Indiana

Should Gonzaga target Indiana transfer Myles Rice?

Published

10 months ago

March 26, 2025

Should Gonzaga target Indiana transfer Myles Rice?

One by one, members of the Indiana Hoosiers’ men’s basketball team entered their names into the transfer portal Wednesday, as the program shifts in a new direction under head coach Darian DeVries.

DeVries, previously with the West Virginia Mountaineers, did not get a chance to meet with his team immediately when he was hired March 18, though with Indiana’s spring break wrapped up, it appears the process of moving beyond the Mike Woodson era is in full effect.

Seven scholarship players from the 2024-25 Hoosiers roster have entered the portal so far, including three of the team’s top four scorers in Malik Reneau (13.3 points per game), Mackenzie Mgbako (12.2 points) and Myles Rice (10.1 points). That leaves DeVries with just one scholarship player from last season: 6-foot-6 forward Bryson Tucker. Luke Goode could return if his injury waiver from the 2022-23 season is approved; nonetheless, DeVries is essentially starting year one in Bloomington, Indiana, from scratch.

Building from the ground up isn’t anything new to DeVries. Despite bringing back just 5.3% of the minutes played from the 2023-24 Mountaineers team, he brought in a handful of transfers — including a South Bend, Indiana, native in Javon Small — and assembled a team that many felt was deserving of an at-large bid into the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Yet, despite boasting wins over the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Arizona Wildcats from nonconference play, West Virginia was snubbed, and DeVries decided to move on after one season at the helm.

Following that overtime game in the Battle 4 Atlantis opener, the Zags bounced back with an 89-73 win over the Hoosiers on the second day. Oumar Ballo led the way with 25 points against his former team, while Mgbako was the only other Indiana player to score in double figures, finishing with 13 points and four rebounds.

Rice, the former Pac-12 Rookie of the Year with the Washington State Cougars, only had six points and committed five personal fouls in 20 minutes against Gonzaga. The 6-foot-3 guard was capable of filling up the scoring column on any given night with his ability to get downhill and attack the basket. Other nights, however, Rice was much less effective as a scorer. He had 23- and 20-point performances during his first four games, but then followed with 11 points combined over his next three games.

As a freshman with the Cougars, Rice started all 35 games and averaged 14.8 points, 3.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals while guiding WSU to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008. He transferred after his head coach, Kyle Smith, left to coach the Stanford Cardinal and remained in a power conference structure.

Following another coaching change, could Rice make his return to the Inland Northwest — this time to play for the team in Spokane?

The Zags are likely in the market for another guard this offseason, knowing that Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman and Khalif Battle exhausted their final years of eligibility. Those three combined to knock down 173 of the team’s 263 made 3-pointers, or about 65.8%, along with the many contributions they made this season on the playmaking and defensive fronts. Rice hasn’t been known for his outside touch in college, though he did improve from 27.5% as a freshman to 32.5% his sophomore season.

Braeden Smith is set to take the reins at the point guard spot, while Emmanuel Innocenti could return for his junior year to bolster the backcourt as well. With Dusty Stromer in the portal, the Bulldogs don’t have much in the way of guard depth for next season outside of Smith and Innocenti. Mark Few will run 3-guard lineups when he and the coaching staff see fit, and with Innocenti’s versatility at 6-foot-5 and Smith’s ability to set the table at the point, Rice would in theory have a spot in an off-ball role that allows him to share touches with Smith.

Gonzaga’s offenses have historically operated at a high level when it’s being run by experienced guards who can both handle the rock and create for themselves. Rice’s one season with Indiana was somewhat of a letdown compared to his freshman year with WSU, but with the right coaching staff, he could get back on course.

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Indiana

Watch: IU football honored before IU-Purdue basketball game

Published

8 minutes ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Watch: IU football honored before IU-Purdue basketball game

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — The celebration continues for IU football’s national championship.

Before the IU-Purdue men’s basketball game on Tuesday, head coach Curt Cignetti and some IU football players brought the national championship trophy to half court.

Cignetti also took the mic and thanked the IU fans for their support.

To see the celebration, watch the video above.

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Indiana

Wawa opening with free coffee. What to know about Indiana’s newest store

Published

12 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Wawa opening with free coffee. What to know about Indiana’s newest store

Motorists braving the extreme cold this week will have a new travel center at which to fuel their vehicles and bodies in Indiana

Wawa is slated to open a location in Richmond on Jan. 29.

