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I'm just glad to see that Rick's mental health has improved so much. What with all the memory and cognitive issues he's had over the past few years, he really seems to be sharp as a tack now!

New Bama Hoops article says new 5-star Kira Lewis plans to visit Alabama in early June, along with Indiana and Kentucky in the coming weeks.

Jeff Goodman‏Verified account @GoodmanESPN San Diego State’s Max Montana fka Hoetzel told ESPN he will remain in the NBA Draft and plans to play overseas. Has dual citizenship. Began his college career at Indiana.

I've always despised Rick Pitino. He's a selfish sleazeball. Everything is always about him and never takes responsibility for his own actions. It's always someone else's fault. But dragging a kids name and their family through the mud is a new low. He's knows they did nothing wrong.

This goes to show that the media doesn't really care about solving this problem. If so, how is there no story about Bowen, who was at the center of the scandal where an actual crime was committed? The source of the WaPo story was the coach who was fired and part of the investigation, where the actual crime, was committed. This is so laughable.

Sounds like Tim Langford is a smart man. I don’t even care if he took a paycheck from his nonprofit. It’s legal, not against the NCAA rules, so to me it’s ethical. Bravo to the Langford family. Maybe slick Rick should have just let Adidas do their thing. Instead he had to get escorts and go beyond what’s allowed.

Will be visiting IU this weekend. We're in great shape here.. Great shape.

Up to #24 In latest 247 rankings. Sent from my SM-G930P using BtownBanners mobile app

Keion made a leap from #16 to #9 overall player in the updated 2019 247Sports Player Rankings.

Not noted, Crean also offered to every player on the varsity and jv. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

No one is talking about the real elephant in the room... were bumper stickers involved? That's the kind of thing that can't be tolerated.

Their job isn’t to fix things. Their job is to report on things that people look at. If they keep re-reporting old news people won’t look at it. If they put a bow on something with new names people will look at it. You put Indiana on it many more people will view it. I am guessing everyone that frequents these sites have viewed the article. Then they have told people about it and they have viewed it. Mission accomplished. They did their job. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

It sucks that Draft Express got bought by ESPN and is behind their Insider pay wall now. Been told their user interface/friendliness isn't nearly as good on ESPN either

Not that we are really going after him but Oscar Tschiebwe bumped into top 100 today too. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

Victor selected to drive Pace Car for Indy 500! That's a cool honor! Sent from my SM-G930P using BtownBanners mobile app

TJD hasn’t pushed any timeline farther out. Unless I missed it somewhere where has he giving a timeline? From what I have gathered the only timeline he has pushed farther out are other people’s timeline of when he was going to commit. When he is 100 percent I’m sure he will commit and in my opinion if it’s tomorrow, before school, or next spring he will pick IU Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

But, they tried to twist in into an unheard of, uncommon and an unethical situation, making Romeo's recruitment and commitment tainted, which isn't true. Par for the course in 2018, cough,cough, Journalism.

I'd say the average 2018 prostitute isn't one scintilla less trustworthy than they average 2018 journalist.

Cleanest game we've played in a while besides Saturday Nebraska game last week. Thank god Milto is back and he looks much more like an ace than Stiever right now and we may want to consider starting him in opening games of postseason. We gave Milto a quick 1-0 lead in 1st than he kept them off the board and looked solid all the way till 6th when Maryland tied it but we responded right away in bottom half on 2 run Sowers single. It makes such a difference to have the lead in the early innings and battle from ahead all game as oppose to being down. Miller continues to be red hot and added a HR in 8th as did Gorski. It does appear Milto and Millers return is making a huge difference right now as both have been fantastic. Bullpen was again shaky but nothing terrible as Saalfrank pitched 7th and 8th and again has that nasty pitch he throws in dirt hitters chase at times. However, if they don't chase it and often times teams adjust he gets wild and is not as good with his other stuff and gets frustrated. However, Maryland hitters chased just enough in the 2 innings he pitched before any runs happened. Sabol was also shaky in 9th but not horrible and tying run never made it to plate. As I said clean game and solid win and lets bring out the brooms tomorrow.

Just one more thing he was wrong about.

