DURING THIS YEAR’S Olympic basketball competitions, viewers witnessed what appeared to be blatant holding and moving screens on nearly every play. But because International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules were in effect, those normally illegal moves were not called by officials. I questioned whether the competitiveness of those games was worse or better than what we typically see in sanctioned NBA and WNBA matchups.

But how exciting were the Olympic men’s and women’s basketball games and the finals? Off the charts—that is, if you are a fan of USA Basketball. Even if you aren’t, the on-court action in nearly every game was fast, exciting, and fantastic.

If the NBA adopted a smattering of FIBA rules, those changes would greatly enhance the play, competition, and entertainment value of NBA games. My suggestions include:

• Eliminate the defensive three-second violation, allowing players to stay in the free throw lane indefinitely, even when not defending an opponent. Removing this violation helps defense but also puts the onus on offense to cut through the lane to open the middle and move the ball effectively around the perimeter of the court to create open shots. It also helps if the center can hit 3-point shots. Getting rid of this violation would not take away layups, just uncontested blow bys or overmatched back downs.
• Limit the number of fouls allowable to five per contest per player, instead of six. This puts more pressure on players to perform better and coaches to work smarter.
• My biggest recommendation is to allow players to be more physical. With a big man allowed to clog the middle and the expectation that defensive players keep their hands and arms vertical—especially when an offensive player initiates contact (which, in my estimation, is an offensive foul that never gets called)—this change would help keep defensive players from getting backed down to the basket, where they have two choices: Allow a score or get called for a foul. Actually playing defense is not a choice in that situation. This would change that.

The NBA is all about high energy offense, while defense is the casualty. If the adage, “Offense wins games; defense wins championships,” is true, then let teams play defense in the paint without getting a foul called. Offense has a distinct advantage in the game with the current rules.

For much of the 1980s, I played basketball at the Jordan YMCA on Westfield Boulevard. At the time, the first court in the old gym was reserved for talented Hoosiers like John Laskowski, Ray Tolbert, and Vicki Hall, among other former high school and college stars who came to play pickup ball.

Those games were self-officiated. If I called a foul, it had to be a good one. Many times, games devolved into a pushing match for inside position or a hack-fest for driving players, with an occasional minor “discussion” over a call.

In retrospect, those games had many of the same characteristics as FIBA-officiated games. We saw lots of holding, moving screens, and slapping, but very few fouls were called. Each game was hotly contested, and the competition was fierce, but we shook hands at the end (fist bumps and high fives weren’t the norm yet). The winners stayed, and the losers called next game.

I enjoyed watching that same style and physicality play out in the Olympic games. Let’s face it, the NBA—and don’t get me wrong, I love watching the NBA—has become desensitized.

When I say desensitized, I’m referring to the plethora of ticky-tacky fouls officials call based on what they see on screens away from the ball for things like reaching and hand checking—the overemphasis on these fouls to get calls that do nothing but slow the game and stop the flow of play.

In my opinion, the main reason to adopt some of these FIBA rules is to give the players final say in how they play. Let the game be decided and settled by the athletes instead of the officials. And really, isn’t that all we ever want out of basketball anyway?

The post Naysayer: Hey, NBA! Let’s Get Physical, FIBA-style appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

“I WAS A basketball player. Loved it. Thought I was going to be really good—small town Northern Wisconsin kid. I got to college at [University of Minnesota in Duluth], and, man, I wasn’t as good as I thought,” says George Padjen in his first interview as head coach of first-year volleyball team Indy Ignite.

“There was a friend who asked, ‘Hey you want to play intramural volleyball?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I can do that,’” he goes on. “I figured [the game] out pretty fast. I got proficient, and after a couple years of playing in high-level adult leagues, the coach at St. Scholastica, a club in Duluth, asked me, ‘Hey, could you come be an arm [coach] at practice?’ I was 21or 22 at the time.’”

In 2003, a new job took Padjen to the Twin Cities, where he reconnected with an old friend who had just been hired as assistant volleyball coach at Concordia University.

Often in life, timing is everything, and at that time, Concordia was transitioning into Division 2. While on the golf course, Padjen’s friend asked him if he wanted to be an arm coach at Concordia. He agreed, coming on part-time for the first year.

The next year, he became a little more involved, and the following year, his friend informed him that a full-time position had been created for him if he wanted it. “I’m like, ‘Yeah let’s do it,’” he says, and so began his time at the university as an assistant coach. “And 21 years later, here I am in Indy.”

Word-of-mouth was a most effective promotional tool in helping Padjen make his journey from college assistant coach to head coach of a professional volleyball team.

He describes how Sydney Hilley, a setter and free agent signed to the Ignite, boosted his career, explaining, “I worked with Sydney when she was 13 to 14 years old until she left to play for Wisconsin. When she’d come home, I would help her. She just trusted my coaching.”

Last year, Hilley played professionally for the Omaha Supernovas in the Pro Volleyball Federation’s inaugural season. While Omaha had coaches in place, Hilley felt that Padjen could help them with their skills training. “Because she thought I was a strong trainer, she went to the Omaha brass and talked to them about me.” 

