Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Football takes center stage this week with the conclusion of spring ball and a record number of IU players being drafted. Turning to basketball, yet another non-conference opponent was announced, and Indiana is projected in the NCAA Tournament after their massive portal haul.

Additionally, the women’s basketball team added important players from the portal. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, which was led by softball continuing to play well.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Spring Practice Concludes For Football As Record Number Of Hoosiers Drafted

• Eastern Illinois Added to Hoosiers’ 2026-2027 Schedule

• IU Projected As NCAA Tournament Team After Portal Overhaul

• Women’s Basketball Adds Key Players In Transfer Portal

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Play

Banner #1: Spring Practice Concludes For Football As Record Number Of Hoosiers Drafted

Spring football came to a close for the defending national champion Hoosiers with the annual scrimmage as Curt Cignetti’s third version of his squad gets set for this fall. However, the biggest part of the practice was not what occurred on the field, but instead what happened at the same time about 400 miles to the east in Pennsylvania.

This is where the NFL Draft took place, and the IU had QB Fernando Mendoza taken with the number one pick overall by the Las Vegas Raiders. Mendoza was not the only player taken in the first round that night, as WR Omar Cooper went no. 30 to the New York Jets.

The run of Indiana players did not stop in subsequent days, as CB DeAngelo Ponds also went to the Jets and RB Kaelon Black was taken by the San Francisco 49ers on Friday. The final day of the draft doubled that number to eight total.

The four to hear their names called on Saturday were WR Elijah Sarratt to the Baltimore Ravens, TE Riley Nowakowski to the Pittsburgh Steelers, C Pat Coogan to the Tennessee Titans, and LB Aiden Fisher to the Houston Texans. The eight players drafted were the most Hoosiers ever taken in a single year.

Also, six undrafted guys signed free agent contracts, including RB Roman Hemby and WR EJ Williams joining Mendoza in Las Vegas, DE Mikail Kamara joining Black in San Francisco, and S Devan Boykin joining Nowakowski in Pittsburgh. Finally, S Louis Moore inked a deal with the Miami Dolphins, and LS Mark Langston with the Buffalo Bills.

Banner #2: Eastern Illinois Added to Hoosiers’ 2026-2027 Schedule

As IU filled in its roster this week, another non-conference matchup was announced. The Hoosiers will reportedly host Eastern Illinois on November 2 in their season opener.

The Panthers finished last season 13-20 overall and ranked No. 324 in KenPom. Indiana has won all three previous meetings, most recently in 2024.

This game becomes the fifth piece of the puzzle for the pre-Big Ten portion of the schedule. It joins previously announced contests against Bellarmine, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Syracuse.

Banner #3: IU Projected As NCAA Tournament Team After Portal Overhaul

After seemingly hitting a grand slam in the transfer portal last week, the projections for next season appear to be much brighter now. The six committed prospects from last week (Markus Burton, Darren Harris, Bryce Lindsay, Jaeden Mustaf, Aiden Sherrell, Samet Yigitoglu) all come in relatively highly in the national rankings and is also amongst the best portal classes in the country.

This infusion of talent moved Indiana into the projected top-25 for 2026-2027. How it plays out on the court remains to be seen, but the Hoosiers are certainly expected to end their three-year NCAA Tourney drought and comfortably make March Madness.

Banner #4: Women’s Basketball Adds Key Players In Transfer Portal

The IU men were not alone in making a splash in the portal. The Indiana women also made significant additions here.

It was not the entire roster overhaul of their male counterparts. This is due to the fact that the women return three starters and bring in the sixth-ranked high school class in the country.

As a result, the portal is more about filling in around the edges for them. After adding Iowa State’s Alisa Williams the day the portal opened, and Nebraska’s Jess Petrie later, two more key additions were added this week.

These players coming to Bloomington for 2026-2027 both have extensive starting five experience for power five squads in positions of need. One is knock-down shooter Kenzie Hare from Iowa State, while the other is USC PG and defensive specialist Malia Samuels. Also, season tickets are now on sale for next year.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Play

• Softball had another solid week, knocking off Valparaiso and traditional power Michigan as they continue to cruise towards a fourth straight NCAA Tournament berth. They did, however, fall to the Wolverines as well as a solid Iowa squad.

• Baseball beat Ball State and Abilene Christian out of conference. However, they lost a series at home to Iowa and are now in serious danger of missing the Big Ten Tourney for the first time in 15 years.

• Men’s tennis fell to Michigan but still qualified for the conference tournament, where they defeated Oregon before falling to Michigan State.

• Men’s golf finished 12th at the Hoosier Collegiate Invitational.

• Track and field competed at the Clark Woods Invite.

• Rowing competed at the Big Ten Invite.

• Wrestling has 10 Hoosiers competing at the U.S. Open.

• Finally, the annual Little 500 saw the Black Key Bulls win for the third straight year in the men’s race, and Alpha Chi Omega take the women’s race.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

The roster for next season, which was in its early stages of taking shape last week, is now nearly full and built with high quality players. Also, a non-conference opponent was learned.

Additionally, the women added an important player from the portal, and spring football continues. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, which was led by softball continuing to win.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Has Massive Transfer Portal Week To Build Contender

• Bowling Green Added to Hoosiers’ 2026-2027 Schedule

• Women Add Key Player In Transfer Portal As Well

• Spring Practice Continues For Football

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Winning Ways

Banner #1: IU Has Massive Transfer Portal Week To Build Contender

The Hoosiers seemingly hit a grand slam in the transfer portal this week. IU had four top players visit campus last weekend who were transferring. These prospects were Georgia Tech’s Jaeden Mustaf, Duke’s Darren Harris, Notre Dame’s Markus Burton, and Alabama’s Aiden Sherrell.

Not only did Indiana coach Darien DeVries get all four of these players to commit to play in Bloomington next year. He also managed to reel in SMU’s Samet Yigitoglu and Villanova’s Bryce Lindsay before they made it to campus for a visit.

While IU has gotten top players in the portal in previous years, this time it appears to be well constructed, where the needs fit the profile. The biggest of these is Burton, who is a former Indiana Mr. Basketball and gives the Hoosiers a dynamic point guard who is an elite scorer and can run the offense at a high level. This is something the team has not had since Yogi Ferrell’s time in Bloomington.

In Lindsay, IU gets a top three-point shooter for its backcourt, which is critical in Devries’ system. Meanwhile, Yigitoglu is one of the tallest players in program history, and Sherrell complements him as another big man. However, unlike past renditions of Indiana teams using double post players, Sherrell is a stretch four who can step out and shoot threes and should prevent the lane from getting overly clogged.

Whether Mustaf or Harris gets the final starting spot remains to be seen, but both can drive to the basket and knock down shots from deep. Either way, Indiana now has six players coming from high-level programs, and all but Harris averaged double figures at their previous stop. They will join the returning Trent Sisley (Andrej Acimovic has now entered the portal as well) and the four new freshmen in what is the presumed meat and potatoes of the 2026-2027 roster.

This infusion of talent moved Indiana into the top-15 of offseason projections. How it plays out on the court remains to be seen, but this season has both football and basketball with the top transfer classes in the country at IU, per On3 Sports.

Banner #2: Bowling Green Added to Hoosiers’ 2026-2027 Schedule

As IU filled in its roster this week, another non-conference matchup was announced. The Hoosiers will host Bowling Green on either November 27 or 28.

The Falcons finished last season 18-14 overall and ranked No. 144 in KenPom. Indiana has won all three previous meetings, but the teams have not met since 1998.

Also, this game becomes the fourth piece of the puzzle for the pre-Big Ten portion of the schedule. Its joins previously announced contests against Bellarmine, Kentucky, and Syracuse.

Banner #3: Women Add Key Player In Transfer Portal As Well

The IU men were not alone in making a splash in the portal this week. The Indiana women also made a significant addition here.

It was not the multi-player overhaul of their male counterparts. This is due to the fact that the women return three starters and bring in the sixth-ranked high school class in the country.

As a result, the portal is more about filling in around the edges for them. After adding Iowa State’s Alisa Williams the day the portal opened, the squad made a more noteworthy addition this week. This player committing is Nebraska’s Jess Petrie. She averaged double figures for the Cornhuskers last year and is the most impactful get from the portal since Shay Ciezki two years ago.

Speaking of Ciezki, she had a big moment as well this week. She was signed to a training camp contract by the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury after going undrafted during Monday’s draft.

Banner #4: Spring Practice Continues For Football

Spring football continues for IU. The Hoosiers are back on the field practicing now and looking to defend their national championship. Several players and coach Curt Cignetti spoke with the media after practice this week.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Inside the Hall’s Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Alex Bozich is joined by IU Film Room creator and Greenwood Christian Academy head coach Tony Adragna to discuss Indiana’s transfer portal additions.

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Winning Ways

• Softball continued to dominate, completing a sweep of arch-rival Purdue and rolling past Notre Dame. They also have taken a series from Iowa this weekend, but fell to elite Louisville in a nail-biter during the midweek.

• Baseball had mixed results this week, defeating Indiana State as well as Evansville but falling to Maryland. They have also split their first two with Abilene Christian in this weekend’s series.

• Men’s tennis defeated Nebraska but fell to Michigan State.

• Women’s tennis fell to UCLA as well as USC.

• Water Polo lost to Arizona State to close their season,

• Women’s golf finished sixth in the Buckeye Invitational.

• Men’s golf finished 13th at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate.

• Track and field competed in multiple different invitationals this weekend.

• Wrestling signed a recruit.

• Finally, the Big Ten is adding a conference tournament for volleyball for the first time next fall.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

The roster for next season is in the very early stages of taking shape. Whether it’s outgoing or incoming players, some clarity emerged this week.

Additionally, Michigan won the national championship to end the Big Ten’s title drought, and spring football continues. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, which was led by softball taking a series from arch-rival Purdue.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Hoosiers Look To Add Players Via Transfer Portal

• IU Loses Several More Players to Portal

• Michigan Wins National Championship To End Big Ten’s Title Drought

• Spring Practice Continues For Football

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Softball Wins Series Against Arch-Rival Purdue

Banner #1: Hoosiers Look To Add Players Via Transfer Portal

While IU has not added anyone from the transfer portal yet, this weekend features visits to campus as the Hoosiers try to lock down signature players. The biggest of these by far is Notre Dame’s Markus Burton, who will be in Bloomington today for a visit.

Houston was thought to be Indiana’s biggest competition for Burton. However, the Cougars took a commitment from a top-level point guard on Saturday, giving IU a potential clear runway to land their top target.

Besides this, a couple of other prospects were in Bloomington this weekend including Duke’s Darren Harris and Georgia Tech’s Jaeden Mustaf. Other potential targets are South Alabama’s Adam Olsen, Tulane’s Rowan Brumbaugh, and Alabama’s Aiden Sherell, amongst others.

Banner #2: IU Loses Several More Players to Portal

IU had seven players eligible to return, but only two of them will it appears. Trent Sisley and Andrej Acimovic will likely be back wearing Cream and Crimson next fall.

