Latest / The Central Indiana Sports Report / The 10-Minute Report with Greg Mengelt (Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, 3.93)

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The 10-Minute Report with Greg Mengelt (Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, 3.93) · The Central Indiana Sports Report

0:08
[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome Central Indiana Sports Fans to the Central Indiana Sports Report for an afternoon edition of the Ten-Minor Report.
0:16
[SPEAKER_00]: You are daily update on sports that matter to Central Indiana Sports fans.
0:20
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm your host Greg Mengal, and I love Central Indiana Sports.
0:24
[SPEAKER_00]: We're coming to you a little later today, just in time to get ready for Pacers opening night.
0:29
[SPEAKER_00]: It all begins tonight in New Orleans.
0:32
[SPEAKER_00]: The Pacers chase for their first NBA championship.
0:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Coming up, we'll take a look at Tyreys Haliburton's return, the new faces, the available lineup, another ugly looking injury report that we don't want to go through that again.
0:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Plus my thoughts on Tuesdays NBA openers as the relates to the Pacers, the latest on the cults, college basketball preseason polls, produce exhibition tomorrow night, a big win for IU soccer and some Pacers opening night history in, did you know?
1:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Our IU report with Grant Shows and my Cutsle, their reaction to the Hoosiers' first loss of the season was released last night, and it's mostly at B as it should have been.
1:12
[SPEAKER_00]: And as Pacers' week continues, we'll react to tonight's Pacers' Pelican game, either afterwards tonight or Thursday or sometime.
1:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Make sure you're subscribed and hit the notification bell so you are informed anytime a podcast or video is released.
1:33
[SPEAKER_00]: As I'm sure you're aware since I made a whole media network about Central Indiana sports that I'm quite an enthusiast of Central Indiana sports and I love the colds and boiler makers and indie car all that, but really.
1:48
[SPEAKER_00]: My passion is the Indiana Pacers I can now wait for tonight.
1:51
[SPEAKER_00]: It's been two years in the making, the Pacers and Pelicans ate a clock at the smoothie king's center in New Orleans.
1:59
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course it also means the return of Tyre's Hall of Burton after.
2:04
[SPEAKER_00]: Yingerd his Achilles a game seven of the NBA finals when the Pacers were on the verge of their first championship.
2:11
[SPEAKER_00]: Two years ago, now the team is back, probably even improved as I talked about on our season preview just a couple of days ago, and ready to contend for a world championship.
2:21
[SPEAKER_00]: You're a little bit of bad news heading into Wednesday nights.
2:25
[SPEAKER_00]: Season opener, of course, TJ McConnell missed the entire preseason with a right hamstring injury, Ernie Smith missed the final preseason game and is out tonight as well, both of them out.
2:37
[SPEAKER_00]: So we're going to get to see a lot of Kelly Ubrae, Obi-Toppin, and Jaris Walker.
2:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course, one of them is going to have to start tonight.
2:44
[SPEAKER_00]: It'll be interesting to see who that is after the final preseason game.
2:48
[SPEAKER_00]: It was Ubra who started, but it was Oby Topping who fit him with the starters much better.
2:53
[SPEAKER_00]: So it'll be interesting to see who's in the starting line now.
2:56
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the best thing is we're going to get to see a little bit more of Jaris Walker and what he did in the preseason was fun and impressive.
3:04
[SPEAKER_00]: So looking forward to see if he takes another step.
3:08
[SPEAKER_00]: as he gets us some extra minutes here.
3:10
[SPEAKER_00]: So things to watch tonight, the first game ever, the Tyreys Halliburton, and the Tsuzubats will be in the lineup together.
3:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Just fun to see what they do in the pick and roll, and what kind of help Tsuzubats brings to this team.
3:23
[SPEAKER_00]: When I mentioned earlier in the podcast, that this team is definitely better than it was two years ago, when it almost won the title, because the upgraded center is a big reason for that.
3:32
[SPEAKER_00]: Another big reason is the
3:34
[SPEAKER_00]: continued improvement of Andrew Nimhart and Aaron Meetsmith and Jaros Walker.
3:39
[SPEAKER_00]: Any chance to see younger guys get more minutes as a good thing, but what we really need to see is a full healthy lineup.
3:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Tonight, the players available, of course, Haliburton, Andrew Nimhart, Quentin Jackson are the ballhandlers, the wings, Kelly Ubrae, Ben Shepherd Jaros Walker,
3:55
[SPEAKER_00]: You're forwards, you're going to be past Gauciacum, Obi-Top, and you're forwards, you're going to be past Gauciacum, Obi-Top, and Larry Nance.
4:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Your centers, if you just do bots, J-Huff, and then Larry Nance will also be a back-up center, and hopefully he is still good enough to eat into some of those J-Huff minutes.
4:15
[SPEAKER_00]: And it will probably be Nim Hard, who sees the minutes as the backup point guard with McConnell out.
4:23
[SPEAKER_00]: Either way, it's opening night and there's a lot to look for every night on an opening night.
4:27
[SPEAKER_00]: I spent last night watching three games of teams that don't really interest me that much because really only the Pacers interest me.
4:35
[SPEAKER_00]: I watch it to see how it affects the Pacers and I'll have something to say on that.
4:38
[SPEAKER_00]: The Pelican starting line up is expected to be the John Tamerry Herbert Jones Tray Murphy who was a trade target of the Pacers in the off season.
4:46
[SPEAKER_00]: Or Zion Williamson, if he plays, because he never does, and he is Missy, a Pelican teams that finished 26 and 56 last year isn't expected to be much better, although they did make.
4:58
[SPEAKER_00]: an addition in the offseason of Benedict Matherin after the Paces traded him to the clippers he signed with the pelicans in the offseason, so it'll be good to see.
5:07
[SPEAKER_00]: Benedict Mather and then I who as we know is a really good player, just didn't quite fit in with this team with his games.
5:14
[SPEAKER_00]: They also have a couple of really nice young players off the bench, Jeremiah Fears and Derek Queen.
5:19
[SPEAKER_00]: And as I've been saying in the pre-season, there are a lot of really bad teams in the NBA this year.
5:24
[SPEAKER_00]: There are not a ton of Gimmies.
5:26
[SPEAKER_00]: The Pelicans, we should win this game, three and a half point, favorite.
5:29
[SPEAKER_00]: Definitely not a Gimmie.
5:32
[SPEAKER_00]: After tonight, the Pacers play every other day until next Friday, their home opener Friday against the Mavericks, followed by back-to-back road games in Brooklyn and Milwaukee, then LeBron James, Jalen Brown, and the 76ers come to town next Wednesday, followed by their first NBA Cup game in Miami against Janice, onto the Compo, and the Heat on Friday, October 30th.
6:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, cannot wait for this game tonight, cannot wait.
6:05
[SPEAKER_00]: In particular, looking forward to seeing how zoo bots and Haliburton work together.
6:11
[SPEAKER_00]: The role of Jaris Walker, I think if he looks as good as he did in the preseason, you could take this team to a whole new level.
6:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course, again, we will have Pacer's Pelicans reaction at some time.
6:22
[SPEAKER_00]: It might be denied after the game might be Thursday night even as early as Friday morning.
6:27
[SPEAKER_00]: So make sure you're subscribed and hit the notification bell.
6:30
[SPEAKER_00]: So you find out when something is released.
6:35
[SPEAKER_00]: I think I mentioned tonight's Pacer's game is at 8 o'clock in the Pacer's or 3.5 point favorite.
6:41
[SPEAKER_00]: Also make sure you stick around for Tyre's Haliburton and his thoughts heading into the season as he met with the media on Tuesday, we'll have that for you in bonus time.
6:53
[SPEAKER_00]: little bit of cults news on Tuesday the cults signed former Super Bowl hero McColle Hardman and Punner Thomas Morstead to the practice squad as the cults continued to deal with injuries.
7:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Cults also waved, pittled to native Eli Pancoll to make room for Hardman.
7:12
[SPEAKER_00]: Argrin brings receiving and return experience, and with Anthony Golden concussion protocol, you'll probably take that roll on Sunday, Rigoberto Sanchez, of course, sustain an injury when he had a pot blocked in Sunday's ugly, ugly, ugly loss to the Titans.
7:29
[SPEAKER_00]: You can find that reaction on the Central Indiana Sports Report, and we will have a preview of the Cold Vikings coming up on Friday.
7:38
[SPEAKER_00]: The pre-season college basketball polls are out for both the men and the women, Florida leads to the men's polls, South Carolina leads the women's.
7:46
[SPEAKER_00]: Produce number 24 in the coaches poll, and outside of the top 25 in the AP, Purdue had appeared in the top 25 for 79 consecutive AP polls.