Around the same time, Ignite co-owner Don Hutchinson called Padjen up and said he’d heard Padjen’s name through Hilley. “We went through a few days of figuring things out, and they offered me the job.”

In his 21 years at Concordia, Padjen was happy in his role and never considered looking for another coaching job. “After 10 years of telling people, ‘No, thanks,’ the calls stopped coming,” he recalls. “So, when [the Ignite management] called, I’m like, ‘I don’t know if this opportunity will come up again.”

After meeting with Hutchinson, fellow Ignite co-owner Jim Schumacher, and the team’s general manager and president, Mary Kay Huse, Padjen could see their passion for the sport. “I could tell the city’s passion also. I am familiar with the reputation of Indy as a sports city,” he adds.

“I really appreciate Don and Jim for taking a shot. I never had the ego where I had to go coach somewhere bigger than where I was. It was never about me.”

The post Naysayer: Introducing Indy Ignite Coach George Padjen appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

I took knowing how to swim for granted.

I was “taught” how to swim by my grandfather, who chucked me into Grand Lake St. Marys off the bow of his pontoon boat The Groucher when I was just a wee lad. He did throw me in the general direction of my mother, but I still had to paddle to get to her and thus learned to keep my head above water.

Following that introduction, the formal lessons I received at the town’s municipal pool came around age 5, and all I can really remember about them is my mom dropping me off at 8:30 a.m. and then being forced to jump into a freezing swimming pool. The water was so cold. So cold.

But to my family, knowing how to swim was a necessity. We lived on a lake and owned a sailboat—a 21-foot Lightning. My father, a radioman second class who served on the USS Benner in the South Pacific during World War II, liked to sail. A lot. He loved to be on the water. He said it relaxed him, even if there was no wind. So nearly every summer evening after he returned home from work, we went sailing.

And every weekend, we went out on a pontoon boat my grandfathers crafted together using eight old, 55-gallon oil drums. One grandfather was a woodworker and the other a welder by profession, so one welded the drums and supporting metal frame together while the other designed and crafted the deck, roof, and storage cabinet in the middle. Then they put a fence up around the edge to keep us kids from falling into the lake. So my cousins and I had to learn at a very early age how to keep ourselves afloat and how to swim to safety.

Swimming continued to play a big part in my life. I completed the mile swim to earn my merit badge in swimming at Camp Lakota Boy Scout Summer Camp in my early teens, participating every year thereafter just to see if I could still do it. It was at Camp Lakota that I learned how to float in a pool with ease. Later in life, I lived along the Gulf of Mexico, going out past the breakers where I could enjoy the freedom of open water swimming.

Covering the events leading up to the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis made me think about my younger days in the water. I’ve always known the “how to’s” of swimming, so I never realized there are so many people of all ages who do not know how to swim at all.

I never even thought about it until I heard that swimming is often touted as the only sport that saves lives. Drowning is the No. 1 cause of death for children ages 1–4 years, and children under 1 year old are more likely to drown at home. Of children younger than 5, 87 percent of drowning fatalities occur in home pools or hot tubs. Bathtubs are the second leading location.

That is why Eli Lilly and Company introduced the Swim in Safety program alongside the 2024 swimming trials. The legacy program is teaching water safety to as many Hoosiers 5 and older as possible over 2023 and 2024, with a goal to train at least 25,000 individuals in 2023 and 2024 each.

What does water safe mean? It means learning and practicing progressive self-rescue and swimming skills that help reduce the risk of drowning, helping individuals to become more confident in and around water.

“The Swim Safety Legacy program presented by Eli Lilly is a statewide initiative that has already reached over 30,000 Hoosiers in 2023 and ’24 so far. Our goal is 50,000 by the end of 2024. This will be a lasting legacy,” Indiana Sports Corp chief of staff and strategy Sarah Myer states.

Shana Ferguson, chief commercial officer of USA Swimming, adds, “Part of this legacy leave-behind is legislation to mandate every second grader in Indianapolis has access to swim lessons.”

Over 54 percent of Americans either can’t swim or don’t have all the basic swimming skills, according to a recent Red Cross survey. Only 28 percent of Hispanic people and 37 percent of Black people have taken swimming lessons, according to the CDC.

“This event is going to save lives,” says Scott Davison, president and CEO of OneAmerica Financial. “Swim Safety will reach 50,000 under served citizens. This will put a dent in the history of exclusion in this country.”

We all have read the stories of people, young and old, who fall into a river, get knocked off a boat into turbulent waters, or who look away from their little ones for just a split second and are heartbroken. According to the WHO, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death worldwide, accounting for 7 percent of all injury-related deaths. There are an estimated 236,000 drowning deaths every year globally, so this is not just a problem in this country or state. This initiative will help address drowning deaths and build on a skill that families can continue passing on to their little ones, like mine did for me.

These trials are already a historic event. The meet, the venue, and every step Indy has taken to deliver a first-class experience for the 1,000 swimmers and approximately 250,000 attending fans are epic. But the Swim in Safety program is the real gold medal winner of this week’s competition.

The post Naysayer: The Real Gold Medal Winner Of The Olympic Trials Isn’t Even Competing appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

It’s not like we all expected the Pacers to beat the Celtics. We were hopeful. But the way the Pacers lost three of the four games makes one wonder about the ability of this team to get back to the conference finals next year in its current form.