Nick Dorn, Jasai Miles, Aleksa Ristic, Jason Drake, and Josh Harris all had eligibility to return. However, all five of these guys have announced they will instead enter their names in the transfer portal and depart Bloomington.

Joinging Sisley and Acimovic on the 2026-2027 roster are three incoming freshmen. These players are Vaughn Karvala, Trevor Manhertz, and Prince-Alexander Moody.

Banner #3: Michigan Wins National Championship To End Big Ten’s Title Drought

The Big Ten continued its year of winning national titles. This is because Michigan and former IU manager Dusty May ended the conference’s long national title drought in men’s basketball by defeating Connecticut to cut down the nets.

In women’s basketball, UCLA dominated South Carolina for the championship. This ended a similar title drought for the league.

Banner #4: Spring Practice Continues For Football

Spring football continues for IU. The Hoosiers are back on the field practicing now and looking to defend their national championship. Several players and coach Curt Cignetti spoke with the media after practice this week.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Softball Wins Series Against Arch-Rival Purdue

• Softball took a series from arch-rival Purdue this weekend. This was after defeating Butler and losing to UCLA.

• Baseball defeated Ball State and Rutgers and has split its first two with Maryland in its weekend series.

• Water Polo lost to UCLA but beat San Jose State.

• Women’s tennis lost to Maryland and beat Penn State.

• Men’s tennis to Northwestern as well as Wisconsin.

• Rowing lost to Texas.

• Track and Field competed in the Crimson Tide Invitational.

• Wrestling signed a recruit.

• Finally, women’s basketball added its first player from the transfer portal.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU announced another signature non-conference game in Indianapolis for next fall. This matchup was learned as the roster for next season is in the very early stages of taking shape.

Additionally, the NCAA Tournament results and spring football has begun. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, which was led by baseball getting back in the win column.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Adds Non-Conference Matchup With Syracuse In Indy

• Where The Hoosiers Roster Is At

• NCAA Tourney Results

• Spring Practice Continues For Football

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Baseball Ends Long Losing Streak

Banner #1: IU Adds Non-Conference Matchup With Syracuse In Indy

As IU looks to next season, a major piece of the non-conference schedule was learned this week. It was already known that the Hoosiers would face Kentucky in their state’s capital city in December.

While that matchup will be in Lucas Oil stadium with a truly neutral atmosphere, Indiana will have a de facto home game against Syracuse at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 9. The contest is a rematch of the 1987 NCAA Championship, which is IU’s last title to date, as well as the 2013 Sweet 16, when the Orange knocked out an elite Hoosier team when they were a one seed.

Syracuse will be coached by Gerry McNamara, who is a program legend but will be debuting next season following recent struggles since Jim Boeheim’s retirement. The Orange are coming off a 15-17 season and have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2021.

Banner #2: Where The Hoosiers Roster Is At

The Hoosiers will look to build a stronger roster that can better compete in the Big Ten in 2026-2027 under second-year head coach Darian DeVries. IU has seven players eligible to return, but only three of them (Nick Dorn, Jasai Miles, and Trent Sisley) saw time in the rotation this season. Of these, Sisley announced this week he will be back in Bloomington for his sophomore season, while the other two’s plans remain unclear at this moment.

Of the remaining guys with eligibility, Aleksa Ristic was the only other guy with eligibility to see minutes last season, and it was only very sparingly. The other three bodies who can return to the program were injured or redshirting in Andrej Acimovic, Jason Drake, and Josh Harris. Other than Drake, who announced this week that he will enter his name in the transfer portal, what happens with these remaining guys remains to be seen.

The other three players who will definitely be on the roster besides Sisley are incoming freshman Vaughn Karvala, Trevor Manhertz, and Prince-Alexander Moody. Given the losses of their top rotational guys, IU will almost certainly need to fill several spots via the transfer portal with immediate impact guys. The Hoosiers are from alone here, however, and the portal opens this Tuesday officially.

Turning to the women’s side, there is a lot more clarity for Indiana here. While the Hoosiers have lost several players to the portal, including promising freshman Nevaeh Caffey, the return of three starters was confirmed. This includes Maya Makalusky, Zania Socka-Nguemen, and Lenee Beaumont, who are all key pieces going forward.

The program also brings in an elite recruiting class that includes what were the two highest-ranked recruits in program history until this week. This is because IU just received a commitment from an ever higher ranked prospect for 2027 in Finley Parker. Outgoing star Shay Ciezki also hinted at a strong portal class for the team for next season.

Banner #3: NCAA Tourney Results

The NCAA Tournament continued with the Final Four. With NIL seemingly widening the gap between mid-major and power five teams, the competition has featured fewer upsets than usual.

However, with that said, there have still been some great games. Despite the Hoosiers not being a part of it (outside of a brief cameo from Sam Alexis later on), the Big Ten sent nine teams to the dance, and six of them made the Sweet 16, with four on to the Elite 8, and two the Final Four.

The Final Four teams from the conference were Michigan and Illinois. While the Illini were knocked out by Connecticut, the Wolverines dominated Arizona. The two winners will play for the national championship in a game that could have Indiana fans wondering what might have been in an alternate universe.

This is because the Huskies have Hoosier native Braylon Mullins playing a key role, and IU was a finalist for his services. Also, Michigan is coached by former Indiana manager Dusty May.

The Big Ten will look to end long national title droughts in both men’s and women’s basketball in the next couple of days, though. UCLA will face South Carolina for the women’s championship this afternoon, while the Wolverines will take on Connecticut tomorrow night.

Banner #4: Spring Practice Continues For Football

Spring football is just beginning for IU. The Hoosiers are back on the field practicing now and looking to defend their national championship. Several players and coach Curt Cignetti spoke with the media after a practice this week.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Inside the Hall’s Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Alex Bozich was joined by Rick Bozich to discuss previous Final Fours.

The Back Home Network has many shows also. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Start To Season

• Baseball finally ended a long losing streak by dominating Rutgers on Friday Night. However, in between that, Nebraska finished a sweep of IU, while the Hoosiers also fell to Evansville and the Scarlet Knights with late collapses. In non-game news, one of Indiana’s games at Northwestern next month was moved to Wrigley Field.

• Women’s tennis beat Rutgers but fell to Nebraska.

• Softball gave elite UCLA a scare before losing twice.

• Men’s tennis lost to top-flight Illinois.

• Water Polo fell to elite Arizona State and Michigan.

• Women’s golf finished third at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic.

• Men’s golf competed at the Butler Spring Invitational.

• Track and Field competed in the Battle of the Bayou.

• Rowing took part in the Ohio State Regatta.

• Volleyball will take part in the newly created Big Ten vs. SEC Challenge. The program also put season tickets on sale for next fall.

• Finally, women’s basketball assistant coach Rhett Wierzba received an honor.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU introduced a new assistant coach in hopes of a better future. Meanwhile, the NCAA Tourney continues without them, as has happened most of the time in the last decade, with the Big Ten thriving.

Additionally, a look the roster’s current standing for Indiana and spring football begins. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, which was led by softball continuing its strong start to 2026.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Adds Assistant Coach To Staff

• NCAA Tourney Results

• Where The Hoosiers Roster Is At

• Spring Football Practice Begins

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Start To Season

Banner #1: IU Adds Assistant Coach To Staff

As IU looks to next season, its bench of assistants is now fully staffed to help build a roster. Louisville assistant Thomas Carr (no relation to new staff member Ryan Carr) will head across the river to Indiana to fill the final spot on the staff that was one short in 2025-2026.

Carr will join Drew Adams, Rod Clark, Kenny Johnson, and Nick Norton as the assistant coaches for 2026-2027. He was an assistant with Pat Kelsey at College of Charleston before following him to be with the Cardinals.

Banner #2: NCAA Tourney Results

The Hoosiers’ season has been over for a couple of weeks after once again failing to secure a spot in March Madness. This was the third straight year and eighth time in 10 seasons IU has found itself in this position.

However, with or without Indiana, the NCAA Tournament continues. With NIL seemingly widening the gap between mid-major and power five teams, the competition has featured fewer upsets than usual and no mid-majors in the tournament’s second weekend.

However, with that said, there have still been some great games. Despite the Hoosiers not being a part of it, the Big Ten sent nine teams to the dance, and six of them made the Sweet 16, with four on to the Elite 8.

Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Purdue all made the second weekend, with all but Michigan State and Nebraska advancing. The Illini have already made the Final Four in Indianapolis, and the Wolverines will look to join them today with a matchup against Tennessee. However, the Boilermakers fell to Arizona who will play in Indy as well. The winner of Duke vs. UConn will take the final spot.

Banner #3: Where The Hoosiers Roster Is At

After the late-season collapse, the Hoosiers will look to build a stronger roster that can better compete in the Big Ten in 2026-2027 under second-year head coach Darian DeVries. IU has seven players eligible to return, but only three of them (Nick Dorn, Jasai Miles, and Trent Sisley) saw time in the rotation this season.

Aleksa Ristic was the only other guy with eligibility to see minutes last season, and it was only very sparingly. The other three bodies who can return to Bloomington were injured or redshirting in Andrej Acimovic, Jason Drake, and Josh Harris.

How many of these seven will elect to actually suit up for Indiana remains to be seen. The three players who will definitely be on the roster, though, are incoming freshman Vaughn Karvala, Trevor Manhertz, and Prince-Alexander Moody.

However, given the losses of their top rotational guys, IU will almost certainly need to fill several spots via the transfer portal with immediate impact guys to have any chance to return to March Madness. The Hoosiers are from alone here, however.

Given the nature of college basketball, almost everyone has to use the portal to compete, including many in the Big Ten. It opens after the National Championship game.

Banner #4: Spring Football Practice Begins

While basketball season has ended, spring football is just beginning for IU. The Hoosiers are back on the field practicing now and looking to defend their national championship. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti spoke with the media after a practice this week.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Inside the Hall’s Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, IU Film Room’s Tony Adragna discussed what IU needs to do in the transfer portal.

The Back Home Network has many shows also. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Start To Season

• Softball continued its hot start to the season. They went 3-1 this week, completing a sweep of Maryland and sweeping Detroit Mercy, which included a no-hitter, while falling to elite Oregon. At 27-7, their RPI sits in the top 60, which is well within range for a fourth straight NCAA Tourney appearance.

• Swimming and Diving saw the men finish third nationally at the NCAA Championships.

• Men’s tennis had a huge week, defeating Penn State and rival Purdue.

• Women’s tennis fell to Illinois but upset ranked Iowa.

• Baseball seemed to be gaining momentum, but then lost all four games this week to Minnesota and Indiana State, as well as both contests at Nebraska. Sitting at just 10-16, a second straight year of missing the NCAA Tourney seems most likely barring a huge turnaround.

• Water Polo fell to Stanford.

• Track and Field competed in the Raleigh Relays.

• Wrestling signed a player for next year.

