Indiana
Will UCLA’s Mick Cronin be the next Indiana basketball coach? Here’s what he said
Indiana basketball can’t take control in final minute in loss vs UCLA
It felt like if the Hoosiers were going to push for March Madness, stacking on a win at Michigan State would be the launching point.
- Mick Cronin may be fed up with UCLA and the issues he faces on the West Coast but playing in the Big Ten. Though his admiration for IU didn’t appear to be strong.
- Cronin is a solid candidate, four years removed from a Final Four, and could bring the core of his roster with him.
- Indiana and UCLA have similar history, and present-day angst trying to get back to national championship contenders.
Mick Cronin got to take a test drive as a coach on the sidelines at Assembly Hall, and he lead his UCLA team to a victory, though not without drama. Two stories programs dreaming of yesteryear to varying degrees met as Indiana basketball hosted the Bruins in a Big Ten Conference game.
One coach, Cronin, seems unhappy with his arrangement, and could very well replace the man who stood on the opposite sideline. In fact, IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel wrote as much after the Bruins beat Indiana, led by Mike Woodson who is stepping down at season’s end which, for the moment, appears to be a minimum of six games — five regular season and a Big Ten Tournament opener.
Only 15 teams in the 18-team league will descend on the Circle City for the event March 12-16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Hoosiers (15-11, 6-9 Big Ten) are 1 ½ games up on Northwestern and Washington, which are tied for 16th, and three games up on Penn State. But IU’s road could cause them to miss the tournament: vs. Purdue, vs. Penn State, at Washington, at Oregon and vs. Ohio State.
“I just think it’s tough to do that stuff during the season. The whole thing has gotten so crazy, and I don’t like to see that. As far as me, I would never comment on a coaching situation. It would be wildly inappropriate,” Cronin said, while continuing on. “I’m the son of a coach and the way that I look at it, Mike Woodson is the coach at Indiana. He was a national champion and I happen to know him and his staff. I have tremendous respect for their kids and their team. To me, no one should say anything that distracts from what they’re doing. I think it would be wildly inappropriate, mostly because of my respect for coach Woodson. He’s over there coaching his team. That’s my stance.”
Regardless, the Hoosiers will be looking for a new coach with a hope of returning to the glory days. Their last Sweet 16 was in 2016 and they’ve only been to the NCAA tournament twice since, both in Woodson’s first two seasons. IU’s last Elite Eight was in 2002, the year Indiana lost to Maryland in the national championship game.
Indiana is starved for success, longing to win its sixth national championship. It claims fame to the last undefeated national champion, which was 49 years ago. Of course, UCLA has won 11 national championships, including seven straight from 1967 to 1973. Three of those were undefeated seasons, plus another in 1964. And Cronin even led the Bruins to a Final Four four years ago.
The parallels are similar, and Cronin said so Friday.
“To be a great program you have to have great tradition and the backbone of support of all the guys in your tradition that played. I’ve got guys like Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and Mike Warren and Jamaal Wilkes, the tremendous support of guys at every game,” he said. “You need tradition, support, your fanbase, and your former players. I don’t know the answer to what’s intact here, but I know my mentality. I walk out and see coach (Bob) Knight like I walk out at my facility and see coach (John) Wooden.”
But UCLA (19-7, 10-5) is in severe financial debt and Cronin has stressed the burden travel has been on his team, and he equated it to NBA teams struggling with similar travel. Friday’s win over IU was this season’s Bruins’ first in the Central or Eastern time zones.
He’s a popular name on hot boards, and is included in IndyStar’s hot board. So, too, was Brad Stevens, the Boston Celtics president who made a statement saying he’s happy in his role. Should athletic director Scott Dolson have Cronin on his list of coaching candidates, here’s what UCLA’s big whistle said about the rumors.
“Some people would be happy because some people want me fired. When you’re a coach, you have to check your ego,” Cronin said. “They booed John Calipari at Kentucky. They wouldn’t have booed Bob Knight, if he walked in here, I can promise you that. That’s just the way it is. I’m well aware that I might be on a board for a job, but somebody might want me to lose my job. We got beat on Tuesday, go ahead and check on those boards.”
A trend of hiring coaches who can bring players with them fits Cronin. It’s a strategy that already worked out for Dolson when he hired Curt Cignetti to lead Indiana football, which made its way to the College Football Playoff with a host of James Madison transfers. Even Cignetti had to deny he was lobbying for someone Saturday.
But Cronin has a winning background: won the Ohio Valley and reached two NCAA tournaments in three seasons at Murray State, made nine straight NCAA tournaments and won two American Athletic Conference regular-season titles at Cincinnati and has continued success at UCLA with the Final Four in his second season and winning the Pac-12 in 2022-23.
Dylan Andrews, who was 1 for 7 from the field and a two-year starter, iced the game with free throws and would fit into that category. Four starters do, too, and reserves in 7-foot-3 post, Aday Mara, and Chicago native Sebastian Mack could give Cronin a core to build around in Bloomington, easing the learning curve and roster management.