Three games—all within grasp—slipped away in literally the final seconds. Convert on just one late shot, get the ball inbounded, and this could have been a series that separated this team from all others. But here we are, and the season is over.

Don’t get me wrong, I was so pleased by the win over the Knicks. I had high hopes coming into the Celtics series. After all, the Celtics were without star center Kristaps Porziņģis, and Indiana was at full strength. But time after time, the Celtics performed in crunch time, and the Pacers got crunched by crunch time.

This is not to say that fans and the city of Indianapolis shouldn’t be excited about the this team’s possibilities. They accomplished more than what even experienced pundits had predicted. The Knicks series brought back the “Boom Baby” mentality and swagger the city felt the last time we got this far. There was a “Why not us?” attitude going around, especially during the first Celtics game when the fans thought we had it clinched. Even with the Game 2 blowout, the thought still prevailed. But the collapse in Game 3 sealed the Pacers’ fate.

Still, there was hope.

Experience was the one element the Pacers couldn’t manufacture. In nearly every game, they rushed through the final moments, creating bad shots and turnovers when they needed them the least. It was not just one player who gave up the ball; it was a combined team effort. All-Star Tyrese Haliburton had two deadly, unforced turnovers in the first game that turned the tide. Guard Andrew Nembhard’s outstanding play even came with a couple costly turnovers in Games 3 and 4, when he fell down driving the ball into traffic. T.J. McConnell wasted a great feed and missed an open layup that turned into a 5-point swing, which contributed to turning the fourth game into a loss. So there is enough culpability to go around, but that really isn’t the reason they were swept in such a fashion.

But this is exactly what needed to happen for the players and coaches to move forward. This slew of poor late-game plays shows where the biggest challenges lie and what the Pacers need to do to get to the finals again and be an elite team. The talent is there. The leadership is in place.

This offseason should be interesting. Even though the loss just happened, rumors are filling up the airwaves. To remain at this level and move forward, the team needs to re-sign Pascal Siakam, who is in the last year of his four-year $136.9 million contract. He will be a highly sought-after free agent this summer. This must be priority one for the team.

Jalen Smith is another player the Pacers need to re-sign. Even though he didn’t play much in the playoffs, only getting six minutes per game off the bench, he was a solid contributor all season, averaging just under 10 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Already, there are rumors floating around that the Pacers could be involved in a blockbuster trade to bring Paul George back into the fold. The Clippers would receive Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, and McConnell, plus a second-round pick in 2025 and ’28. This would be a great trade for the Pacers but one that I would personally hate. I love McConnell’s game. He’s one of those players you want on your team because of his tenacity and super quickness. He sticks his face in every play, though in Game 4, he got it smacked pretty hard. But the beautiful thing about him is that he bounces right back. He’s tough.

The Pacers might also need to look at free agent acquisitions. Three names that pop up are Mikal Bridges of the New Jersey Nets, Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls, and Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors. These players would bring some experience level to help with the late-game collapse. Whatever happens, it’s exciting because the needle is pointing up no matter what happens.

Indiana has been treated to some great basketball this past season, with two teams making the final four in their respective leagues. Looking into the crystal ball, next year will not disappoint either, because Indiana University has had a great recruiting and portal year that should put them back in the national spotlight, alongside Purdue and the Pacers. Another team going through a rough patch that they’ll hopefully overcome is the Fever. Caitlin Clark and team will be a year in—a year that may make all the difference in the world.

So buckle up, Indiana. Some serious hoops are coming this way!

The post Naysayer: Solving The Pacers’ Late-Game Collapse Problem appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

I love to play golf. I love to talk about golf—just ask my sons. Basically, I love everything about golf except my scores recently. I’ve loved the game since I was 12 years old. My mother used the golf course as a day care for me, dropping me off in the morning and letting me play as many holes as I could before she picked me up in the afternoon. I’d carry my clubs (a steel shaft Jack Nicklaus Golden Bear starter set—which I still have) no less than 36 holes a day.

Recently, I was waiting for my tee time at Eagle Creek’s Sycamore course and chatting with the starter behind the first tee. He noticed my partner’s Purdue hat and started talking about the courses in West Lafayette, and of course, the Purdue course came up. When I attended the university, Pete Dye’s masterpiece, the Kampen-Cosler Course, was simply named the North Course and looked quite different. It was long and lacked character but was a great place to practice long woods and irons. But in 1996, Dye took the property and turned its flat, boring landscape into a completely new ecosphere and a nearly impossible course for amateurs like me. But it’s a great track for the college game. In fact, this week, the Boilers host the NCAA Regional tournament there. This is not the first time they have hosted the NCAA in West Lafayette.

The starter and I chatted about how unlikely it had been for Northwestern to win the Big Ten Golf Championship at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio back in April. “They played out of their ass,” he said. Purdue finished in a tie for third, with Indiana placing sixth. Purdue’s All-America golfer Herman Sekne entered the conversation. A native of Oslo, Norway, Sekne was awarded Big Ten Golfer of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten for the third straight year. He ranks 18th in the PGA Tour University and 21st in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

He’s even on pace to break his own school record for stroke average with 70.27 strokes per round so far this year and has 18 top 10 finishes in his 36 career events. Unbelievably, Sekne has just four double bogeys (or worse) in 468 holes this year. That is an amazing stat. I have at least that many per round so far this season.