• Finally, several former IU baseball players made opening day rosters in the MLB.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU’s basketball season is over, but the NCAA Tourney continues without them, as has happened most of the time in the last decade. With the Hoosiers’ year coming to a close, Inside the Hall had a series wrapping up each player’s campaign.

Additionally, despite the lack of success, Indiana is still one of the most popular college basketball programs, and a look at how its former players did. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, which was led by softball continuing its strong start to 2026.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• NCAA Tourney Results

• Inside the Hall’s That’s A Wrap Series

• IU Amongst Ten Most Popular College Basketball Programs

• How Former Indiana Players Did This Season

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Start To Season

Banner #1: NCAA Tourney Results

The Hoosiers’ season is over after once again failing to secure a spot in March Madness as expected. This was the third straight year and eighth time in 10 seasons IU has found itself in this position.

However, with or without Indiana, the NCAA Tournament continues. With NIL seemingly widening the gap between mid-major and power five teams, the competition has featured fewer upsets than usual.

However, with that said, there have still been some thrilling results. Despite the Hoosiers not being a part of it, the Big Ten sent nine teams to the dance, and two of the most exciting games happened early on Thursday involving them. The first was Ohio State losing a nailbiter to TCU, and the other was Wisconsin getting knocked off late in a thriller against High Point, which was the only true ‘Cinderella’ to win in the first round.

However, after these two disappointments, it has been all roses for the conference, with Illinois, Michigan, and Michigan State all winning two games to advance to the Sweet 16. Finally, Nebraska seemingly completed its identity swap with IU late on Saturday night to also advance to the second weekend in a terrific blow-for-blow matchup with Vanderbilt. With the Cornhuskers success, the transformation from history to them being a ‘basketball school’ now and Indiana a ‘football school’ seems complete for the moment.

Purdue, UCLA, and Iowa will look to join these four other league programs in the Sweet 16 with games today. In other notable results, Duke nearly became the rare victim of a loss as a one seed in the first round but survived Siena. Meanwhile, their arch-rival, North Carolina, had a complete meltdown against VCU with inexcusable late turnovers. In another blueblood thriller, Kentucky hit a half-court prayer to force overtime and eventually knock off Santa Clara.

The only mid-major squad still with a chance at the Sweet 16 is Utah State, which has a very tall task against top-seeded Arizona today. Lastly, to emphasize the mostly ‘chalk’ results of this year’s tourney so far, budget-rich Texas is the only double-digit seed to advance to the second weekend at this point.

Banner #2: Inside the Hall’s That’s A Wrap Series

With the season now over for IU, Inside the Hall did a series breaking down each of the team’s rotation players in detail. They looked at Trent Sisley, Jasai Miles, Nick Dorn, Tayton Conerway, Reed Bailey, Conor Enright, Sam Alexis, Tucker DeVries, and Lamar Wilkerson.

Banner #3: IU Amongst Ten Most Popular College Basketball Programs

Despite the struggles, the popularity of IU’s basketball program has seemingly not faded. Using multiple factors, Nielsen ranked the Hoosiers the eighth most popular team in college basketball. Michigan was fourth, Illinois seventh, and Ohio State ninth, as the other Big Ten programs to crack the top-10, with Duke taking the top spot.

Banner #4: How Former Indiana Players Did This Season

11 former Hoosiers competed on other college basketball teams this year. These players were Kaleb Banks (DePaul), Kanaan Carlyle (Florida Atlantic), Gabe Cupps (Ohio State), Logan Duncomb (Winthrop), CJ Gunn (DePaul), Dallas James (Morgan State), Mackenzie Mgbako (Texas A&M), Jakai Newton (Georgia State), Malik Reneau (Miami [FL]) Myles Rice (Maryland), and Bryson Tucker (Washington).

Carlyle, Duncomb, Gunn, and Reneau were by far the most successful, averaging double figures. Team-wise, Cupps, Mgbako, and Reneau made it to March Madness, with Reneau the only one remaining as his Hurricanes look to upset Purdue today.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Inside the Hall’s Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Crimson Cast’s Scott Caulfield crossed over from the Back Home Network to discuss IU missing the NCAA Tourney again.

The Back Home Network itself has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Start To Season

• Softball continued its hot start to the season. After losing to Rutgers, they swept the rest of their results this week, knocking off IU Indy and taking two from Maryland to open that series. At 24-6, their RPI sits around 60, which is well within range for a fourth straight NCAA Tourney appearance.

• Baseball had its best week of the spring to date (outside of some unfortunate injury news), knocking off SEC power Vanderbilt on the road and taking two from Minnesota to open that series. Their RPI improved into the top 70 after sitting well outside the top 100 last week. However, sitting at just 10-12, a second straight year of missing the NCAA Tourney seems most likely barring a huge turnaround in the second half of the season. Also, the Big Ten announced a new format for the sport’s conference tourney in late May.

• Water Polo beat Pomona-Pitzer and San Jose State but lost to UC San Diego and Cal.

• Women’s tennis beat Minnesota but lost to Northwestern.

• Men’s tennis beat Washington but lost to Ohio State.

• Swimming and Diving saw the women finish seventh nationally at the NCAA Championships.

• Wrestling finished 21st at the NCAA Championships.

• Women’s golf finished fourth at the Valspar Augusta Invitational.

• Men’s golf finished tied for 12th at the Schenkel Invitational.

• Rowing concluded its opening weekend at the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational.

• Finally, football will show off its national championship trophy with a tour around Indiana. As a result of the sports success, Scott Dolson was honored as the athletic director of the year by NACDA, and coach Curt Cignetti will drive the pace car at the Indy 500.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU lost to Northwestern again in the conference tourney, very likely ending their season. As their NCAA Tournament chances are nearly zero, the Hoosiers will head into the offseason looking to build a stronger roster to get back to March Madness in 2026-2027.

Additionally, Lamar Wilkerson was honored by the Big Ten as a bright spot for the year and women’s basketball is on to the offseason as well. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, which was led by softball continuing its strong start to 2026.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Hoosiers’ Season Likely Ends With Another Loss To NW

• NCAA Bracketology

• Wilkerson Honored By Big Ten

• Women’s Basketball Looks To Next Season As Several Enter Transfer Portal

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Start To Season

Banner #1: Hoosiers’ Season Likely Ends With Another Loss To NW

The Hoosiers headed to the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago, needing wins to stay alive in their quest for March Madness. Instead, Northwestern stopped IU dead in its tracks in a game that played out nearly identically to Indiana’s loss in Bloomington to the Wildcats a couple of weeks earlier.

IU came out of the gate firing and took a solid lead early. However, the second half was another dead performance for the Hoosiers, and in the end, NW pulled away for a 74-61 victory and their seventh straight win over Indiana.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Quinn Richards and Josh Pos put together columns about the struggles to close the season.

Banner #2: NCAA Bracketology

By finishing 18-14 overall and 9-11 in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers are almost certainly on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble now. This means they will head into the offseason losers of six of seven games.

With that said, the conference is well-positioned to potentially end its long streak of not winning a national title. The league will send nine teams to the Big Dance, with Michigan and a couple of others being amongst the favorites to cut down the nets.

While IU sat 17-8 in early February and appeared cruising towards March Madness, water found its level to preseason projections, and the team ran out of answers down the stretch. As a result, they will head into the offseason needing to use the transfer portal again to try to fully rebuild into a better squad for 2026-2027, which opens April 7.

Indiana has made the tournament just twice in the last decade, and DeVries and new executive director Ryan Carr will be tasked with trying to improve a flawed roster. They did not create this decade of malaise, but will nonetheless be tasked with building a roster that needs a Big Ten-level point guard and post player, which it lacked this year. Fans are rightfully impatient as recent times have not matched the historic highs this program expects, and supporters have to hope the trio of incoming freshmen and newcomers can turn things around.

Banner #3: Wilkerson Honored By Big Ten

Despite the struggles, the one bright spot was outgoing senior Lamar Wilkerson. He was the one player with a complete skill set and easily able to hold his own in a grueling Big Ten. As a result, the conference honored him on the all-league team.

Banner #4: Women’s Basketball Suffers Season-Ending Loss To Buckeyes In Big Ten Tourney

Women’s basketball’s season is also over. Unlike the men, who have struggled mightily to find their way into March Madness, the women have been a fixture there. While they closed the year strong, winning seven of ten, they will still miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 20017-2018. However, before their long streak in the Big Dance, they made the WNIT multiple times, including winning it once.

While the squad could go back to this secondary competition again, they apparently are declining to do so. As a result, they will not participate in postseason play for the first time since 2014-2015, which was the inaugural season of current coach Teri Moren’s tenure.

While Indiana will not be playing, the Big Ten has an excellent chance to end its long drought of not cutting down the nets. A dozen teams will be headed to March Madness from the league, with UCLA and a couple of others in prime position to claim the trophy.

However, with the men also seemingly declining any form of postseason play, it will be the first time the month of March will not see postseason play for either gender at IU since 2010-2011. The women, however, have a very bright future with the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history and the presumed return of program stalwart Lenee Beaumont and freshmen Maya Makalusky and Nevaeh Caffey, who came on strong in February. They will need to add depth around the edges with three players at the back of the roster entering the transfer portal.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Start To Season

• Softball continued its hot start to the season. They knocked off Minnesota last week to take that series and have won the first two over Rutgers this weekend, as well as a midweek game against Loyola Chicago. Their RPI sits around 60 in the NCAA’s first reveal, which is well within range for a fourth straight NCAA Tourney appearance.

• Baseball lost a conference series to woeful Washington. While they did beat Wright State in the midweek, their offense has been ice cold in conference play so far, as they have lost the first two to Oregon as well. They sit well outside the top-100 in the RPI, and a second straight year of missing the NCAA Tourney seems likely barring something unforeseen.

• Wrestling finished tenth at the Big Ten Championships, which is their highest since 2012. They will send six athletes to the NCAA Championships.

• Water Polo beat Princeton but fell to Long Beach State.

• Women’s tennis lost to Wisconsin.

• Men’s tennis fell to USC and Oregon.

• Track and field competed at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

• Rowing opened its season at the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational.

• Swimming and diving had many athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships on the women’s side.

• Football saw coach Curt Cignetti and QB Fernando Mendoza receive more postseason honors.

• Finally, IU announced that former athletic director Clarence Doninger passed away.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU had a trio of games this week, and unfortunately for Indiana fans, they won just one of them. This moves their NCAA Tournament chances to nearly zero without a huge run in the Big Tournament.

Additionally, women’s basketball saw its season end in the conference tourney. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, which was led by softball continuing its strong start to 2026.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Hoosiers Top Minnesota On Senior Night

• Michigan State Too Much For IU

• Indiana Falls To Ohio State In Bubble Battle

• Women’s Basketball Suffers Season-Ending Loss To Buckeyes In Big Ten Tourney

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Start To Season

Banner #1: Hoosiers Top Minnesota On Senior Night

The game against the Golden Gophers was the bright light this week in a lot of darkness. On Senior Night, Indiana built a huge lead early against Minnesota and won going away 77-47.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Quinn Richards put together a column about the dominant victory.

