Indiana
Wisconsin loss puts Indiana’s constant ebbs and flows on full display
MADISON, Wis. — This Indiana men’s basketball season has been defined by ebbs and flows.
And no game has provided a more glaring example of that than Friday’s 91-79 loss to No. 11 Wisconsin.
The Big Ten-leading Badgers (14-4, 6-1) capitalized on a plethora of Indiana miscues — another recurring theme. Indiana (12-7, 4-4) suffered its third defeat in the last four games, and its fourth loss in the last six contests. And IU extended its Kohl Center losing streak to 20 games.
Indiana displayed a full range of emotions throughout the night, from the court, to the sideline, to the postgame press conference. And those expressions spoke volumes.
There was plenty of embarrassment. Near the end of the first half, Xavier Johnson committed a needless foul with seven seconds left, and Indiana’s bench wasn’t thrilled with the sixth-year. Director of player development Calbert Cheaney showed visible frustration, and assistant coach Brian Walsh covered his face. It gave Wisconsin two free points at the foul line, right after Gabe Cupps knocked down a 3-pointer to cut IU’s deficit to 11 points.
It was the latest in a long line of unnecessary mistakes Indiana’s made all year. The Hoosiers, on so many occasions, just haven’t been able to stay out of their own way.
But Friday’s most regrettable moment came in the second half, when CJ Gunn was handed a flagrant 2 foul for elbowing Max Klesmit. It prompted Don Fischer to openly express his embarrassment over the airwaves, a drastic step for IU’s longtime play-by-play voice.
Head coach Mike Woodson thought the ejection was harsh.
“In the heat of the battle, anything is liable to happen. I’m not happy about it,” Woodson said after the game. “After looking at it, the kid (Klesmit) put his head on his (Gunn’s) chest. He threw a semi-elbow, I don’t think it was something hard that warranted being kicked out of the game. I can’t control that, he was kicked out.”
But that aspect of the decision doesn’t overshadow IU’s repeated lack of discipline. The Hoosiers have picked up four flagrant fouls in the last four games — though one was a hook-and-hold, an obvious difference from the unsportsmanlike acts by Gunn and Johnson.
And that doesn’t account for the frustration fouls and other poor decisions the Hoosiers have made as things spiral away from them in these recent losses. Indiana’s looked increasingly fragmented for prolonged stretches, and typically displays poor body language during those runs.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to be one on the court,” sophomore forward Malik Reneau said. “I feel like we’re kind of disconnected in some ways, but, I mean, we’re gonna fix that, get it right.”
Given Indiana’s shortcomings, it’s easy to fault leadership, whether on the court or the sideline.
But listen to Reneau face the media after the game — watch him show the accountability many fans are demanding — and you instantly sense how much he cares. You can hear it in his voice. You can see it in his eyes.
And on nights like these, he speaks on behalf of his teammates. The Hoosiers may look like they’re just going through the motions when opponents go on big runs to break games open. But they’re trying. Yes, they make frequent mistakes, but they do want to win.
“We really have to go harder in practice and figure out a way to understand what Woody is talking about and apply it on the court. I feel like we’re not doing it, and that’s when they have the spurts where they go on their runs and it’s hard to fight back,” Reneau said. “We fought back as hard as we can, but it’s tough when you build that deficit and try to build it back. We did it in the Purdue game, we did it in most of our losses.”
For all of Indiana’s problems since Big Ten play restarted — and, to an extent, the entire season — this team doesn’t quit. The Hoosiers have had four frustrating Big Ten losses, but aren’t flat-out giving up. They’ve made second-half runs in all four games. Some of those stretches have come too late, with the outcome already decided — but they aren’t just giving up when the deficit becomes too much.
That, in contrast, does reflect well on Indiana’s leadership and culture. Of course, it would mean more without the double-digit holes, and if the team won some of those games. IU has obvious X-and-O problems beyond the leadership concerns that explain its flaws. But the players keep pushing, even if they aren’t on a winning track.
That happened again on Friday. Wisconsin went on an 18-2 run in the second half, with Gunn’s ejection coming near the end of that spurt. Indiana’s defense evaporated, with constant breakdowns leading to repeated easy looks for the Badgers. And Woodson, amidst that run, sported a look of pure exasperation on the bench. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing from his squad, as Wisconsin took a 23-point lead, its largest of the game.
But after a timeout, Indiana came right back with an 11-2 run.
Things had already gone from bad to worse before the flagrant foul. That moment could’ve helped Wisconsin put the final nails in the coffin. But Indiana didn’t give up, and made the Badgers earn it. The same coaches and players who showed frustration for so much of the night displayed genuinely renewed hope, multiple times, in the second half.
But, of course, the Hoosiers won’t act happy about that. Nor should they, after getting outplayed by Wisconsin in nearly every facet.
It just speaks to the dichotomy of this Indiana team, with so many ebbs and flows throughout the season, both from game to game and within individual games. Big picture concerns like leadership and culture are rarely cut and dry, and Indiana’s situation has layers to it.
IU’s highs this year have not yet been particularly high, but there are enough sporadic positive moments to get fans excited. Its lowest lows have been completely embarrassing. And this season is quickly becoming defined by the constant see-saw between the two.
