In this offseason episode, we discuss the latest in Jalen Harralson’s recruitment, react to Wednesday's Media Day, and break down the full Big Ten schedule, which was released Thursday.

We also discuss the hot start by IU football and discuss this week's "talent tax" initiated by Tennessee.

Plus, a little something fun at the end for folks who listen all the way through on the podcast feed.

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Coach and Ryan kick things off, with Jerod and Andy joining soon thereafter.

We dive into a bunch of different topics, including:

• The ever-increasing influence of money in college sports
• The Battle for Atlantis bracket — and what Indiana must do to consider it a successful trip
• A series of questions Coach was asked on a recent podcast appearance, which he wants to hear us answer
• A bunch of interesting mailbag questions from our audience — including one that leads to an in-depth conversation about the conflicts many of us our feeling here in the new era of college sports.

Plus a fun little music thing at the end.

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Join us at 9 ET on Thursday evening for our weekly chat about Indiana basketball. We'll take a look at some of the portal visitors Indiana has lined up and discuss how a few notable ones might fit. We'll also reflect on Monday night's title game, the Kentucky-Cal situation, and answer some mailbag questions.

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Mike Woodson and Indiana secured another big transfer portal commitment on Monday night as Kel'el Ware made his intention to play for IU official. Let's react!

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Jerod chats with Spencer McClaughlin of Locked on Ducks about the newest Hoosier, Oregon transfer Kel'el Ware.

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Join us for our weekly discussion about Indiana basketball. We'll discuss the latest news from the transfer portal -- nationally, in the Big Ten, and, of course, for our Hoosiers.

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Our team will discuss the latest roster comings and goings, including Ryan's patented post-commitment scouting report of Payton Sparks, plus our thoughts on the departure of Tamar Bates.

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Indiana received its first addition from the transfer portal on Wednesday morning as Ball State transfer Payton Sparks announced his commitment to Indiana. Jerod and Coach Tonsoni break down Sparks' game, what this means for Indiana's overall roster, and what to expect from Sparks in the Big Ten. They also explain how their feelings about Sparks as a Hoosier have evolved since he was first mentioned as a possibility.

Also joining us is Evan Wilson, who plays at Akron, and has seen Sparks up close the last two seasons. He has some excellent insight into what Sparks brings to the table from a skills standpoint and, perhaps more importantly, from a mentality and culture standpoint. Follow Evan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ewilly02

If you want to really dive deep on who Sparks is as a player and what he'll bring to the table for IU, this episode is for you.

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Join us for a special edition of AC Radio on Wednesday night (not our normal Thursday night) as we reflect on Indiana's 2023 season while looking ahead to a massively important offseason that will dictate how the 2024 season goes.

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On Sunday, IU's season came to an end with an 85-69 loss to Miami. It was a game where the Hoosiers struggled at the start, came alive in the middle, and faded at the end. The season ends at 23-12 and as by far the best one the Hoosiers have had in seven years. The team will lose several key players to graduation including All-American center Trayce Jackson-Davis. It will be a very different roster in 2023-2024 but the first couple of years of the Mike Woodson era has seen strides that included returning Indiana to the NCAA Tournament after a long absence. Where the program goes from here remains to be seen.

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On a night when IU's arch-rivals suffered the biggest upset in tournament history, the Hoosiers had no such problems. Indiana easily controlled an overmatched Kent State team enroute to a 71-60 victory in the round of 64 of March Madness. They move on to face Miami (FL) on Sunday at 8:40 pm on TNT.

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This week's AC Radio took place a day early, on Wednesday night, to avoid conflicting with one of the best nights on the sports calendar Thursday with March Madness. Our panel will preview IU's matchup with Kent State, offer bold bracket predictions, and much more.

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Akron basketball player Evan Wilson joins Jerod to provide a unique take on IU's first round opponent, Kent State. Evan grew up in Noblesville as an IU fan and still follows the Hoosiers closely. His Akron Zips team has played Kent State six times across the last two seasons. So Evan understands the intersections between the two teams as well as anyone.

We discuss his impressions of IU this season, the strengths and weaknesses of Kent State, what IU needs to worry about and where the Hoosiers have an advantage, plus his gut feeling for how the game may play out. We also get his perspective as a mid-major player on the possibility for NCAA Tournament expansion.

This is a fun, engaging conversation that will get you properly calibrated for the challenge Indiana faces on Friday night.

Follow Evan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ewilly02

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In this week's edition, we give our thoughts on Bryson Tucker's game and how he might fit with what we know of Indiana's roster, discuss the recent news of visits for portal recruits, and look ahead to this weekend's Final Four. 

