Search
Make wishtv.com your home page

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts announced on Wednesday that they have signed free agent wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie.

The announcement comes one day after McKenzie’s agency posted on social media he had signed with the Colts.

McKenzie spent the last five seasons (2018-2022) with the Buffalo Bills. He was released by the Bills on Friday.

“I feel like I’ve got the energy, the vibe, the charisma – the personality to fit in anywhere and adapt to my environment, but also not just adapt, but change the environment and change the way guys think and guys feel in a positive way,” McKenzie said on Wednesday. “I feel like I had done a lot of that in Buffalo coming into the locker room and just helping out mentally, for the mental aspect. Where off the field, on the field, I feel like I’m one of those guys you can come to and talk to and get help from.”

During his time in Buffalo, he caught 137 passes for 1,316 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Last year, McKenzie had 42 catches for 423 yards and four receiving touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown.

McKenzie was originally a fifth-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2017 NFL Draft. He played in Denver prior to joining the Bills.

(WISH) — Indiana University men’s basketball’s loss on Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament likely means that Trayce Jackson-Davis’ career at IU is over.

The senior forward technically has another year of eligibility left, but he previously said this would be his final year of college basketball.

Jackson-Davis also participated in the program’s Senior Day ceremony earlier this month.

“It’s (playing for IU) something that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” Jackson-Davis told News 8’s Andrew Chernoff after Sunday’s loss to Miami (Fla.). “I hope the fans will too. I gave them everything I had.”

Those who were on the team with Jackson-Davis understand he did give everything he had. That includes IU head coach Mike Woodson.

“I don’t think we’re sitting here today if it wasn’t for Trayce Jackson-Davis,” said Woodson. “He could have left two days after I got the job, but he decided to stay on board. He worked his butt off. I pushed him on and off the court. A lot of nights and days, it wasn’t pretty for him, but he got better. He benefited from it, and our team benefited from it.”

Jackson-Davis, a Center Grove High School graduate, likely leaves IU as the program’s third all-time leading scorer (2,258 pts.).

He also leads the program in all-time rebounds (1,143) and blocks (270).

But when you ask Jackson-Davis about those stats, he said he wants to be remembered for much more than just those numbers.

“Just (as) someone that helped put Indiana basketball back on the map,” said Jackson-Davis. “I know we kind of went through a dark time since 2016. We haven’t really had that much success. I think these last two years we kind of broke through and we did some things that haven’t been done in a long time – making the (NCAA) tournament.”

The guys on the team who are coming back say they have learned a lot from their senior leader, especially from how they saw him dominate games.

“He’ll go down as one of the greats,” said IU junior guard Trey Galloway. “I just wish we could have kept going for him and keep dancing.”

IU junior forward Jordan Geronimo added that Jackson-Davis “left a mark” on the program as well.

Jackson-Davis averaged 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.9 blocks per game this past season.

He is one of four players to be named a finalist for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith National Player of the Year Award. The other three players are Purdue’s Zach Edey, Kansas forward Jalen Wilson and Gonzaga’s Drew Timme.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana University men’s basketball team is hoping to get to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.

But, to do so, the fourth-seeded Hoosiers (23-11) will have to beat the Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes (26-7) on Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The game is scheduled to tip-off at 8:40 EST inside MVP Arena. 

“It really comes down to us,” said IU senior forward Race Thompson. “Our defense works really well when we’re keying in together. We’re really just focused on what we do, and again just kind of familiarize ourselves with what they do so we can kind of see some things coming.”

The Hoosiers are coming off a first-round NCAA Tournament win over Kent State Friday night. 

IU senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis led the Hoosiers in that victory, scoring 24 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. 

“You guys see it on a night-in and night-out basis, and we see it every day in practice and once we play the game,” said IU head coach Mike Woodson. “It’s been a nice carryover into the ball games. My coaching staff has done an excellent job in helping me get him (Trayce Jackson-Davis) to this point.”

The Hurricanes have star power though as well. One of their top players is actually an Indianapolis native. 

Guard Nijel Pack went to Lawrence Central High School. He led the Hurricanes with 21 points in their first-round win over Drake. 

“Just watching him (Pack) just grow throughout high school and blossom into the player that he is now, just being able — the way he shoots the ball and then passing, his ability to attack the rim is huge keys and huge developments that he’s been able to work on,” said Jackson-Davis. “So I’m excited. It’s not every day you get to play someone that you grew up really close to.”

News 8 will preview the game live from Albany at 6 p.m. EST.

ALBANY, N.Y. (WISH) — The Indiana University men’s basketball team is getting ready for Sunday’s second round matchup in the NCAA Tournament. 

The fourth-seeded Hoosiers play the fifth-seeded Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes at 8:40 p.m. EST inside MVP Arena. 

IU enters the contest fresh off its 71-60 win over Kent State on Friday night in the first round of the tournament. 

In that victory, IU forward Miller Kopp wore a headband and that headband has been the talk of the locker room since. 

Multiple IU players told News’ 8’s Andrew Chernoff after the game that they feel Kopp should keep sporting the look, in part because he had a big game while wearing it on Friday. He finished with 13 points vs. Kent State. 

Despite his fellow Hoosiers talking about the headband, Kopp’s coach, Mike Woodson, did not seem to notice it. 

“Shoot, I didn’t even notice it (the headband),” joked Woodson. “The one thing I did notice, him making shots. That’s the only thing that matters to me. I don’t care about no headbands.”

Click on the video above to hear more from the Hoosiers. 

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WISH) — Lawrence Central High School graduate Nijel Pack had a big night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.

