Author: Cliff

Tamika Catchings: Fever forward ready for her final Olympic trip

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Tamika Catchings says only one result will make her final trip to the Olympics successful. Not winning the gold medal as a USA team – everybody will look at it as a failure, the Indiana Fever star said before heading across the pond. Now 33 years old, the reigning WNBA MVP says she’s […]

Jeremy Lin worth much more than $25 million for the Houston Rockets

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor It’s been said by many experts and some players that the Houston Rockets overpaid for Jeremy Lin. You won’t find that nonsense here. I’ve experienced Linsanity. Three years, $25 million? Pocket change. I covered the Pacers-Knicks game on St. Patrick’s Day, and what I witnessed was special. The doors to Bankers […]

Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel just a dad on a Friday at Snapperz

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Note: The author covered the Indiana Pacers for The Associated Press for seven years. Frank Vogel is just Daddy to his daughters, Alexa and Arianna. After leading the Indiana Pacers to the second round of the NBA playoffs and finishing third in the NBA Coach-of-the-Year balloting, Vogel was caught being an average Joe […]

A look at new Indiana Pacers point guard D.J. Augustin

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor I had been wondering what kind of player the Pacers were getting with Darryl Gerard (D.J.) Augustin, so of course, I hit up YouTube. I found a video worth sharing on limweiqiang’s channel (who, of course, credits the NBA). Highlights will only show the best of a player, so it’s hard to get a true idea […]

Cliff Brunt: My WNBA midseason report on MVP, team races

 By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor This is my midseason report on the MVP and team races as the WNBA hits the Olympic break. MVP race This year’s WNBA MVP race is as close as it’s ever been at the halfway point. Because Tamika Catchings won the MVP award last year, she won’t get sentimental votes […]

Samples: Clery Act investigation may force Penn State to drop football

By CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent If the NCAA doesn’t force Penn State to put its football program on ice after the Jerry Sandusky molestation nightmare, the U.S. Department of Education might. The NCAA is mulling whether to hammer Penn State with the so-called death penalty for an apparent culture of cover-up involving Sandusky, convicted recently of […]

Q and A with new Purdue student assistant coach Ryne Smith

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Former Purdue sharpshooter Ryne Smith will be a student assistant coach at Purdue next season. I chatted with him after Monday’s practice on shiny Cardinal Court, the school’s new practice facility. Smith made 89 3-pointers last season to rank third on Purdue’s single-season chart and shot .432 from beyond the […]

Chuck Samples: Royals GM among those on hot seat

By CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent Royals pitcher Jonathan Sanchez was designated for assignment Wednesday. He deserved it. Sanchez was 1-6 with a 7.76 ERA and 44 walks — all in 53 1/3 innings covering 12 starts. The pitcher who also has a no-hitter to his credit was routinely lit up by media folks in the […]

New pics of the almost ready Purdue Boilermakers’ baseball field

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor The Purdue baseball field that was slated to open before the 2012 season finally is nearing completion. Purdue hosted a regional this past season but had to play it in Gary because Alexander Field wasn’t ready. Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke told ISL in late June that the opening was delayed because […]

Video: Purdue coach Painter talks about Boilermakers’ trip to Italy

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Purdue coach Matt Painter spoke to the media on Monday about the Boilermakers’ upcoming trip to Italy. The Boilermakers will use the trip to experience a different culture, gain experience against professional players and bond as a team. Other stories: Top 10 white Pacers players during Bird executive era Top […]