Maryland is complete punks. Two years in a row we rally with a late HR and then they proceed to fight us and throw a pitch at Fineman's head this time. Clearly they can’t handle us beating them. I was in Bloomington for once tonight as I had company from overseas and I drove them to Btown to see old friends. I was planning to go to the end of the game after we finished as soon as it started raining and was going to go back to Indy but instead went to Lenny's for a bit and came for the last 2 innings after the rain delay ended and glad I did. For the first time this year we literally stole a game we really had no business winning. Again Stiever was decent but he needs to be better as the Friday guy. Can’t surrender early runs and is always working out of trouble lately even when other team doesn’t score. It’s not a ton of runs but even to give up 1 or 2 early as he has been doing on Friday against the other team’s best pitcher really puts you behind the eight ball and is asking for trouble. Tonight we finally pulled one out but to play from behind all night usually never ends well and that keeps happening with Stiever where he gives up a run or 2 early and settles down but then it’s an uphill battle. With that said this team has guts and never quits unlike Maryland where when they hit adversity they get violent instead of getting even. My company remarked (we were on a skype call when Maryland pulled these shenanigans last year) that Maryland seems like a dirty team and joked they would fight us once we won the game. They are not huge baseball fans but follow a little and I tell them some and they happened to be in the right spot both times Maryland players went WWE. On a lighter note very happy to see Luke Miller have such a great night and get the big homer to win it. Also Lloyd closed it with a clean easy 9th after leadoff walk which has not always happened lately. I was in Chicago all weekend at a family gathering which is why I posted so little during Nebraska series. I was at Cubs game Monday when Kris Bryant flew out for third out with bases loaded down 1 for a thrilling but frustrating loss. Tonight I got to witness in person Miller do what Bryant was unable to for a thrilling win instead of thrilling loss which I was extremely happy about. Overall this does very little in terms of our resume but we needed the win to keep momentum moving forward and did lock up a spot in both Big Ten and NCAA tourney no matter what happens I think. Shout out to the diehard fans who stuck out the rain delay and it was great to see a thrilling ending. If you are going to go to a game for 2 innings this was a perfect game to do it. Since I was so late they no longer charging as well so I got in free which was even better

Wonder who the leader in the room was on this proposal I'm not big on it.

This is being blown way out of context. With that said...... it feels good to be playing in the big boy playground.

Goodness. This is nothing, it's not some sort of new revelation, it's been going on for years. This is common practice. If you want Indiana to be relevant again then optics such as this may happen... BTW - AAU teams are sponsored by not only Adidas but other companies like Nike and Under Armour as well - enjoy the ride and this team...this is nothing new, it's been going on for years and it is legal

Wouldn't that be something! Lose a 5* in our backyard to Clappy! #nothappening

Now Crean wants Indiana high school players, [emoji23] Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Simmons gets this class started for us. Our '18 class finished - 45/Rivals, 48/247, 48/ESPN. 17 commits as of 12/3/18. 38 - 247 38 - ESPN 39 - Rivals WR Emery Simmons - South View, NC (3/18/18) Decommitted RB Ivory Winters - Hayti, MO (4/20/18) DE Beau Robbins - Carmel, IN (6/1/18) DT Jeramy Passmore - Columbus, FL (6/15/18) OT Matthew Bedford - Cordova, TN (6/16/18) CB Larry Tracy - Decatur Central, IN (6/17/18) OG Michael Katic - Pine-Richland, PA (6/17/18) DT CJ Person - Montgomery Prep, AL (6/18/18) LS Sean Wracher - St. Ignatius, OH (6/19/18) LB Dorian Jones - Oxbridge Academy, FL (6/19/18) TE Gary Cooper - Columbus, FL (6/19/18) LB Kervens Bonhomme - Clearwater Academy, FL (6/19/18) DT Sio Nofoagatoto'a - Clearwater Academy, FL (6/30/18) OT Michael Cartwright - Champagnat Catholic, FL (7/29/18) Decommitted WR Jordan Jakes - St. Francis Academy, GA (8/2/18) CB Tiawan Mullen - Coconut Creek, FL (9/13/18) RB Sampson James - Avon, IN (10/7/18) WR David Ellis - Chippewa Valley, MI (10/9/18) ATH DaShaun Brown - St Catherines, WI (12/3/18)

I'd say that's part of their job. But just because it's easier to get clicks by doing the easy, non newsworthy thing doesn't make it good journalism.

IU can’t go wrong with anything in this class. Carton or Lewis will be a Hoosier. And I still think Watford, Brooks and TJD will be Hoosiers. Going to be a great class

You are cherry picking one line from the Indy Star story which basically says that there is nothing really new and there is nothing that is going to have any kind of effect. My problem with the Washington Post story is that it's a story that was relevant maybe twenty years ago. Seriously, I was reading books on the subject twenty years. Guys like William Wesley (World Wide Wes) have been around forever.... Basically IMO the Washington Post just ran a piece on something that was common knowledge -- that Time Langford ran an Adidas sponsored AAU team. That sure as heck wasn't a secret.