Banner #2: Michigan State Too Much For IU

Facing a chance for a signature victory against Michigan State, the Spartans left no doubt who the better team was. MSU jumped out to a huge lead early behind hot shooting. While the Hoosiers never let the game get out of hand, they never seriously challenged for a victory, falling 77-64.

Afterwards, DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Josh Pos put together a column about the uphill battle all day.

Banner #3: Indiana Falls To Ohio State In Bubble Battle

Despite all the roster turnover in the offseason, the Hoosiers had a chance to put themselves into a great position to make the NCAA Tournament by beating the Buckeyes. Instead, their defense struggled all day in a 91-78 loss and moved Indiana further from the bubble.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Corazza wrote a Minute After, and Bozich penned Five Takeaways.

Indiana returns to action as the no. 10 seed in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday at 6:30 pm on BTN (the time slot and network for any possible matchups on the first three days remain constant). They will first face the winner of Penn State and Northwestern, who play the day before. If the Hoosiers win this, arch-rival Purdue awaits on Thursday, before Michigan State or Nebraska would be the opponent on Friday with a second victory.

By finishing 18-13 overall and 9-11 in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers are likely on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble now. They will almost certainly need to win at least three games in Chicago this week to have a chance to go dancing in March Madness.

Banner #4: Women’s Basketball Suffers Season-Ending Loss To Buckeyes In Big Ten Tourney

Women’s basketball closed its season on a hot streak, winning seven of nine before falling to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tourney to close its 2025-2026 campaign. However, a day earlier, they rallied from 20 points down to beat Nebraska in a thriller, leaving optimism for the future. Also, both Shay Ciezki and Maya Makalusky received postseason honors from the league.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink was recorded this week. Inside the Hall’s own Corazza joined Bozich to discuss the big picture of where the program is at.

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Softball Continues Strong Start To Season

• Softball continued its hot start to the season. They knocked off UNC Greensboro and Minnesota this week to improve their record to 17-5 despite losing one to the Gophers also.

• Baseball beat Western Kentucky and split its first two games with Washington.

• Women’s tennis beat Southern Indiana but lost to arch-rival Purdue.

• Men’s tennis fell to UCLA in its Big Ten opener.

• Swimming and diving had many athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships on the women’s side.

• Track and field had three athletes qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships.

• Men’s golf competed at the Colleton River Collegiate.

• Several former men’s soccer players are now competing in the MLS.

• Volleyball announced a top matchup for next fall against Tennessee.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU is looking to get better for the future and did so by hiring a new staff member. However, in the meantime, this season is now headed in the wrong direction after a very costly loss to Northwestern, putting their NCAA Tournament hopes in serious question.

Additionally, we will examine Bracketology, and the women’s basketball team had its best week of the season. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, which was led by men’s swimming and diving winning yet another Big Ten Title.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Basketball Hires New Staff Member

• Indiana Suffers Dreadful Loss to Northwestern To Put March Madness Bid In Serious Jeopardy

• NCAA Bracketology

• Women’s Basketball Upsets Oregon in Big Week To Clinch Big Ten Tourney Spot

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Men’s Swimming And Diving Wins Big Ten Title

Banner #1: IU Basketball Hires New Staff Member

As this season winds down, Indiana basketball made a hire to the staff that appears to be looking towards a better future. This addition is bringing on Ryan Carr to be the team’s executive director of basketball.

Carr is a 1996 IU grad and former undergraduate manager for the basketball squad while in school, and comes from right up the road in Indianapolis after a long stint in the NBA with the Pacers. While with them, he was Senior Vice President of Player Personnel and helped build a roster that was one game from winning an NBA Championship last summer.

With NIL and the transfer portal, Carr will be tasked with helping to construct a squad that is well-balanced compared to the past. This equivalent position is becoming much more common in college sports, given the constant turnover of personnel, and IU’s choice to fill it appears to be met with optimism.

In Carr, the Hoosiers bring on a guy with professional basketball experience in a front office. However, he combines this with previous work at the college level while serving for 10-years as assistant coach at UTEP. This combination would seem to make him a perfect fit, and Carr appears excited to have this new role.

Banner #2: Indiana Suffers Dreadful Loss to Northwestern To Put March Madness Bid In Serious Jeopardy

Tuesday night against Northwestern showed why IU needs a better-constructed roster in future years. While they finally have a modern system that emphasizes the three-pointer and spacing, the lack of post players and backup options when shots don’t fall continues to haunt the team.

The game against the Wildcats was Exhibit A when it comes to this. When shots were falling in the first half, Indiana built a nine-point halftime lead. However, the Hoosiers went ice cold in the final 20 minutes, and even their best scoring options, Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson, couldn’t buy a basket.

When the long shots are falling, IU can play with anyone in the country. However, when they don’t, Indiana can lose to anyone in the conference, as evidenced by Northwestern pulling out a 72-68 win despite being towards the very bottom of the league.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Nick Rodecap put together a column about the defeat putting Indiana’s NCAA Tourney chances in serious question.

The Hoosiers returns to action today at 3:45 pm on CBS. They will face a must-win contest against elite Michigan State at Assembly Hall. While this is a tall task, it is a game IU must find a way to win if they want any chance of salvaging their NCAA Tourney chances.

Banner #3: NCAA Bracketology

At 17-11 overall and 8-9 in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers are right on the edge of the NCAA Tournament bubble after the costly loss to the Wildcats this week. They still have a decent NET near 40.

While their metrics are somewhat improved from the previous versions of this squad due to beating struggling teams by large margins until this week, they lack many high-end wins and have struggled with other postseason squads. To put themselves back in a likely discussion for March Madness, they likely need to sweep this week, which would include two more quad-one wins and get them to 20 victories overall. However, the level of competition makes this a big ask.

Looking at Bracketology, Indiana is still right on the brink of the field at the moment. However, they can ill afford any more losses, given their precarious position as either one of the last couple of teams in or the first few out in most projections.

Inside the Hall and Assembly Call’s own Bracketologist, Andy Bottoms, projected the Hoosiers as an 11 seed earlier in the week, bound for the play-in game in Dayton. However, this was before the defeat to Northwestern, showing how precarious IU’s position is.

Banner #4: Women’s Basketball Upsets Oregon in Big Week To Clinch Big Ten Tourney Spot

Women’s basketball has surged recently and that continued this week. While it is almost certainly too late to make the NCAA Tournament, the Hoosiers have now won six of eight and are getting hot down the stretch.

This week, they upset Oregon for their first victory over a projected NCAA Tournament squad this season. They followed that up by beating struggling Rutgers and Penn State. All three victories ensured IU finished above .500 overall, and as a result locked up a Big Ten Tourney berth. This feat also makes them eligible for the second-tier WNIT or WBI Tournaments to participate in some form of postseason play should they choose to accept.

Their run in the conference tourney begins as the 13-seed on Wednesday at 3:30 pm with a moderate challenge. The opponent will be 12-seed Nebraska in Indianapolis who beat the Hoosiers in Lincoln in a close game early in the league year.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Inside the Hall’s Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Bozich is joined by Scott Agness, who covers the Pacers, to get more perspective on the Carr hire.

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Men’s Swimming And Diving Wins Big Ten Title

• Swimming and diving won the Big Ten Championship for the fifth year in a row on the men’s side.

• Softball had a huge week, winning six of seven games that included victories over Boston College and USF last weekend, as well as over Charleston Southern, Elon, and UNC Greensboro this weekend.

• Baseball had mixed results, this week defeating Xavier but falling to Notre Dame. They also have lost two of three to Western Kentucky so far this weekend.

• Wrestling competed at the Last Chance Open.

• Water polo fell to elite UCLA and USC.

• Track and field competed at the Big Ten Championships.

• Women’s golf finished ninth at the Chevron Collegiate.

• Volleyball announced it will compete on a foreign tour this summer.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU had its toughest matchups of the year. As a result, they were dominated by elite Illinois and Purdue.

Additionally, we will examine Bracketology, and the women’s basketball team struggled on the West Coast. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, which was led by football, giving another extension to Curt Cignetti.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Hoosiers Fall Flat In Second Half Against Illinois

• IU Dominated By Arch-Rival Purdue

• NCAA Bracketology

• Women’s Basketball Falls On The West Coast

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Cignetti Inks Another New Contract

Banner #1: Hoosiers Fall Flat In Second Half Against Illinois

IU basketball hung tough for a while, but then things got away in the second half in Champaign. With little offensive production outside Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana saw the Illini pull away for a 71-51 victory.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Quinn Richards put together a column about rebounding struggles.

Banner #2: IU Dominated By Arch-Rival Purdue

Things got even worse in Mackey Arena as IU was never in the game from the moment it tipped off. Purdue dominated from start to finish, and when it was over, they had won 93-64.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Corazza wrote a Minute After, Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Josh Pos and Nick Rodecap put together columns about the struggles.

Indiana returns to action on Tuesday at 7 pm on FS1. They will face a must-win contest against struggling Northwestern back at Assembly Hall as the Hoosiers begin a critical three-game homestand.

Banner #3: NCAA Bracketology

At 17-10 overall and 8-8 in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers are likely still on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble despite the struggles this week. They still have a solid NET in the 30’s.

These metrics are much improved from the previous versions of this squad due to beating struggling teams by large margins. They have also kept their defeats to relatively low amounts outside of a couple of exceptions, including this week, which was also an issue in the past.

Looking at Bracketology, Indiana still appears relatively safe in the field at the moment. They can possibly shore up a spot by simply defeating the two struggling oppositions coming into Assembly Hall over the couple of weeks, but another win to get to 20 wins overall would make things much more comfortable. However, to stay out of Dayton and the “First Four’, an additional signature victory over Michigan State or Ohio State could be necessary.

Inside the Hall and Assembly Call’s own Bracketologist, Andy Bottoms, projected the Hoosiers as a 10 seed earlier in the week. Most other projections had Indiana around the nine or 10 line as well.

Banner #4: Women’s Basketball Falls On The West Coast

The women’s extreme struggles in this Big Ten season returned this week. With much tougher competition on the West Coast, IU fell in a blowout to UCLA.

It is now vital to beat struggling Rutgers and Penn State later this week, as it would keep the Hoosiers above .500 overall and likely lock up a Big Ten Tourney berth. This would also make them eligible for the second-tier WNIT or WBIT to participate in some form of postseason play.

First, though, today they have a moderate challenge. They take on Oregon at home with tipoff at 1 pm on BTN.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming. This included Crimson Cast’s Galen Clavio doing a bracketology episode on Saturday, confirming IU is still fairly safely in the NCAA Tournament field.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Cignetti Inks Another New Contract

• Football gave head coach Curt Cignetti yet another new contract. Also, QB Fernando Mendoza received yet another postseason award.

• Baseball defeated Bradley and UCF but fell to LSU.