We then talked about the Trophy Club, located in Lebanon off State Road 52. The course was in excellent shape when I played there last fall. The undulation and sheer perfection of the landscaping made it seem like I was playing on a PGA-worthy course. I have not played there yet in 2024, but it is on my list.

By this time the first tee was calling, and we parted ways. But not before the starter and I discovered that he was a student at North Montgomery High School in Crawfordsville while I was a sports editor at the town’s Journal Review. He mused that he probably had clippings of some of my writings in his scrapbook. It made for a true “you know you are old” moment!

Eagle Creek is my favorite course in the city. The original Pete Dye–designed 18 holes opened in 1975 and were wooded, undulating, had elevation, and were nearly impossible—which I loved. When another nine holes designed by Tim Liddy were added in 2001 to eliminate overuse by overplay, the course lost some of its personality, in my opinion. The new holes integrated into the layout were not in the stoic Dye tradition. They have a more modern, cleaner layout with traditional flat bottomed traps guarding greens instead of pot bunkers, and they don’t have the same feel as the original layout. Quite honestly, they provide a break from the intense Dye layout.

The Legends Golf Club in Franklin is another course I’ve been playing since it opened in 1991. Depending upon the tees you use, it is a very comfortable course lengthwise for any golfer. When I played a couple Saturdays ago, the fairways were beautiful, and the greens putted true even after a drenching rain a couple days prior, though the play was slow. But in the course’s defense, it was the first round of golf I’ve played on the weekend for probably decades. But my foursome had a great day, the conversation was great, and my golf game was really super average.

The post Naysayer: Conversation With A Starter appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

THE SMELL of fresh-cut grass in springtime. That sweet smell of the grass hearkens me back to my childhood playing Little League baseball. Arriving at the field smelling the recently cropped outfield, seeing the freshly dragged infield, the new bases, the new pitching rubber, and the feel and smell of a brand-new baseball right out of the box.

It also reminds me of the excitement I felt for the Big Red Machine decades ago when I was a fan of Major League Baseball. I now must admit the excitement for Reds baseball is back with me all because of one player and his unlimited potential: Elly De La Cruz. 

He is described as electrifying, a phenom, a player with an astronomical ceiling, and all this has led me to join in on Elly-mania!

Growing up in Ohio during the 1970s and ’80s in the time of the Big Red Machine was exciting. Almost every position on those teams was manned by an All Star. In my mind, that period remains truly magical. The Machine was led by coach George “Sparky” Anderson, a Hall of Famer himself. Crosley Field was replaced by Riverfront Stadium. Every home run hit, for a time, rewarded that player with a 55-gallon drum of Marathon gasoline, and as a kid, that was almost an unfathomable amount of gas.

Not since then have I been so enamored with a player as I am with De La Cruz. The last player I had this much affinity for was Venezuelan-born David (Davey) Concepcion. My Little League number was 13, his number. He played shortstop for the Reds; I played shortstop for the Home Bank White Sox. He was an all-star like me. That is where the similarities end.

Due to some MLB rule changes (pitch clock) last year, I decided to give baseball and the Reds another try and was amazed at the unbridled talent and athleticism displayed by the 22-year-old Dominican Republic native De La Cruz.

He burst onto the MLB scene during the second half of last season after being called up from AAA Louisville on June 6. As I watched each game in amazement, this player accomplished feats not seen in a Reds uniform in decades. In 1989, Reds star Eric Davis hit for the cycle—which means a player hits a single, double, triple, and a home run in one game—the last Reds player to do so. De La Cruz did this just two weeks after coming to the majors. De La Cruz wears Davis’ number 44. Coincidence?

His speed on the basepaths is already legendary, and pundits compare him to the very best Reds player that ever stole a base—Joe Morgan. Already this past month, De La Cruz has entered the record book as one of an impressive handful of players to hit seven home runs and steal 15 bases in one calendar month. In a recent loss to the Texas Rangers, he singled and stole second base, making him the first player since Rickey Henderson (May of 1986) to steal 17 bases in one month. (He has a total of 18 now since the season began in March.) Henderson and Morgan are in the Hall of Fame.

De La Cruz has been clocked at less than 15 seconds (14.94) running the basepaths. Last season after hitting a triple to complete a cycle, he went from home to third in 10.44 seconds. What? In 2024 after 25 games he is hitting .281 with seven homers and 18 stolen bases. If he continues at this pace, he could reach 45 home runs and nearly 100 steals. That would make him the first player in baseball history to hit such a mark.

In a recent win over the Phillies, he traveled over 112 feet and made a sliding catch of a pop-up midway down the left field line from shortstop. He routinely steals second and third and scores on sacrifice flies. Last year he stole second, third, and home in the same inning—something I had not ever seen in the majors but plenty of times in youth baseball.

