I know most of you know my brother Andy passed away from ALS this past summer. I can't remember if I mentioned our efforts to create Hoops4ALS to raise ALS awareness through basketball. Andy and I reached out to people also impacted by ALS and formed our Hoops4ALS committee back in the fall of 2021.

We've had some fits and starts getting things going - we learned way more about the politics and backroom deals that go into scheduling college basketball games than we wanted to - but our first official Hoops4ALS game is the Duke vs Pitt game this coming Tuesday. Both teams will be wearing Hoops4ALS shooting shirts. Both coaching staffs will be wearing Hoops4ALS pins (pins vs actual printed or stitched on logos for coaches was way more of a contentious point than I thought it'd be). There is an in-house video that will play. We're recognizing some local ALS patients and researchers during a TV timeout and the TV commentators are going to give us a shout out during the game.

And then we get to do it all over again when the teams play at Duke on January 20.

This is just the beginning. We're talking with other programs and coaches to get something going. The IU women's program is definitely one we're talking with/targeting. A few other programs are interested in exploring things too. We have a pretty lofty goal of eventually hosting our own early season men's and women's double header games...we'll get there eventually. While Andy's name is on this specifically, he's definitely all over these efforts. I know he'd be proud to see us pull off January 9 and January 20.

We also just launched the fundraising portion of our efforts this morning. ALS TDI has been pretty big in getting this off the ground and we're happy that any money raised will go to toward their work to discover and develop ALS effective treatments. No pressure, but if anyone is inclined to donate, I'd be forever grateful. Just thought I'd share some good news I'm excited about - thanks for indulging me.

Reposting an older article that I (unfortunately) recalled watching IU come nowhere near the spread in that game vs. a KenPom 300+ opponent. It appears we may have a new roster, but the same old coach.

There was a mind-numbing moment in the 1ST HALF last night where Indiana managed to not only do the already familiar hockey subbing, but had its entire starting five on the bench (and subsequently blew a lead and kept SIEUEIUE in the game)…

https://indiana.rivals.com/news/a-d...on-and-his-history-with-substitution-patterns

Something to watch for as the year progresses. Is the team playing not only against an opponent, but careless, momentum-sapping rotations…

In other news, Michigan (Dusty May) 101-53 over #207 Cleveland State…

Add him to your playlists. Good stuff.

My grandson. He is 2. Do I need to purchase ticket? It wasn't planned for him to go, but now it is.

So...

Kamara---34 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 9.5 sacks, 4 QB hurries, 2 FRs, 2 FFs. Comparing him to some former IU greats--

TFL--Van Waiters 24.0 in 1985; T. Scales 23.5 in 2018; Wally O. 21 in 1997; n. Davis 20 in 1995; Aaron Casey 20 in 2023; Jamie Kirlew 18.5 in 2008; Joe Huff 19 in 1988; G. Ferrell 18 in 1991; Wally O. 1998; Ed McGuire 17 in 1970 & 1969, G. Middleton 17.0 in 2007. So...he has a ways to go to get in the top 10 there, but a couple of those guys were LBs.

Sacks--Middleton 16 in '07; Waiters 14 in '97; Huff 11 in '88; Kirlew 10.5 in '88; Wally O. 10 in '97; N. Mangini 9.5 in '15. So Kamara is already tied for 6th in sacks. He could end up third by the end of the year.

A few thoughts here---Kamara has been so outstanding that I've thought to myself, "Have we ever had anyone this good"....but when I look at that list I think there's some recency bias, because guys like Wally O., Kirlew, Davis, Waiters et al were pretty damn good also. My memory may be faulty here, but I believe of all those guys listed Middleton may have been the only one who was named 1st team AA???. I do feel, perhaps, that Kamara may play the run better than did some of those guys, esp. Middleton.

So does he have a chance to be a 1st or 2nd team AA? Well, here is where team success may come into play. Right now he's tied for 5th nationally in sacks. He's a little behind behind guys from San, Diego St., VT, Marshall, BC and tied with a guy from S. Carolina, but I hope the team's success and the exposure he's received gets it done.

Ponds--44 tackles, 2 ints, 5 PBUs, 1 BK. 44 tackles seems like a lot for a CB with 3 games left to play. After MSU saw what Ponds did v. Washington, they chose not to challenge him. He still got in the action with a blocked kick. He's a guy who I think is playing at as high a level as any Indiana CB of the past. Guys like Fant, Mullen, Eric Allen, Tim Wilbur come to mind. Tracy Porter may have been the best. This guy seems to be right up there with them. I see Pro Football Focus has him rated #6 among all college cornerbacks in a couple of important categories. To me, Kamara seems like a more likely choice for 1st or 2nd team AA honors, but we'll see what happens. He does look like a lock for 1st team ABT and he or Will Johnson from UM will probably be DB of the Year.

Watching WKU vs Wichita St and Lander is not starting for WKU. Not sure if he’s injured or was beat out by other guards.

A year that was very good for IU showed big differences from the team now. Despite having Penix at QB the offense didn't have the precision our offense has this year. Defense didn't have players surrounding the ball like this year does. It is amazing to me how much better this IUFB team is than other teams and even the 2020 IUFB team that was 6-1.

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I truly hope the Big Ten title game features the Indiana Hoosiers versus the Oregon Ducks! What a treat that would be as Cignetti and Lanning are arguably the best two head coaches in the BT!!

Apparently Lanning called a timeout last weekend versus Michigan just so his team could watch the Michigan crowd file out of the stadium!!

Please let the Hoosiers play the Ducks in Indy!!

My best friend in college was at a bookstore today. Asked the clerk for the new Donald Trump book on how to deal with illegal immigration. He said “ Get to **** out of here and don’t come back.” Friend said “that’s the one do you have it in paperback?”

has a son on the SIUE team. I had no idea. IU recognized him during introductions. His mom was in the stands and she recieved quite the ovation. A nice moment at the Hall last night.

What do these courts and prosecutors do now?

No one knows. This is a first. A sitting President will be facing a state court judge who might order him to prison. Fascinating.

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I find it wild how slow the Western states are in counting votes for important House races. It won't change this election at the Federal level, but god damn it makes everyone else annoyed. I'm not accusing the left-leaning states of CA, WA, OR of being corrupt or trying to meddle - I'm simply saying their approach stinks. They already have much later to vote while they watch Eastern and MW voting figures trickle in. They shouldn't be allowed to mail in a ballot late on the day of and take days, if not weeks, to count them.

Why should anyone else be willing to accept this nonsensical behavior? Katie Porter doubled down and hopes that other states adopt this model. If they did, we wouldn't know results for a weeks, if not months, which does nobody any good.

Figure your shit out West Coast!

V

Does anybody really know who she is? She just managed a political miracle. As far as I know she has never appeared on a talk show or newscast. The second time a woman managed Trump into the Oval Office. So much for Trump not liking, smart, capable and forceful women.

The latest on many top prospects around the country:

I think there is some truth there but overall I think it boiled down to the candidate they put forward and the timing of everything. In my opinion if Biden would have had sense enough not to run again I think they would have selected a candidate that would have beat Trump. In other words, the Democrats were their own worst enemy.

Prediction is that CC has his eye on a couple guys who needed just a little more seasoning before he brought them on board IF they produced this year like he thought they would.

God Bless America

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Not a bad showing

fans seem to be, hope the team is not, Michigan still full of 4 and 5-star talent all over the field. need to be taken seriously no matter what their record is.