• Softball was defeated by Nevada but beat Colgate and Saint Joseph’s.

• Wrestling was beaten by Nebraska but edged arch-rival Purdue.

• Women’s tennis fell to Louisville but beat Cornell.

• Men’s tennis fell to Memphis and beat Texas Tech.

• Water polo defeated UC Davis and McKendree.

• Swimming and diving finished conference runner-ups on the women’s side.

• Track and field competed at the Alex Wilson Invitational.

• Men’s golf finished tied for eighth at the Gator Invitational.

• Several former men’s soccer players are now competing in the MLS.

• Volleyball announced its spring exhibition schedule.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU got the victory it needed this week in basketball to remain on track for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers beat Oregon behind Lamar Wilkerson’s huge game.

Additionally, we will examine Bracketology, a non-conference opponent was revealed, and the women’s basketball team got a victory over arch-rival Purdue. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Indiana sports in action, which was led by a couple of coaching updates for football.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Hoosiers Dominate Oregon Behind Wilkerson’s Huge Night

• NCAA Bracketology

• IU To Host Bellarmine Next Year

• Women’s Basketball Tops Archrival Purdue

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Sunseri Returning To Football Staff and Haines Honored

Banner #1: Hoosiers Dominate Oregon Behind Wilkerson’s Huge Night

IU basketball picked up a big victory over Oregon on Monday to remain on track for the NCAA Tournament (more below). In a contest that was a must-win to avoid a bad loss, the Hoosiers won by pulling away with red-hot offense.

Indiana controlled this game comfortably for most of the final 20 minutes. Led by 82% shooting in the second half and a huge night from Big Ten Player Of The Week Lamar Wilkerson, IU won easily 92-74.

Wilkerson’s 41 points led four Hoosiers in double figures. This performance came on a night when the 1975-1976 undefeated national championship team was honored, which included an announcement that a statue would be built for legendary coach Bob Knight.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Quinn Richards put together a column about Wilkerson.

Indiana returns to action today with a huge challenge. They head to Champaign to take on an elite Illinois squad at 1 pm on CBS.

Banner #2: NCAA Bracketology

At 17-8 overall and 8-6 in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers are almost certainly on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble following their recent hot streak. With winning five out of six, IU now has two quad one wins and a solid NET in the low 30’s.

These metrics are much improved from the previous versions of this squad due to beating struggling teams by large margins. They have also kept their defeats to relatively low amounts outside of a couple of exceptions, which was also an issue in the past.

Looking at Bracketology, Indiana appears relatively safe in the field at the moment. They can likely shore up a spot by simply defeating the two struggling oppositions coming into Assembly Hall over the next few weeks. However, to stay out of Dayton and the “First Four’, an additional victory would be helpful as it would get them to 20 overall on the season and a winning record in conference play.

Inside the Hall and Assembly Call’s own Bracketologist, Andy Bottoms, projected the Hoosiers as a 10 seed earlier in the week. Most other projections had Indiana around the nine or 10 line as well.

Banner #3: IU To Host Bellarmine Next Year

While this year still has a long way to go, another opponent for the 2026 non-conference schedule was learned for next fall. Previously, the only piece known was the signature matchup with Kentucky in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Now, an early-season contest on Nov. 5 against Bellarmine was reported by Jon Rothstein this week. The Hoosiers and Knights have never played outside of an exhibition game in 2015-2016 before Bellarmine moved up to division one, and the school is based in Louisville.

Banner #4: Women’s Basketball Tops Archrival Purdue

The women’s extreme struggles in this Big Ten season once again took a back seat this week. After going winless all of January, the squad won its third straight game by beating arch-rival Purdue 74-59 at home last Sunday.

This victory was critical, as only the top-15 make the conference tournament, and the win put them above that cutline. It is also vital to beat struggling Rutgers and Penn State late in the season, as it would keep the Hoosiers above .500 overall and likely lock up that Big Ten Tourney berth. This would also make them eligible for the second-tier WNIT or WBIT to participate in some form of postseason play.

Indiana faces a very tall task against UCLA today. This was after giving USC all they could handle on Thursday despite missing leading scorer and Big Ten Player Of The Week Shay Ciezki. Freshman Maya Makalusky showed why she is likely the program’s future star as she put up 29 points in the contest.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Alex Bozich was joined by Delphi Bracketology’s Brian Tonsoni to discuss IU’s tournament resume.

Also, The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Sunseri Returning To Football Staff and Haines Honored

• Football brought back Tino Sunseri to be on the coaching staff while defensive coordinator Brian Haines was honored as the nation’s top assistant, as high expectations continue for next season.

• Softball defeated Pacific, Nevada, and Portland State, while falling to Arizona State.

• Women’s tennis beat Virginia Tech and Bellarmine to remain perfect to open their year.

• Water polo defeated Mercyhurst and Mount St. Mary’s.

• Baseball was swept in its season opening series against an elite North Carolina squad. Also, three players were honored by the Big Ten this preseason.

• Track and field competed at the Music City Challenge and Valentine Invitational.

• Women’s soccer announced its spring exhibition schedule.

• Swimming and diving coach Ray Looze was elected to the ISCA Hall of Fame.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU got the split it needed this week in basketball to remain on track for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers recovered from a loss on Tuesday at USC with a thrilling win over Wisconsin yesterday.

Also, we will look at Bracketology, and the women’s basketball team got its first two Big Ten victories. As usual, we will conclude with weekly shows and a look at the rest of the Indiana sports in action, which was led by a strong opening weekend from softball.

In brief news, a former IU star was traded at the NBA trade deadline. Trayce Jackson-Davis was moved from the Golden State Warriors to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for a second-round pick.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Hoosiers Pick Up Key Win Over Wisconsin In Thriller

• IU Falls To USC To Close West Coast Road Trip

• NCAA Bracketology

• Women Pick Up First Two Big Ten Wins

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Softball Has Strong Opening Weekend

Banner #1: Hoosiers Pick Up Key Win Over Wisconsin In Thriller

IU basketball picked up a massive victory over Wisconsin on Saturday to remain on track for the NCAA Tournament (more below). In a contest between two teams clinging to a postseason bid, the Hoosiers won a thriller.

Indiana controlled this game comfortably for most of the day. However, as has happened so many times this season, a late run by the opponent occurred as the Hoosiers ran out of gas due to a lack of depth.

Sam Alexis did everything he could to keep IU a few possessions ahead by scoring inside, on a rare day when his squad struggled from long range with just five makes from there. However, the offense fell apart in the last few minutes, and the Badgers turned a 68-62 deficit into a 72-68 advantage in the final minute.

However, in a complete 180 from previous versions of Hoosier basketball, the 2025-2026 one makes its free throws in the clutch. Lamar Wilkerson had four makes from the charity stripe late to force overtime and four more in the extra session.

Indiana trailed 77-74 late in the OT, but Wilkerson made a layup to cut the deficit to a single point, and Conor Enright drew a charge to give IU a possession to win. Wilkerson took advantage of this as he was fouled with under three seconds left and made both from the line to go ahead. A last second halfcourt heave from Wisconsin was not close.

The final was 78-77 as Wilkerson finished with 25 points to lead the Hoosiers, including the last 10 points Indiana scored in the game. Alexis added 19 points, Tucker DeVries came out of his slump to contribute 16 points, while Enright rounded out the squad’s double-figure scorers with 11 points.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Nick Rodecap put together a column about Enright.

Banner #2: IU Falls To USC To Close West Coast Road Trip

The victory over the Badgers was so critical due to what happened on Tuesday. In the finale of their West Coast road trip, Indiana came out flat.

While IU made a late run after falling behind by double figures, it was not enough. The Hoosiers fell to USC 81-75 after getting the lead down to one in the final minute.

Wilkerson was the only one who scored big on the night. He was also the only Indiana player to hit double figures and scored nearly half of his team’s total points, finishing with 33.

Afterwards, Coach DeVries spoke, Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Josh Pos penned a column about IU nearly pulling the comeback.

Their next game comes up fast, but it’s against a team struggling big time due to multiple injuries. The Hoosiers face an Oregon squad with just one conference win tomorrow at 8:30 pm on FS1, where a bad loss will need to be avoided.

Banner #3: NCAA Bracketology

At 16-8 overall and 7-6 in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers are almost certainly on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble following their recent hot streak. With winning four out of five, IU now has two quad one wins and a solid NET in the low 30’s.

These metrics are much improved from the previous versions of this squad due to beating struggling teams by large margins. They have also kept their defeats to relatively low amounts outside of a couple of exceptions, which was also an issue in the past.

Looking at Bracketology, Indiana appears relatively safe in the field at the moment. They can likely shore up a spot by simply defeating the three struggling oppositions coming into Assembly Hall over the next few weeks. However, to stay out of Dayton and the “First Four’, an additional victory would be helpful as it would get them to 20 overall on the season and a winning record in conference play.

Inside the Hall and Assembly Call’s own Bracketologist, Andy Bottoms. projected the Hoosiers as a 10 seed earlier in the week. Other projections had Indiana around the nine or 10 line as well.

Banner #4: Women Pick Up First Two Big Ten Wins

The women’s extreme struggles in this Big Ten season finally took a back seat this week. After going winless all of January, the squad has won its first two games in February, defeating Northwestern last Sunday and winning at Wisconsin on Wednesday.

While the NCAA Tournament is well out of reach, the Hoosiers face arch-rival Purdue today in Bloomington, looking for a realistic third straight win. This matchup is critical, as only the top-15 make the conference tournament, and a victory today would put them above that cutline.

Also, while March Madness is not realistic, beating the Boilermakers as well as struggling Rutgers and Penn State late in the season would keep the Hoosiers above .500 overall. This would make them eligible for the second-tier WNIT or WBIT to participate in some form of postseason play.

Finally, while 2025-2026 has been an extreme struggle, the future is much brighter. This is because the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history will come in next season, and Addy Nyemchek, the top-ranked player in it, was named the program’s first McDonald’s All-American.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Alex Bozich was joined by the IndyStar’s Zach Osterman to discuss IU’s offseason in football and the stretch run in basketball.

Also, The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Softball Has Strong Opening Weekend

• Softball had a solid first weekend, defeating Army, Ohio State, Delaware, and Stonehill after a season-opening loss to elite Florida Atlantic.

• Wrestling continued what was a dominating week of the Badgers across IU athletics, upsetting top-15 Wisconsin.

• Men’s tennis beat Middle Tennessee, Toledo, and Dartmouth.

• Women’s tennis beat West Virginia to remain perfect to open their year.

• Women’s golf finished seventh at its first tournament of the spring season.

• Track and field took part in the Windy City Invitational.

• Water polo suffered its first loss of the season to Harvard.

• Football announced its new Director of Athletic Performance.

• Men’s soccer announced its spring exhibition schedule and signed its next recruiting class.

• Field hockey announced its spring exhibition schedule.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU finally appears to have turned the corner on the hardwood. Whether it be two signature wins or the recruiting trail, the Hoosiers had their best week of the season.

