Indiana brings back Calbert Cheaney as assistant coach

Associated PressMay 23, 2023, 6:06 PM EDT

Chris Coduto/Getty Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson hired Big Ten career scoring leader Calbert Cheaney as his new director of player development.

Cheaney had spent the previous three seasons on the staff of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.

It’s Cheaney’s second coaching round at his alma mater. He was the director of operations in 2011-12 and helped oversee the internal and external development of Indiana’s players in 2012-13, both seasons on Tom Crean’s staff.

Cheaney will not be involved with recruiting in his new role.

“I could not think of anyone better suited to be part of this program than Calbert Cheaney,” Woodson said in a statement announcing the hire. “His experiences are as good as it gets. Our players can ask him, how do you become successful when you get to college? What can I do to help my team win championships? What do I need to do to be an All-American or National Player of the Year? How did you become a first-round draft pick who played 13 years in the NBA?”

Prior to his time with the Pacers, Cheaney was an assistant coach with two teams in the NBA’s G League and spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Saint Louis University.

Cheaney started his coaching career with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors in 2010-11 after spending one season in the Warriors front office.

“I have nothing but love and passion for this program and I can’t wait to return and start working with our players and staff,” Cheaney said. “Helping them get the most out of themselves is something that I enjoy and brings me great satisfaction when they see their work pay off on the court.”

Cheaney attended high school in Evansville, Indiana, and was a three-time All-American between 1989-93. He swept the six major national player of the year awards in 1992-93 and finished his career with a school record 2,613 points. He also holds Indiana’s school record for baskets, 1,018.

Indiana went 105-27 with four NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the 1992 Final Four during his career.

In 1993, the then Washington Bullets drafted Cheaney with the No. 6 overall pick and he averaged 9.5 points in 825 career games with Boston, Denver, Utah, Golden State and Washington.

“We’re incredibly appreciative of Calbert’s innumerable contributions to our team during his time here, and after spending the last two seasons working with him, I can see why he’ll be such a great asset to the Hoosiers’ basketball program,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.

Indiana’s Teri Moren wins AP Coach of the Year

Associated PressMar 31, 2023, 12:05 AM EDT

Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

DALLAS – Teri Moren has led Indiana to some unprecedented heights this season.

The team won its first Big Ten regular season championship in 40 years, rose to No. 2 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll and earned the school’s first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Moren was honored Thursday as the AP women’s basketball Coach of the Year, the first time she has won the award. She received 12 votes from the 28-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. South Carolina’s Dawn Staley was second with eight votes. Utah’s Lynne Roberts received five and Virginia Tech’s Kenny Brooks three.

Voting was done before the NCAA Tournament.

“I think a lot of people were like this is going to be a year where Indiana is reloading, rebuilding, they won’t be as good as they had been the year prior. We were picked third in the Big Ten,” Moren said.

Moren was surprised by her team, who told her she won in an elaborate ruse.

“Anytime you can share it with people that made it happen. the staff, the players, the most important people who have been instrumental in the season and this award is special. I was speechless.”

Moren accepted the award at the Final Four, sharing the stage with AP Player of the Year Caitlin Clark to complete a Big Ten sweep.

The team has come a long way from when Moren was a young girl growing up in southern Indiana. She was a diehard fan of the Indiana basketball team. The men’s one that is.

She would attend men’s games with her family when she was a kid and was a big fan of coach Bob Knight. She has a constant reminder of the Hall of Fame coach in her office as a picture of his infamous chair-throwing incident hangs by the door. Moren said it’s the last thing she sees before heading to practice.

As far as the women’s team, they just weren’t very good. Times have changed, as Moren has built the program into a blue-collar team that focuses on defense and is a consistent Top 25 team the last few seasons, appearing in the poll for 75 consecutive weeks starting with the preseason one in 2019-2020. That’s the fourth-longest active streak.

Before that, the Hoosiers had been ranked for a total of six times.

“People still talk to me about living in Bloomington and they couldn’t afford a ticket to the men’s game. Not that they settled, but became women’s basketball fans. At that moment, you could walk in and find any seat you wanted and watch women’s basketball,” Moren said.

“There were 300-400 people in the stands, now to what it is today, it’s an unbelievable thing to watch it grow. Things you dream about to see fans and bodies up in the rafters.”