“We’re playing at Assembly Hall — you don’t just come to Indiana and win a game like that,” Andrews said. “It was a gritty win. It’s just a credit to my team, to my coach, credit to everybody. This is a big win for us.”
Was the Valentine’s Day win love at first sight? The carousel will continue turning until there’s an answer.
Diana Taurasi believes the ‘physicality’ of the WNBA decreasing
USAT’s Meghan Hall catches up with WNBA legend Diana Taurasi and her reaction the the Fever-Sky game and how the physical aspect of the W is changing.
Sports Seriously
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White reached a boiling point with officiating following her team’s 90-88 loss to the defending champion New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Fever had an opportunity to tie or win the contest in the closing seconds. Indiana had the ball with 2.2 seconds remaining in the game. Sophie Cunningham inbounded the ball to Caitlin Clark at half court, but Clark wasn’t able to get a shot off after the Liberty’s Natasha Cloud stripped the ball. Clark flailed her arms after the apparent contact and instantly turned to the referees in bewilderment as Breanna Stewart grabbed the ball as time expired. No foul was called on Cloud on the play, much to the Fever’s dismay.
“I thought she got fouled,” White said. “I think it’s pretty egregious what’s been happening to us these last few games. A minus-31 free throw discrepancy — I might be able to understand that if we’re chucking 3s, but we’re not. We’re attacking the rim. The disrespect right now for our team has been pretty unbelievable. It’s disappointing that it doesn’t go both ways, but we can’t allow that to consume us.”
LIBERTY DOWNS FEVER: Score as Caitlin Clark, Indiana lose close game to NY
The Fever had a 12-point lead over the Liberty in the fourth quarter, but New York wen ton a 16-2 run over the course of four minutes to take the lead and eventually win. The Fever dropped to 2-2 on the season after the loss, while the Liberty remain undefeated and move to 3-0.
White called out the free throw disparity in the game, noting that the Fever only had 15 free throw attempts, compared to 32 for the Liberty. In the Fever’s win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, the Fever had 15 free throw attempts to the Dream’s 23.
“We’re not looking for a change. We’re just looking for consistency,” White said. “You know, I felt like the second half of Atlanta, at least at our place (on Tuesday), was at least consistent, right, and that’s that’s the thing that we’re looking for.”
Indiana center Aliyah Boston said the Fever have no choice but to accept the non-call.
“When it comes to accepting (the calls), it’s like we don’t really have a choice, because they’re going to call what they want to call,” Boston said. “So for us, I mean, even for me, I missed some of those easy buckets around the rim. I think for me, I have to put them in the rim just post hoc, and we just have to finish through contact. If we don’t get it, we don’t get it, but we have to give ourselves the best opportunity to get that basket.”
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The Indiana coroner working to identify victims from Fox Hollow Farm says “several tragedies” still remain.
In late April, Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison announced his office had identified the remains of Daniel Thomas Halloran at Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana. He’s the 10th victim of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister, but investigators have linked Baumeister to at least 25 victims.
A spokesperson for the coroner’s office previously told Fox News Digital it still has three DNA profiles that haven’t been identified.
Jellison said his office is working through 10,000 bone fragments and doesn’t know how many victims might be identified but told Fox News Digital in an interview there are “several tragedies.”
FOX HOLLOW FARM SERIAL KILLER’S 10TH VICTIM IDENTIFIED: CORONER
Daniel Thomas Halloran’s remains were identified after they were found at Fox Hollow Farm. (Michelle Pemberton/USA Today Network/Imagn; Hamilton County Coroner’s Office)
“We have 10,000 bone and bone fragments, so how many victims, you know, that will be is undetermined,” Jellison said. “I heard someone say recently that one death is a tragedy, two or more deaths is a statistic. And I think we have several tragedies because you have to treat each one of these individuals separately.
“So, we look at it really, you know, it’s not how many potential victims do we have, but let’s just continue working hard to identify. And then, at the end, we’ll tally that up.”
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Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison speaks during a press conference to announce the first public funeral and dedication services to honor victims of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister Aug. 22. 2024, in Westfield, Ind. (Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar/USA Today Network)
Jellison said in an interview he plans on continuing to identify more victims until he’s no longer in office.
“This investigation will far exceed my time in this office,” Jellison said.
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Law enforcement believes Baumeister lured gay men to his home during the 1980s and 1990s, where he would kill them and bury their bodies on his 18-acre property, known as Fox Hollow Farm.
FOX HOLLOW SERIAL KILLER’S SECRET TAPES COULD REVEAL MURDER HORRORS IF EVER FOUND: DOCUMENTARY
The original sign at Fox Hollow Farm has been replaced with a replica after the original was stolen Oct. 16, 2012. (Michelle Pemberton/USA Today Network)
He often went to gay bars in the Indianapolis area when his family was out of town and, according to detectives, he would find men to bring home. Baumeister owned the Sav-A-Lot thrift store chain.
Baumeister killed himself in 1996 at a Canadian park shortly after bone fragments were found on his property, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.