7:57
[SPEAKER_00]: Tomorrow night Purdue is at Purdue Fort Wayne at 7 o'clock at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, and later today we will have Jake's and my reaction to Purdue's first Exhibition game against Ball State.
8:11
[SPEAKER_00]: The top five four the men in the AP, Florida Duke, Illinois, Yukon, and Arizona, the teams it from the Big Ten Rank.
8:20
[SPEAKER_00]: Illinois is third at Michigan State's sixth Michigan's sixth team.
8:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Then number 21 is USC number 22 UCLA, Nebraska Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa, and Indiana all received votes.
8:32
[SPEAKER_00]: And the women's poll, your top three South Carolina Yukon and USC, Notre Dame is number 13, teams from the Big 10 and the top 25, USC is third Michigan fifth.
8:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Iowa's number 10, 11 is UCLA, Washington is 16, and we're 17 is Minnesota, number 18, Ohio State, Maryland is 20th Illinois is 23rd, neither IU nor Purdue got any votes.
9:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Big win for IU Soccer on Tuesday night, a one to nothing victory over Ohio State.
9:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Eastern Bogard scored the lone goal at forty twenty three on assist from Nolan Concella and Collins Aduro.
9:12
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course, the Hoosier coming off their only loss of the season are now twelve one and two five one and one in the big ten.
9:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Indiana and Michigan State are tied on the top of the standings with sixteen points.
9:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Looks like indie car will be heading to Spain next year.
9:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Motorsports.com reports a multi-year agreement to race at the Circuit Day Barcelona Cataluna beginning in at 2027.
9:39
[SPEAKER_00]: That'll give Alex below a race in his home country, so it makes a ton of sense.
9:45
[SPEAKER_00]: And finally, in did you know three, did you know items at the end of every 10 minute report?
9:52
[SPEAKER_00]: Mostly to kind of tell you some things you might not know about high school and small colleges, but today we're gonna focus again on the Indiana Pacers and number one, did you know that the Pacers largest NBA season opening win was 28 points and they beat Memphis 1183 and the 2018-19 season opener.
10:07
[SPEAKER_00]: No reason I'm bringing that up.
10:12
[SPEAKER_00]: Their high-escoring opener came in 2023 when they put up 143 points and it went over Washington.
10:20
[SPEAKER_00]: Probably not going to break that one.
10:22
[SPEAKER_00]: And the last time Indiana opened its season on the road was in 2024 and the Pacers won in Detroit 115109.
10:30
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see if they can do that again tonight in New Orleans.
10:34
[SPEAKER_00]: And now you know everything I know about Central Indiana sports.
10:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for listening.
10:38
[SPEAKER_00]: I will be back tomorrow with more on the Pacers.
10:41
[SPEAKER_00]: Stay tuned for some bonus time with Tyre's Halberd.
11:03
[SPEAKER_01]: I was just really excited to get back on the floor, you know, it's been a long journey to get here, and pre-season I think was a fun kind of, you know, starting point, and a good place is to get some film on, you know, on us to watch, and you know, take a good and take a bad, you know, you kind of just have to flush it all right now as you prepare for game one, but I'm really excited to be back on the floor and looking forward to everything that comes with an MVACs and the good to bad the Aggies, so it'll be fun.
11:28
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not gonna rick him past y'all.
11:29
[SPEAKER_02]: It's stuff the expectations outside of the building, how they're so large in this city for you guys.
11:34
[SPEAKER_02]: How do you manage and knowing that, but also not laying the pressure yet to you?
11:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, the expectations outside of this building have never been bigger than they are in the building.
11:42
[SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, there's no real worries, us as a group of guys.
11:46
[SPEAKER_01]: And
11:47
[SPEAKER_01]: As a team, what our goals are and as to win a championship, it's been that way, you know, for the last two years.
11:52
[SPEAKER_01]: So that doesn't change.
11:54
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, we've got to get back to building championship habits and you know, just taking it a day at a time.
11:59
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a long season.
12:01
[SPEAKER_01]: So can't get to why I can't get to low.
12:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Here's got to take a day of time and we're really excited.
12:06
[SPEAKER_03]: Tired that day before that game started when I asked you about season in the moment and you said, you don't take it for granted.
12:11
[SPEAKER_03]: You don't know if you're wake up tomorrow and your legs won't work.
