Indiana

Oscar Tshiebwe showed additional skill during summer league, but has same limitations for Indiana Pacers

Published

2 years ago

July 26, 2024

Oscar Tshiebwe showed additional skill during summer league, but has same limitations for Indiana Pacers

LAS VEGAS — Oscar Tshiebwe went into summer league hoping to show more of anything on the hardwood. The big man has displayed time and time again that he’s an excellent rebounder, but he hoped to exhibit additional abilities during the summer sessions.

The Kentucky product was named to the All-G League First Team last year because of his productivity. He dominated the glass and could finish around the rim, which was a large source of success for the Indiana Mad Ants.

This summer was about additional skills. “Actually, his passing. The game has slowed down for him a lot,” Pacers head coach Jannero Pargo said of what looks better for Tshiebwe in his second season. “He’s able to catch the ball and be comfortable and not be rattled and rushed. And he’s making plays from the high post position.”

Tshiebwe showed those skills quickly. His high-low passing game with Jarace Walker was a quality connection in the first game as the second-year big man dished out four assists. He made plays in the high post, as expected by his coach.

Throughout the summer tune ups, that general range was shown. Tshiebwe hit a jumper in more than one outing and drove in for a finish from the perimeter in the final game. He did show more skills in general than during his rookie season.

“We’ve been working on those a lot.” Tshiebwe said of his high-low passing. “If you want to be great, you’ve got to learn how to make good passes. If you see someone helping, you’ve got to make good passes.”

The young big man has been working with assistant coach Jim Boylen on his passing and reads, and Tshiebwe shared that Boylen notices his improvement from year to year just by looking at the tape. During his rookie season summer league, Tshiebwe had four assists in total. He averaged 1.8 per game this season.

He also shot 61% from the field, a fine-enough number. His putbacks were effective — as they usually are — which is a consequence of his dominant rebounding skill. And that remained, which is vital to Tshiebwe’s success.

He had 19 rebounds in his opening performance against Brooklyn, and he was actually unhappy with his outing on the glass that day. He thought that he could have done better. As usual, when the matchup was right, the Kentucky product dominated the boards.

But the matchups didn’t always dictate that Tshiebwe could be on the floor or dominate the glass. He had 24 rebounds total after the first game — just six per outing. His subpar defense means that there are fewer rebounding opportunities when he’s out there, and the young center has fewer ball skills than Enrique Freeman. That meant Tshiebwe didn’t close games much, which limited his total numbers. He’s limited by his poor defense as well as his lack of handle and jump shot.

Still, in situations where the Congolese big man could live on the floor, he showed off new stuff. He hit the glass, made passes, and finished plays. In those ways, it was a successful summer league for the 24-year old.

But the same defensive and play-style limitations that hindered Tshiebwe last season remained, which put a damp on his effectiveness. It was important that he showed growth, and he did, but he still has more to develop to become an everyday big man in the NBA.

“I think he recognized what we’re trying to do defensively more so now than he did in the past,” Pargo said. He added that Tshiebwe is playing bigger and using his voice more effectively.

That added voice is a Boylen special, too. The assistant coach is helping Tshiebwe be louder and strong with the ball — he only had six turnovers in total in Las Vegas.

Add that to the list of things that Tshiebwe did that he is actively working on. Making plays from the elbows, expanding his range, and being more vocal have been focuses for Tshiebwe of late, and he turned his practice to action.

Yet his same limitations remained, and that is what makes his next steps so interesting. He is a restricted free agent and still in the mix for a two-way contract. Can Tshiebwe keep getting better and make it so there are fewer situations in which he is difficult to have on the hardwood? Or will he always be a speciality big man who dominates the glass?

That is the question the Pacers will have to answer. Tshiebwe switched his representation this summer to Octagon and is still not under contract. Perhaps he could be back with the Pacers, and he did have a good summer league in many ways. He got better at a few things he needed to improve. But he also has some key limitations and gaps in his effectiveness that make him a rocky fit, especially on a team that is deep in the frontcourt (Indiana already has Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Isaiah Jackson, Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker, James Wiseman, and James Johnson under contract for next season).

Oscar Tshiebwe is a better player than he was 12 months ago. He’s better than he was three months ago, for that matter, and those facts make him worth investing in. But he still has flaws that persisted in summer league and make his future unclear.

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Indiana

Man shot by security guard in hospital emergency room waiting area in Gary, Indiana

Published

9 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Man shot by security guard in hospital emergency room waiting area in Gary, Indiana

A man’s family is demanding answers after he was shot by a security guard inside a hospital emergency room waiting area on Tuesday night in Gary, Indiana.