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A recent ABC News documentary, “The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer,” revealed investigators believe Baumeister recorded his victims using a hidden camera inside his basement’s air vent.
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Reporters interview a police officer outside the entrance of Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Ind., July 2, 1996. (Rich Miller/Indy Star/USA Today Network/Imagn)
Authorities dig for human bones in a wooded area of Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield July 2, 1996. (Rich Miller/Indy Star/USA Today Network/Imagn)
“Something to relive … the murders,” said retired Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Det. Cary Milligan. “We’re looking through the bottom of the entertainment area … and we noticed this vent. … I was suspicious that if Herb was videotaping any activity that might have been going on. … That may have been a way that Herb could’ve gained power over the individuals that he was killing.”
Game 2 between the Knicks and Pacers promises plenty of fireworks, and we’re breaking down our five favorite PrizePicks player props. Can Karl-Anthony Towns stay hot offensively? Will Indiana’s bench replicate its Game 1 heroics? Let’s spotlight the top value plays to target in this pivotal showdown at Madison Square Garden.
Last night, we went 4 for 4 with 1 push, so don’t miss out on these cash-winning plays!
This line has jumped 1.5 points since Game 1—and rightfully so. After posting a team-best +12 plus-minus and pouring in nine points in just 25 minutes, it’s clear that Tom Thibodeau needs to keep unleashing the savvy guard in his rotation. In last year’s seven-game slugfest with Indiana, McBride averaged 10.7 points and hit this mark in each of the final five contests. This season? He’s cleared it in two of three regular-season meetings against the Pacers, averaging exactly 10.0 points per game. After New York’s Game 1 loss, he’s now topped this line in eight of his last nine games vs. Indiana. As long as this prop stays undervalued, we’re hammering it.
Towns was a force of nature in New York’s surprising Game 1 loss to the Pacers, erupting for 35 points on an efficient 11-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-8 from deep. He also showed notable discipline on the defensive end, keeping his fouls in check—an area that’s been a thorn in his side throughout the playoffs. With Myles Turner spending much of his time on the perimeter, Towns is likely to stay out of foul trouble again in Game 2, setting the stage for another high-usage outing.
If the Knicks hope to even the series, their second-best player has to go to work. KAT topped this scoring mark in two of three regular-season meetings with Indiana, posting 21, 30, and 40 points.
The Pacers simply don’t have a big man agile or physical enough to contain Towns near the rim—and if he stays hot from long range, he’s primed to dominate again in a pivotal Game 2 at Madison Square Garden.
The Indiana Pacers have quietly assembled one of the NBA’s most dynamic second units, perfectly tailored to support their high-velocity offensive style. With Indiana pushing the tempo at a blistering rate—ranking third in playoff pace at 99.03 possessions per game—their depth has become a tactical asset that often goes overlooked in the prop betting market.
One name to circle: Obi Toppin. The springy forward brings vertical explosiveness and relentless hustle in his limited floor time, especially thriving in transition and pick-and-roll actions where he can elevate above defenders. Toppin’s combined points, rebounds, and assists (PRA) line currently sits at 12.5—a number he’s eclipsed in 12 of his last 15 road appearances. Against his former team, the Knicks, he’s cleared that same total in 10 of their last 13 meetings, adding extra narrative juice to his already energetic play. Considering his familiarity with the Garden and the Pacers’ need for spark-plug minutes off the bench, this line feels ripe for exploitation.
The Pacers leaned heavily on their bench in Game 1, with reserves logging crucial minutes down the stretch and into overtime. Andrew Nembhard, limited by foul trouble, saw just five minutes in the fourth quarter but played the entire overtime period—chipping in 7 of his 15 total points during the extra frame. Without Tyrese Haliburton’s insanely lucky buzzer beater to send Game 1 into overtime, Nembhard would have fallen short of this line.
Despite his critical role in the Pacers’ victory, Nembard remains the fifth option in Indiana’s offensive pecking order, and his scoring outlook is far from dependable. Historically, Nembhard has struggled to find his rhythm against the Knicks, failing to surpass this projected point total in four of his eight playoff meetings with New York across the last two postseasons. In two regular-season contests against the Knicks this year, he managed just 2 and 8 points, further underscoring the uphill battle he faces against a stingy New York defense. With Myles Turner unlikely to be sidelined during critical fourth-quarter minutes again, Nembhard’s scoring ceiling may be capped once more.
OG Anunoby has consistently underwhelmed on the boards this season, hauling in five or fewer rebounds in 58 of 87 contests (66.7%), with a modest average of 4.8 per game. His numbers dip even further when sharing the floor with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, managing no more than five rebounds in 44 of 63 games (69.8%) and averaging just 4.7. Anunoby has corralled fewer than five boards in three straight matchups against the Pacers, averaging only 2.3 rebounds on 5.3 opportunities.
In the playoffs, the trend continues, with Anunoby surpassing this rebound line in just 4 of 13 games (30.7%). With glass-cleaning specialists like Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart all fighting for boards, expect Anunoby to focus on scoring and defense while falling short of his rebounding prop once again.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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