While fellow freshman Noah Vonleh possesses the most basketball talent out of the freshman class, it's Troy Williams high-flying, energetic style of play that might endear him most to Indiana fans. There is a youthful exuberance to Williams' game; he makes it all look so fun. (This is a kid, after all, who has proclaimed he's still trying to give the dunk contest a go despite a right hand injury.) Williams' pedigree and accolades are well-known at this point. The Virginia native played AAU ball for his uncle, Boo Williams. He was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia and spent his senior season playing for Oak Hill Academy, a program that's pumped out NBA talent like Carmelo Anthony and Rajon Rondo. A stat stuffer, he averaged 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 blocks during the regular season. More recently, Williams picked up MVP honors at the Derby Festival Basketball Classic.
Late Friday afternoon, Indiana released more details for next Friday’s Hoosier Hysteria. Starting at 2 p.m. on the south side of Assembly Hall, IU will provide a D.J., concessions and a video board showing highlights and games from last season. ...
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next month. Today, we start our look at Indiana’s roster with Collin ...
Before its first official practice on Friday, Indiana’s men’s basketball team hosted its annual Media Day on Thursday at Assembly Hall. Inside the Hall got the chance to speak to several players, including freshman Collin Hartman and sophomores Yogi Ferrell ...
Nine and a half months ago, Austin Etherington’s season ended when he suffered a broken left kneecap in the first half of a game against Central Connecticut State. Thursday afternoon, speaking to the media only one day before Indiana’s first ...
6-foot-11 freshman center Luke Fischer is out for the next few weeks with a left shoulder sprain, Indiana announced via a press release Thursday afternoon. Fischer suffered the sprain during a scrimmage earlier this week. Also noted is that Peter Jurkin ...
On Thursday morning at his high school, Sunrise Christian Academy, class of 2014 Bel Aire (Kan.) point guard Lourawls Nairn committed to play for Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans. Nairn also considered Minnesota, Oklahoma and Indiana. The point ...
One thing's for certain in John Groce's early Illini tenure: He's never short on histrionics. In a sport where coaches strut the sideline like a runway, Groce's facial contortions stand out. But a more important, less superficial analysis of Groce's first full season in Champaign reveals a season in which he didn't let the program slip. The team started out 12-0, which included a win over Butler for the 2012 Maui Invitational Championship. Illinois climbed as high as No. 10 in week seven of the Associated Press Top 25 poll. While the Big Ten season (8-10, tied-7th) was nothing more than average, the Illini did nip then-No. 1 Indiana at the other Assembly Hall. The team also made the NCAA tournament as a No. 7 seed after missing out in Bruce Weber's last season at the helm. It beat Colorado in the second round before falling to No. 2 Miami in a close game, 63-59. And Groce's returns with recruits should give the Illini faithful some hope. It's been a super September. Class of 2014 standouts Quentin Snider (No. 37), a former Louisville verbal, and Leron Black (No. 39) both gave pledges to Groce this month. Both were also targets of the Indiana staff.
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next month. Today, we continue our look at the Big Ten with the Michigan State Spartans. When Michigan State coach Tom Izzo says his future team reminds him of his 2000 National Champion squad, watch out. He said just that in July to MSU's student newspaper, The State News. In fact, heading into the 2013-2014 season, Izzo might have his best squad in East Lansing since that legendary team more than 13 years ago. There's Gary Harris, Keith Appling and Adreian Payne, who return to comprise the Spartans' core. All three were recognized as all-Big Ten last season. Harris and Payne gave up potential first round NBA draft selections to make a run at a national championship in 2014.
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next month. Today, we continue our look at the Big Ten with the Wisconsin Badgers. The brand of basketball in Madison may not always be easy on the eyes, but the results cannot be called into question. Over 12 seasons at Wisconsin, Bo Ryan has two Big Ten championships and the Badgers have never finished outside of the top four in the conference standings. That's consistency. Of course, that begs the question: Is this finally the year Wisconsin falls into the middle of the pack in the league? A quick survey of preseason prognostications says no. That optimism is centered largely around the upside of Sam Dekker, pictured above, and a solid nucleus of returning players in the backcourt. Dekker, one of four true freshman to start under Ryan, appears poised for a huge year. Ryan Evans is no longer going to take minutes from Dekker and his elite athleticism, motor and ability to shoot from the perimeter make him one of the more exciting players to watch in the league. As a freshman, he shot nearly 40 percent on 3-pointers and posted an offensive rating of 116.7, the highest mark among regulars in Wisconsin’s rotation.