The Hoosiers had six of the school’s top 10 most attended games this season, including crowds of over 13,000 fans for the first round of the NCAA Tournament and 14,000 for the second round game – a shocking loss to Miami.

“It stings right now, but that last game doesn’t define our season,” Moren said.

Miami holds off Indiana rally to advance in March Madness

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 11:02 PM EDT

Getty Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Destiny Harden made a shot in the lane with 3.5 seconds left to send ninth-seeded Miami past top-seeded Indiana 70-68 on Monday night, lifting the Hurricanes to their first Sweet 16 since 1992.

The Hoosiers (28-4) became the second No. 1 seed to be eliminated in two nights. Stanford was upset Sunday on its home court.

Harden finished with 18 points and Lola Pendade had 19 points for the Hurricanes (21-12), who never trailed.

Indiana tied the score at 68 on Yarden Garzon’s 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds left but couldn’t get the defensive stop it needed and turned the ball over on the final possession to seal their only home loss of the season.

UP NEXT

While the Hoosiers head home earlier than expected, the Hurricanes head to Greenville, South Carolina, for a showdown with fourth-seeded Villanova, which was ranked No. 10 in the final Associated Press Top 25.

Edey, Jackson-Davis, Wilson headline AP All-America Team

Associated PressMar 14, 2023, 2:15 PM EDT

Alex Martin/Journal and Courier/USA TODAY NETWORK

Purdue’s Zach Edey and Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis gave the Big Ten Conference a third straight year with multiple first-team Associated Press All-America picks, while Kansas had a second straight first-teamer in Jalen Wilson.

The 7-foot-4, 305-pound Edey appeared on all 58 ballots as a first-team selection from AP Top 25 voters as the lone unanimous pick.

The selections of the Boilermakers’ Edey and the Hoosiers’ Jackson-Davis came a year after the Big Ten had three first-team picks. And it gave the league seven through the last three seasons; no other league has more than three.

The Big Ten has had at least one first-teamer for five straight years and eight of the last nine.

Houston’s Marcus Sasser and Alabama’s Brandon Miller joined Edey and Wilson on the first team in representing each of the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 seeds.

Edey has commanded the national spotlight all year. The Big Ten player of the year ranks sixth nationally in scoring (22.3), second in rebounding (12.8) and first in double-doubles (26).

“Everybody goes: ‘You go to him so much,’” Purdue coach Matt Painter said after the Big Ten Tournament title win against Penn State. “If they call it by the rules, they’re fouling him on every possession. So why shouldn’t we get it to him and just try to get in that bonus early and steal points?

“Obviously he can make tough post-ups and he can get at the rim, and he gets offensive rebounds when you take him away.”

Jackson-Davis, a 6-9 fourth-year forward, is Indiana’s first first-team selection since Victor Oladipo in 2013. He’s averaging 20.8 points and 10.9 rebounds while taking a leap with his passing (4.1 assists, up from 1.9 last year).

“I probably have pushed him harder than any player on this team and I know there’s been days that he’s walked out of here thinking that, ‘Hey, is this guy really in my corner, based on how he’s pushing me?’” coach Mike Woodson said. “But at the end of the day, he’s gotten better as a player.

“We have benefited from it, you know, with our ballclub, in terms of how we played as a team. And he’s been the driving force behind it.”

Wilson, a 6-8 fourth-year forward, was a returning complementary starter from last year’s NCAA title run. He thrived in an expanded role, becoming Big 12 player of the year and nearly doubling his scoring average (20.1, up from 11.1) to go with 8.4 rebounds.

It marked the fourth time in seven seasons that the Jayhawks had a first-team pick going back to national player of the year Frank Mason III in 2017.

“He’s an elite competitor,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said after a Big 12 Tournament loss to the Jayhawks. “He gets to the glass. He makes cuts. He makes it hard. He does so many things.”

Sasser, a 6-2 senior, was a starter on the Cougars’ Final Four team two years ago and is the star of another title threat this year. He’s averaging 17.1 points as the program’s first first-team selection since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984 during the “Phi Slama Jama” era.

Miller, a 6-9 freshman, was a McDonald’s All-American who became an immediate star on the way to being named the Southeastern Conference player of the year. He’s averaging 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds for the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.

Miller has been involved in a murder case that has overshadowed the Crimson Tide’s successful run, leading to capital murder charges against former Alabama player Darius Miles and another man for the January shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris. A police investigator testified last month that Miles texted Miller to bring him his gun that night, though authorities haven’t charged Miller with any crime.

