excellence with food, music, and community
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A big weekend is on the books for the annual Madam Walker Legacy Center as they host their annual Legacy Fest.
Festivities kicked off Friday night with a performance by Teddy Riley, Guy 2.0 & Friends. Saturday celebrations continue with a free block party along Indiana Avenue.
Vendors will pack the avenue during the block party, along with live music, food trucks, and family-friendly activities.
The block party runs from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Legacy Fest shines a spotlight on music, culture, community, and the enduring legacy of Black entrepreneurship and artistry.
This year’s Fest also highlights the 99th anniversary of the iconic Walker Theatre, a symbol of the city’s rich cultural heritage.
I asked Kristian Little Stricklen, the president and CEO of the Madam Walker Legacy Center, about why they’ve continued to grow Legacy Fest. She credits the community for the festival’s expansion.
“The community support and feedback that we got, it’s why we continue to do it – year over year over year,” she said. “We want to make sure that we’re doing what we’re supposed to, right? To uplift Madam Walker’s legacy.”
Indiana Avenue will be closed between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Blackford streets to accommodate community festivities.
The Madam Walker Theatre anticipates a big year next year as it prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — June 19 is a celebration of the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free.
As communities across Indiana mark the holiday, the Juneteenth event in Martinsville drew a lot of attention on Friday evening.
Event organizer Jeannine Lee Ferrer said, “This is American history. It’s all of our history, and I think we should all celebrate it, because I think most of the people are happy that it finally ended.”
Sampson Levingston, a local tour guide and Indiana history buff, says Martinsville is historically known as a sundown town, a place where Black people were warned not to remain after dark for fear of their safety. In 1968, a Black woman named Carol Jenkins was killed by two men while selling encyclopedias door to door. One of her killers was never found.
Levingston said, “She got murdered with a hate crime by a white guy and so there are some things that sting. I’ve seen with my own eyes: KKK signs in Martinsville, Indiana.”
Ku Klux Klan, or KKK, is a white supremacist and right-wing extremist hate group in the United States.
Martinsville’s history was one of the reasons why the event generated a lot of conversation within the community. As Levingston sees it, the event was a positive move. “Why not? Wherever you live, wherever you are, figure out how you can get involved with Juneteenth. We’ve got beautiful cities with beautiful history, and I think it’s time we all lean into that and acknowledge that so we can learn and grow with it,” he said.
In a statement, Republican Martinsville Mayor Kenny Costin says the city has undergone a positive transformation.
“The progress is real, and it is ongoing. We remain committed to this work, so Martinsville becomes not only a place where people are proud to live, but a place where they are proud to belong.”
Ferrer said she’s lived in Martinsville since 2021 and has not experienced anything racist in the city. However, she said she was upset when the event was first announced, and people made racist comments to her online. “I’m not being naive to what has gone on in the past, but I think Martinsville has moved to a different chapter, and we’re ready as citizens of Morgan County and Martinsville, Indiana, to turn a page, and I look forward to today being a part of that.”
Ferrer said dozens of people have reached out to her, offering their support and wanting to learn more about the holiday. “Those really are truly the people that are touching my heart and are making me think that this was a good thing to do, and to reach out and let people know that we are more alike than we are different.”
She hopes to host another Juneteenth event in Martinsville in 2026.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Hamilton County teen on Friday said he’s excited for his first convention as a voting delegate.
Jackson Massillamany, who just turned 18 and graduated from high school in May, is no stranger to politics. His father, Mario, is the chair of the Hamilton County Republican Party and his mother, Amy, serves on the Hamilton County Council.
Jackson said he signed up to be a delegate at this weekend’s Indiana Republican Party convention in Fort Wayne after Mario asked if he was interested.
“It’s kinda cool to see how this is done and what my dad actually does,” he said. “At first, I wasn’t really excited for it, but I’m here now and I’m having a blast.”
Mario Massillamany, who is a contributor to “All INdiana Politics,” said Jackson is the youngest delegate at the convention. He said he has been taking Jackson along to party functions ever since he was an infant.
“It’s a great opportunity for him to get more active and involved in politics, and I think we need to try and get the younger generations involved in our political process,” he said. “I think this is a great opportunity for him to come here, have a good experience and then go back and talk to his friends about why it’s important to get involved.”
Jackson will be one of 1,800 delegates tasked with picking a nominee for secretary of state. It’s a closely watched race. Current Secretary of State Diego Morales, who is seeking a second term, has faced numerous controversies since he took office. Knox County Clerk David Shelton and conservative activist and 2024 gubernatorial candidate Jamie Reitenour have been running against Morales for months. Last month, Max Engling, a staffer for Sen. Jim Banks and a 2024 congressional candidate, joined the race at the last minute with Banks’ backing.
The Republican winner in November will have to face Bayh family scion Beau Bayh, a Democrat, along with Libertarian Lauri Shillings and, potentially, former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, who is running as an independent under the Lincoln Party label.
Mario said he’s telling Jackson to keep his eyes and ears open and to meet with all of the weekend’s candidates.
Both Massillamanys said the key to getting young people to vote and to get politically involved is to, first, encourage them to register to vote and, second, to elevate more young people who are in politics.
“I feel like many people are scared to be involved in politics because nobody else younger does it,” Jackson said. “So, like, me and other people my age, being able to reach out to others to try and get involved, I feel like, is the best way for people my age to get involved.”
Delegates to the 2026 Indiana Republican Party convention will make their selections on Saturday. Besides secretary of state candidates, they will choose nominees for state treasurer and state comptroller. The current occupants of those offices, Daniel Elliott and Elise Nieshalla, respectively, are running for second terms and are unopposed.
Government reporter Garrett Bergquist will be in Fort Wayne on Saturday and will have a full report on the results of the convention at 6, 10 and 11 p.m. on WISH-TV.
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