But one thing that is straightforward: Indiana has not been good enough.
“We’ve got to work. We’ve got to keep working to get better. That’s all you can do,” Woodson said. “I’m a coach. And it’s my job to figure it out as a coach to get our team playing better. And that’s what I’m going to do.”
For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE.
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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.
According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.
The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.
It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.
According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.
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The high school football season is a little more than five weeks away. We take a look today at 10 potential sleeper teams for the 2026 season from Central Indiana. To keep things consistent, we considered only teams that finished last season with a .500 record or below.
I had a few hits in this category last year, including Avon (3-7 to 6-5), Carmel (3-7 to 9-2) and Indian Creek (5-6 to 8-4). Here are teams poised for an uptick this season:
Brebeuf Jesuit
A drop off last year was not unexpected for the Braves, who lost a lot of talent from a team that finished 8-3 in 2024. Brebeuf started 0-6 on its way to a 3-8 season, which was its first losing record since going 4-6 in 2016.
There were some mitigating circumstances around last season’s record, extending beyond inexperience. The Braves lost starting quarterback Keegan Bouwkamp to an injury in the first game of the season, though he was able to return to pass for 1,004 yards and 15 touchdowns in just four games. His return as a senior will allow to senior Carter Cosgrove to return to receiver full time. They are part of a group of nine starters returning to an offense that did produce 26 points per game last season and will be anchored by UConn commit Krystian Oakley on the line.
Coach Matt Geske’s team also returns six starters on defense, including junior Joshua Rogers (42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks). There are some new games on the schedule, including Mt. Vernon, Scecina, Columbus North and Cardinal Ritter.
North Central
It might seem like a small thing but North Central finishing 2-8 last season did represent a significant jump after three consecutive 0-10 seasons. In fact, a two-win season is the best for the Panthers since going 6-4 in 2020.
Now, can North Central take another step forward in Collin Coffer’s second season as coach? The Panthers ended a 32-game losing streak in the season opener last year with a 35-13 victory over Brebeuf, then defeated Harrison (West Lafayette) 41-28 in Week 5. If North Central is going to take the next step, it will need to make headway against Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference opponents (North Central’s most-recent MIC win was in 2021).
There is plenty of hope coming into the season with an offense led by junior quarterback Chase Grove (1,901 passing yards, 19 TDs) and an experienced group of receivers. Most of the defense also returns, including seniors Kolton Ablitar-Conner and Jameson Hittle.
Zionsville
The Eagles were 3-7 last year, but four of those losses came by 10 points or less. Zionsville has been stuck on either three or four wins every year since going 9-6 and reaching the Class 5A state finals in 2021.
There are reasons to believe coach Scott Turnquist’s team can make a move in 2026. The offensive line brings back Ball State commit Eli Wildoner and Ben Maxey and has a rising star in junior tight end Theo Schott, who caught 26 passes for 305 yards and three TDs last season. Junior quarterback Finn Giles transferred from Carmel and will battle for the starting spot with junior Mac Wright.
The defense has talent, too, led by senior Ball State preferred walk-on Roman Barth on the line, along with junior Peter Monohan. The secondary returns one of the team’s top tacklers in junior Gabe Vinatieri. Zionsville starts with Pike and Lawrence Central before getting into Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.
Martinsville
The Artesians did drop off from a 12-2 regional championship season in 2024 but still managed to win a sectional title and finish 6-7 last year with a relatively inexperienced team.
Coach Brian Dugger’s group will still be a little bit on the young side in some areas, but there is quite a bit coming back. Leading the way on offense will be senior quarterback Chase Davis (2,510 passing yards, 24 TDs), senior receiver Landon Cazee (95 catches, 1,280 yards, 13 TDs) and senior lineman Kyson Bunton.
The defense loses some key pieces to graduation, though senior linebackers Joel Sumner (67 tackles, five TFLs) and Nate LaFary (47 tackles in eight games) are among those returning. The path to a sectional title became a lot more difficult with Roncalli now in the mix. The Artesians open the season with Bedford North Lawrence and Bloomington South before getting into Mid-State Conference play with new league member Bloomington North in Week 3.
Hamilton Heights
Caleb Small comes over to coach his alma mater after coaching at Northwestern two years ago and Kokomo last season. The Huskies were 4-6 last year with a first-round sectional exit to Guerin Catholic, but there is a lot of experience returning on both sides of the ball.
The Huskies should be strong at the skill positions with senior running back A.J. Flanagan (813 rushing yards, seven TDs; 20 catches, 181 yards) returning, along with senior quarterback Drew Woodruff (1,742 passing yards, 13 TDs).
The defense should be strong in front seven with junior linebackers Grayden Dahlstrom and Landon Hickman among the returnees. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back 4-win seasons after going 11-1 in 2023 and making a run to the sectional title game. Small has a lot of experience on his staff, including eight coaches who have coached at the Class 6A level.
The sectional no longer includes Guerin Catholic or Bishop Chatard – the two programs that have knocked the Huskies out the past six seasons.