Pack, a University of Miami guard, scored a game-high 21 points against Drake on Friday night to help his Hurricanes advance to the second round of the tournament with a 63-56 win.

After the game, News 8’s Andrew Chernoff talked with Pack to get his thoughts on his performance.

“I was just taking what the defense was giving me,” said Pack. “(I was) able to get to my pull-up jumpers. And my teammates were giving us a big boost as well.”

Pack was 7-of-15 from the field including 3-of-7 from behind-the-arc.

The Hurricanes ended the game on a 16-1 run. They will face the winner of Indiana and Kent State on Sunday.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana University sophomore guard Tamar Bates is looking forward to Friday night’s first-round NCAA Tournament game against Kent State.

He’s not only excited because he of course will be playing in the game, but because his younger daughter will experience it with him.

“I’m able to share my journey with her,” said Bates.

This will be the first NCAA Tournament Bates has played in since his daughter, Leilani, was born. She will turn one-year-old on March 20.

“She’ll be here but she’ll have no clue what’s going on,” joked Bates.

Bates told News’ 8’s Andrew Chernoff having Leilani in attendance gives him an extra drive when he’s out on the court.

“It’s special, just not only having my family up there, but my daughter,” said Bates. “It’s just a different kind of drive, different kind of motivation. No matter how I’m feeling, when I see her, it’s ‘go time.'”

Bates added he never takes this for granted the fact that he is able to play in front of his daughter.

“I know people that are my age that haven’t even been to a March Madness game at all,” said Bates. “So with her being one-year-old, it’s a blessing.”

The Hoosiers play Kent State at 9:55 p.m. EST Friday.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Indiana University junior guard Trey Galloway, from Carmel, is having his best season since joining the program in 2020.

Galloway averages 6.8 points per game, ranking him sixth on the team. He proves himself willing to step up in different ways each game, though statistics do not tell the whole story. 

Last season, Galloway missed 15 games due to an injury, and had to have surgery this past offseason. Despite this, he has kept a positive mindset though it wasn’t always easy. 

Galloway said, “I spent a lot of time on the sidelines this summer, watching our guys get better … the end of last year … was really challenging. But, I think just putting things in perspective that it could always be worse.”

Many consider Galloway to be a “glue guy” for the Hoosiers.

A “glue guy” is someone who does everything he can to help his team win, whether it’s scoring a lot one game or making key defensive plays in another. 

Galloway says it is essential to have a “glue guy” on your team.

He said, “Being the guy that can keep things together, and do all the little things, is just huge for our team. I think I can keep doing it and do even more.”

He also says that the biggest stat for the team is winning, and said, “That’s the one thing I’ve tried to focus on is just trying to help my team win.”

Galloway has played in 30 games this season and started in 23 of those games. He leads the Hoosiers in three-point percentage, having gone 28-of-62 (45.2%) from behind the arc this year. 

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Purdue University men’s basketball team is moving on to the championship of the Big Ten Tournament.

The Boilermakers (28-5) topped Ohio State (16-19) by the final of 80-66 in the semifinal round of the tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Purdue was led by big man Zach Edey, who finished with a game-high 32 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Brandon Newman added 15 points and Braden Smith had 14 points for the Boilermakers.

This is the second straight season Purdue has advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. The Boilers lost to Iowa in the title game last year.

Purdue will face the winner of three-seeded Indiana and 10-seeded Penn State in the title game on Sunday afternoon.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Purdue University center Zach Edey has been named Big Ten Player of the Year by both the league’s coaches and the media members, the conference announced Tuesday.

Edey leads the conference in scoring, averaging 21.9 ppg this season, and leads the conference in rebounds per game, averaging 12.8 per contest.

Edey, who was also named to the conference’s first team, has helped lead the Boilermakers to a 26-5 overall record this season, including a 15-5 record in Big Ten play. He is only one of two Big Ten players in the last 30 years to have at least 600 points, 350 rebounds and 50 blocked shots in a season. The other player was Michigan’s Chris Webber during the 1992-93 season.

Indiana University also had a pair of players who received major honors. Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was named to the Big Ten’s first team, while guard Jalen Hood-Schifino was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year.

Jackson-Davis is tied for second in scoring in the conference, averaging 20.5 ppg and is second in rebounds per game, averaging 11 of them per contest.

Hood-Schifino has scored 13.4 ppg this season.

2022-23 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Team as selected by Big Ten coaches

2022-23 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Team as selected by media voting panel

Most mock drafts have the Colts picking a quarterback in the first round.

The top quarterback prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft spoke to the media on Friday inside the Indiana Convention Center.

“”It’s my dream to play in the NFL,” said former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. “And to be able to be here, whatever team I end up being taken by, is a blessing for me.”

It’s a dream for every player at this week’s NFL Combine, although not every position gets the same amount of attention as the quarterback spot.

“I’ve been blessed to be in the system that I have that I think translates pretty well to the next level,” said Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner. “Obviously there’s going to be stuff I’m going to learn. I’m super excited and eager to do that, but I think I have a really good foundation being from Alabama.”

Young is just one of the many talented quarterbacks in this year’s draft class.

And with the Indianapolis Colts currently picking fourth overall, the feeling is that they will select a quarterback, or even trade up to get the one they want.

Some of the names of players who have been floated out there as potential Colts’ selections include Young, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis.

“I think I got one of the stronger arms that’s come out of any draft class in recent memory,” said Levis.

There was a common theme from these quarterbacks on Friday. They all spoke about their leadership skills, and also said there is plenty of room for them to grow as a quarterback.

“Honestly, I think I haven’t even touched my potential yet,” said Stroud. “I think that I have a lot more to get better at.”

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place April 27-29 in Kansas City, Mo.