12:13
[SPEAKER_03]: You're not here and you get tomorrow.
12:15
[SPEAKER_03]: So I know you don't take it for granted.
12:16
[SPEAKER_03]: Ever, but after this last year, is it a renewed thankfulness and like appreciation for what you had in the opposite?
12:22
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, for sure.
12:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I think you could definitely say it that way.
12:25
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm really excited to be back on the floor.
12:26
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think I've said it a couple of times now, but like when you heard and you missed the whole year, you have an amazing injury like that.
12:35
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, it's 26 years old.
12:37
[SPEAKER_01]: It's the first time that I've ever thought about what life will be like for me after basketball.
12:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Never thought about that before.
12:45
[SPEAKER_01]: But I don't know if I still could give you that answer.
12:48
[SPEAKER_01]: But I do know that I have a lot more to offer, a lot more to bring to the table as a basketball player, and I don't want to retire or be done playing without accomplishing everything I want in life, so I'm just excited for the year to come to chase my dream and try to win championship.
13:05
[SPEAKER_02]: How does this team look different or perhaps the same as the last couple of years?
13:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean our cores are core, right?
13:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Same group.
13:12
[SPEAKER_01]: We've got the same coaches staff for a long time now.
13:15
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think our principals are principals and we're understanding of that and that's been really good.
13:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's hard when you have a lot of roster turnover when you have a lot of...
13:22
[SPEAKER_01]: coach and turn over it's hard day, sustained success and fortunately for us, we've kept the same group together for the most part, obviously we're missing two key pieces from our championship run, or filling those in, I think pretty well, I think Zoo is very, really good for us and then Kelly's been looking good for us.
13:37
[SPEAKER_01]: And we also were excited about having those guys and everybody that we brought into our group and all those guys that fit really seamlessly for us.
13:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, you know, it's gonna be really exciting to, you know, chase this as a, as a group and I think those guys fit in obviously you guys see how they fit in from a basketball perspective, but they fit in, you know, on the locker room and fit in, uh, on the card table, they fit in, uh, everywhere off, off the court as well.
14:00
[SPEAKER_01]: So, it's gonna be a great tie to these guys and, uh, just looking forward to continuing to build our relationships on and off the court.
14:05
[SPEAKER_04]: Listen to Rick this morning on the radio.
14:06
[SPEAKER_04]: He pointed out it was your seventh season.
14:08
[SPEAKER_04]: It's kind of hard to believe a little bit in some ways Is this first game feel a little bit like maybe you're a rookie year first game?
14:17
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, no, no, that first game.
14:20
[SPEAKER_01]: I was so I was so nervous all day.
14:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like sweating bullets I don't know the I think that's kind of gone You know more so I was just excited to be back on the floor, you know what?
14:30
[SPEAKER_01]: here and you say you're seven is crazy somebody asked me to hear this most from the other day and I could have remember I thought I said six because I was like don't remember last year counting is like my six year you know so it's crazy how fast time flies but just enjoying every moment of it you know and that's the fun part about it but yeah it's like any time it's like the first game of year or big game play off something like that it's like kid on Christmas right you're just excited it's hard to sleep all those things so
14:55
[SPEAKER_01]: That'll definitely rain true, and I think this evening, and as we get into the season, but it's just excited to be back on the floor.
15:00
[SPEAKER_03]: Time you talked about the highs and lows of the season.
15:03
[SPEAKER_03]: Sometimes people pay more attention to like the last two weeks of the season and jacking position, but these early games all can't be seen.
15:08
[SPEAKER_03]: And I want to witness it to get off on the right.
15:10
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you know, uh, for as long as I've been here, you know, we have never, you know, started the season hot, you know, and I think that that's something that we've talked about as a team, as an organization, how we can have a good start to the year, and even the year once of finals, you know, you're starting to like, turn on 15, you're really rough to start the year.
15:28
[SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, I think that's something that I haven't been able to do in my career as have a good start to season, you know, so that's definitely something that we want to do as a group, you know, if they could really prepare it well for this game one and, you know, these early games, so we've got a good start to camp and, yeah, just looking forward to this, because in a span of 82 games, right, there's so many games, all right, it's easy to look at one or two, especially early and be like, you've got to flush that one, move on and
15:54
[SPEAKER_01]: I hate to say you'll probably hear me say that at some point during the year, but that's the reality of it.
