Indiana

Jack’s Take: Omar Cooper Jr. Remained Loyal To Indiana – And It’s Paying Off

Published

3 months ago

September 30, 2024

Jack’s Take: Omar Cooper Jr. Remained Loyal To Indiana – And It’s Paying Off

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Before the season, Indiana’s wide receiver room was viewed as perhaps the best position group on the team. The main question was which receivers would become the top options in a deep room.

James Madison transfer Elijah Sarratt leads the group with 22 receptions and 378 yards through five games, but returning Hoosier Omar Cooper Jr. is close behind. The redshirt sophomore’s loyalty to Indiana through the coaching change has paid off, and the potential that many saw out of high school is being fulfilled in the Big Ten.

Cooper has emerged as one of the nation’s top wide receivers this season through five games. He ranks fourth among all qualified wide receivers in the FBS with an 88.3 receiving grade, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). His offense grade of 86.0 is close behind at No. 6 in the nation.

Cooper played a key role in a momentum-shifting drive on Saturday against Maryland. Despite a sloppy first half, Indiana still had a chance to take the lead going into halftime.

After a Mikail Kamara sack, the Hoosiers’ called a timeout and got the ball back on their own 37-yard line with 1:10 left in the second quarter. It faced little adversity throughout four dominant wins to begin this season, so this possession was perhaps the first glimpse at quarterback Kurtis Rourke and the Hoosiers in a pressure-packed situation with the game tied at 7-7.

A nine-yard completion to Ty Son Lawton started the drive, and Rourke found Cooper down the sideline on the next play. Cooper spun past the first Maryland defender, then smartly veered out of bounds to stop the clock after his 27-yard gain.

Facing press coverage on the next play, Cooper made a quick move near the line of scrimmage to get a step ahead of his defender. Rourke looked his way again down the right sideline, and Cooper turned around at the goal line to haul in the touchdown with a defender blanketed over him.

Rourke and Cooper have played just five games together, but the perfect timing looked like a quarterback-receiver duo that had been in sync for years. With back-to-back 27-yard completions to Cooper, Indiana needed just three plays and 32 seconds to score just before halftime and take a 14-7 lead.

“I know that Kurtis will always trust me,” Cooper said postgame. “So I just wanted to make sure that I did my best and made a play when the ball was in the air.”

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (3) catches a touchdown against Maryland at Memorial Stadium. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Rourke threw two interceptions on Indiana’s first two drives, but he bounced back with a pair of touchdown drives in the second quarter.

“I think it was something that we wish would have happened sooner,” Rourke said of the touchdown drives. “But it was definitely really important to have some momentum going into half. Going into the second half, it brought a lot of confidence in me, and I know the rest of the offense, as well as the whole team. Our defense was playing great to that point, and so for us to capitalize finally was really important.”

Indiana’s offense looked past early mistakes and took control of the game in the second half. In seven second-half drives, Indiana scored four touchdowns, punted twice and fumbled once. The 28 second-half points helped the Hoosiers secure a 42-28 win over Maryland and their first 5-0 start since 1967.

Rourke completed passes to 10 Hoosiers on Saturday. Spreading the wealth is a consistent theme this season, but Cooper and Sarratt were his most frequent targets. Sarratt led the team with seven catches for 128 yards and a touchdown, and Cooper was next with four receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said both receivers did a good job of winning their one-on-one matchups against press coverage, like on Cooper’s touchdown. Sarratt is beginning to prove himself at the Big Ten level after ranking 11th nationally in receiving yards in 2023 at James Madison, and Cooper is well on his way to a breakout season.

“I like my odds whenever I throw the ball in their area,” Rourke said. “I just gotta make sure they can get their hands on it, because they can make plays like they did today.”

Through five games, Cooper has already surpassed last season’s totals across nine games played. He has 16 receptions for 328 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, compared to 18 catches for 267 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Cooper’s breakout season does not come as a major surprise. It was only a matter of time for the 6-foot, 201-pound receiver.

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (3) runs after a catch against Maryland at Memorial Stadium. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

At Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Ind., Cooper finished his career with 132 receptions for 2,856 yards, and 22 touchdowns. He was a two-time IFCA Top 50 all-state selection, and he was named the IFCA position award winner for wide receivers as a senior.

Cooper committed to Indiana under coach Tom Allen in the class of 2022, the highest-ranked class in program history at No. 25 in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. As a four-star recruit ranked No. 299 in the nation and No. 43 among wide receivers, Cooper was the third-highest ranked recruit in that class and the 14th highest in program history.

As a true freshman, Cooper appeared in four games as a kick returner and maintained his redshirt eligibility. He showed flashes of potential in 2023, like his acrobatic catch against Michigan and his seven-catch, 101-yard performance against Indiana State.

But as Indiana’s offense sputtered for most of the season, Cooper would finish the year with just 11 more catches after the Indiana State game. His talent has always been there, and he feels offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Mike Shanahan has helped him make small but meaningful tweaks to his game.

A big difference this season is his mentality.

“I think my confidence. Last year, at first I wasn’t playing as much so my confidence got pretty low,” Cooper said during fall camp. “This spring, coming into the year, I was just focusing on that and just trying to get better with that each and every day. That’s something that will help me with my role, and then just playing as hard as I can.”

Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. (3) celebrates with Austin Barrett (73) against Western Illinois at Memorial Stadium. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cooper has significant competition for snaps on a roster that includes plenty of talented wide receivers like Sarratt, Myles Price, Miles Cross, Ke’Shawn Williams, Donaven McCulley, Andison Coby and E.J. Williams Jr.

Part of what’s made that group effective is a rotation that keeps them all fresh, depth that discourages defenses from double-teaming anyone, and versatility that can beat opponents in a variety of ways.

That rotation likely won’t end, and it shouldn’t. But Cooper’s play through five games is making it hard to take him off the field.

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Indiana

Indiana women’s basketball beats Northwestern thanks to clutch 3-pointer from Shay Ciezki

Published

3 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Indiana women’s basketball beats Northwestern thanks to clutch 3-pointer from Shay Ciezki

The Indiana women’s basketball team beat Northwestern 68-64 at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Wednesday night thanks to a go-ahead 3-pointer from Shay Ciezki with 1:05 to go.

It was the Hoosiers (11-4; 3-1 Big Ten) sixth straight win over their Big Ten rival.

Ciezki scored 13 of her game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter and scored six straight at one point with the Wildcats looking to make a comeback. She was the only IU player with a made field goal in the first five minutes of the fourth.

The Penn State transfer went 3 of 4 from the field (2 of 2 from 3-point range) and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line down the stretch. She’s made 32 straight free-throw attempts going back to the team’s Nov. 24 loss to Baylor.

Indiana struggled pulling away while shooting just 39.3% from the field. The Hoosiers led 20-11 at the start of the second quarter, but couldn’t build on the lead thanks to multiple extended scoring droughts.

Northwestern kept it a two-possession game throughout the second half while getting a big night from reserve guard Melannie Daley. She led the team in scoring with 17 points and season-high six assists off the bench.

It was her seventh straight game in double-digits.

Indiana goes back on the road for a game against No. 23 Iowa on Sunday at 3 p.m. before returning home on for a game against Illinois on Jan. 16.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

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Indiana Pacers Keep James Johnson As Contract Becomes Guaranteed

Published

10 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Indiana Pacers Keep James Johnson As Contract Becomes Guaranteed

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 27: James Johnson #16 of the Indiana Pacers runs downcourt against … [+] the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden on December 27, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Pacers 142-105. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

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INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers were facing a contract deadline on Tuesday with forward James Johnson. The veteran four man, who is in his 16th NBA season, entered the day on a partially guaranteed contract.

Johnson’s minimum deal this season had $750k guaranteed, though he has already surpassed that amount in late December in terms of accrued earnings. On January 10th, every contract in the NBA becomes guaranteed, so the full amount of Johnson’s deal would hit the books if he is still on Indiana’s roster on that date.

