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
Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis on an attempted murder charge after police say he fired seven to eight rounds into a white GMC SUV occupied by three adults and four children last month in Bloomington before fleeing the area.
A news release issued Thursday from the Bloomington Police Department said members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s special weapons and tactics team took Kafern P. Johnson, 32, into custody near the intersection of West 84th Street and Allison Avenue in Indianapolis without incident.
The arrest came more than two weeks after the June 23 shooting in the 1000 block of North Summit Street. That’s in a residential area next to Crestmont Park in Bloomington.
Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch received 911 calls at 7:41 p.m. June 23 reporting gunfire in the area.
Responding patrol officers and detectives determined Johnson had fired into the SUV following a verbal fight with the vehicle’s driver. Police said the dispute stemmed from an argument over a relationship.
No injuries were reported despite the number of people inside the vehicle.
Following his arrest, Johnson was taken to an IMPD facility for questioning and later booked into the Marion County jail. On Thursday morning, he was booked into the Monroe County jail.
The release said Johnson could face felony charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a firearm, and pointing a firearm. No formal charges have yet been filed, according to online court records.
Bloomington police asked anyone with additional information to call 812-349-3324.
This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.
Indiana
FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME
Fairfield native, David K. Wells, 69, and his wife Aileen, were found dead inside their home in Newburgh, Indiana, Monday night. Warrick County Sheriff Michael Wilder said that deputies responded to the residence just before 8:00 p.m. after dispatch received a call around 7:40 p.m. from a friend of the family requesting a welfare check. When officers didn’t get an answer at the door, they entered through the back of the home and found the couple deceased. Officers cleared the home and waited for detectives to arrive. Investigators also obtained a search warrant to do a further examination of the residence. Authorities were able to notify family members and conduct interviews to gather additional information. Sheriff Wilder said investigators believe the couple had been dead for less than 24 hours before they were found. He also said there is no indication of any forced entry or an intruder. Sheriff Wilder has not made a formal determination as to what happened. Autopsies for the couple were scheduled for yesterday morning to help determine a cause. David Wells grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1975. He had a long career in television commercial production in Evansville and had more recently operated the Cigar! Cigar! tobacco store in Evansville.
Indiana
Indiana sees significant drop in number of homeless veterans
INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — Indiana saw a significant decline in veteran homelessness last year, despite the total number of homelessness rising across the state.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annual estimation of the homeless population, known as the Point in Time (PIT) count, Indiana saw an 18.7% decline in veteran homelessness in 2025 compared to the year before.
That marked the second-largest decline of any state by percentage.
Helping Veterans and Families (HVAF) of Indiana specializes in assistance for veterans facing homelessness. CEO Emmy Hildebrand told News 8 the formula that’s finding success is the same that works with any at-risk group: housing and wrap-around services.
Hildebrand said that the formula needs support from the state.
“There is no state funding supporting homeless services in our state,” Hildebrand said. “And very little local funding outside Indianapolis.”
Safety net programs have faced budget cuts, with lawmakers eliminating funding for the Housing First program in 2025. It supported organizations helping people secure stable housing.
And housing advocates have criticized Indiana’s public camping ban as essentially making it illegal to be homeless.
HVAF client Terri Massey, a 34-year-old Navy veteran, said the stigma of being homeless was the most difficult challenge to overcome.
“I’m still trying to provide for my kids,” Massey said “I’m (not) out here being lazy or not trying to do better.”
Massey was working, supporting her children, but found herself sleeping in cars and hotel rooms because she didn’t have stable housing. “Going to that work, working 10 hours, leaving, going to sleep in my car.”
HVAF helped place Massey in a permanent apartment. HVAF also placed Massey in a different kind of “bootcamp” years after her time in the military, learning job skills. She’s looking for a job, but thankful to do it from a place she can call home.
“I am beyond grateful and thankful. I literally pray and thank God every day,” Massey said. “Because for the longest I felt like I was alone. And I had to figure everything out by myself. I didn’t.”
It’s estimated that seven percent of Indiana’s homeless are veterans. Hildebrand said there are federal funds for organizations working with veterans, which support HVAF’s programs.
Still, finding permanent housing is a struggle.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, for every 100 extremely low-income households in Indiana, just 34 rental homes are affordable and available.
“There are so many people on the bubble that are just one emergency away from living in their car, staying with friends and family, or living on the streets because we don’t have the appropriate system here in Indiana,” Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand said lawmakers assured her they would work to support homeless services, but she hasn’t seen any drafted legislation that might be introduced in the next legislative session.
Across the country, about one in 25 people experiencing homelessness previously served active duty in the armed forces, according to numbers from HUD. Veteran homelessness declined 56% between 2009 and 2025.
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