Mark Montieth: Pacers sure could use some of draft pick Mathurin’s bravado
Alpha males tend to act out on occasion and sometimes go too far, but they are essential elements of basketball teams that contend for championships.
Mark Montieth
Articles
Mark Montieth: That sixth pick can be the sweet spot
Yes, the Pacers could come out of the draft with a meaningful player. Standing sixth in line for the draft presents their best opportunity to get one since 1988, when they took Rik Smits with the second overall pick.
Mark Montieth: All-star game keeps pushing, despite headwinds
Attendance is about one-third of what it once was, the schedule of practices and games has been shrunk from two weeks to one and some players can’t even fit that into their schedules.
Mark Montieth: Lead-up to 1972 Pacers’ championship was a slog
The Indiana Pacers’ 1972 championship, clinched on May 20 in Uniondale, New York, was the second of the three captured by the franchise in the ABA, bookended by those in 1970 and 1973.
Mark Montieth: After tough season, guard chooses to stick it out with Boilermakers
There are, of course, legitimate reasons for an athlete to transfer, and even diehard Boilermaker fans would have understood if Newman had sought a change of venue.
Mark Montieth: Indians fan celebrates his 70th home opener
Joe Drescher, 82, shared his landmark opener with 29 friends, most of them former students, spread over two adjoining suites along the first base line.
Mark Montieth: Wabash baller ends collegiate career on high note
Wabash will play Elmhurst University (Illinois) in the second semifinal game Friday evening at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. If victorious, Wabash will play for the championship on Saturday against the winner of Friday’s earlier semifinal game between Randolph-Macon and Marietta.
Mark Montieth: A generation of ballers is named after Jalen Rose
Comb the rosters of teams throughout the country, all levels, particularly basketball and football, and you’ll find more Jalens—or Jaylens or other slight variations—than you can shake a rose at.
Mark Montieth: Wackiness dominated ‘freewheeling decades’ of sports promotions
Now that sports leagues, along with the rest of corporate America, have become more self-conscious about image and operate in a more litigious age, promotions have become … what? More professional? Less ridiculous? It’s all a matter of taste.
Sports: A look at athletes who were one-hit wonders
What about the athletes who rise above it all to produce a statistical anomaly just once and then fade back into obscurity? How do we classify them? Outlier temps? Simply lucky? Or, perhaps, unlucky for not getting more opportunities to show what they can do?
Sports: Are today’s bigger and stronger athletes injury prone or just soft?
Today’s players sit out more games with injuries than those of 50 years ago. Far more games.
Mark Montieth: Marian point guard shows how to navigate motherhood as a college athlete
Marian University’s starting point guard Abby Downard played through last season’s pregnancy before giving birth to a son, Jaxon, on July 30. Now she’s back on the court, juggling motherhood with the help of her teammates and family.
Mark Montieth: Remembering an outlandish IU performance
Fifty years ago, IU’s John Ritter scored a career-high 31 points. And he outscored the opposing team all by himself.
Sports: Hinkle, Wooden recruited in a bygone era
Wouldn’t it be nice if today’s college coaches had the luxury of doing recruiting as it was done by two of Indiana’s greatest coaching icons, Tony Hinkle and Johnny Wooden? Which basically was to sit back, throw out a few lines and wait to see who bites without having to beg or bend a truth?
Mark Montieth: College basketball moves far from amateur era
Forget NCAA, the most relevant acronym now is NIL—name, image and likeness. It means that formerly amateur athletes can now be compensated for their popularity in a myriad of ways with a myriad of dollars.
End of an era: Longtime Pacers statistician won’t work games this season
He had filled in the dates for home games on his calendar and had filed his proof of vaccination but was told two weeks ago his services were no longer required.
Mark Montieth: Culture change can be a prescription for struggling teams
But culture, no matter how vague the concept might be, has an influence. Workplace standards and atmosphere always matter.
Mark Montieth: Reggie Miller reminds us all that reputations can be ruined—and then can be rehabbed
All these years later, this forgotten chapter in Miller’s fabled career is a reminder of how fragile reputations can be.
Mark Montieth: A Q&A with Pacers coach Rick Carlisle on returning to Indy
Just because Rick Carlisle hasn’t settled into his office in the Indiana Pacers’ practice facility within St. Vincent Center doesn’t mean he hasn’t settled into his role of head coach.
Montieth: Harkness was a long-shot artist in and out of basketball
Harkness, who passed away early Tuesday morning at age 81, had a knack for being part of history. He also had a knack for making it himself when necessary.