A couple nice shots from field level. In the top pic, the edge turf will be removed for matching reddish track, and there is a cutout for another door when the new locker room is finished. Note the newly painted concrete to match the existing stadium.

Great list- (4) Precious Achiuwa (83) EJ Liddell (96) Oscar Tshiebwe These guys have been shown interest. Side note- UK has 7, 14, 41 committed. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Seems to me like the whole thing has pretty much died down already.

Behind the ADA platforms. Grey stuff on the field is from graduation. They removed a row behind each section.

Nike sponsors AAU teams. Adidas sponsors AAU teams. UA sponsors AAU teams. So Adidas schools can only recruit Nike AAU players and vice-versa otherwise the kid is funneled there? Lets not forget that underneath all of this, and by this I mean a restaurant table, Rick Pitino knocked up his mistress.

A nice rundown on everything that's happening around the football program. Smile, Hoosier Fans By Andy Graham IUHoosiers.com BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Not even five hours in a dentist chair Monday morning could keep coach Tom Allen from being his usual up-beat self. "I am excited about our future," the Hoosier head honcho said Monday afternoon, gazing from his office toward the South End Zone project that is on schedule for completion this summer. "I believe in what we are building here and in the way we're building it. "A strong foundation is being laid. The expectation, my vision here, is to win the Big Ten. I know some people scoff at that, but I embrace it." New Castle native Allen grew up in Big Ten country, so he knows previously moribund programs have found ways to arise. "I understand, have seen, the history of our conference," he said. "I know what Northwestern used to be. They've won the Big Ten three times the last 20 years or so and went to the Rose Bowl, and there was a time when nobody thought that could happen. "I remember what Wisconsin used to be, back when I was in school, before Barry Alvarez, and it wasn't pretty. They struggled. Iowa struggled for years before Hayden Fry came in. You can go on and on. Don't tell me it can't be done. But you have to build, systematically, to a certain culture, and that's what we're doing. And if you don't believe, you've got no chance." That doesn't mean Allen won't acknowledge sometimes harsh realities. He did so last Nov. 25 when a desultory 31-24 loss at Purdue left the Hoosiers a game shy of a third straight bowl bid. Allen characterized that day and the just-concluded season, his first full campaign as IU's head coach, with one word: "Disappointing." And anybody looking into his eyes or hearing the tone of his voice knew he was, as usual, being completely candid. The pain was palpable. "Because I saw what was at stake," he recalled. "Maybe I didn't make it clear enough to our guys, because I saw what was out there in front of us – all that a win would mean, even just in terms of history. Never having won five (Old Oaken Bucket) games in a row. The chance to go to three bowl games in a row. "And it's a dual-effect thing. It affects our program, but it also affects theirs. The perceived trajectory of both. I saw all of that going into it and knew what was at stake. But I also know there is a big-picture view." A view that allows how adversity can instruct. Can become catalytic. The way 2017 concluded compelled Allen to aggressively take actions he was already considering, but might not have immediately implemented in the wake of a more successful season than 5-7. And he's already seeing those actions prompt positive and consequential change. "Sometimes you might lose a battle," Allen said, "but then because of that loss, it causes you to do things that may win you the war." Nobody will ever accuse Allen of not being thorough. He went back to watch every play of every 2017 game over again, and met with every player on the team. And that solidified, in his mind, what changes needed to ensue. "No question that, in my notes, you just see certain things that come up repetitively," Allen said. "I've tried to address those concerns." So Indiana now has, among other items: A new strength and conditioning staff, headed up by former Hoosier player David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea. Coach William Inge, the erstwhile linebacker coach, now fully dedicated to special teams. Graduate transfers in Brandon Dawson (quarterback from Arizona), Nick Linder (center from Miami) and Kayton Samuels (defensive tackle from Syracuse) for targeted positions of need. A 26-man recruiting class featuring speed. And more speed. "It started with the weight room," Allen said. "There were certain things showing up right away, when we started evaluating the season (that were) reflected in the overall strength and power of our team. The push at the line of scrimmage or lack thereof. And then just speed or lack thereof. Explosive plays, or lack thereof. "We didn't generate a lot of explosive plays on offense. We needed to go find some more speed for that side of the ball. And defensively and special teams, same thing. Those things surfaced. And you try to address that both through recruiting and development. That's where the weight room comes in, where the No. 1 job is to develop our kids physically." And those kids – a youthful group with 54 freshmen and sophomores alongside 39 juniors and seniors on the spring roster, not counting the 22 additional newcomers due this fall – have noticed how well job No. 1 is getting done. "What is so powerful about that, and we've already seen this, is that it affects the mind and the emotions, too," Allen said. "It affects confidence. It affects expectations. It affects how you feel about yourself. Those things have already started to manifest very positively just in the time we've had (Ballou and Rhea) here." That was abundantly clear as Allen watched spring practice. And as he had his individual player meetings. "When I had my meeting with our guys," Allen said, "it was every single kid – there was not one guy who did not mention how excited they are about our strength staff, and the difference they've seen and felt, and the confidence it has created in them. "They feel different. They look different. They know they're more explosive. It's just created a whole different mindset for these guys. And that's every single kid." Allen hasn't yet seen how his grad transfers will look. Linder was a January enrollee, but injury kept him sidelined for the bulk of the spring (though he should be ready for fall camp). Dawkins and Samuels will arrive for summer workouts. "With the grad transfers, we just addressed some specific needs that we thought we had that high school kids might have a hard time addressing," Allen said. "Both sides of the line of scrimmage. The bigger guys. "It's hard to get a