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On Sunday night Assembly Call discusses IU's selection as a four seed in the Midwest Region against Kent State in the first round on Friday at 955 pm on TBS.

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On Saturday, IU made furious rally late against Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament Semi Finals 77-73. However, the Hoosiers will head into Selection Sunday tomorrow (6pm on CBS) comfortably in the field for the first time in seven seasons as likely a four or possibly a five seed. The teams is 22-11 heading into March Madness which is there most wins since 2016.

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On Friday, IU advanced to their second straight Big Ten Tournament Semi-Final with a 70-60 victory over Maryland. After a struggle in the first half, the Hoosiers played arguably their best final 20 minutes to pull away for the win. Trayce Jackson-Davis led IU with 24 points while Jalen Hood-Schifino added 19 points including a game clinching three-pointer as the shot clock was running out with under two minutes left to go up nine. It is the seventh all-time appearance on Saturday for the team in the conference tourney and the they will look to end a five game losing streak in the semi's when they play Penn State at 3:30 pm on CBS.

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On AC Radio, we'll look at IU's BTT path, get the latest Bracketology updates from our bracketologists, and then dive deep into the community mailbag.

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On Sunday, IU went to overtime and edged out Michigan in a rollercoaster of the a game 75-73. The Hoosiers led by double digits early but also trailed by a similar margin part way through the second half. They then rallied to tie and force overtime where they held on for the victory. The team finishes the regular season 21-10 overall and 12-8 in the league to tie for second place. This is by far the highest finish in conference since the Tom Crean era began outside of the two Big Ten titles. Indiana will get the double bye and be the three seed in the Big Ten Tournament where they fill face either Maryland, Nebraska, or Minnesota on Friday at 9pm eastern on BTN.

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On AC Radio we discuss Indiana's place in the rapidly changing Big Ten standings as the final weekend of regular season play approaches, then we'll spend some time assessing the legacy of Trayce Jackson-Davis as he prepares for his final home game in an Indiana uniform.

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With a four-day gap between games, this was the perfect time to invite on friend of the show Sam Vecenie to talk about the rising draft prospects of Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Sam covers the NBA Draft for The Athletic and also hosts the Game Theory podcast. https://theathletic.com/podcast/208-game-theory-podcast/

We cover a number of topics in 30 minutes:

• How NBA teams view skill development with prospects

• The biggest plusses and minuses on Jalen's scouting report

• How much credit does Mike Woodson deserve for Jalen's development?

• The biggest plusses and minuses on Trayce's scouting report

• Trying to find an NBA comp for Trayce

• Who else on Indiana's current roster is Sam paying attention to?

And more.

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On Tuesday the Hoosiers turned in easily their most disappointing performance of the season of the season as they were dominated by Iowa 90-68. Only Trayce Jackson-Davis had a good night and finished with 26 points while recording another double-double. In doing so he became Indiana's all-time leader in rebounds. His efforts were nowhere near enough though as he got little help around him. The Hoosiers fall to 11-8 in the league and 20-10 overall. They are still a lock for the NCAA Tournament but now have some work to do to get a double-bye in the conference tourney and a top-four seed seed in March Madness and need a bit of help to achieve these goals.

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On Saturday, the Hoosiers went into Mackey Arena and beat their arch-rivals for the first time in 10 years on the road 79-71. After a slow first half, Indiana played arguably their best final 20 minutes of the season and held off every Purdue run they attempted late. Jalen Hood-Schifino had the game of his life with 35 points while Trey Galloway and Miller Kopp added 13 points each with terrific nights. Trayce Jackson-Davis contributed just 10 points and was taken out of his rhythm by national player of the year frontrunner Zach Edey. However, it hardly mattered as the guards and wings were excellent for all 40 minutes. The team improves to 20-9 overall and 11-7 in the league. They also put themselves in excellent position for both a top-four finish in the Big Ten and double bye in the conference tourney as well as a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament.

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Join us for our weekly discussion about Indiana basketball starting at 9 ET. This week, we'll discuss the latest on Xavier Johnson's possible return from injury, preview Saturday's rematch in West Lafayette (with a special guest!), and answer mailbag question.

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It's been a while!

