Indiana
Q&A with IU basketball recruit Liam McNeeley: Why Indiana and pitching Hoosiers to friends
Mike Woodson has IU basketball competing at recruiting’s top table
This offseason Indiana basketball has added high-profile transfers and is recruiting multiple top-50 prospects.
Courtesy of IU Athletics, Indianapolis Star
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Liam McNeeley is a lone wolf — at least for now. A five-star commit ranked No. 15 in the Class of 2024 per 247Sports, is the lone member of the Hoosiers incoming recruiting class so far.
McNeeley, a 6-7, 210-pound small forward, caught up with IndyStar at the Spalding Hoophall Classic fresh off a sold-out contest where his ESPN SCNext Top 25 boys No. 1 Montverde Academy topped No. 7 Prolific Prep, 76-71, at Blake Arena on the campus of Springfield College Sunday evening. McNeeley finished with a team-high 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, three rebounds and three assists.
Liam McNeeley commits to IU: Could be first domino in special 2024 class.
Film breakdown: What Liam McNeeley does well, what he can improve on
This interview was edited for clarity.
Q: You play for the top-ranked high school team in the country with five of the top-50 ranked seniors. What have you learned from being one of many stars?
A: Last year was my first time playing with this amount of talent. There’s just such a different speed and physicality to the game, even every day in practice. It forces you to learn how to play with other great players.
Q: Why Indiana?
Coach (Mike) Woody (Woodson) was just on me. He was always consistent. (Assistant) coach (Brian) Walsh was always consistent. Coach Woody’s an NBA-style coach, and that’s where I’m trying to go.
Q: Favorite moment in Bloomington so far?
A: I was there for the game vs. Kennesaw State and got to throw out t-shirts to the crowd. That was really cool.
Q: Since committing to Indiana in October, how closely have you followed the team?
A: There’re a lot of times where we have games at the same time, but every time I’m able to watch those games. I’m always checking ESPN scores if I don’t get to watch it.
Q: How much do you and your high-profile teammates discuss your recruitments?
A: We’re obviously close friends, like family. We’re brothers, so we let each other in on some stuff, but we don’t tell the world.
More: What we saw from Liam McNeeley, target Derik Queen in Vegas showcase
Q: How do you pitch Indiana to prospective recruits?
A: I’m recruiting one big fella and I think y’all know who it is (Montverde teammate Derik Queen). I use Trayce Jackson-Davis a lot. He’s playing really well in the league.
Q: Have you identified what your college role might be?
A: I’m going to try to be as versatile as I can. Coach Woody said he’s going to trust me with the ball, trust me to make plays, and he’s going to force me to guard.
Q: What’s your most college ready skill?
A: My versatility. I can play many different positions on the floor.
Q: What do you want to improve on the most before getting to Indiana?
A: The biggest thing I’m working on is just on-ball defense and off-ball defense, guarding smaller guards because that’s what I want to do.
Q: Who’s your college or NBA player comp?
A: I watch a lot of Lua Dončić because I’m from Dallas. He’s my favorite player right now.
Indiana
Young male dead after shooting on Indy’s northeast side
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police say one “young man” is dead after a shooting at the 1200 block of Rue Rabelais at about 7:19 p.m. according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
That is near the intersection of 56th Street and Binford Boulevard.
Police say the victim was taken to Riley Hospital where he later died. Investigators say they are still working to identify the victim.
There was no known information about a suspect. Police did say that they believe this is a targeted incident.
There was no other information immediately available.
This story has been updated with information from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Indiana
Mother and boyfriend accused in death of 4-year-old boy found in closet
This story contains descriptions of distressing circumstances involving children.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A mother and her boyfriend were accused of causing the death of a 4-year-old-boy found dead in a basement closet on Monday.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrested Angel Lovely, 37, and Nicholas Bergdoll, 36, on preliminary charges of neglect of a dependent causing death. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office by Friday had not filed formal charges.
A sibling found the 4-year-old dead on Monday, according to investigators. Lovely and Bergdoll were in the home at the time but told police they were asleep when he died.
Born premature with cerebral palsy, the 4-year old couldn’t walk, was nonverbal, and ate through a feeding tube. Lovely claimed she would rarely put the child in the closet, only “when he won’t stop screaming” or when she “needed a break.”
But when investigators interviewed Lovely’s three other children, they said that the boy “stays in the closet all day,” and that “mom locks him in the closet” and “does not pay attention to him.”
An exact cause of death hasn’t been determined, but the child was found with blood in his mouth. Lovely said he’d been aspirating.
One of Lovely’s children told investigators they heard the 4-year-old gagging but didn’t say anything because it wasn’t unusual.
A neighbor living on Monticello Drive, Michelle Johnson, told News 8, “It’s horrible. It breaks my heart.”
Johnson had seen the other children outside the home but never knew there was a boy in a wheelchair living there. She said if she suspected they were being neglected, she would have called police or the Indiana Department of Child Services.
“We’re supposed to be a village and raise kids together,” Johnson said. “That’s really heartbreaking.”
Bergdoll told police, according to the investigators’ report, that he didn’t agree with putting the child in the closet: “I am not going to tell her how to f****** raise her kids.”
“I’m sickened,” IMPD Public Information Officer Tommy Thompson told News 8 in an interview.
“Think about putting yourself in that situation. Every day, do you want to be in a closet? Locked up, no light?”
Court records show the Department of Child Services had removed the boy from Lovely’s care because of medical neglect, but she regained custody last year against DCS recommendations.
Thompson, the neighbor, hopes the tragedy can be an opportunity for others to speak up when they see a child who can’t speak up for themselves. “Maybe you’ve got to make that tough phone call. Reach out. The city has resources.”
Johnson wishes she would have known what was happening so she could have said something. “Children don’t have a voice and we’re supposed to be their voice.”
Help is available for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault. Below is a list of suggested resources, both national and local:
Indiana
Police arrest suspect in Westfield homicide
WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Police have arrested someone in connection to a homicide earlier this month in the Hamilton County city.
In a Friday night social media post, the Westfield Police Department announced the arrest but gave no details, including who was arrested or what preliminary charges the person may face.
“Due to the active nature of this case, limited details are available for release at this time,” the post said.
As WISHTV.com previously reported, James “Matt” Lushin, 47, was found dead shortly after 7:25 p.m. March 12 with trauma at his home in the 3900 block of Westfield Road, also known as State Road 32.
Social media posts from the scene showed police tape and emergency vehicles at a red brick house between Shady Nook Road and Gray Road.
Lushin’s obituary said the Kokomo native was a key partner with the real estate investment company, FLF Property. The obituary also said, “Matt was also a respected and accomplished member of the international poker community. He traveled the world competing in tournaments and built an impressive and successful career.”
Police have previously said the death was believed to be isolated, posing no ongoing threat.
Officials have not released a specific cause or manner of death.
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