SECOND TEAM

Pac-12 player of the year Jaime Jaquez Jr. of UCLA was the leading vote-getter on the second team that included Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, last season’s AP national player of the year.

Gonzaga’s Drew Timme was a second-team selection for the third straight year, while Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis and Penn State’s Jalen Pickett rounded out the second quintet.

THIRD TEAM

Kansas State’s surge led to the Wildcats earning third-team selections in Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson, their first AP All-Americans since Jacob Pullen in 2011.

Big East player of the year Tyler Kolek of Marquette, Iowa’s Kris Murray and North Carolina’s Armando Bacot rounded out the third team.

HONORABLE MENTION

National scoring leader Antoine Davis of Detroit Mercy, who averaged 28.2 points and fell three points shy of tying “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s all-time career scoring record, was the leading vote-getter among players who didn’t make the three All-America teams.

Players earned honorable-mention status if they appeared on multiple voters’ ballots. This year’s list includes Memphis’ Kendric Davis, Xavier’s Souley Boum and Miami’s Isaiah Wong.

Zach Edey is AP Big Ten Player of the Year; Painter, Collins honored

Associated PressMar 7, 2023, 5:33 PM EST

Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Purdue’s Zach Edey is The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten Conference and the Boilermakers’ Matt Painter and Northwestern’s Chris Collins split coach of the year honors.

Edey received all but one vote for player of the year in balloting by 14 journalists who cover the conference. Maryland’s Jahmir Young beat out Indiana’s Jalen Hood-Schifino for newcomer of the year.

Edey and Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis were unanimous selections to the AP All-Big Ten first team.

The 7-foot-4, 305-pound Edey led the Boilermakers to their first outright Big Ten regular-season championship since 2017. He goes into the conference tournament averaging 21.9 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game and is on track to become the first player since Navy’s David Robinson in 1985-86 to have at least 750 points, 450 rebounds and 50 blocked shots in a season.

Edey’s nine games of 25 points and 10 rebounds are the most for a major-college player since 2006-07, and he’s on pace to become the first Big Ten player in over 50 years to average 22 points and 13 rebounds per game in a season.

Jackson-Davis averages 20.5 points 11 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game and joins Edey as the only high-major players to average at least 20, 11 and 2. Jackson-Davis is on the first team for the second time in three years. He was on the second team last season.

Joining Edey and Jackson-Davis on the first team are Northwestern’s Boo Buie, Penn State’s Jalen Pickett and Iowa’s Kris Murray.

Young, in his first season at Maryland after playing his first three at Charlotte, leads the Terrapins with 16.3 points per game. He has nine games with at least 20 points, including 30 in a win over Ohio State, and his 37 steals lead the team.

Painter has won at least 25 games in 11 of his 18 seasons at Purdue, which is in contention for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers were the favorites in the preseason media poll, and they spent all but three days of the conference season tied or in sole possession of first place.

Collins shares coach of the year after leading Northwestern to a tie for second place after being picked 13th. With Buie running the point, the Wildcats (21-10, 12-8) have their first overall and conference winning records since Collins’ 2016-17 team won a game in the NCAA Tournament.

FIRST TEAM

Guard – Boo Buie, Northwestern, Sr., 6-2, 180, Albany, New York.

Guard – Jalen Pickett, Penn State, Sr., 6-4, 209, Rochester, New York.

u-Forward – Trayce Jackson-Davis, Sr., 6-9, 245, Greenwood, Indiana.

Forward – Kris Murray, Iowa, Jr., 6-8, 220, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

u-Center – Zach Edey, Purdue, Jr., 7-4, 305, Toronto.

-“u” denotes unanimous selection.

—

SECOND TEAM

Guard – Jahmir Young, Maryland, Gr., 6-1, 185, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Guard – Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana, Fr., 6-6, 213, Pittsburgh.

Guard – Terrence Shannon, Illinois, Sr., 6-6, 225, Chicago.

Center – Clifford Omoruyi, Rutgers, Jr., 6-11, 240, Benin City, Nigeria.

Center – Hunter Dickinson, Michigan, Jr., 7-1, 260, Alexandria, Virginia.

—

Coach of the year (tie) – Matt Painter, Purdue, and Chris Collins, Northwestern.

