6-Banner Sunday: Hoosiers in the NBA, recruiting, staff and team updates
Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, 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.
After Kel’el Ware was drafted last week, more former Hoosiers are in the news now with free agency beginning in the NBA. Also, the best women’s basketball player in IU history could not stay away from campus for too long. She is now back in Bloomington on the coaching staff.
Besides this, there are some updates involving the schedule and recruiting, as well as a few other miscellaneous nuggets. We will, as usual, conclude with weekly shows and other Indiana sports led by a couple of items regarding volleyball.
Here is what’s in this week’s edition:
• Hoosiers in the NBA updates
• Holmes returning to IU as a graduate manager
• UNC Greensboro added to the non-conference schedule
• Recruiting, staff and team updates
• Podcast on the Brink and Back Home Network shows
• Hoosier Roundup
IU men’s basketball will play several games this upcoming season on Peacock and the women will play a few as well, making the streaming service essential for IU basketball fans. Sign up for Peacock using Inside the Hall’s link to help support the site and also enjoy Big Ten hoops all season long! (The link is an Inside the Hall affiliate link, so a commission will be paid to ITH if you click and subscribe to Peacock.)
Banner #1 – Hoosiers in the NBA updates
After Kel’el Ware’s drafting into the NBA and OG Anunoby’s record contract, more former Hoosiers made news with free agency now officially underway. The most noteworthy of these moves was long-time stalwart Eric Gordon agreeing to a deal with the championship-contending Philadelphia 76ers.
Also of note was Thomas Bryant opting out of his deal with the Miami Heat only to re-sign with them and join Ware in South Florida. Finally, Romeo Langford is trying to hang on to a professional career in the United States and received an invite to the 76ers summer league squad.
Banner #2 – Holmes returning to IU as a graduate manager
Women’s basketball has won at an elite level for nearly a half-decade. Much of this was due to the play of outgoing center and the program’s all-time leading scorer, Mackenzie Holmes. In her five years in Bloomington, she led her squad to results not seen by any Hoosier basketball team since Calbert Cheaney was on campus in the early 1990s.
During Holmes’ career, she was part of three Sweet 16s, an Elite Eight, four top-four seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and the first Big Ten title in 40 years. Most impressive, though, was the fact that after just four weeks in the top-25 before 2019-2020, the team spent every single week of Holmes’ career in the Associated Press poll.
With Holmes’ eligibility now exhausted, she will be part of the squad in a different capacity. Despite being drafted into the WNBA, she is rehabbing after off-season knee surgery and will not join the Seattle Storm until 2025. In the meantime, her place remains at IU as she will be a graduate manager for her former Indiana team.
Lauren Fields will join her in the same position. Fields also had a successful college stint for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Banner #3 – UNC Greensboro added to the non-conference schedule
A few games on the IU schedule had already been revealed previously. This includes a trip to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis over Thanksgiving and early season home contests with Chattanooga, Eastern Illinois, Sam Houston State, and South Carolina.
Now it has been reported that the Hoosiers will host UNC Greensboro On November 21. The Spartans come to Bloomington for a non-conference contest after being ranked a solid 147 in KenPom last season.
Banner #4 – Recruiting, staff and team updates
When it comes to recruiting, a couple of stories happened here. The headline of these is top-target Trent Sisley joining a growing trend of leaving high school basketball for prep school. He is headed to Florida to compete at the Montverde Academy, a place IU is familiar with. Both Hood-Schifino and current starter Malik Reneau competed here, as did former signee Liam McNeely, who is instead headed to UConn.
ESPN released updated rankings for the 2025 class with Sisley coming in at No. 98. Also, in the top 100 that the Hoosiers are looking to reel in with connections to the state of Indiana are Jalen Haralson (9), Darius Adams (18) Braylon Mullins (30), and Malachi Moreno (37).
When it comes to the staff for 2024-2025, the team added Adam Howard as the assistant director of recruiting and operations. Also, an item of note occurred for an incoming player as Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle participated in the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp in Las Vegas.
While the Hoosiers are historically the most successful squad in the Big Ten, the KenPom era since 1997 has not seen them anywhere near as dominant. In that time, IU is right in the middle of the league with a program ranking of 23 since then.
Banner #5 – Podcast on the Brink and Back Home Network shows
Inside the Hall and The Back Home Network had several new shows this week. ITH’s Podcast on the Brink had Eamonn Brennan on to discuss Indiana’s offseason success in the transfer portal.
Austin Render, the primary radio announcer for baseball and women’s basketball at IU has started his own show on BHN called The Dribble Drive. The third episode was released last Monday. Also, Crimson Cast was on-air twice.
Banner #6 – Hoosier Roundup
• Volleyball’s Ramsey Gary helped lead the U-21 Team USA to the Gold Medal at the NORCECA Continental Championships. Also, season tickets are on sale for the fall.
• Diving coach Drew Johansen was named the head coach for Team USA at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
• Men’s golf added a transfer.
• Women’s golf had five Scholar All-Americans and added an assistant coach.
• Women’s tennis also announced the addition of an assistant coach.
• Wrestling had a staff member go from a volunteer to a full-time assistant.
• Finally, legendary track and field coach Ron Helmer passed away after retiring from IU in 2022. Also, a former Hoosier qualified for the upcoming Olympics as part of his home country in this sport.
Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.
Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor
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