high school kid who can help you on the offensive line right away and it's hard to get a defensive tackle in that sense, too. You might find some guys on the edge, but those inside guys … you have to have some grown-man strength in there. So bringing in a guy like Kayton (Samuels) is a huge get for us." "Huge" was also the term Allen applied to Dawson opting for IU. Dawson played in 23 games and started 14 for the Pac 12 Wildcats and his arrival could allow the Hoosiers more time to develop younger signal-callers such as redshirt sophomore Peyton Ramsey and true freshman Michael Penix Jr. There were no senior or junior scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. "We were able to go find a young man who matched the scheme look that we want and had the physical stature – he's 6-4 and 215 pounds," Allen said of Dawkins. " … He runs really, really well. And he's played in the Pac 12 as a starter. That, to me, was a big deal. "You look at different guys for that grad-transfer role and a lot of them haven't played much football since they got to college … that's different from being the starter, from having to handle the pressure of that. Handle the media. Handle all the things that make that position unique. And he's been in that position. He's won games. He's played well. He can throw the football. He's a dual(-threat) guy. And an important part, for me, was his character and leadership. He fit. We did our homework on that." Allen noted that Dawkins is coming to compete a starting role that won't simply be handed to him. But whomever quarterbacks IU next fall will play behind an offensive line that returns every player from that unit's 2017 roster, plus Linder, and will have experienced skill-position personnel at their disposal. IU's defense bade farewell to seven starters this spring, but the Hoosiers are not bereft of talent there, either. And it's entirely plausible to contend that Indiana, reversing historical trends, will play good defense as long as Allen and his staff are around. Consider what happened between 2015, the year before Allen arrived as defensive coordinator, and 2017. Indiana's defense, comparing those two years, saw the opposition average: 169.4 fewer yards per game. 12.3 fewer points per game. A .299 third-down conversion percentage, down from .421. A .545 completion percentage, down from .595. And as many as 18 of IU's 26 newcomers could be ticketed for the defensive side of the ball next summer – including reigning Indiana Mr. Football Reese Taylor from Class 6A state champ Ben Davis. Taylor is fleet afoot, as are many of his classmates, and is one of three in-state recruits for the class – while there are 16 combined from Southeastern Conference stomping grounds Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. That reflects Allen's determination to go where ever he can find speed. "Where do we have to go to get it? I'm not bashful about that," said Allen, who coached at South Florida before joining IU's staff. "We're going to recruit Indiana as hard as we can. But I want guys who want to be here, and who can run, and we'll go where ever we need to go. "If you look at rosters in all our sports, not just football, they are national rosters (and) that helps us in recruiting. We've got an alumni base pretty much everyplace. And that helps sell kids to come here. So we're just kind of a microcosm of the school, and we'll continue to recruit nationally." Allen coached at Mississippi from 2012 through 2014. He saw the same thing Urban Meyer saw in the SEC when the current Ohio State coach was at Florida. "When I was in that league, there were two things that stuck out," Allen said. "The overall speed and the D-line. That, to me, is what makes that league different from everyplace else. I was just, 'Wow.' "I had a high school buddy of mine from this state who went down to Auburn and watched them practice. He'd never seen them in person. And he was, 'Oh, my goodness! Their D-line!' And I was like, 'Yeah. And Georgia's that way. And 'Bama's that way. And LSU is that way … ' "So, for me, speed and D-line is what we're most immediately trying to address." Which is a big reason Dr. Rhea, a speed specialist, is working with Ballou within the IU strength and conditioning department. "You have to recruit fast guys, but they're going to get faster," Allen said. "That whole speed mantra, that speed program we're doing here, will allow us to develop that. I want that as part of our DNA." Memorial Stadium's DNA continues to alter. The South End Zone facility is about to revolutionize IU's ability to deliver complete academic and medical services to its student-athletes in one locale. And it will fully enclose the stadium. "When that thing is finished this summer, it'll be a louder stadium," Allen noted. "It already sounded different when we were practicing in there this spring. That excites me." Another year will see The Terry Tallen Football Complex under the west stands supply a new locker room space, a players' lounge, a recruiting room and other niceties. "Look at what's going on at Indiana right now, between the stadium facilities – the South End Zone completed this summer, the new locker room and other facilities under the west stands coming – and then our new strength staff all arriving at about the same time," Allen said. "All these building blocks. "But it is a systematic process. That's the part that takes patience. And I'm not patient. Our fans aren't. I get all that. But when you do build it systematically, and you build it properly, and that foundation is right, then it'll have a stronger long-term impact and we can sustain it. And I see a lot of things coming together that can put us in that positive direction." Allen knows a lot of IU fans shared in the disappointment with how last season ended up. He doesn't mind that one bit. It fires him up. "I'm excited by the fact that they're disappointed, too," he said. "Because that means there is expectation. And, to me, that's part of the process of building a program. There have been years where there weren't really any expectations to speak of. "In a lot of ways, I want people to be upset when we don't reach a certain level, or supply what they want. That means it's a fan base that cares and has expectations that match mine. That, to me, is a positive thing." After the Sept. 1 opener at Florida International, starting with the Sept. 8 home opener versus Virginia, seven of IU's last 12 games next fall are set for Memorial Stadium. "That's a chance to get our people here, get them behind us, to support our guys, and that really matters," Allen said. "I want them to come and support us, yes. But I also want them to understand and believe that we're building a foundation for the future. "It takes time. And there is a patience piece to this that is hard. But it's coming together." Allen smiled as he said that. And his teeth looked great.

Honestly, I don’t think so. But why? The Pitino/Indiana feud? Kansas land shady character after shady character and nothing ever comes of it. Heck, look at the current FBI probe and its busy as usual for Kansas still. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I suppose we should avoid anyone who has played AAU basketball to be above reproach. Vbg Sent from my iPad using BtownBanners

If its Kansas they would wait till he crashed his lambo

Sean Miller = Archie Miller’s brother. FBI Investigation = Jim Gatto, Adidas, and Rick Pitino all involved in recruiting Romeo. Adidas = the shoe company currently under investigation who had executives arrested. Once again, I get why everyone wants to just brush this under the rug, and very likely it never turns into anything. As for other schools involved, it’s just an indicator that a recruitment is dirty. Not saying we shouldn’t recruit players, just saying this concept that there’s no chance that the Langford’s played the game is ignorant, in my opinion. And I don’t like that when Indiana finally lands a top 5 recruit again, it happens during these current events, and then a hit piece like this comes out. It’s disconcerting. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

It’s a pretty good story, because the average reader of a major metropolitan newspaper does not know about this aspect of high school sports and how it intersects with major apparel corporations. Romeo is merely used as a microcosm of the wider scenario. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I get everyone wants to just blow this off and pretend it’s nothing, but it’s not great with the backdrop of Sean Miller, FBI Investigation, and Adidas. I get that it’s “legal”, but it can very quickly cross the line. Also, it’s never just one thing, in my opinion. Let’s just get to the start of the season and enjoy Romeo before the NCAA decides to get tough on these kinds of things. Enviado desde mi iPhone utilizando BtownBanners

Just saw a great tweet that Pitino is so knowledgeable about Romeo's recruitment but totally ignorant on what went on with Brian Bowen or the hookers.

HovaHugs have changed from the Tom Crean era of shotgun HovaHugging, where he ended up hugging the likes of Grant Gelon, to the Archie Miller era, where he saves those Hugs for coveted Hug-ees!

I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious... Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Yeah, Fitzner is going to play. Might be 15 minutes, might be 20 minutes, but he didn't come here to sit the bench.

How much?? Lol couldn’t resist Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app