Also, football announced its schedule for next year. As usual, we will conclude with weekly shows and a look at the rest of the Indiana sports in action, which was led by big victories for swimming and diving.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Hoosiers Knock Off Arch-Rival Purdue For First Signature Win Of Season

• IU Continues Hot Streak With Double OT Thriller Victory At UCLA

• Indiana Snags Third Recruit For Next Year

• Football Announces 2026 Fall Schedule

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Swimming And Diving Beats Louisville and Purdue

Banner #1: Hoosiers Knock Off Arch-Rival Purdue For First Signature Win Of Season

IU basketball appears to have caught the winning ways from football’s national championship, as the gridiron Hoosiers were honored at Assembly Hall on this night. This was part of a special Tuesday evening in Bloomington in multiple ways.

Led by the emergence of Nick Dorn and Reed Bailey to go with the always strong play of Tucker Devries and especially Lamar Wilkerson, this squad has rounded into form as it makes a postseason push. It started with a win over archrival Purdue 72-67.

Indiana controlled this game comfortably for most of the night. However, a late run from the Boilermakers cut the lead to 2 with about a minute left. Then Conor Enright drilled a dagger three and the team held on from there. Wilkerson and Dorn scored 19 and 18 points respectively as the team made 12 three pointers on the night to key the victory.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Quinn Richards and Josh Pos put together columns about the night.

Banner #2: IU Continues Hot Streak With Double OT Thriller Victory At UCLA

The winning continued in Los Angeles on Saturday. In the most thrilling back-and-forth victory this season, the Hoosiers came out on top 98-97 in double overtime.

Indiana held a 10-point lead with under two minutes to go before another late collapse forced overtime. Despite this, IU showed grit and heart in the extra sessions, making multiple clutch free throws and Wilkerson layups. In the end, Trent Sisley was fouled with under a second left in the second overtime and made the game-winning free throw.

Bailey, Dorn. and Wilkerson combined for 74 points with each scoring at least 24 individually in the victory. The squad as a whole also made a strong 31-38 from the free throw line, including 10-14 in the OT’s.

Afterwards, Coach DeVries spoke, Corazza wrote a Minute After, and Pos penned a column about IU’s character.

At 15-7 overall and 6-5 in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers likely moved to the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble with their first two quad one victories this season as they climb the conference standings. Their West Coast trip concludes on the other side of Los Angeles on Tuesday when they face USC at 10 pm on Peacock.

Banner #3: Indiana Snags Third Recruit For Next Fall

It wasn’t just on the court that major wins occurred this week. The victories also took place off it, as IU bagged a third big-time recruit for next fall.

Trevor Manhertz decided on Wednesday where he would play college basketball in 2026 and picked the Hoosiers. Manhertz is a top-75 wing and the third member of the class joining Prince-Alexander Moody and Vaughn Karvala.

Banner #4: Football Announces 2026 Fall Schedule

With their national championship now in the rearview mirror, the 2026 fall schedule was announced by the Big Ten for football this last week. While IU has had many big games in the last couple of years, pretty much every one of them has been on the road or at a neutral site.

This will change next year when Indiana has signature home games against Ohio State and USC. This is two of the eight matchups at Memorial Stadium next autumn.

The other piece of news related to the team is that star WR Omar Cooper Jr. declared for the NFL draft. However, even with him leaving, this room should be just as good going forward with the return of Charlie Becker and the addition of top-level Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh. Also, with Josh Hoover coming in to play QB, the Hoosiers should once again contend at the top of college football.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Alex Bozich was joined by Inside the Hall’s own Corazza to discuss IU’s victory over Purdue.

Also, The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Swimming And Diving Beats Purdue and Louisville

• Swimming and diving swept arch-rival Purdue and ranked Louisville.

• Water polo beat a trio of opponents to continue its undefeated start to the season.

• Women’s tennis swept Cincinnati and Eastern Kentucky to remain perfect to open their year.

• Wrestling beat Michigan State and lost to Illinois.

• Track and field took part in multiple events this weekend.

• Men’s soccer signed five players from the transfer portal.

• Finally, women’s basketball lost to Purdue as well as Michigan this week. They have a legitimate chance, though, for their first Big Ten win when they face struggling Northwestern today.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Football finished the job. The Hoosiers of the gridiron gave Indiana its first national championship of any kind since IU soccer in 2012.

Also, men’s and women’s basketball continued Big Ten play with mixed results. As usual, we will conclude with weekly shows and a look at the rest of the Hoosiers sports in action with was led by water polo continuing to roll.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Football Hoosiers Win National Championship

• Hoosier Basketball Beats Rutgers To Stop Slide

• Indiana Defeated By Michigan

• Women’s Basketball Falls To Ohio State

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Water Polo Continues To Roll

Banner #1: Football Hoosiers Win National Championship

IU fans have been waiting for a sixth banner in basketball since 1987, hence the name of this publication. However, in an alternate way, that sixth major banner did come for Hoosier athletics.

While the next basketball championship will have to wait, this achievement is just as significant for Indiana fans. This is because the unthinkable happened as IU is the national champion of college football after years at the bottom of the sport.

By beating Miami last Monday night, the Hoosiers finished 16-0, winning IU’s 26th national championship as an athletic department and first in football. The school boasts the most recent undefeated seasons in both football and men’s basketball now.

The final game was a thriller. Indiana needed a blocked punt for a TD, a late Fernando Mendoza incredible scramble score, and a game-sealing interception. In the end, though, the Hoosiers pulled out a 27-21 win on the Hurricanes’ home field and had roughly 2/3 of the crowd celebrating at Hard Rock Stadium with the trophy presentation afterwards.

For Indiana as a whole, despite some close calls, it was the first major championship for the state since the Colts won the Super Bowl on the same field back in February of 2007. Also, the celebration continued throughout the week and on Saturday with a celebration in Memorial Stadium despite the cold weather.

While IU should continue to be a newfound power in the sport as long as coach Curt Cignetti is in Bloomington, this particular version of the squad that galvanized Hoosier fans everywhere will change. Mendoza and DeAngelo Ponds, amongst others, are either declaring for the draft, leaving, or out of college eligibility.

However, this football season was something Indiana fans will never forget. This was evidenced by the huge crowds and TV numbers throughout the fall of 2025 and into 2026.

Banner #2: Hoosier Basketball Beats Rutgers To Stop Slide

IU finally stopped its four-game slide in basketball. As has been the case throughout 2025-2026, Indiana continued to easily take care of basketball teams that are struggling, regardless of venue, as they went to Rutgers and dominated the Scarlet Knights 82-59.

The Hoosiers had three players score at least 20 points as Tucker Devries, Nick Dorn, and Lamar Wilkerson all had huge nights. The team also won easily by knocking down 15 three-pointers.

Afterwards, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Quinn Richards put together a column about Dorn’s strong night.

Banner #3: Indiana Defeated By Michigan

While dominating struggling teams has not been a problem, beating squads with a pulse has been an issue for IU. This continued on Tuesday as Indiana was overwhelmed by elite Michigan from the get-go, before making the score more respectable late in an 86-72 loss.

Afterwards, IU Coach Darian DeVries spoke, Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, and Bozich penned Five Takeaways.

At 13-7 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers continue to sit near the NCAA Tournament bubble. They have a solid record but are in the midst of a tough stretch and host elite arch-rival Purdue on Tuesday (9 pm on Peacock) before a road matchup across the country at surging UCLA on Saturday (5 pm on Peacock).

Their NET sits around 35 overall. While they have few, if any, bad losses, they lack the critical signature victories needed on an NCAA Tournament resume. However, how they perform in the rest of conference play will decide if they make their first March Madness since 2023 or sink well out of the postseason picture.

Banner #4: Women’s Basketball Falls To Ohio State

Things have not gone much better (and arguably worse) on the women’s side. While reinforcements appear to be on the way for a better future with a new recruiting coordinator and the best recruiting class in program history for 2026-2027, the interim has been a massive struggle.

Currently, the team is paying for its previous recruiting issues while winning, which has all come to a head this season. The squad sits at 11-9 overall and 0-8 in the league.

This week saw a competitive loss to a top Ohio State squad. The Hoosiers’ first conference win could come today, however. This is because they head to arch-rival Purdue at 12 pm on BTN, and the Boilermakers have had similar trouble finding victories this season.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Alex Bozich was joined by Inside the Hall’s own Josh Pos to discuss football’s national championship.

Also, The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming, including several shows that talk about the national championship as well.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Water Polo Continues To Roll

• Water Polo upset top-10 UC Irvine and won three more times this week, including defeating ranked Brown, to improve to a perfect 5-0.

• Baseball put season tickets on sale.

• Men’s soccer had a player sign with a pro squad.

• Wrestling beat Maryland but lost to Penn State.

• Women’s tennis beat Kennesaw State and Butler.

• Men’s tennis fell to Mississippi State and Virginia.

• Track and field took part in the Crossroads Invite.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Football’s run in the playoffs will come to an end tomorrow night. Whether the game ends in a national championship or not, the best season in program history has been taken to the limit.

Also, men’s and women’s basketball continued Big Ten play with struggles. As usual, we will conclude with weekly shows and a look at the rest of the Indiana sports in action with was led by water polo pulling a huge upset in their season opener.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Football To Play For National Championship Tomorrow

• Hoosier Basketball Dominated At Michigan State

• Indiana Hits Low Point Against Iowa At Home

• Women’s Basketball Struggling As Well

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Water Polo Upsets Top 10 Squad

Banner #1: Football To Play For National Championship Tomorrow

The No. 1 football Hoosiers will play for the national championship tomorrow. IU fans will pack Miami as Indiana looks to take down the hometown Hurricanes and be crowned the best in college football.

IU is 15-0 overall and will play at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN on Monday. IU is now just this victory away from its first national title in the program’s history and is looking to be the first college football squad ever to go a perfect 16-0.

Under head coach Curt Cignetti the team has pulled arguably the greatest turnaround in sports history. For those who were unable to make it down to South Florida, a sold out watch party is happening in Assembly Hall as many will hope to celebrate back in Bloomington.

This success has also led to multiple recruiting victories for 2026. IU got big-time commitments from the portal this week.

Banner #2: Hoosier Basketball Dominated At Michigan State

IU basketball continued conference play as red flags are increasingly appearing. This week started with a blowout to Michigan State in East Lansing.

The Hoosiers hung tough for most of the night and were tied midway through the second half. However, Indiana fell apart from there and lost by a huge 81-60 margin.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Josh Pos put together a column about the teams woes late in games.

Banner #3: Indiana Hits Low Point Against Iowa At Home

The Hoosiers sunk even lower on Saturday. Against a solid but rebuilt Iowa squad at home, Indiana was barely in the game all afternoon.

While a few runs were made, IU got behind early and stayed there for most of the contest. In the end the season hit a low point in a 74-57 defeat against the Hawkeyes.

Afterwards, DeVries spoke, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After, and Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways.