It’s not just his batting and speed that make De La Cruz a very special player. His fielding at shortstop is great. He has a cannon for an arm. His throws to first base have been clocked at 99.8 miles per hour, which is a league record. He set the record last year at 98 mph, then broke it. That’s either faster or nearly as fast as the fastest pitchers in the league. In comparison, the fastest pitch ever recorded was also by a Reds player when Aroldis Chapman threw a 105.8 mph fastball against the San Diego Padres in August of 2010. That still stands as a Guinness World Record.

There are plenty of reasons to fall in love with these Reds. So far, the Reds are a couple of games over .500, but this team has plenty of young players perched to become stars. It took nearly the entire season for the Reds to assemble this team. The club took its time calling players up from the minors as evidenced with De La Cruz. Once assembled, this group provided plenty of excitement in the last weeks of the season and gave fans a peek at the potential these teammates hold.

First baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand, another late call, has a great glove and power galore. Jake Farley in right field leads off and is currently batting .315. Another budding star is Jonathan India, who gives the Reds a solid second baseman with power and speed. Will Benson is a young player with untapped talent. He and De La Cruz became the third pair of teammates in MLB history to hit their first and second home runs in the same game.

Spencer Steer is as versatile a player as you’ll ever find. In his rookie season last year, he led the team by a bunch in games played (156). He was used to play four positions (third; first and second bases plus left field, a position he’d never played before) while waiting for players to heal (Joey Votto) or be called up to fill spots. Already this season he has been tabbed as Player of the Week for the National League once.

The biggest fear of the Reds Nation is the club management will not pony up the cash for a long-term contract when De La Cruz’s current deal is up after this season. He is playing for a mere $742,500 this year. He received a signing bonus in 2018 of $65,000. Next year I predict he will make a lot more. Let’s just hope it’s in a Reds uniform.

The post Naysayer: Elly-Mania Is Here appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

THE INDIANAPOLIS professional sports scene just became one of the best in America. The Pacers, the Colts, and the Fever rosters are now packed with potential all-stars. The outlook for all three teams includes playoffs and potential championships when just a short time ago, those weren’t in the cards.

The Pacers are in the NBA Playoffs without having to prove themselves with a play-in game. Rick Carlisle has a solid starting five and probably the best bench players in the league. In fact, the bench, led by Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, and Jalen Smith, is averaging a league-leading 46.8 points per game.

I was a big fan at the beginning of the season, but with the addition of Pascal Siakam in January, the potential of this team went through the roof. Myles Turner—thank God the Pacers didn’t trade him to LA—is the heart and soul of the Blue and Gold. He has been the leader on and off the court all year. 

The transformation of point guard Tyrese Haliburton into a superstar, then into an All-Star, and now into an Olympian has been amazing to witness. Not since Reggie Miller have the Pacers had a rock-solid, go-to player who can and will make a shot in the clutch. He has a Steph Curry shot, LeBron James guts and talent, and Kyrie Irving ability to drive the orange to the hoop any time on anyone.

The Pacers finished the season at 47-35 and sixth in the Central Division. Not too shabby for a team that finished 11th, 13th, and ninth the last three years, keeping them out of the playoffs. When they did make the playoffs from 2015 to 2019, they lost in the first round with a 6-20 record.

But this year, they don’t have to look over their shoulders or be content with simply making the playoffs. This year, they can make a run at the title. Playing Milwaukee in the first round is great. I’m much happier with that lineup than with the prospect of having to beat the New York Knicks in the first round.

I’m with Stephen A. Smith, who says the Pacers have had the third-seeded Bucks’ number this season. The Bucks will be without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for the first game or two of the upcoming playoff series because of injury, but the Pacers will win whether the Bucks have Antetokounmpo or not. Indiana beat Milwaukee four out of five matches this season, with the only loss coming when Antetokounmpo dropped 64 points on the Pacers in December.

After the first round, the Pacers will play either the Knicks or Cleveland and then eventually the Celtics to get into the finals. Do I think they are capable of going all the way? Yes. Am I convinced they will? That remains to be seen. But even so, the Pacers stock is on the rise and should be solid for the next several years.

The Colts, following up on their surprise playoff year with now-gone backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, look to be even better. Anthony Richardson is back at QB. Let’s hope his injury has healed and he becomes a drop-back passer or will start handing off to Jonathan Taylor, who had spurts last year but was also hampered by injury for the better part of the season. 

As for receivers, Michael Pittman Jr. separated himself from the pack as a true star in the league last year, and all can assume (yes, I know what happens when you assume) he will be even better this year with the accuracy of Richardson’s rifle arm.

On defense, the Colts spent megabucks and resigned DeForest Buckner at tackle, which makes the fan base very happy. Defensive end Kwity Paye will continue to pressure the opposing quarterbacks like last season, and, along with JuJu Brents, Nick Cross, Jaylon Jones, and Kenny Moore II cruising the secondary, Big Blue will have plenty of great hip-thrusting plays all season long. I’m looking for a deep playoff run by the Colts, barring any season-ending injuries like they had last season. 

Then we have the Indiana Fever. Has anyone tried to buy a ticket or a jersey lately? We all watched as the excitement around and the stock of this once-fledgling team has risen each year, especially since superstar Caitlin Clark announced earlier this year she was entering the draft and her coming to Indiana became a foregone conclusion.