Player of the year – Zach Edey, Purdue.

Newcomer of the year – Jahmir Young, Maryland.

—

AP All-Big Ten Voting Panel: Nick Bahe, Fox Sports; Mike DeCourcy, Sporting News, Fox Sports; Dave Eanet, WGN Radio, Chicago; Brian Fonseca, New Jersey Advance Media; Marcus Fuller, Minneapolis Star Tribune; Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch; Stephen Jones, Penn State Sports Network; Andrew Kahn, MLive.com (Ann Arbor, Mich.); Ryan McFadden, Baltimore Sun; Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star; Jim Polzin, Madison.com (Madison, Wis.); Scott Richey, Champaign (Ill.) News-Gazette; Dylan Sinn, Fort Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette; Kennington Lloyd Smith III, Des Moines (Iowa) Register.

Murray scores 26 to lead Iowa past No. 15 Indiana 90-68

Associated PressMar 1, 2023, 9:47 AM EST

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Iowa came into Tuesday night game weary of playing catch-up. So, the Hawkeyes avoided the trap completely.

Just three days after a completing an historic comeback, Kris Murray scored 26 points, Tony Perkins flirted with the first triple-double in school history and the Hawkeyes never trailed in a 90-68 rout at No. 15 Indiana.

“I thought him making those first two 3-pointers was big,” coach Fran McCaffery said, referring to Murray. “I thought our ball movement and screening and cutting with a purpose was critical.”

Whatever the explanation, the Hawkeyes (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten) did everything right.

Murray made five of Iowa’s 13 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds. Perkins finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high eight assists while returning to his home state. Flip Rebecaa and Payton Sandfod each had 16 points and the conference’s highest-scoring team also played defense.

The combination was virtually unbeatable and seemingly at the perfect time after rallying from a 13-point deficit in the final 94 seconds of regulation to beat Michigan State 112-106 in overtime Saturday – the highest-scoring Big Ten game all season. For the encore, Iowa produced the highest-scoring first half (47-36) in a conference game this season and claimed its fourth straight win in the series and it’s most lopsided ever in Bloomington.

“We’re really hitting our stride,” Murray said. “About this time last year, we were doing the same thing, winning big games that we need on the road.”

Indiana (20-10, 11-8) meanwhile, struggled all night in its worse home loss since a 20-point shellacking against Purdue Fort Wayne in December 2017..

Yes, Trayce Jackson Davis led the Hoosiers with 26 points and 13 rebounds and passed Alan Henderson and Walt Bellamy to become the school’s career rebounding leader with 1,096.

But the Hoosiers looked flat after winning at rival Purdue on Saturday, and Iowa wasted no time taking advantage.

The Hawkeyes scored the first six points, quickly extended the margin to 16-5 and still led 47-36 at halftime. The Hawkeyes then used a 14-2 second half run to make it 61-40 and continued pulling away over the final 15 1/2 minutes.

“It’s the worst day of the season for us,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said on his postgame radio show. “They were hitting 3s, 2s, whatever they wanted. That’s not Indiana basketball and it’s unacceptable.”

BIG PICTURE

Iowa: The Hawkeyes have struggled on the road all season – at least until Tuesday. This time, they built off the momentum from Saturday’s stunning comeback, at times, looked virtually unbeatable. If they can replicate this performance, the defending Big Ten Tournament champs will be a tough out again next week.

Indiana: Whatever the explanation, the Hoosiers looked lost. They had no flow and never got in sync, a stark contrast from the previous six weeks when they showed steady improvement and some real fight. Neither existed in this game and while it may be an anomaly, coach Mike Woodson knows it cannot happen again.

STILL CLIMBING

Jackson-Davis extended his school record for blocks to 253 with another Tuesday. He also moved within 56 points of tying Don Schlundt (2,192 points) for third on Indiana’s career scoring list. And the 48th double-double of his career puts him within one of matching Henderson for No. 3 on the school’s career list.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

If Indiana thought it would skate through the first part of this week’s schedule, it was mistaken. The Hoosiers were never in the game and this kind of loss could send them tumbling, even if they salvage a win on Sunday. Iowa, meanwhile, continues to make the case it deserves a Top 25 ranking.

UP NEXT

Iowa: Hosts Nebraska in Big Ten regular-season finale on Sunday.

Indiana: Plays its home finale Sunday against Michigan.