At 12-6 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers continue to sit near the NCAA Tournament bubble. They have a solid record but are in the midst of a tough stretch with ranked teams and go to elite Michigan on Tuesday (7 pm on Peacock) before a winnable road matchup at struggling Rutgers on Friday (6 pm on FS1).

Their NET sits around 40 overall. While they have few if any bad losses, they lack the critical signature victories needed on an NCAA Tournament resume. However, how they perform in the rest of conference play will decide if they make their first March Madness since 2023 or sink well out of the postseason picture.

Banner #4: Women’s Basketball Struggling As Well

Things have not gone much better (and arguably worse) on the women’s side. While reinforcements appear to be on the way for a better future with a new recruiting coordinator and the best recruiting class in program history for 2026-2027, the interim has been a massive struggle.

Currently the team is paying for its previous recruiting issues while winning which has all come to a head this season. The squad sits at 11-8 overall and 0-7 in the league.

This week saw a couple of steps forward early on with a near-miss against an elite Iowa squad at home. However, several of those same forward steps went backwards a few days later. This was due to getting blown out by an up and down Washington squad who lost to basement dweller Purdue a few days earlier.

The Hoosiers first conference win is unlikely to come this week. This because they head to top notch Ohio State at 8 pm Thursday on Peacock.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week a couple of times. On them, Alex Bozich was joined by the Des Moines Register’s Tyler Tachman for the first episode before the retired Rick Bozich came on later in the week.

Also, The Back Home Network has several shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Water Polo Upsets Top 10 Squad

• Water Polo upset top-10 Fresno State in their season opener.

• Volleyball signed a player from the transfer portal.

• Men’s soccer hired a new assistant coach.

• Softball had several players on preseason watch lists.

• Wrestling lost to Ohio State.

• Track and field took part in the Indiana Invitational.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Football’s run in the playoffs continued. It was a rousing success as the Hoosiers ran Oregon off the field to reach the national championship game.

Also, men’s basketball returns to Big Ten play with mixed results. As usual, we will conclude with weekly shows and a look at the rest of the Indiana sports in action, which will look at women’s basketball’s continued struggles.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Football Dominates Alabama In The Rose Bowl

• Hoosier Basketball Faces Washington Today As Big Ten Play Resumes

• Indiana Dominates Maryland For First True Road Victory Of The Season

• Hoosiers Give Away Huge Lead In Loss To Nebraska

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Women’s Basketball Continues To Struggle

Banner #1: Football Dominates Oregon In The Peach Bowl

After the No. 1 Hoosiers won in their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1967, the next round against Oregon was another rousing success. IU fans packed Atlanta and turned it into another home-field advantage once the game kicked off.

Indiana rolled from the beginning as DeAngelo Ponds had a pick-six on the first play of the game to give IU a 7-0 lead. Oregon did answer with a touchdown. However, after that, the defense dominated, forcing three turnovers in the first half. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza turned these into points, and the Hoosiers had the game in hand by intermission with a 35-7 lead.

The second half was no different as Mendoza was in charge again and finished the contest 17-20 with 177 yards and five touchdowns. In the end, IU won 56-22 for their second win over the Ducks this year.

Indiana is now 15-0 overall and will face Miami in its home stadium on Monday, January 19, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. IU is now just this victory away from its first national title in the program’s history and is looking to be the first college football squad ever to go a perfect 16-0.

This success has also led to multiple recruiting victories. IU got big-time commitments from both high school and the portal this week.

Banner #2: IU Basketball Beats Washington In Resumption Of Conference Play

IU basketball had its first game returning to conference play. This opposition was Washington last Sunday.

As has been the case recently, the Hoosiers raced to a solid halftime lead with hot three-point shooting. However, the second half once again saw a run by the opposition. Then freshman Trent Sisley stemmed the tide with 8 points in a short period of time to put Indiana in charge again, and they never looked back in a 90-80 win.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Josh Pos put together a column about Conor Enright.

Banner #3: Indiana Dominates Maryland For First True Road Victory Of The Season

The Hoosiers finally got their first true road win on Wednesday. This came against a struggling Maryland side but left no doubt.

The early part of the contest was a struggle for both sides with ugly basketball. However, IU pulled away in the second half with good shot-making. In the end, Indiana won easily 84-66.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, and Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways.

Banner #4: Hoosiers Give Away Huge Lead In Loss To Nebraska

What appeared to be headed towards a perfect week for Hoosier fans with a cherry on top, forgot the decorative fruit in the end. While the ‘cake’ from the three earlier results was still delicious, the metaphorical cherry for this final contest was left in the kitchen at the last second.

This is because Indiana blew a 16-point second-half lead and fell 83-77 to top 10 Nebraska. These two programs appear to have swapped personalities as the historically elite Cornhusker football program has struggled as their basketball team is now top-notch. Meanwhile, the elite success of the past of IU basketball has seen mediocrity as the football squad is on the verge of a national championship.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After, and Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways.

At 12-4 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers continue to sit near the NCAA Tournament bubble. They have a solid record but are in the midst of a tough stretch with ranked teams and go to Michigan State on Tuesday (7 pm on NBC Sports Network and Peacock) and are home against Iowa on Saturday (2 pm on Fox).

Their NET sits around 30 overall. While they have no signature victories, they have kept their losses to close margins, and victories (except Incarnate Word) have come by large amounts. However, how they perform in the conference will decide if they make their first March Madness since 2023, and the results are mixed so far.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Alex Bozich is joined by Inside the Hall’s own Pos to discuss both IU football and basketball.

The Back Home Network has several new shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Women’s Basketball Continues To Struggle

• Women’s Basketball’s struggles to open Big Ten play continued with losses to Maryland and Nebraska.

• Volleyball coach Steve Aird signed a contract extension after the best season in program history.

• Men’s soccer has an underclassman leaving for the pros and a former player inking a deal as well.

• Baseball has a preseason All-American.

• Softball has a freshman on a preseason watch list.

• Swimming and diving competed against Michigan with mixed results.

• Track and field took part in the Rod McCravy Memorial.

• Men’s tennis topped Butler to open its season and also had a victory against Ball State.

• Water Polo announced its upcoming schedule.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Football’s long-awaited Rose Bowl appearance took place this week. It was a rousing success as the Hoosiers ran Alabama off the field.

Also, men’s basketball returns to Big Ten play, a look at their players to date, and women’s basketball struggled. As usual, we will conclude with weekly shows and a look at the rest of the Indiana sports in action, highlighted by wrestling competing at a tournament.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Football Dominates Alabama In The Rose Bowl

• Hoosier Basketball Faces Washington Today As Big Ten Play Resumes

• Non-Conference Player Review

• Women’s Basketball Dominated By Minnesota And Michigan State As Big Ten Play Resumes

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Wrestling Competes At Midlands

Banner #1: Football Dominates Alabama In The Rose Bowl

After its first Big Ten Championship since 1967, the No. 1 Hoosiers played in their first Rose Bowl since that same season. This turned into a rousing success as IU fans packed the eponymous venue in Pasadena and turned it into Memorial Stadium West.

Indiana rolled from the beginning after a three-and-out on their first offensive series. On their next drive, IU went to work methodically and managed a field goal. After that, the defense dominated, forcing a turnover on downs and a fumble, leading to quarterback Fernando Mendoza tossing two pretty touchdown passes and a 17-0 lead into the locker room.

The second half was no different as Mendoza threw another touchdown, and running backs Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby each ran for another. In the end, the Hoosiers were putting in backups and rolled over the longtime college football power Alabama Crimson Tide 38-3.

Indiana is now 14-0 overall and will face a rematch with Big Ten rival Oregon at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Friday at 7:30 pm on ESPN. IU is now just two wins from its first national title in the program’s history and is looking to be the first college football squad ever to go a perfect 16-0.

Banner #2: Hoosier Basketball Faces Washington Today As Big Ten Play Resumes

IU basketball returns to conference play tonight against Washington at 8 pm on BTN. This will be the first matchup of a busy time that sees them play at Maryland and host Nebraska later in the week.

At 10-3, their NET sits around 30 overall. While they have no signature victories, they have kept their losses to close margins, and victories (except Incarnate Word) have come by large amounts. However, how they perform in the conference will decide if they make their first March Madness since 2023, as they currently sit on the bubble.

Banner #3: Non-Conference Play Review

Inside the Hall put together a review of more of IU’s players to date. This included Sam Alexis, Reed Bailey, Nick Dorn, Conor Enright, and Trent Sisley.

Banner #4: Women’s Basketball Dominated By Minnesota And Michigan State As Big Ten Play Resumes

While women’s basketball avoided any bad losses during non-conference play, several of the contests against mid-majors were much closer than expected. This has led to poor metrics and a NET in the 50’s.

Indiana making a seventh straight NCAA Tourney seems like a pipe dream at this point. This is because they have limited scoring options outside guards Shay Ciezki and Lenee Beaumont.

These concerns were validated as IU returned to league play at home against Minnesota and Michigan State, and were dominated by both. The Hoosiers should eventually get starting center Zania Socka-Nguemen back from injury, but it is unclear how much this will help.

Things are unlikely to get better this week. This is because they face former Hoosier Yarden Garzon and a top-10 Maryland squad today in College Park before heading to Lincoln to play solid Nebraska on Thursday.

With all this said, the future appears much brighter with a new recruiting coach, Colsten Thompson. Already, freshmen Nevaeh Caffey and Maya Makalusky, despite being raw, are much more talented and athletic than previous prospects. Next season has the best class in program history signed, which is ranked in the top-10 nationally and features the two highest-ranked players IU has ever had. Also, more highly ranked prospects have visited Bloomington recently.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has several new shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Wrestling Competes At Midlands

• Wrestling competed at the Midlands Championship.

• Field Hockey signed a player.

• Volleyball has an incoming freshman in the Under Armour All-American Game.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU basketball won another game against a mid-major opponent despite not all moments being perfect. Also, football’s long-awaited Rose Bowl is scheduled for this week.

Additionally, women’s basketball won, and a look back at the Hoosiers’ non-conference season. As usual, we will conclude with weekly shows and a look at the rest of the Indiana sports in action, highlighted by baseball and softball announcing their upcoming spring schedules.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Hoosier Basketball Beats Siena

• Football Ready For Rose Bowl

• Women’s Basketball Beats Western Carolina

• Non-Conference Review

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Baseball And Softball Announce Upcoming Schedules

Banner #1: Hoosier Basketball Beats Siena

IU basketball had its final non-conference game against a mid-major opponent. This opposition was Siena on Monday.

As has been the case recently, the Hoosiers raced out to a huge 46-20 halftime lead with hot three-point shooting. However, the second half was a grind as shot-making lessened. While the lead was never really cut into, the advantage stayed right around 20-25 for the final 20 minutes. In the end, Indiana won 81-60 despite being outscored 40-35 after intermission.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Quinn Richards put together a column about the squad’s inconsistencies.

At 10-3 overall, the Hoosiers have finished non-conference play. They are now in the midst of a long holiday break before returning to Big Ten play for good in early January.

