Indiana
‘One last dance’: Sessock brings leadership to Indiana men’s soccer heading into 5th year
Nyk Sessock was tense within the days main as much as the spring 2021 Faculty Cup.
He began 17 matches for the College of Pittsburgh males’s soccer the season earlier than and performed all 103 minutes within the group’s season opener towards Indiana, a 3-2 additional time loss.
In that season-opening loss, Indiana’s Herbert Endeley dashed into the 18-yard field to succeed in a by ball from A.J. Palazzolo as Sessock trailed behind. Helpless to cease the assault, Sessock watched Endeley dodge the diving goalkeeper and drill the golden aim.
Pitt made an NCAA Event look that season in 2019, however Sessock wanted a change of surroundings following his sophomore yr. He liked Pitt and his teammates there, however points between him and the teaching employees led him to switch.
After logging 3,316 minutes and 32 begins for Pitt in his two years, it was time to maneuver on. He selected a group with historical past, each with him and within the grander scheme of faculty soccer: the eight-time nationwide champion Indiana.
***
You’ll be able to’t see them more often than not he’s on the soccer pitch — as soon as summer season turns into fall, Sessock switches his short-sleeve jersey for lengthy sleeves — however his arms are lined in tattoos.
Sessock’s backstory concerning his tattoos is pretty typical. Getting tattoos was seemed down upon when he was rising up, however self-expression takes many varieties. In Sessock’s case, having what he cares about etched into his pores and skin serves as a reminder and makes them extra part of him.
“It’s a dialog starter, but it surely’s additionally part of me, and I need to have that on me endlessly,” Sessock mentioned.
None inform his story extra so than the one on his proper shoulder — a portrait of Rocky Balboa in entrance of Mighty Mick’s Gymnasium. It’s a homage to his hometown of Philadelphia, town of concord. Sessock screams Philly even with out the Rocky tattoo; you’ll be able to hear it in his voice and see it in the best way he carries himself.
The tattoo of Rocky additionally represents the underdog mentality he carries, even when he takes the sector for some of the prolific faculty soccer packages within the nation. Sessock mentioned he fears complacency and reminds himself persons are coming to take his spot.
“If you’re on the prime, you’re similar to ‘I’m sitting fairly,’” Sessock mentioned. “There’s nothing actually you’re attempting to get to, you recognize what I imply?”
Sessock’s roots in soccer begin in Philadelphia as nicely. His father served as a driving drive in his pursuit of a profession within the sport, and he was a soccer participant himself. Sessock’s father served 5 seasons as an assistant coach at St. Joseph’s College, a personal Jesuit college in Philadelphia.
His father went to Catholic faculty his entire life and needed Nyk to as nicely. He did till the eighth grade, however moved on to YSC Academy, a prep faculty which is an affiliate of the MLS membership Philadelphia Union.
Sessock’s drive for soccer took him out of Catholic faculty, but it surely by no means took away his religion. God is a giant a part of Sessock’s life to today; he wears a cross necklace and misses attending Sunday mass together with his dad again house.
He doesn’t go to church together with his teammates in Bloomington. He may, however getting dressed up and going to church each Sunday was a bonding second he shared together with his father; it’s robust not having the ability to do this, and it wouldn’t be the identical with out him.
Although he’s away from his hometown and his dad and mom, who Sessock says are his largest supporters, Bloomington has grow to be a second house for Sessock. He appreciates the variations between the small faculty city he discovered himself taking part in soccer in and the massive metropolis the place he grew up.
“I feel what I wanted in life, after I speak about change, it’s not solely from a special perspective with individuals, however with the place as nicely,” Sessock mentioned. “I feel I’ve tailored manner higher than I assumed I might.”
Even an 11-hour drive from house, Sessock’s roots in Philadelphia assist him on and off the soccer pitch in Bloomington, in response to his head coach, Todd Yeagley. Typically he wants a push, however Yeagley mentioned Sessock introduced “Philly toughness” with him when he transferred. It’s helped him grow to be a pacesetter on the group.
“He instantly earned the respect of his teammates,” Yeagley mentioned. “I simply can’t say sufficient about how shortly he assimilated himself within the group and the way a lot he’s so well-liked.”
Yeagley mentioned regardless of being the “cool child with tattoos,” Sessock is soft-spoken and humble. An important participant and pal to his teammates who responds to adversity. His abilities and persona helped him earn the respect of his teammates shortly as soon as he arrived at Indiana, particularly Spencer Glass, who was a fifth-year senior when Sessock arrived at IU and who performed two seasons with him.