6-foot-7 freshman forward Troy Williams is out for "the next few weeks" after suffering a right hand injury during a workout, Indiana's announced late Monday afternoon. No other details were disclosed, though Indiana coach Tom Crean called the injury "a setback." Below is the entire release, via IU media relations:
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next month. Today, we continue our look at the Big Ten with the Michigan Wolverines. After a improbable run to the national championship game that ended in defeat to Louisville, Michigan is once again back on the national scene despite losing national player of the year Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the NBA. That's largely because of the two guys pictured above, Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III. Both turned down spots in the first round of June's NBA Draft in favor of returning to Ann Arbor. Whether returning to school was the right decision was the right call for either guy with a monster 2014 draft looming is a debate for another day. The story for now is that Michigan has one of the best young duos in college basketball. McGary's monster NCAA tournament has landed him on plenty of preseason All-American lists despite an otherwise underwhelming freshman campaign. Over the season's final six games, McGary averaged 14.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game and his presence transformed Michigan from a trendy upset pick to a national runner-up. Robinson, meanwhile, was one of the nation's most efficient offensive players as a freshman. His offensive rating ranked 10th nationally and he shot 65.2 percent on 2-point field goals. Robinson has work to do in terms of making his game more consistent from the perimeter, but there's no questioning his elite athleticism.
A bit before 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon, Robert Johnson made the call from his school's parking lot. The class of 2014 Benedictine (Va.) School guard was on the phone trying to get in touch with Indiana coach Tom Crean to give his commitment to the Hoosiers. He didn't answer, but Johnson was ready. He walked into his school's library and sat at a table draped in a green cloth, making his college choice public by choosing the Hoosiers over North Carolina, Virginia and Florida State. "I want to thank all the schools that recruited me and offered me a scholarship," Johnson said, reaching for a crimson hat below the table. "In the fall of 2014, I'm gonna be attending..." He then put on the IU basketball cap, making his commitment known.
Class of 2014 guard Robert Johnson is off the board. The 6-foot-3 combo guard from Benedictine College Preparatory in Richmond, Virginia, announced that he’ll attend Indiana in a ceremony this afternoon in his school’s library. Johnson, the No. 79 recruit ...
With the start of college basketball season on the horizon, we’ll be taking a long look at the conference at large as well as Indiana’s roster over the next month. Today, we continue our look at the Big Ten with the Ohio State Buckeyes. They were so close. On March 30 in the Elite 8 of the NCAA tournament, No. 2 seed Ohio State had come back on No. 9 seed Wichita State in the West Regional final. Down 13 points at halftime, the pre-game favorites had cut the deficit to three with 2:49 to go in the game. 27 seconds later, Wichita State's Tekele Cotton would drain a 3-pointer to make the score 65-59. The Buckeyes would never get that close again, that day. Ohio State's sure-fire trip to the Final Four last season ended in heartbreak at Staples Center, but coming into 2013-2014, there's plenty of reason for optimism that a return trip deep into the NCAA tournament could happen. Yes, the Buckeyes lost their leading scorer and rebounder, Deshaun Thomas, to the professional ranks. But with the pieces head coach Thad Matta has returning and the young talent he has brought in, it's already been enough for his crew to earn multiple top 15 preseason rankings.
After announcing a list of five schools earlier in the week, class of 2014 Lincoln (N.Y.) guard Isaiah Whitehead ended the recruiting process in a press conference on Thursday afternoon at his high school. The five-star guard announced that he'll play for Seton Hall next season. Whitehead, the No. 17 player in the 247Composite, also considered Indiana, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and St. John's. The 6-foot-4 guard took an unofficial visit to Bloomington in late August.