Methodist Northlake Hospital officials said, around midnight Tuesday night, its security staff responded quickly after a patient took out a gun. The hospital said he’d threatened to shoot himself or others.

The hospital commended the security guard who shot the man for “neutralizing the threat and helping ensure the safety of our patients and employees.”

Family members identified the man who was shot as Otis Brown. They said he is a kind father to a 12-year-old boy.

“Just a great person, a happy-go-lucky, always out there trying to do the right thing,” said his fiancée, Stacey Taylor.

Taylor said she was on a business trip when she got a call that Brown had been shot multiple times.

“Scared, uncertainty; you know, what story is right? You know, what happened?” she said.

After he was shot, Brown was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.

Taylor said she had no idea why Brown went to Methodist Northlake Hospital in the first place. His family said he was trying to leave the hospital when the shooting happened, claiming that the hospital gave him his gun back after he was cleared to leave.

“We just want to get answers, just want to know what happened, particularly when people are defaming his name,” Taylor said.

She and Brown’s family hope the hospital has surveillance video footage that can help provide answers.

Gary police have not provided any details on the shooting. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating the shooting at the request of Gary police, but did not provide any further information.

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Indiana

Indiana A.G. finishes Karl King Tower investigation, finalizes compliance order

Published

21 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Indiana A.G. finishes Karl King Tower investigation, finalizes compliance order

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) — The Indiana Attorney General has finished its investigation into Karl King Tower and issued a compliance order.

This is coming after a months-long investigation into the unsafe living conditions for residents at the apartments.

From December 2025 to January 2026, there were prolonged failures with the heating and a lack of heat for residents during winter conditions at Karl King.

The property owner provided a 20% rent credit for affected tenants and documentation related to health and safety issues.

Below is the agreement from the Attorney General:

The owner must complete boiler and heating system improvements by September 30.
The property is subject to a monitoring period for multiple years.
The owner needs to provide on-site security, including cameras in common areas and monthly incident reports.
The building needs an on-site property manager to address resident concerns.

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The Attorney General has the authority to inspect the property and enforce compliance if commitments aren’t met.

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Indiana

Indiana Baseball Series Preview Against Illinois

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Indiana Baseball Series Preview Against Illinois

It’s been a rough season for the Indiana baseball team, but the Hoosiers have one more shot to finish the season on a high note against Illinois this week.

Indiana (21-30, 7-20) has lost five straight contests and failed to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament after finishing outside the top 12 in the Big Ten, meaning Saturday’s game against the Illini will be the Hoosiers’ last.

And that may very well be the biggest surprise in all of the Big Ten, considering IU won 33+ games each of the last two years and finished above .500 in Big Ten play each of the last three seasons.

About Indiana

Indiana’s disappointing season is almost over after getting swept by in-state rival Purdue over the weekend. IU has lost four straight Big Ten series and hasn’t won a series in nearly a month.

Regardless of who is playing well and who’s not, don’t be surprised if the majority of the seniors get to play this weekend.

That probably wouldn’t be the case if Indiana were still able to qualify for the Big Ten Tourney, but with that out of the equation, expect to see the guys who might not ever play another competitive game of baseball get to see the field one last time.

The Hoosiers’ best pitcher is southpaw Tony Neubeck, who leads the team in wins, starts, innings pitched, and strikeouts. Neubeck has recorded back-to-back quality starts and could very well hear his name called in this June’s MLB Draft.

Offensively, the Hoosiers have proven they can score some runs, and despite getting swept last week, scored 21 runs against Purdue. IU’s top hitter is Jake Hanley, who leads Indiana’s offense in at-bats, hits, home runs, RBIs, total bases, and walks.

About Illinois

Unlike Indiana, no matter what happens this week for Illinois, the Illini are automatically a lock for the Big Ten Tournament. Illinois might rest some of its everyday players who have played a lot and have some of its top arms on pitch counts, but outside of that, expect the Illini to play this series like it’s their last.

Illinois still has a chance to move up a spot in the Big Ten, and there’s no denying the fact that seeding matters.

Illinois (27-23, 13-14) has won five in a row but has struggled on the road this season, especially in Big Ten play.

Still, though, Illinois has a couple of solid relievers — Sam Mommer and Sam Reed — and has an ace in Aidan Flinn.

Offensively, the Illini are inconsistent but did manage to score 26 runs in three games against Northwestern and have a couple of power hitters in AJ Putty and Collin Jennings.