Indiana Still “Soul-Searching” Ahead of Iowa Visit

Mike Woodson addressed the media following Indiana's 70-62 loss to Illinois at the State Farm Center

Prior to their visit to Illinois on Saturday, coach Mike Woodson of Indiana reflected on the team’s mindset.

“As a team, we are engaging in introspection,” said Woodson.

The quest continues following a 70-62 defeat, dropping the Hoosiers to a 1-4 record in their last five games. Indiana (12-8, 4-5 Big Ten) will attempt to resolve their issues on Tuesday night in Bloomington, Ind., as they play host to Iowa, who are also seeking victories.

Woodson expressed dissatisfaction with the Hoosiers’ defense in the loss to Wisconsin on Jan. 19, as the Badgers shot 59.6 percent from the field and made 10 of 21 3-pointers in a 91-79 win.

Their defense improved at Illinois, where the Fighting Illini only made 23 of 62 shots, but the Hoosiers failed to generate enough offense.

“We played a great defensive game,” Woodson said, “but when you’re on the road, you’ve got to do almost everything right to come out with the win.”

Malik Reneau leads Indiana with an average of 16.7 points per game, while Kel’el Ware (14.2 points) has been absent for the last two games due to a foot injury. His availability for Tuesday night is uncertain.

Meanwhile, Iowa (12-8, 4-5) seeks a second consecutive victory on the road after defeating Michigan 88-78 on Saturday, with strong performances from Payton Sandfort and Tony Perkins.

Sandfort made 6 of 8 3-pointers to score 26 points, while Perkins contributed 24 points on just 12 attempts and also provided five assists. Sandfort experienced difficulties in his previous game, shooting 3 of 9 from the field in a 69-67 loss to Maryland last Wednesday.

“He knows I’m going to let him keep firing,” Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery said. “He couldn’t make a shot in practice (Friday). I just said, ‘Look, man, we know what you can do. We are going to keep going to you. You just keep firing.'”

Sandfort is among the team’s four players with double-digit scoring at 14.5 points per game. Ben Krikke leads the team’s offense at 15.7, Perkins adds 15.2, and freshman Owen Freeman scores 11.2.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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