Mt. Vernon
This might seem like a lot to ask after Mt. Vernon finished 0-10 last season. Coach Mike Kirschner returns after getting the Marauders’ program a jolt from 2018 to 2020, helping to set the stage for a run to the Class 4A state title in 2021.
Can Kirschner help to make it happen again? Mt. Vernon allowed 46.2 points per game last season, so a major overhaul will be needed on that side of the ball. There is some experienced there, including senior James Battee on the line and Zach Spalding and B.J. Johnson at linebacker.
The offense returns four starters on the line, along with Arizona State baseball recruit Mason Meyer (1,517 passing yards, 11 TDs; 420 rushing yards, six TDs) at quarterback and Johnson at receiver. Instead of Noblesville and Franklin, Mt. Vernon will open with Kokomo and Brebeuf Jesuit before getting into Hoosier Heritage Conference play.
Monrovia
The Bulldogs struggled to a 4-7 record last year after back-to-back 9-3 seasons. Coach Andy Olson’s team could be in line for a bounce back season with three top rushers returning in junior Ryder Bain (978 yards, 12 TDs), senior Coewen Stinson (957 yards, 10 TDs) and junior Gavin Wolsiffer (746 yards, six TDs). Monrovia averaged 261 rushing yards per game last season.
The defense struggled last season, especially late. The Bulldogs lost 57-56 to Heritage Christian in the second round of the sectional. The good news is that Monrovia returns plenty of experience on that side of the ball, including senior Gauge Tolan (123 tackles).
Monrovia has not had back-to-back losing seasons since 2019 and 2020.
Cardinal Ritter
Ritter has been competitive the past three seasons under coach Levar Johnson but have not been able to break through with a winning season since 2020. The Raiders were 3-7 last year with wins over Tech, Greenwood Christian and Covenant Christian.
Can Ritter get over the top with a winning season in 2026? Junior linebacker Bam McCullough (99 tackles, eight TFLs, 3 ½ sacks) is a Division I talent and will be joined at the linebacker spot by junior Ve’Sean Miles (81 tackles, 6 ½ TFLs). Ritter has three other returning starters on defense.
The offense has three returning starters on the offensive line (eight overall) and several talented skill position players, including junior running back Tavien Fox (659 rushing yards, nine TDs), who is moving back from quarterback. Senior Renaldo Thomas (534 rushing yards, three TDs) also has experience. Junior Jordyn Graham, a transfer from Crispus Attucks, is the likely starter at quarterback.
Greenwood
It is a new era for the Woodmen in the Hoosier Legends Conference, where 4A Greenwood will be one of the larger schools in the eight-team league. The Woodmen were 2-8 last year, a drop after going 6-6 two years ago and 4-8 last season.
Greenwood will have experience at the skill positions on offense, led by Lindenwood commit Benjamin Hommell at wide receiver (26 catches, 625 yards, eight TDs) and junior running back Leland Morton (596 rushing yards, three TDs). There is some experience up front on defense with Aidyn Wiley on the line and linebackers James Hurley, Damyan Hernandez and Gage Hall.
Areas of concern for Greenwood will be a young offensive line and secondary.
Scecina
The Crusaders were on this list last year and did make a two-win jump, improving from 3-7 to 5-5. Scecina lost in the first round of the sectional, 47-29, to Monrovia in Dan Harris’ second season as coach.
Scecina returns plenty talent and experience at the skill positions, including senior quarterback Bryce McDonald (1,990 passing yards, 21 TDs), senior receiver Tristan Brown (65 catches, 708 yards, six TDs) and senior running back Gavin Connel (578 yards, four TDs). The Crusaders have good size up front but not a lot of experience.
The defense will include some of the same names from the offense, along with Mannie Stevens and C.J. Heard on the line and Kaiden Dugan at inside linebacker.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The ‘Big Boy’ Locomotive is making its way back west from Philadelphia, and is in the area on Wednesday and Thursday.
It has a 30-minute stop tomorrow morning at 11:30 in Continental, Ohio, about an hour east of downtown Fort Wayne. Then, it will travel into New Haven from the east.
Recommended viewing spots are along Dawkins Road near Webster Road at Jefferson Township Park or in town at the New Haven City Hall parking lot.
Train officials remind spectators they should remain more than 25 feet away from the tracks to avoid trespassing and to stay safe.
After an overnight stay in New Haven, which is not open to the public, it will travel through downtown Fort Wayne around 9 am Thursday.
It will then make a 30-minute stop in Knox, Indiana, about 2 hours west of Fort Wayne, near South Bend and Valparaiso, which is open to the public at N. Main St. and W. Bender St. from 12:30 to 1p Central Time.
Crowds have been very large and officials suggest arriving early.
In June, Big Boy stopped here on its way to Philadelphia for the Fourth of July as part of the historic coast-to-coast tour in celebration of the United States of America’s 250th birthday.
Union Pacific’s ‘Big Boy’ No. 4014 is the world’s largest operating steam engine, weighing in at a whopping 1.2 million pounds. Twenty-five Big Boys were commissioned for Union Pacific, the first being delivered in 1941, where they were used to haul equipment in support of the war at the time.
You can track the historic locomotive through a live map of the train’s location, here.
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