IU Columbus men’s basketball coach James Adams talks to his players during a timeout in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage at Nexus Park.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
A new era in IU Columbus athletics is about to begin.
Tuesday afternoon, the Crimson Pride will play the first men’s basketball game in school history when they host St. Francis at 5 p.m. It will be the start of what coach James Adams hopes will be something big.
“There’s always going to be challenges,” Adams said. “Right now, we just have to roll with the punches. The challenge is every day getting better. My motto is telling these guys every day we come to practice, we want to get 1 percent better. I do that just to make sure they stay competitive every day.”
Staying competitive hasn’t been a problem so far for IUC. The Crimson Pride have 22 players on the roster, and only 18 can dress for home games and only 15 can go on road trips.
“We have established some guys who are starting to kind of weed themselves from the others, as far as who’s going to play,” Adams said. “We’re going to give all 22 players the opportunity every week to be able make that 15-man roster when we go on the road. These guys know I’m very transparent with them, and I’m very fair with them.”
Jennings County’s Owen Law snags a rebound during the 2023 All-Area All-Star boys basketball game at Columbus Christian School.
The Republic file photo
IUC played an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday at Nexus Park. Owen Law, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Jennings County who played tennis at IU Southeast last year, was the game’s top scorer with 23 points.
Xavier Highbaugh, a 6-1 freshman from Indianapolis Ritter scored 17 points. Gavin Dowling, a junior from Greenwood who played at Anderson last year, added 15 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
IU Columbus sophomore transfer Gavin Dowling drives to the basket for Anderson last year.
Submitted photo
“I think a lot of transfers typically have negative stories coming from their past schools,” Dowling said. “I’m not like that. I had a great relationship with my coaches at my past school. Financially, it didn’t work out. (Anderson is) an expensive school to go to. I got in this (transfer) process real late. I didn’t get recruited here. I actually reached out to coach. I still wanted to play basketball, and I’m glad he said yes. I love the culture that we’re building. That’s the big thing. You want to build a culture, you want to build habits. We’re all dedicated to that, and I think you’re going to see big things from this program.”
Joey Ross, a 6-1 freshman from Owen Valley, scored 14 points in the scrimmage; while Chase Ridao, a 5-10 freshman from Pike Central, had 13. Deonta Luster, a 6-3 junior from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; and LaRenzo Hopkins, a 6-2 sophomore from Ann Arbor, Michigan, each scored 11. Mile Ivezic, a 6-8 freshman from Crown Point, added 10.
Two other player who will see considerable action and contend for starting spots are Willie Reece, a 6-3 junior from Carriere, Mississippi; and Bobby Wonnell, a 6-1 redshirt-sophomore from Taylor who played at IUPUI two years ago and Earlham last year.
“(IUC is) a first-year program, being a part of something, building from the ground up,” Wonnell said. “I know that’s a common phrase here, but it’s something I want to do. I want to be a leader. I want to be a historic part of something. That’s fun. We have the guys to do it. We have the coaching staff to do it. It’s a great area.”
Also on the roster and pushing for playing time are a pair of Columbus East graduates in 6-2 freshman Jack Fischvogt and 6-2 sophomore Ben Sylva, who was at Olivet Nazarene last year.
“(IUC is) closer to home,” Sylva said. “Coach Adams heard about me and reached out, and I said, ‘Yeah, I want to do this.’ He talked to me about all the guys he had coming in, and I knew some of them. I didn’t know some of them. It sounded like a pretty good plan to come here.”
IU Columbus men’s basketball coach James Adams, left, talks during the school’s media day as players Bobby Wonnell and Gavin Dowling and assistant coach Jared Brown, right, look on.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
Adams is a Gary native who moved to Wisconsin when he was 15. He brought along one of his former travel-team players, Jared Brown, as his assistant coach.
“I got this opportunity to come here and build a basketball program,” Adams said. “It’s like a dream come true.”
“This guy (Adams) comes with an incredible basketball background, but his energy is electric,” IUC athletics director Zach McClellan added. “You want to be around the guy. He’s done a really good job of putting us on the map. We’re thankful that he’s here.”
The 2024-25 IUC men’s basketball schedule
Tuesday vs. St. Francis, 5 p.m.
Nov. 1 at Huntington, 5 p.m.
Nov. 2 vs. Cleary, at Huntington, 2 p.m.
Nov. 4 at IU Indianapolis, 11 a.m.
Nov. 5 at Union (Kentucky), 4 p.m.
Nov. 8 vs. Blue Mountain Christian in Chick-Fil-A Classic, 6 p.m.
Nov. 9 at Bethel (Tennessee) in Chick-Fil-A Classic, 4 p.m.
Nov. 11 at St. Xavier (Illinois), 8 p.m.
Nov. 14 vs. Lourdes, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 20 vs. IU South Bend, 6 p.m.
Nov. 26 at Grace, 6 p.m.
Dec. 7 vs. Oakland City, 1 p.m.
Dec. 19 at Marian, 7 p.m.
Dec. 21 at Cedarville (Ohio), 2:15 p.m.
Dec. 30 vs. Lawrence Tech in Rochester Classic, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 31 at Rochester Christian in Rochester Classic, 11 a.m.
Jan. 4 vs. Brescia, 1 p.m.
Jan. 7 at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 11 at IU Kokomo, 1 p.m.
Jan. 14 at IU Southeast, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 18 vs. Alice Lloyd, 1 p.m.
Jan. 23 at Shawnee State, 6 p.m.
Jan. 26 at Rio Grande, 1 p.m.
Jan. 20 at Midway (Kentucky), 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 1 at IU East, 1 p.m.
Feb. 4 at Oakland City, 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 8 at West Virginia Tech, 1 p.m.
Feb. 11 at Brescia, 6:30 p.m.
Fen. 15 vs. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, 1 p.m.
Feb. 18 vs. IU Kokomo, 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 22 vs. IU Southeast, 1 p.m.