The grand opening at 2600 Williamsburg Pike will commence at 7:55 a.m. with the doors opening at 8 a.m.

The first 250 customers will get free t-shirts.

All customers through Feb. 1 will get free hot coffee, any size.

The 8,000-square-foot store will offer Wawa’s signature made-to-order hoagies, fresh-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, and a dinner menu that includes burgers, soups and sides.

The store will have interior and exterior seating areas; 16 liquid fuel spots for passenger drivers; 20 EV charging stalls; five high-speed diesel fuel lanes accepting over-the-road (OTR) payments; and a pet relief area.

Richmond will be Indiana’s ninth Wawa location.

The Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain entered the state in May 2025 with a store in Daleville, and quickly followed with openings in Noblesville and Clarksville.

The chain plans to open 60 stores in Indiana, including a location at 7140 E. Washington St. in Indianapolis scheduled for early 2027.

Contact reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cjackson@usatodayco.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social.

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Indiana

How does this winter storm measure up to the Blizzard of 1978 in Indiana

Published

1 day ago

January 26, 2026

Press Room

How does this winter storm measure up to the Blizzard of 1978 in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — For long-time Hoosiers, when snowstorms are in the forecast, the Blizzard of ’78 comes to mind.

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How does this winter storm measure up to the Blizzard of 1978 in Indiana

That’s the case for Faith Toole, who lives in Pittsboro now. She lived in Noblesville in 1978, and she had a one-week-old baby during the blizzard.

“We actually saved water. We got buckets and pans,” Toole remembered of the blizzard. “We had oil heat at the time, so we had to make sure our oil was good.”

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The blizzard became a benchmark of sorts, since it set many weather records.

“I really thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime, but we got so close this time around. We really did. I’m just thankful we didn’t,” Toole said.

The winter storm that happened across Central Indiana on January 24 and 25, 2026, did pack quite the punch for Hoosiers, with an event snowfall total of 11.1″ in Indianapolis and frigid temperatures.

Did the storm compare to the historic Blizzard of ’78?

The blizzard occurred over the period of January 25, 26, and 27, 1978. It was the first time a blizzard warning was ever issued for Indiana.

What is a blizzard? It doesn’t entail snow totals. Instead, it focuses on the impact of gusty winds (gusts over 35 mph) and low visibility (less than a quarter mile) that lasts for an extended period of time (three hours).

During the storm in 1978, wind gusts over 50 mph lasted through the 26 and 27 of January.

“The wind, I’ll never forget the wind, how it blew!” exclaimed Toole.

The National Weather Service recorded visibility less than a quarter mile for 25 hours straight.

The wind in the 1978 storm also created blowing and drifting snow, with some drifts 20 to 25 feet.

How does this compare to the 2026 storm?

Wind gusts stayed less than 30 mph, so this time, we did not reach blizzard criteria.

We did see quite a bit of snow: 11.1″ in Indianapolis, with other areas in Central Indiana seeing even higher totals.

In 1978, it snowed 15.5″ across the three days.

1978 was also unique because there had already been a bit of snow on the ground before the blizzard got started.

To this day, the Blizzard of ’78 still holds the record for the most snow on the ground in Indianapolis, set at 20″.

“It felt like it snowed a lot longer. Had we had the wind, it would have been ’78 all over again,” Toole said.

It was very cold, with lows near zero degrees, and wind chills near -50 degrees during the blizzard.

Similarly, in 2026, we have frigid air temperatures, meaning it will be difficult to clear the snow this week. Temperatures may not climb above freezing until next week.

The roads and businesses that have been shut down following the storm in 2026 are a reminder of the closures in 1978.

Toole says she stayed at home following the blizzard, mainly focusing on sleeping when she could (because of her one-week-old baby).

“Reading, we were into word search at the time,” Toole remembered how she spent the time indoors. “We didn’t have devices to do anything. We had the TV, and that was it.”

Luckily for Hoosiers, technology has come a long way since 1978, meaning there was more to do while cooped up indoors during the 2026 storm.

“It wasn’t as boring, because it was 24/7 news coverage for the weather!” laughed Toole. “And you know, I had my games on my phone to play, movies to watch.”