The yet-unproven Iowa star will join two of the best young talents in the league. Aliyah Boston, last season’s Rookie of the Year and No. 1 draft pick, stands to perform even better than her initial year, and 6-foot, 4-inch NaLyssa Smith, the 2022 No. 2 pick who averaged over 15 points and nine rebounds a game last season, will continue to stand out. 

But what has head coach Christie Sides most excited is pairing Smith and Kelsey Mitchell with each other in the back court. With two prominent 3-point shooters on the outside, the middle should open wide for Boston and Smith, so the Fever will have a balanced inside-out attack. Mitchell made 497 3’s at Ohio State and was a WNBA All-Star last season, and we all know what Clark did this year with Iowa.

The Fever have not made the playoffs since 2016 and finished last season with a 13-27 record. Some would say that is a poor record, but the team had more wins last year than in the previous two seasons combined.

With every game sold out, 90 percent of Fever games being broadcast on national television, and opposing teams starting to book Fever games in larger arenas, this is rare air for this team, for sure. And I, for one, am looking forward to all of it. 

The post Naysayer: Look Out Indy, Sports Teams Will Be Relevant appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

As I watched the game clock run out, my emotions kicked on. Elation. Pure joy.

After a few minutes of bliss, as I sat down and the fact that Purdue made the Final Four sank in, I began to cry. These tears came out of nowhere, but come out they did. This emotional outburst was for Matt Painter, for the Boiler Nation, and because my sons and I witnessed this together. I cried wishing that my wife, a Purdue grad like me, was still with us to see this, too.

I’ve known Matt Painter since he was a freshman at Purdue. I worked at the now-defunct Muncie Evening Press at the time and wrote a “local kid does good” article every year on Painter, a Delta High School graduate. I remember sitting in head coach Gene Keady’s office talking about the Boilermaker guard. Keady was very high on Painter, even though Matt wasn’t particularly quick, not a great outside shooter, and couldn’t really drive the lane. In fact, the greatest play I witnessed Painter pull off was a coast-to-coast drive for two points through Michigan’s Fab Five. That was amazing.

What Keady told me that day in his office has stuck with me since. “He’s my coach on the floor,” said Keady. “[Matt] has a great basketball mind at this young age.” We all know what happened after that. Keady knew what he was talking about.

It’s been a pleasure to watch this team this season. When big Zach Edey—standing flat-footed to cut down the net—took some of his strands and gave them to Keady, who was down on the floor celebrating, too, it spoke volumes about Edey and the culture Keady and Painter have created at Purdue over the last 40 years. Class and character.

I think of the beleaguered and oft-maligned Purdue fan base, all the grads and fans out there who, like me, live and die by Purdue athletics. I think of the years of suffering we have gone through, the near misses and flat-out failures. This win feels like a weight lifted off our backs. I’m happy for the Purdue basketball players and coaches to get the monkey of last year’s Round 1 defeat off their backs. Again, emotions.

Purdue’s last appearance in the Final Four was in 1980, 44 years ago. The championships were played at Indy’s Market Square Arena. The day of the semifinal game between Purdue and mighty UCLA, I was to begin a new job working in a West Lafayette pizza place. After I realized what I had done, I called in sick. I should have gone to work because Kiki VanDeWeghe and his Bruins teammates took care of the Joe Barry Carroll–led Boilers 67-62, advancing to the final game. I did not get fired, and I also did not figure it would be so long before Purdue made it back to the Final Four.

After Sunday’s final buzzer, I went outside and heard random shouts of, “Go Boilers!” and, “Go Purdue!” from around the neighborhood. It was akin to the scene in 101 Dalmatians when the dogs get the grapevine going, igniting a chorus of barking and howling throughout London. I too joined in the grapevine, and it was great.

Because of my affinity for Purdue sports, my sons are no different. Go figure. They too were shouting, crying, and jumping around. My youngest, a Purdue grad himself, gave me a big hug. His hands were stinging and itching because he was clapping so hard. His voice was nearly gone. My oldest, a Ball State grad, was more subdued, yet still very emotional like me.

I’ve been waiting just over four decades to write this column. I don’t know if I have four more decades to wait again. But Purdue’s work is not done. Matt Painter, Zach Edey, and company have two more games to go. If Purdue wins it all next week, witnessing it will be a big item crossed off my bucket list.

The post Naysayer: Purdue Is Final Four–Bound, Finally! appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

Indiana State basketball sophomore center sensation Robbie Avila is ready—ready to become a media darling, that is. And if all goes right, he can accomplish this feat right in his own backyard.

He and his Sycamores teammates sat and watched as this weekend’s season-ending tournaments brought five bid bandits—teams not scheduled to be in the NCAA tournament but who won their way in—leading the NCAA to burst their bubble on the Selection Sunday show. With a net ranking of 29, ISU became the lowest net ranked team to be left out of the NCAA tournament in the history of the tournament.

But from the ashes, the National Invitational Tournament rewarded ISU with a No. 1 seed and a home date at the Hulman Center in front of its raucous fans. Along with the Sycamores, Seton Hall, Wake Forest, and Villanova were chosen as top seeds in the 32-team tournament. The regular season Missouri Valley champs won’t travel far, with a home date against Southern Methodist University (20-12) March 20 at 7 p.m.

Avila, the Rec Specs–wearing, oft nicknamed superstar, has been a media sensation during the regular season. So it should follow that if the top-seeded ISU makes a run to the site of this year’s NIT semifinals and finals, he will get his chance to shine.

“Takes a bit of adjusting, but I think I can handle it,” says Avila. “Playing sports and making somebody’s day better is a reason I play, and if people get enjoyment out of my nickname that’s great.”

And why not? The 6-foot, 10-inch, 255-pound big man has accrued more nicknames in one year than Larry Legend in his years as a player: Cream Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Nerd, College Jokic, Steph Blurry, Robbie Buckets. But the one he answers to is Rob Wave, which is a play on the name of his favorite rapper, Rod Wave, whose most popular songs include “Thug Love,” “Proud of Me,” and “Long Journey.”

“That’s my favorite nickname of all of them. He’s my favorite artist,” Avila says. When asked to pinpoint his favorite song, the one he uses to get himself ready before a game, he gives the very diplomatic answer: “It’s hard for me to pick a favorite. There are so many good ones to choose from. I just can’t decide.”

One thing he will admit to is the superstitious ritual he observes before every game, which originated in high school. “During the National Anthem, I mumble the words under my breath and tap my fingers behind my back. I’ve been doing that for many years, but that’s about my only one.”

Avila was ranked the sixth-best high school player in the state of Illinois and the 54th best power forward in the country, according to 247Sports. He had offers from Appalachian State, Bradley, Loyola Chicago, Richmond, and Southern Illinois before he committed to ISU, wanted to play under Josh Schertz, now in his third year. Schertz was previously a Division II coach at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.

“He’s done a lot for me,” Avila says, praising Schertz. “The game is changing for big men, and being able to do everything [he has taught me] has helped me to get [to] this point in my career. He’s helped me take my game to a whole new level. My basketball IQ has shot through the roof under him.”

Because Schertz has so much confidence in Avila, the offense starts and mostly ends with Avila. “It means a lot [to have the offense run through me]. That means he trusts me to make a lot of decisions on the court,” Avila says. “It’s not like I am going to shoot every time, but I use all my attributes—being able to shoot, pass, and rebound. I’m lovin’ the system and the way we play. My versatility as big man, my basketball IQ. I see the game a lot quicker than others, and I can react better.”

Avila is deceptively slow on the court, which he uses to his advantage. Not known for his speed or jumping ability, Avila is just a big man playing hoops and winning games, all in his signature Rec Specs, which he started wearing because of one too many wrestling matches with his older brother as a kid. Tired of paying for new glasses, his mother decided to go the indestructible route with the specs—which he is admittedly blind without. “No, I’ve never broken a pair. But this pair, the rubber is coming loose, so I had to glue it back together. These should last me this year, and I have a new pair coming. All black,” he says.

The current team is rivaled by only one other set of Sycamores players in the history of ISU hoops: the Larry Bird–led team of 1979. But at ISU, striving for second is the norm, and Avila is OK with that, for now. “[John] Wooden was the best coach to come out of here, and Larry Bird the best player. So coach Schertz, when he recruited me, said, ‘Come to ISU and go for the second spot.’” And so Avila did.

Avila describes himself and his teammates as a cohesive group, “a bunch of brothers I’ve grown up with this season. It’s like a family, and we all love each other.” And now that ISU has missed out on a bid for the Big Dance, Avila is ready for whatever. “We’ll play in the NIT, which is still a privilege to be in. If you look, there are over 300 teams not playing, so to be still playing in a tournament at this time of the year is an honor.”

After the NIT, what’s up for Avila next year? The transfer portal? “Not at all. I have not thought about that—not one bit,” he emphasizes, instead focusing on the team. He goes on to describe the incoming players. “Next year, we are returning all five starters, and some of the recruits are balling at the same high level now. This summer, we need to dive right in.”

As for himself, he adds, “My goals this summer: Get back at it. Take a little break. Try to have the same type of improvement I had from year one to year two.” If he is able to achieve that same kind of skills boost, his ultimate goal of having an NBA career will be within reach. “I must improve my athleticism. It will be an uphill battle at the next level for me. Need to work on that this summer.”

As he and his teammates prepare for the NIT and whatever’s beyond, there will be lots of Rod Wave music, for sure. Such is life on the bubble for a mid-major team with 28-5 record.

The post Naysayer: ISU’s Robbie “Cream Abdul-Jabbar” Avila Reveals The Secret To His Success appeared first on Indianapolis Monthly.

Let’s play the fun searching game Where’s Waldo?

But for this game, the red-clad Waldo in reference is not in the stands but on the court in the form of players—yes, players for Indiana men’s hoops.

With the huge road win at Maryland on Sunday, the Hoosiers have put together a two-game winning streak for the first time since December. Prior to these badly needed wins, the Hoosiers were in the throes of a very rough patch. On paper, coach Mike Woodson’s team looked good early. With two five-star players and some good role players, they looked like they would become a challenger for the top three or four spots in the Big Ten race. Now, they are fighting to get a bye in the upcoming Big Ten tournament, and these two wins go a long way toward that goal.