Glass related with Sessock as quickly as he arrived in Bloomington. Each performed within the defensive fullback positions at Indiana on the pitch; they’ve related values off of it as nicely. Glass was drawn to Sessock’s family-oriented nature and his means as a pacesetter.
“Nyk’s simply the man that, I feel, if I ever want something, he’s the primary one to supply it up and attempt to assist out,” Glass mentioned.
***
Sam Sarver burst onto the scene as a freshman through the fall 2021 season. The speedy ahead introduced swagger to Indiana’s squad and, extra importantly, scoring expertise. Sarver netted seven targets in 22 appearances throughout his first yr in Bloomington, second on the group solely to former MAC Hermann Trophy runner-up Victor Bezerra.
He turned a fan favourite. The sport got here naturally for Sarver — however life in faculty didn’t. In a since-edited Instagram publish from him on March 13, Sarver revealed he had been battling despair for years, and his cousin, who he’d grown up with, had died in a motorbike accident the summer season earlier than his freshman yr. He mentioned the lack of his cousin took a toll on him, mentally and bodily.
Sarver remembers staying up till 3 a.m. most nights, waking up for coaching then going straight again to sleep and skipping class. He mentioned he couldn’t fall asleep till his physique had utterly shut down.
Later within the publish, he singled out one teammate. The one one who “knew his internal struggles.” A teammate he may break down in entrance of and cry into his arms.
That teammate was Nyk Sessock.
“I felt secure with him,” Sarver mentioned within the publish. “I knew it doesn’t matter what I instructed him he’d have a look at me the identical, like an older brother I by no means had.”
***
4 hundred and fourteen days after he dedicated to Indiana, Sessock was set to make his Faculty Cup debut with the Hoosiers. The venue? WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. The opponent? His former group, Pitt.
Sessock and the Hoosier backline put collectively a near-perfect season so far, giving up simply 5 targets in 14 contests through the group’s postponed, COVID-ravaged season within the spring of 2021. The pandemic pressured the Hoosier trustworthy to observe from house whereas the group performed in an empty Invoice Armstrong Stadium.
Sessock’s coaches instructed his teammates to not mess with him earlier than the match towards Pitt. Usually personable and outgoing, it wasn’t like Sessock to close them out. However this match meant extra to him than a visit to the nationwide championship sport.
“I needed to show my price to not solely IU, however present what Pitt was lacking,” Sessock mentioned.
After a season filled with empty stadiums, Indiana and Pitt confronted off in entrance of two,667 followers in Cary. A giant stage turned greater with followers within the stands, and Sessock must face the Pitt trustworthy who made the journey.
“I assumed that added some stress,” Sessock mentioned. “Good groups love that, love that stress.”
Heading into the Faculty Cup, Pitt ahead Alexander Dexter had contributed seven targets and 5 assists to his group’s high-powered offense, which scored 49 targets in 20 matches through the spring 2021 season. Pitt gained 16 matches, three of which have been the results of game-winning targets from Dexter.
Within the nationwide semifinal, Sessock drew Dexter’s task. He’d need to shut down a prolific scorer and former teammate, who had scored two targets within the match already, to assist his group advance to the ultimate. That is simply what he did.
Dexter didn’t get a single shot off in 56 minutes on the pitch, lined up towards his former teammate, and Sessock led Indiana to a 90-minute shutout in regulation. Along with the defensive prowess he confirmed towards Pitt, Sessock’s means to press ahead and get the opposing protection out of place finally led to the Hoosiers’ game-winner.
In 2019, Sessock may solely watch as Herbert Endeley sped previous him to attain the game-winning golden aim in Indiana’s season-opening win. This time, he despatched the decisive move to Endeley earlier than he cut up two defenders and slotted the ball above Pitt’s goalkeeper, giving Indiana a 1-0 lead it might maintain to advance to the ultimate.
“He needed to be mentally robust to be current in that second, and likewise clearly it was an enormous second for us to then catapult ourselves into the ultimate,” Yeagley mentioned. “I don’t assume we do this with out Nyk’s efficiency in that exact sport.”
***
As he walked onto Yeagley Subject, flanked by his dad and mom, Sessock recalled recommendation his dad gave to him to all the time cherish occasions like this, as a result of they go by quick. His dad and mom have been on the town for his Senior Night time celebration, and he nonetheless had a choice to make.
Sessock couldn’t consider the time had lastly come. He remembered when he was a freshman, watching the seniors at Pitt take the sector for the final time and pondering he by no means needed to be of their sneakers. He by no means needed it to finish. He needed to be there endlessly.