15:58
[SPEAKER_01]: But you know, I think we're just approaching it in a day of the time not looking to find the future.
16:02
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, living in the moment, right?
16:04
[SPEAKER_01]: Every game is big.
16:05
[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, I think the end of the year, when you look at it from a totality standpoint, like man, game four.
16:11
[SPEAKER_01]: wouldn't matter, you know, but I think the reality I was in the moment, you got to approach every day the right way and I think we're doing that as a group and that comes with just maturing and getting older and being a league for longer and we've established ourselves as a group you know throughout the years now so that's important.
16:28
[SPEAKER_04]: What do you anticipate from playing against Ben?
16:30
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm excited, man.
16:31
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm excited.
16:32
[SPEAKER_01]: No, I didn't get the play against Ben last year.
16:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Everybody else.
16:34
[SPEAKER_01]: I know how fierce of a competitor he is and we've definitely had our battles in here in the summer and in training camp and things like that.
16:41
[SPEAKER_01]: So look forward to being back on the floor with him.
16:43
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, last time I put it together, obviously, ended on a little bit of a sour note to say the least.
16:48
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think we've grown closer since that moment.
16:53
[SPEAKER_01]: I would definitely say that.
16:53
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm really excited to see him in New Orleans and for him to get a fresh start there.
16:57
[SPEAKER_01]: So definitely looking forward to being back on the floor.
17:00
[SPEAKER_05]: you mentioned after the first piece is a game that you felt like you were a little bit sped up.
17:03
[SPEAKER_05]: Do you think you have to get over that again tomorrow or do you think now that we're done with PC can you help me respond?
17:08
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I don't feel that way.
17:09
[SPEAKER_01]: You guys have watched last couple of previous games done.
17:11
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just wild and so, you know, I feel like I'm in a good place from a basketball standpoint.
17:17
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like I continue to be there and, you know, I think that first game, there's a lot going on.
17:23
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, being back in my, being back in our state,
17:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, that's not red bull, it's like fast to which for the game to kick me up.
17:33
[SPEAKER_01]: I did not need that game one and I took it and I was a jittery mess.
17:37
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think we're done with that for a little bit and I stopped taking it through the rest of the reasons.
17:42
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's worked out fine.
17:43
[SPEAKER_01]: So we'll stop taking that for a little bit and I think I'll be fine.
17:46
[SPEAKER_05]: Are you someone who looks at predictions and projections across the league and how you're matched up in those in the preseason?
17:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah for sure, Chris, right?
17:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Did you have to, right?
17:55
[SPEAKER_01]: You want to see what people are talking about?
17:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Before I was a NBA player, I was just a basketball fan like everybody else, so so follow a lot of writers, a lot of NBA Twitter, all those things, you know, and so it's fun to see, you know, I think
18:07
[SPEAKER_01]: A lot of, like I said, I've got a lot of the bookmarks you're going to love, and I keep in my head, but to be fair, the NBA is really hard to predict, and especially now with all the parody and our league, so I try to be fair as much as I can, but of course I keep it all on my head, and I like to see where people have us good and bad, and nothing I think can live up to that, the expectations that I have for this group, so I'm looking forward to it.
18:30
[SPEAKER_06]: I think I'll back to that final, so I've took another way, so I did thrive on being loved and how you're able to kind of surprise to me, but now that those expectations are there, not only through this team, but for you, the face of the city was massive, and all the places in the city, how do you embrace all that?
18:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you know what's funny, like looking back on it, because you were once in the conference finals, going into the year after that.
18:56
[SPEAKER_01]: The story was that we're not a hunter anymore, we're the hunted, and we went to the finals.
19:01
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's like, people know who we are.
19:03
[SPEAKER_01]: We have a clear identity as a group, and me as an individual, and us as a group.
19:08
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that people know what to expect when we come in there, they're building, you know?
19:11
[SPEAKER_01]: And so Team Joe prepared that way.
19:13
[SPEAKER_01]: They know we're a good team, so...
19:16
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think we'll be prepared and, you know, I think just approach in a day at a time, like, as far as expectations and help people view me or this group really get to cut up in that, you know, I know I am and very confident in my own skin.
19:29
[SPEAKER_01]: So, I think it'll be an exciting year for us.
19:35
[SPEAKER_00]: The Ten Minute Report and the Central Indiana Sports Report are products of ITG media, and I love music.