Technically, though, the contract guarantee date for Johnson came on Tuesday the 7th. That’s because a player has to clear the waiver process, which takes two days, by the 10th to have the non-guaranteed part of their salary removed from a team’s salary books. So if a player like Johnson — that had a contract which wasn’t fully guaranteed this season — wasn’t waived on/before Tuesday, then their contract would be fully guaranteed.

The Pacers kept Johnson through that date, meaning his $3.3 million salary is now guaranteed for the season, though Indiana is only responsible for just under $2.1 million of that. The rest is reimbursed by the NBA, so Indiana’s cap hit for Johnson for the remainder of the season is that $2.1 million number.

“He’s not going anywhere,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star this week when asked about Johnson. “We need him.”

Why did the Pacers keep James Johnson?

For the Pacers, the decision to keep Johnson or not was all about the balance of financial savings and leadership. The blue and gold are right up against the luxury tax — barely sitting under the tax threshold right now. Waiving Johnson on Tuesday would have saved the team $1.1 million and given them more distance below the tax line.

What Indiana had to determine is if there was a better use of that savings than having Johnson on the roster. He’s played in six games for the blue and gold this season, but his value comes almost entirely off the court, which has been made clear by the number of times the Pacers have re-signed Johnson.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 06: Day’Ron Sharpe #20 of the Brooklyn Nets and James Johnson #16 of … [+] the Indiana Pacers embrace during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center on January 06, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

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He is one of the oldest players in the NBA and a key veteran for a growing Pacers team. His voice is well received, and he is one of the first players off the bench to offer encouragement or tips during in-game timeouts. His work behind the scenes is extremely important to the team, which is why he’s been around for three seasons.

As a result, Johnson was retained at the expense of some optionality. “He doesn’t let things slide,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said of Johnson a few years ago. “Usually, there are guys that let things go. But I feel like he feels like he owes it to us that we’re not going to create any bad habits here.”

Some flexibility could have been nice for the Pacers with the trade deadline approaching, but having more options only carries value if there are good options available. While a few more very specific trades could have opened up, they weren’t worth losing a valuable veteran.

Johnson, 37, has signed seven contracts with Indiana since September of 2022. He’s averaging 1.3 points per game this season, and guys love having him around. “He’s super valuable for the team. He’s kind of just like a glue guy,” Pacers rookie Johnny Furphy said of Johnson.

The Pacers opted for continuity in the offseason and kept Johnson. He’ll keep helping in his own way as Indiana looks to keep climbing the Eastern Conference standings.

“Those are my guys,” Johnson said of the Pacers after re-signing during the 2023-24 season. “I don’t think I would have went back [to the NBA] for any other call other than the Pacers.”

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How to watch Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers online

Published

18 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

How to watch Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers online

TL;DR: Live stream Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers in the NBA with FuboTV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV.

The Chicago Bulls head to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face the Indiana Pacers in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Bulls are 17-19, which puts them in 10th place. The Pacers are 19-18, which puts them in sixth place.

The Bulls have won three of their last five games, and are coming off a win over the New York Knicks. The Pacers have also won three of their last five games, and are coming off back-to-back wins over the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat.

When is Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers?

Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers in the NBA starts at 7 p.m. ET on Jan. 8. This game takes place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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How to watch Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers

You need to choose a streaming service to watch the NBA without cable or satellite TV. We’ve found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Bulls vs. Pacers basketball game.

Best for single game: FuboTV

FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.

FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.

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Most live sports: YouTube TV

YouTube TV’s base plan is $49.99 per month for two months for new subscribers ($72.99 per month regularly). The base plan includes over 100 live TV channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and NBA TV.

Most affordable: Sling TV

Sling TV suggests the streamer’s Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.

Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.

How to watch Bulls vs. Pacers from anywhere in the world

If you’re traveling outside of the U.S. during this game, you might need to use a VPN to unblock this live stream. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server, meaning you can unblock live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.
Sign in to your favorite streaming app
Watch Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers from anywhere in the world

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to live streams of the NBA without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers in the NBA with ExpressVPN.

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