Although he’d already performed 4 seasons of faculty soccer, this didn’t need to be the final time he performed at Invoice Armstrong Stadium.
The Hoosiers superior to the nationwide championship match his junior yr, however this was the tip of his first true season of Indiana soccer. He performed in entrance of empty stands his junior yr, however as a senior he acquired the total expertise; 1000’s of candy-stripe-clad Hoosiers packed into Armstrong Stadium to cheer him and his teammates on.
“They’re an important help system,” Sessock mentioned. “Rain or shine, whether or not it’s chilly, they’re nonetheless on the market banging on the boards they usually’re cheering us on and that’s greater than what we may ask for.
He didn’t get to go to lessons his junior yr both. He solely actually skilled Indiana for one yr. The sensation of lacking out, paired with Indiana failing to select up the Large Ten common season and match titles, helped solidify his choice.
After a dialogue together with his coaches, Sessock introduced by Twitter on Dec. 10, 2021, he would return to Indiana for a fifth season. COVID-19 took away a standard first season for him at his new house, however the NCAA granted all faculty athletes who have been on rosters that season an additional yr of eligibility, which he determined to benefit from.
In his phrases, it got here all the way down to this — he needed to “chase trophies.”
To start with of his announcement video, Sessock factors to the sky as “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins begins, or so it appears. “Philly, champions of the US,” Philadelphia-born rapper Meek Mill begins. The intro to Meek Mill’s “Champions” album samples Collins, and the track appears to suggest two issues: Sessock’s roots in Philadelphia and his want to come back again and win championships.
Sessock mentioned he was 50-50 on returning after the autumn 2021 common season, however when Indiana fell to Penn State within the Large Ten Event remaining, his choice was made. He spoke with Glass earlier than making his remaining choice, which Sessock mentioned pointed him in the best path.
Glass was a fifth-year senior when Sessock arrived at Indiana. Now, Sessock has to fill the sneakers of his teammate and pal. The identical freshmen he mentored final season have grown into sophomores, and a brand new crop of incoming children will want steerage.
One final dance awaits Sessock within the fall, and he’s able to profit from it.
Indiana
Warde Manuel reveals how College Football Playoff committee views outcome of Indiana vs Ohio State
A Top-5 showdown highlighted the Week 13 slate as Indiana and Ohio State squared off at The Horseshoe. Ultimately, the Buckeyes got a blowout victory over the Hoosiers, and all eyes turned toward Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings to see how the committee viewed that outcome.
Of course, Indiana wasn’t the only top-ranked team to fall last week. Multiple others did, as well, which likely helped the Hoosiers stay in the Top 10. According to committee chair Warde Manuel, IU has the resume to be the No. 10 team in the country.
Manuel pointed out it wasn’t all bad for Indiana in last week’s matchup. The Hoosiers had some good moments, notably the opening drive. Although they dropped five spots, Manuel said IU still did enough to be in the Top 10.
“We viewed Indiana – they played well at times against Ohio State,” Manuel said on the CFP rankings reveal show on ESPN. “And Ohio State pulled out a victory and really came on in the second half of that game. But we were impressed with some of the things that Indiana did. And they dropped five, but we still felt that their body of work was strong enough to remain in the Top 10.”
Indiana’s strength of schedule was a key point of conversation entering last week’s game. The Hoosiers’ schedule ranked No. 106 in the country through Week 12, according to ESPN, which was the second-weakest of the College Football Playoff Top 25. After the Ohio State game, though, IU’s schedule now ranks No. 51.
Of course, the numbers also back up Indiana’s case to be one of the top teams. The Hoosiers rank No. 9 in the nation in scoring defense and No. 2 in scoring offense. That’s why, after Saturday’s game, Curt Cignetti scoffed at a question about whether they should still be in the 12-team field before answering with a wink and smile.
“Is that a serious question?” Cignetti said in his postgame press conference, with a smirk. “I’m not even gonna answer that one. The answer’s so obvious.”
PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas – The slate of marquee nonconference games surrounding Thanksgiving has become known as Feast Week.
Tournaments in Maui, the Bahamas, Las Vegas and elsewhere generate top-25 matchups on a daily basis. Monday, Memphis upset back-to-back national champion No. 2 UConn. No. 4 Auburn erased a 16-point halftime deficit to take down No. 5 Iowa State. And No. 12 North Carolina came back from 21 points down to defeat Dayton.
That was just the start of a week that makes November feel a bit like March. No. 14 Indiana will compete in the eight-team Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, along with No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 24 Arizona, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Providence and Davidson.