With the Sweet 16 games taking over Thursday night again, we decided to hop on a day early to discuss a wide range of topics:

• The big win over Oklahoma for the women's team

• Our observations and favorite players from the NCAA Tournament

• A whole bunch of stuff about the portal: Indiana's priorities, a few early names that have emerged, how we're approaching portal season differently this season, and more

• We also meander into a conversation about the key intangible ingredients that were missing last season, and how coaches can go about trying to build rosters that include them

• Plus we answer a bunch of mailbag questions

It's a fun conversation that will feel much more like and episode of CrimsonCast than Assembly Call. We didn't have much time to prep, so we ditched most of the music and segments and just talked. If you enjoy this format, let us know and we can work it in more. If you don't, please accept our apologies ... but hopefully the conversation is fun and enjoyable anyway! We'll most likely be back to normal next episode.

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On Tuesday, the Hoosiers fell 80-65 in East Lansing after a strong start. IU was unable to overcome an emotional Spartans team who was playing their first home game since the tragedy on their campus last week. With the loss Indiana falls to 10-7 in the league and 19-9 overall and have an even tougher matchup at Purdue next on Saturday at 7:30pm on Fox.

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On Saturday, IU struggled for much of the day but found a way to beat Illinois for a second time this season for a two-game sweep, 71-68. The Hoosiers trailed from the time the score was 24-23 until Jalen Hood Schifino hit two clutch FT's in the last minute to make it 69-67. The Illini were fouled on the next possession but only hit one of the two foul shots and Indiana broke a press for a layup to go up three before Illinois missed a tying three-pointer at the buzzer. The Cream and Crimson improve to 19-9 and 10-6 in the league.

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This is another bonus presentation in our main feed of content that is usually reserved only for our private community members. Learn more at https://hoosiers.mn.co/

This week, Jerod and Coach talk to Mike DeCourcy about IU's loss at Northwestern, officiating, and where IU stands in his bracket. Then John Gasaway from ESPN stops by to preview IU-Illinois and provide his unique brand of insight on what really matters in college coaching and how to view analytics.

Finally, Jerod and Coach dip into the mailbag and answer a variety questions, starting with their ideas on how to help Tamar Bates bust out of his funk, their IU basketball Mount Rushmores, Indiana's likelihood of getting a Big Ten Tournament double bye and much more.

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IU fell behind by 19 points at halftime but made a furious rally. Egged on by a split crowd full of Hoosier alum in Chicago, Indiana came all the way back to tie the contest at 62 before Northwestern hit a game winning shot in the final few seconds for a 64-62 victory. The Wildcats are having their best season in program history and tonight's environment mimicked a Big Ten and NCAA Tourney atmosphere both teams will see throughout postseason, With the loss the Cream and Crimson fall to third place 9-6 in the league and 18-8 overall. They play Illinois at Noon Saturday on ESPN in Assembly Hall.

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On Saturday, the Hoosiers pulled out a gutsy win against the Wolverines 62-61. Indiana trailed for much of the game but came back every time UM looked like they might pull away. IU took the lead for good on two Jalen Hood-Schifino free throws with just under three minutes left and then neither side scored again as the Cream and Crimson got several key stops down the stretch. Hood-Schifino had 21 points while Trayce Jackson-Davis led the squad with 28 points. No one else did much but the heroics of this dynamic duo was enough to escape Ann Arbor on the winning end for the first time in seven years. The team improves to 18-7 overall and 9-5 in the league and is now in sole possession of second place behind Purdue.

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Since we didn't host AC Radio last night to focus on the women's team's huge victory over Iowa, we decided to make this week's Banner Friday community content available in our public podcast feed.

Hopefully you enjoy this taste of our premium content and want to join us in the community. If so, go to http://assemblycall.com/community and use the free trial to try it out.

In this edition, Jerod and Coach Tonsoni talk to Mike DeCourcy about Indiana's recent run and other Big Ten topics. Then they welcome Brendan Quinn from The Athletic and The Moving Screen Pod to get you ready for Indiana's game against Michigan on Saturday night. After that, we dive into the mailbag and answer a bunch of questions submitted by community members. 

Enjoy!

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On Tuesday, IU stopped a long losing streak to Rutgers by grinding out a 66-60 win. Trayce Jackson-Davis led the Hoosiers with 20 points and 18 rebounds as they finally defeated the Scarlet Knights for the first time in his career (Rutgers was only Big Ten school TJD had yet to defeat during his time at Indiana). Jackson-Davis also surpassed 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds while on the team. The squad as a whole moves to second place in the league at 8-5 behind only Purdue and is now 17-7 overall.

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On Saturday, the Hoosiers knocked off the highly-ranked Boilermakers in a raucous Assembly Hall for the second straight season. Indiana jumped out to a 15-point lead but Purdue rallied behind elite big man Zach Edey who scored at will in the post after halftime. However, when the Boilers cut the lead to 71-70, IU made critical free throws and Jalen Hood-Schifino knocked down huge shots in last few minutes to hold on 79-74. The team improves to 16-7 overall and 7-5 in the league.

