PREVIEW: #10 Indiana. #3 North Carolina. Wednesday

OPENING TIP
• Indiana University begins its 117th season and the defending Big Ten Champions are ranked 13th in the Associated Press Poll and 10th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Hoosiers will host #3 North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. UNC was the 2016 ACC Champions and advanced to the NCAA Championship game. The two teams squared off in the NCAA East Regional where UNC won 101-86 in Philadelphia.

UP NEXT
• The Hoosiers will host SIU Edwardsville on Friday, December 2 at 7 p.m.

#13/10 Indiana vs. #3/3 North Carolina (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)
Date	Wednesday, Nov. 30
Location	Bloomington, Indiana
Venue	Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222)
Tipoff	9:15 p.m. ET
TV	ESPN (Dave O'Brien, Dick Vitale, Allison Williams)
Radio	IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, Joe Smith)
Live Stats	IUHoosiers.com

HEAD COACH TOM CREAN
• Tom Crean, the 2016 Big Ten Coach of the Year, begins his ninth year of leading the Hoosiers. Over the last five years, IU is 123-54 and leads the Big Ten with 24 regular season wins over ranked opponents during that time. IU is nationally ranked for the sixth straight season.    Eight players in his first six recruiting classes have scored 1,000 points in their career under Crean at Indiana. Yogi Ferrell (1,986), Christian Watford (1,730), Verdell Jones III (1,347), Jordan Hulls (1,318), Cody Zeller (1,157), Will Sheehey (1,120), Victor Oladipo (1,117) and Troy Williams (1,115) also have scored 1,000 points or more. From the Class of 2014, James Blackmon, Jr., is the next closest Hoosier to approach the mark. He has scored 806 points. Three players, Yogi Ferrell (2016), Cody Zeller (2013) and Victor Oladipo (2013) have been selected as All-Americans. In addition, Oladipo earned two National Player of the Year honors and was named National Defensive Player of the Year. IU won the 2013 and 2016 Big Ten titles outright. Last year's outright title is the team's second in a four year period with the last time that happened at IU coming in 1980, 81 and 83. The Hoosiers are now tied for the Big Ten lead in overall championships (22) and outright titles (13).

THE SERIES
• This will be the 15th meeting in a series which began in 1961. The Hoosiers hold an 8-6 advantage and are 2-1 against the Tar Heels in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. UNC will be the third top 10 ACC team the Hoosiers have faced in this event in the last four years.

DID YOU KNOW
• The Hoosiers Devonte Green is the younger brother of former Tar Heel Danny Green who played at North Carolina from 2005-2009.

• IU Director of Player Personnel Derek Elston is the son of Darrel Elston who played at UNC from 1971-74.

• Bloomington native Sean May is UNC's assistant to the Director of Player Development and the son of IU legend Scott May. His brother, Scott May, Jr. also played for the Hoosiers.

• The Hoosiers have the highest ranked win in the Big Ten having defeated #2/3 Kansas in the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu.

• Bryant was named Preseason All-American by Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook (first team) and NBCSports.com (second team). He also was named Preseason All-Big Ten and is on the Kareem Abdul Jabbar Watch List (Top Center). He had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Kansas. He had 18 points and 12 rebounds against Fort Wayne, his fourth career double-double. He followed up with another double-double with 13 points and 11 boards against MVSU. He is now 5th in the Big Ten in rebounding at 8.2 per game.

• Blackmon Jr. is tied for the highest career average (16.1) of any player who has played for Crean at Indiana. He was National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week following his 26-point effort against Kansas. He was named Preseason All-Big Ten and is on the Jerry West Award watch list. He did not play against MVSU after suffering a left knee injury at Fort Wayne the previous game. He is third in the league in scoring (20.1) and second in 3-point field goals made per game (3.8). He has missed 24 games in his career due to injury.

Top 5 Career Scorers In Tom Crean Era
James Blackmon, Jr.   16.1
Cody Zeller                  16.1
Yogi Ferrell                 14.5
Christian Watford       13.1
Thomas Bryant           11.9

• Blackmon Jr. tied his career-high with nine rebounds against Liberty. He also had his third straight 20-point effort in that game, becoming the third player in the last 10 years to accomplish that feat (Yogi Ferrell and Eric Gordon).

•Junior guard Robert Johnson is the most experienced Hoosier, having started 60 career games. Coming off of ankle surgery in the offseason, he is averaging 13.8 points and is second on the team with 15 assists. He is averaging 14.8 points in the last four games. He had 16 points at Fort Wayne and has shot a team-best 60.5% from the field, which is 9th in the B1G.

• Neither Blackmon (knee) or Johnson (ankle) played against UNC in last years NCAA Tournament.

• Senior forward Collin Hartman will begin rehab for his knee immediately. He played three games in the NCAA Tournament with a fractured wrist and averaged 5.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 rebounds.

• Sophomore forward OG Anunoby is a preseason All-American and elite defender who had a career-high 21 points to go with 8 rebounds in the win over MVSU. He is on the Julius Erving Award List. He leads the team with 7 blocked shots and is second with 6 steals. Junior guard Josh Newkirk has fit right in with the Hoosier attack, averaging 7.2 points and 3.6 assists. A native of Raleigh, N.C., Newkirk had 9 points in helping Pittsburgh to a win over UNC in the 2014 ACC Tournament. He had a career-high five rebounds against Liberty. Sophomore forward Juwan Morgan came on in the last nine games of the 2015-16 season despite shoulder issues. He has been an everyman for the Hoosiers, averaging 6.0 points and 6.8 boards per game. He is second on the team with 13 offensive rebounds. Sophomore walk-on Zach McRoberts played 15 key minutes and had a +15 contribution against Fort Wayne and earned a start against MVSU and had three points. Junior Freddie McSwain, Jr. had six points and 3 rebounds in 10 minutes against MVSU. Freshman De'Ron Davis is 9-for-15 from the floor and is averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds. He also hit two key free throws in the final minute in the win over Kansas. Freshman Curtis Jones is a Virginia native and a Boo Williams AAU product. He played with Thomas Bryant and Miles Bridges at Huntington Prep. He had seven of his 15 points in overtime in beating Kansas. He had 9 points and 5 rebounds against MVSU. Freshman guard Devonte Green is another big-bodied guard who had 6 points and a career-high 4 steals against UMass Lowell. Freshman Grant Gelon came off the bench had scored 5 points against Liberty. He hit his first three-pointer. Junior Tim Priller had a career-high three points against Liberty.

Most Wins Vs. AP Top 3 Teams, Since 2011-12
Duke                6
Indiana 5
Kansas             5
Wisconsin       5

PREVIEW: #10 Indiana. #3 North Carolina. Wednesday

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Players Mentioned

OG Anunoby

Thomas Bryant

De'Ron Davis

Grant Gelon

Devonte Green

Collin Hartman

Robert Johnson

Zach McRoberts

Juwan Morgan

Josh Newkirk

Tim Priller

Troy Williams