But when the regular season began, the veil of weak competition was lifted, and the Hoosiers’ biggest weakness was exposed—a lack of leadership. With so many first-half leads gone sour, there has yet to be a player who steps up to lead the team in crunch time. Despite senior and fan favorite Trey Galloway’s solid game in Maryland, he is just too inconsistent to secure the role full-time, though he has tried. A great defender with great court awareness and hustle, Galloway just hasn’t been Waldo this season.

Kel’el Ware, a clear-cut option at the beginning of the season, also hasn’t developed into a court leader and probably won’t get the chance. He is projected as a first-round pick in the upcoming 2024 NBA draft. Even though Woodson said that playing against Purdue’s Zach Edey was an “eye-opener” for Ware, his player potential is still vastly untapped.

Ware, a sophomore transfer from Oregon, was a five-star recruit ranked seventh overall by 247Sports and Rivals.com and eighth by ESPN in 2022. At 7-feet tall, Ware should be Waldo. He has the talent to be one of the most dominant centers in the Big Ten today —notwithstanding Edey. He is athletic, long, and can score. But he disappears during games. Ware did not score for the first 16 minutes in the Maryland win but finished with 9 points and 15 rebounds.

This leaves Mackenzie Mgbako, Gabe Cupps, or sophomore Malik Reneau. All have the capability and play in positions to be Waldo but haven’t become him.

Freshman Mgbako, another five-star recruit, ranked between eight and 10 nationally in 2023. Athletic and a prolific scorer in high school (16.3 points and 9.2 rebounds), he is the leading freshman scorer in the Big Ten, averaging just over 11 points. But he also disappears during games. In Maryland, he scored 24 points in dominant play … but he also scored the same total number of points in a Big Ten three-game stretch, two of which the Hoosiers lost. At 6 feet, 8 inches, he may be able to develop into the role, but so far this season, his stretches of brilliance are too far apart. He is a Waldo candidate for next season.

Dayton, Ohio, native and the son of a coach, Cupps was famous before he ever walked onto the IU campus. His 3-point shooting contest with LeBron James has over 1.5 million views on YouTube. He would be the natural fit for Waldo. But his inconsistent play, ball handling under pressure, and lack of scoring this year (averaging 3 per contest) reduced him to filling the “just get the ball down the court and don’t lose it” role. He is often left unguarded beyond the arc and has no discernible driving skills yet.

But in Cupps’ defense, Woodson threw him into the tornado feet-first in his desperate search for a dependable ball handler. On offense, Cupps doesn’t look to score, but he is capable, as evidenced early in Sunday’s win when he dropped in 5 quick points, then was not heard of again. He seems satisfied with just distributing the orange. Isn’t it odd how, when highly touted high school stars enter this level of play, the shot is the first thing to disappear? He should take a page out of Purdue’s Braden Smith’s book and spend some time working on his strength, quickness, and ability to get open. If he can accomplish a similar summertime paradigm shift, he can be Woodson’s Waldo next year.

Reneau, on the other hand, has displayed flashes of brilliance. Against the Terps, he had a solid game, with 14 points, five rebounds, and two assists. He is always a scoring threat and has the ability and talent to control the tempo of a game, like he did playing for Montverde Academy, where he led his team to back-to-back GEICO Nationals titles. For short stretches, he is in control, then fades into the hardwood floor. The 6-foot, 9-inch Miami, Florida, native is one of three Hoosiers to have appeared in every game this season, starting in three, and averages 16 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. Solid numbers for an aspiring Waldo, but his real value is scoring and rebounding the ball, not dishing out assists, although he averages 2.7 of those per game.

The jury is still out on coach Woodson’s ability to develop big men, win consistently, and recruit and develop leaders. Ware and Mgbako provide the Hoosiers with height, athletic ability, and scoring potential that needs to be nurtured if these players are still on the roster next year. But more importantly, the Hoosiers and their coach need to find the answer to the question, “Where’s Waldo?” After all, these players already wear the red and white stripes. All they need is the title.

Update:

At roughly the 16-minute mark of the second half of Indiana’s victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night (its third consecutive win), signs of Waldo appeared in the most unfortunate of situations. With Indiana leading 35-28, senior Anthony Walker went down, grabbing his knee after making a close shot and landing awkwardly.

During the timeout, in a group Waldo movement, the entire IU team came out on the court to either assist or encourage their fallen brother as he left the court, unable to put any pressure on the leg.  

But the fact the leading Waldo candidate Trey Galloway, with another excellent game, was first on the scene to place Walker’s arm around his neck says a lot for him, as well as this team and its mindset for the remainder of the season. That single action may be the catalyst that propels this team to the next level and provides the clarity needed for them to finally “get it” and play accordingly.

From Galloway’s injury forward, Indiana played together and with purpose, something that was missing during their rough losing streak.

That “I’ve got your back” mentality may just transform the Hoosiers into a team to watch in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. And it couldn’t have happened at a better time.

Let’s see if Waldo appears in the Hoosiers’ final regular season game and beyond. As Woodson said after the game, “Every game is important. We need to win.” Good start.

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