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Join us on Thursday night for our weekly discussion about Indiana basketball. We'll look ahead to Indiana's Saturday matchup with Purdue and catch up on some mailbag questions.

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No. 21 IU's five game winning streak was stopped in College Park against a solid Maryland team who has been elite at home. It was a rough offensive night for the Hoosiers who scored just 55 points and missed a ton of shots in a 66-55 defeat. Indiana falls to 15-7 and 6-5 in the Big Ten and have their biggest game of the year so far on Saturday at 4pm on ESPN against the countries top ranked team in arch rival Purdue.

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Join us immediately following Indiana's quarterfinal matchup in the Big Ten Tournament against Nebraska. The Hoosiers season came to an end at 19-14 overall following a 93-66 blowout loss to Nebraska.

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On Saturday, IU used a 15-0 run to close the first half to pull away from Ohio State and easily held on from there for an 86-70 win. It was the Hoosiers fifth straight victory as Indiana improved to 6-4 in the league 15-6 overall. Jalen Hood Schifino led a red-hot night for the team from 3 point range with six triples and scored 24 points while Trayce Jackson-Davis had another double-double with 18 points.

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On Wednesday, IU struggled mightily against an undermanned Golden Gopher team. However, the Hoosiers were willed over the finish line by Trayce Jackson-Davis who had 25 points and 21 rebounds in a 61-57 win. Indiana was without head coach Mike Woodson who was recovering from COVID. TJD scored the game winning layup with under a minute left on an offensive rebound to break a 57 all tie.

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On Sunday, Indiana out toughed a physical Michigan State team by taking control in the second half for an 82-69 win. Trayce Jackson-Davis had another huge game with 31 points and 15 rebounds while the team shot 9-15 from three-point land and 21-24 from the free throw line. The Hoosiers improve to 13-6 overall and 4-4 in the league as they rolled to their third straight victory.

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Behind Trayce Jackson-Davis' 35 point dominant performance, IU rolled 80-65 in one of their most dominant road wins in a long time. The Hoosiers took control early and responded to every Illini run to pull away for the victory. The team is now 12-6 overall and 3-4 in the league and has steadied their proverbial ship with their last two impressive performances.

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On Saturday the Hoosiers got back on track with a big second half to pull away for a 63-45 win over Wisconsin. It is just the fourth victory over the Badgers since the 2008 and the first positive outcome against them that did not come down to the wire since 2005. Indiana improved to 11-6 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten to get out of the basement of the league and brighten their postseason hopes a bit.

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This week on Assembly Call Radio, we will provide further thoughts about Indiana's loss to Penn State. Then we open up the mailbag for your questions.

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The Hoosiers stayed close early but were eventually crushed by Penn State 85-66 in another blowout as the team continues to struggle. IU is now 1-4 in league play and 10-6 overall.

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On Sunday, the Hoosiers continued to struggle and fell into a big early deficit at home versus Northwestern and were unable to rally late in an 84-83 defeat. The team is now 10-5 overall and 1-3 in league play. 

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On Thursday, Indiana jumped out to a huge 21 point lead early but Iowa came back to win a nail biter 91-89. The Hoosiers also lost Race Thompson to a potentially serious injury and plenty of questions can be raised now about where this season is headed? IU is now 10-4 overall and 1-2 in the league. After the game, our crew broke it all down on The Assembly Call IU Postgame Show.

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Join us on Thursday night for our weekly discussion about Indiana basketball. This week, we'll roll through some Hoosier headlines, answer some burning audience questions, and take stock of the current state of the Hoosiers with a discussion about whether the glass is currently half full or half empty

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Join us immediately following Indiana's Big Ten Tournament opener against Penn State on Thursday night. The Hoosiers won 61-59 as Anthony Leal hit a game winner on an offensive rebound in the final five seconds. They face Nebraska at 9pm Friday.

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Join us immediately following Indiana's game against Kennesaw State for The Assembly Call IU Postgame Show.

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Join us on Thursday night at 9 ET for our weekly discussion about Indiana basketball. Chronic Hoosier will join Coach Tonsoni and Andy Bottoms to reflect on the last two weeks, which have seen Indiana suffer a handful of bad losses and a potential season-ending injury to Xavier Johnson. Where do the Hoosiers go from here?

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Join us immediately following Indiana's game on Tuesday night against Elon for The Assembly Call IU Postgame Show.

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