Their NET sits around 30 overall. While they have no signature victories, they have kept their losses to close margins, and victories (except Lindenwood) have come by large amounts. However, how they perform in the conference will decide if they make their first March Madness since 2023.

Banner #2: Football Ready For Rose Bowl

After its first Big Ten Championship since 1967, the football Hoosiers are ready for their first Rose Bowl since that same season. They have also moved to no. 1 in the country for the first time in program history.

Their next game will be against Alabama on New Year’s Day at 4 pm Eastern time on ESPN. This will be their first of three potential matchups in the College Football Playoff as Indiana chases its first national championship.

The Indiana staff and players spoke with the media this week to preview the matchup. While Alabama is still very talented and dangerous, it is far from the vintage squad they were under the now-retired Nick Saban several years ago. They are coached by former Hoosier offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer, and the staff features many other people with IU ties. The Crimson Tide is 11-3 overall, and Indiana is favored by about a touchdown.

Banner #3: Women’s Basketball Beats Western Carolina

Women’s basketball played Western Carolina in their non-conference finale on Sunday. IU remained ahead for the entire night and won easily 71-44.

With the victory, Indiana improved to 11-2 overall and heads into Big Ten play now for good. They will face Minnesota in Bloomington on Monday at 6 pm on BIG+ before a New Year’s Day showdown at Assembly Hall against Michigan State.

While the squad has avoided any bad losses, several of the contests against mid-majors have been much closer than expected. This has led to poor metrics and a NET in the 50’s. Whether Indiana can make their seventh straight NCAA Tourney will depend on how well it does in conference play, which remains an open question. This is because they have limited scoring options outside guards Shay Ciezki and Lenee Beaumont.

Banner #4: Non-Conference Review

Inside the Hall put together a review of IU’s top players in non-conference play. This included Indiana’s top three scorers, Lamar Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries, and Tayton Conerway.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has several new shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Baseball And Softball Announce Upcoming Schedules

• Baseball announced its upcoming spring schedule.

• Softball also announced its upcoming spring schedule.

• Men’s Soccer lost its top assistant, Kevin Robson, to the head coaching position at Loyola Chicago.

• Volleyball added an elite transfer for next fall.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU basketball got back on track in a game against a mid-major opponent despite not all moments being perfect. Also, football learned its opponent for the upcoming Rose Bowl.

Additionally, women’s basketball won and an update from around the Big Ten and former Hoosier players. As usual, we will conclude with weekly shows and a look at the rest of the Indiana sports in action, highlighted by baseball, which named a new pitching coach.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Hoosier Basketball Beats Chicago State

• Football Will Play Alabama In Rose Bowl

• Women’s Basketball Beats Eastern Michigan

• Big Ten And Former Player Update

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Baseball Names New Pitching Coach

Banner #1: Hoosier Basketball Beats Chicago State

IU basketball got back to a game against a mid-major opponent after a tough schedule recently. This opposition was Chicago State on Saturday.

The Hoosiers raced out to a huge 52-29 halftime lead with hot three-point shooting (14-26) as expected. However, the second-half was a grind as shot making lessened (just 1-20 from downtown). While the lead was never really cut into, the advantage stayed right around 20-25 for the final 20 minutes. In the end, Indiana won 78-58 despite being outscored 29-26 after intermission.

They were led in scoring by Big Ten Player of the Week Lamar Wilkerson. Wilkerson scored 21 points while hitting five shots from behind the three point line.

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Nick Rodecap put together a column about the squad’s inconsistencies.

At 9-3 overall, the Hoosiers take on Siena at 6 pm Monday on BTN. After that, it will be a long holiday break before returning to Big Ten play for good in early January.

Their NET sits around 30 overall. While they have no signature victories, they have kept their losses to close margins and victories (except Lindenwood) have come by large amounts. However, how they perform in conference will decide if they make their first March Madness since 2023.

Banner #2: Football Will Play Alabama In Rose Bowl

After its first Big Ten Championship since 1967, the football Hoosiers appeared on 60 Minutes last Sunday. They also moved to no. 1 in the country for the first time in program history and had their first ever Heisman Trophy winner.

Their next game will be against Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day at 4 pm Eastern time on ESPN. This will be their first of three potential matchups in the College Football Playoff as Indiana chases its first national championship.

Their opponent was learned on Friday after the Crimson Tide rallied from a 17-0 deficit against Oklahoma who self-imploded. The final was 34-24 as the Sooners had a punt blocked and threw a pick-six after building the large early lead.

While Alabama is still very talented and dangerous, they are far from the vintage squad they were under the now retired Nick Saban several years ago. They are coach by former Hoosier offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer and the staff features many other people with IU ties. The Crimson Tide are 11-3 overall and Indiana is favored by about a touchdown led by their elite defense.

Banner #3: Women’s Basketball Beats Eastern Michigan

Women’s basketball played a much closer than expected game against Eastern Michigan. While IU remained ahead for almost the entire night, the lead was just single digits for most of the contest.

In the end, the Hoosiers survived 74-67. With the victory, Indiana improved to 10-2 overall and has just one more non-conference matchup to go.

This will come today against Western Carolina at 1 pm on BIG+. While, the squad has avoided any bad losses, several of these contests against mid-majors have been much closer than expected.

This has led to poor metrics and a NET in the 40’s. Whether Indiana can make their seventh straight NCAA Tourney will depend on how well they do in conference play which remains an open question. This is due to the fact they have limited scoring options outside guards Shay Ciezki (who was honored by the Big Ten this week) and Lenee Beaumont.

Banner #4: Big Ten And Former Player Update

With a whole new roster for 2025-2026, 11 Indiana players are now competing on other squads across college basketball. The most successful of these guys by far is Malik Reneau at Miami who is averaging roughly 20 points a game as the Hurricanes are off to a solid 9-2 start and in the top-40 of KenPom.

The Big Ten as a whole has been strong in the early going with Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue looking like national championship contenders. The conference has not won a title since the Spartans 25 yrs ago, despite many Final Four appearances.

Inside the Hall put together a power ranking for the league as a whole. The aforementioned three squads top these along with Nebraska who has been a huge surprise in the early going.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Inside the Hall’s Podcast On The Brink returned this week. On it, Assembly Call’s Ryan Phillips crossed over and joined Bozich for a discussion about IU basketball’s performance so far.

The Back Home Network has several new shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week as well with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Baseball Names New Pitching Coach

• Baseball’s pitching coach, Dustin Glant, who struggled during his time in Bloomington, left the program for a professional opportunity several weeks ago. Now his replacement was named as Matt Myers takes the role after a previous stint in the minor leagues. He does however, have previous college experience.

• Men’s Soccer had a player selected in the MLS Super Draft.

• Volleyball had several players honored after their historic season.

• Field Hockey had an All-American named.

• Rowing announced its upcoming spring schedule.

• Finally, many IU athletes graduated as part of the winter class.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Indiana football has another huge moment this weekend. This time, it was without ever taking the field, as the program had its first-ever Heisman Trophy winner.

This was a huge bright spot in what was a mixed week for IU athletics on the court. As usual, we will conclude with weekly shows and a look at the rest of the Hoosier sports in action, highlighted by volleyball, which played in its second-ever Sweet 16.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Mendoza Is The First Heisman Trophy Winner In IU Football History

• Hoosier Basketball Dominates Penn State In Big Ten Home Opener

• IU Falls To Kentucky In Series Renewal Due To Late Struggles

• Women’s Basketball Bounces Back To Beat Louisiana Monroe

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball’s Historic Season Ends In Sweet 16

Banner #1: Mendoza Is The First Heisman Trophy Winner In IU Football History

After its first Big Ten Championship since 1967, Indiana football has had a couple of things occur for the first time in program history this week. These firsts were the Hoosiers moving to No. 1 in the nation, and quarterback Fernando Mendoza winning the Heisman Trophy.

IU will continue its magical season in the Rose Bowl as it chases a national championship. This matchup is on New Year’s Day at 4 pm Eastern against Alabama or Oklahoma.

Banner #2: Hoosier Basketball Dominates Penn State In Big Ten Home Opener

IU basketball’s conference home opener against Penn State had many bright spots. The Nittany Lions are picked to finish near the bottom of the league and were far from spectacular on Tuesday night.

However, Indiana was fantastic and did everything right. Led by Lamar Wilkerson’s Assembly Hall record of 44 points, Indiana routed PSU 113-72. Wilkerson hit a Hoosier record 10 three pointers on the night as the squad went 17-31 from long range on the evening

Afterwards, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Nick Rodecap put together a column about Wilkerson’s record night.

Banner #3: IU Falls To Kentucky In Series Renewal Due To Late Struggles

Under DeVries and a whole new roster, Hoosier fans were promised a more modern offense that emphasizes the three-point shot. However, while the attempts continued to come against Kentucky, the shots did not fall.

IU came out strong and led 49-42 against the struggling Wildcats and competed hard. However, from there UK turned up the heat and easily dispatched Indiana from here on out for a 72-60 victory.

One bright spot came at the charity stripe for IU as they made 26-29 from there. However, this was nowhere near enough for a squad that lives and dies from long range, as they went just 4-24 from here.

Afterwards, coach DeVries spoke, and Corazza wrote a Minute After. The Hoosiers finish their recent tough stretch at just 1-3 and sit at 8-3 overall on the season. The squad takes the week off for final exams before a much simpler matchup at home against Chicago State next Saturday at 1 pm on BIG+.

Banner #4: Women’s Basketball Bounces Back To Beat Louisiana Monroe

Women’s basketball had a lot of roster turnover as well this offseason. However, they did return two program stalwarts in Lenee Beaumont and Shay Ciezki.

Ciezki has been excellent in the early going. Her scoring and long-range shooting are the main reasons the squad has been competitive for the most part in the early going.

Without starting center Zania Socka-Nguemen for the foreseeable future, Indiana got back on track with a strong effort and dominant 98-54 victory over Louisiana Monroe on Thursday. The squad sits at 9-2 overall and faces Eastern Michigan at 1 pm today on BIG+.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Inside the Hall’s Podcast On The Brink returned this week. On it, former Inside the Hall writer Cameron Drummond joined Bozich for a discussion about Kentucky.

The Back Home Network has several new shows. As a result, it was on air many times this week as well with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball’s Historic Season Ends In Sweet 16

• Volleyball had its historic season end Friday afternoon in the Sweet 16 against top-seed Texas after taking the Longhorns to the brink in each set. As a result of the success, Indiana had several players honored regionally.

• Track and field competed at the Early Bird Meet.

• Wrestling signed a recruit and beat ranked Little Rock and Army this week.

• Baseball’s pitching coach, Dustin Glant, who has struggled during his time in Bloomington, is leaving the program for a professional opportunity.

• Men’s soccer player Palmer Ault is a semifinalist for the award given to the top college soccer player in the nation.

• Finally, many Indiana athletes were recognized for their academic excellence.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment