The rebuilding Indiana basketball program signed more players (six) to letters of intent than any Big Ten school during the early signing period last fall. The Hoosiers, 1-10 in the Big Ten, lost to the Gophers last night.
U sports historian Dana Marshall noted via e-mail that it was the Sporting News All-American team Trent Tucker was included on in 1982, a five-man group, not multiple teams. He also wrote that former Gopher Whitey Skoog is credited with being an early developer of the jump shot. At the Indiana game Tucker’s jersey was retired along with four others previously recognized, Jim Brewer, Lou Hudson, Kevin McHale and Mychal Thompson. Skoog, twice an All-American in the early 1950s, will be similarly honored at the Northwestern game on February 22.
The Wolves’ leadership can’t say it this way but the team wasn’t going to make the playoffs even with center Al Jefferson, and losing him will position the franchise much better in the draft lottery for next spring. The team needs impact players at small forward and point guard, and maybe center if Nikola Petovic doesn’t come here from Europe and excel.
The 2009 Mr. Basketball winner will be announced after the boys high school tournament. There will not be a banquet as in past years.
Augsburg senior forward Nate Alm had double-doubles in points and rebounds during all three games last week. He totaled 55 points with 38 rebounds, and is the Co-MIAC Basketball Player of the Week along with Carleton senior forward Zach Johnson, the league’s leading scorer at 23.9 points per game as of Monday. He scored 36, 23 and 24 points last week while coming within 28 points of the school’s all-time individual scoring record of 1,967.