Indiana is off to a 4-0 start and rose two spots in the latest AP Top 25 poll. Three wins have come against mid-major foes Southern Illlinois-Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois and UNC Greensboro. Indiana also handled South Carolina in a 16-point win, but the Gamecocks have taken a step back from last year’s second-place SEC finish.
And with a nonconference slate that features just one high-major opponent outside its three opportunities in the Bahamas, the Hoosiers must eat up all the opportunities Feast Week offers.
That starts with a matchup against Louisville, a team Indiana defeated 74-66 last year in the Empire Classic. But the new-look Cardinals are a completely different unit now, led by former College of Charleston head coach Pat Kelsey, 13 new transfers and one freshman. Louisville failed its biggest test of the season so far, a 77-55 home loss to Tennessee, but it’s shaping up to be a far more competitive team than those that went 12-52 in two years under former head coach Kenny Payne.
Analytics site Bart Torvik favors the Hoosiers by 3.6 points and ranks them 30th nationally, compared to the No. 57 Cardinals. With a win, Indiana would likely advance to face Gonzaga, which moved up to No. 3 in the latest AP Top 25 poll and is ranked No. 4 by Torvik.
That’s when the big challenge could come, one that Indiana vitally needs to meet as it builds an NCAA Tournament resume. Its best win so far is South Carolina, currently a bubble team at best. The Hoosiers may end up with wins against mid-major teams that reach the NCAA Tournament, but none that they can hang their hats on come Selection Sunday.
And once they return to Bloomington, they won’t get another chance to pick up a quality win until Big Ten play. That’s part of the risk that came with Indiana scheduling lighter than normal in the nonconference and relying so much on what it can gain in the Bahamas.
The other factor is that beyond Louisville, Indiana doesn’t know exactly who it’ll play this week. Upsets happen in college basketball all the time, and Indiana could end up facing a lighter slate this week by no fault of its own. Or it could lose to a capable Louisville team Wednesday and head to the loser’s bracket, where wins over certain opponents may not significantly strengthen its profile.
This Indiana team has enough talent that reaching the NCAA Tournament shouldn’t be in question, but its schedule lacks frequent opportunities at resume-boosting wins.
The other question going into the Battle 4 Atlantis is, how much do we really know about the Hoosiers so far? In terms of its Big Ten and national title aspirations, almost nothing. We can speculate how Indiana might fare against premier programs, but this tournament in the Bahamas represents the first time we’ll actually see it.
Indiana’s 4-0 start has mostly provided optimism, as the Hoosiers have defeated each team by 11 points or more. But there have been several moments of concern, or ones that at least reveal a team with six transfers and one freshman still getting to know each other. That was expected going into the season, but Indiana can’t afford it to last much longer.
The clear difference between the 2024-25 Hoosiers and last year’s group that missed the NCAA Tournament is guard play. Point guard Myles Rice is averaging 14.8 points and shooting 46.2% from 3-point range so far, a dynamic Indiana simply didn’t have last season. Sophomore wing Mackenzie Mgbako appears to have taken another step in his game, leading Indiana with 18.8 points per game and connecting on 8-of-15 3-point attempts.
Woodson also has much more capable depth to work with, with veterans like Trey Galloway and Luke Goode, along with budding freshman Bryson Tucker, coming off the bench. That’s all said without mentioning Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo, who could comprise the Big Ten’s best front court.
So where does the hesitation come from? Woodson has been unhappy with several aspects of the Hoosiers’ play this season. After a 90-55 win over Eastern Illinois, which featured a 37-36 halftime deficit, Woodson called out his team’s readiness.
“I thought we were still home in bed asleep,” Woodson said. “It was awful.”
Indiana jumped out to a 21-5 win over UNC Greensboro, only to be tied 40-40 with 15:57 left in the second half. Indiana shot just 41.7% from the field and 26.3% from 3-point range, allowed 13 offensive rebounds and committed 13 turnovers in the win. That left a lot to be desired from Woodson, and some of the frustration stems from knowing how much talent he has on this team.
“As a team we had 16 assists. That’s awful. I mean, it’s awful. With this team, we should average between 20 and 30 assists. So the play tonight, the way we played offensively tonight was selfish as hell to me,” Woodson said.
“That’s something that just can’t be because we have enough guys on this team that can make basketball plays,” Woodson continued. “We’ve just got to be unselfish and sacrifice the ball for the sake of the team and good things will happen.”
Woodson and the Hoosiers have a chance to ease those concerns and pick up several quality wins. Good, bad or somewhere in between, this week will reveal a lot about this Indiana team, which needs to return to Bloomington with something to show for this trip.
Indiana is coming off its first loss of the season and welcomes Purdue to town for Senior Day.
The Indiana Hoosiers are 10-1 with its first loss of the season coming at Ohio State (38-15). Indiana dropped to No. 10 in the AP Poll and will likely be on the backend of the teams in for the latest College Football Playoff rankings, but a convincing win here would help. Indiana has been one of the best against-the-spread (ATS) teams in the country and as a -29 point home favorite, all signs point to Curt Cignetti and company rolling.
Not much has gone right for the 1-10 Purdue Boilermakers. After the 49-0 win over FCS Indiana State, Purdue has lost 10 straight games with seven out of 10 losses coming by 17 or more points. Purdue lost to Michigan State 24-17 last week and has two OT losses this year, but this road game seems out of reach for the Boilermakers.
NBC Sports has all the latest info and analysis you need, including how to tune in for kickoff, odds from BetMGM, player news and updates, and of course our predictions and best bets for the game from our staff of experts.
Listen to the B1G Talk podcast with Todd Blackledge and Noah Eagle for the most compelling storylines across all ofcollege football, with the biggest teams on the rise and the latest rankings!
Game Details and How to watch Purdue @ Indiana
- Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
- Time: 7:00 PM EST
- Site: Indiana University Memorial Stadium
- City: Bloomington, IN
- TV/Streaming: Fox Sports 1
Want to check out the other games on the College Football schedule this week? We’ve got you covered right here on NBC Sports with all the matchup, venue, game-time and TV/streaming info so you won’t miss any of the action!
Game odds for Purdue @ Indiana
The latest odds as of Tuesday afternoon:
o Moneyline: Indiana (-6500), Purdue (+2000)
o Spread: Indiana -29 (-110)
o Total: 56.5 points
*odds courtesy of BetMGM
The spread opened at Indiana -25.5, so heavy money is pouring in on the Hoosiers. That is no surprise since Indiana is on the cusp of a College Football Playoff. The total has no movement.
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) has the following best bets between Purdue and Indiana:
“The Indiana Hoosiers suffered the first loss of the season last week at Ohio State (38-15) and need to bounce back dominantly to secure a College Football Playoff berth.
Indiana’s First Half Team Total is 23.5, which might seem mighty lofty, but it’s certainly within range and so is a 50-point game for the Hoosiers. At home, Indiana has scored 17, 17, 14, 31, and 21 first-half points versus DI opponents this season for 20.0 first-half points per game.
Purdue’s defense hasn’t taken any steps forward this season. In the last seven games, the Boilermakers have allowed 24, 21, 21, 17, 21, 24, and 21 first-half points, so this number is nothing Indiana cannot do.”
BetMGM College Football Insights: National Championship
Line movement (Last Week to Now)
- Ohio State +320 to +275
- Georgia +500 to +400
- Texas +500 to +450
Highest Ticket%
- Ohio State 13.4%
- Texas 11.1%
- Georgia 10.5%
Highest Handle%
- Ohio State 15.9%
- Georgia 14.9%
- Alabama 12.1%
Biggest Liabilities
- Colorado
- Ohio State
- Alabama
College Football talk is taking over Bet the Edge every Thursday throughout the season. Bet the EDGE is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Vaughn Dalzell, Eric Froton, and Brad Thomas’ insights Thursdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Quarterback matchup for Boilermakers @ Hoosiers
- Purdue: Hudson Card threw for a season-high 342 passing yards against Michigan State last week on 26-of-47. Card has nine touchdowns to six interceptions on the year and 1,606 passing yards.
- Indiana: Kurtis Rourke has had a phenomenal season that has begun to be derailed slightly by injury. Rourke has 274 combined passing yards in the past two games and had zero touchdowns to zero interceptions last week. On the season, Rourke has 21 touchdowns to four interceptions for 2,478 passing yards and a 69.6 completion percentage.
Boilermakers @ Hoosiers player news & recent stats
- Purdue is 3-8 ATS this season, ranking tied for fifth-worst.
- Indiana is 8-3 ATS this season, ranking tied for seventh-best.
- Indiana is 8-3 to the Over this season, ranking third-best.
- Indiana is 5-2 ATS this year at home and 4-3 to the Over.
- Purdue is 2-3 ATS this season as the road team and 3-2 to the Over.
- Kurtis Rouke threw for zero touchdowns and zero interceptions last week.
- Hudson Card threw a season-high 342 passing yards last week.
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Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Eric Froton (@CFFroton)
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