Indiana University Athletics
RELEASE NOTES
1/21/1998 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
RELEASE NOTES
SOLID PLAY OVER LAST NINE HALVES: The Hoosiers have been solid over the last four and a half games averaging 42.2 points a half during this stretch. The Hoosiers have shot at least 50% in each of the last nine halves (142-249, 57.1%). They have also made 29-61 (47.5%) from the 3-point range during this stretch. The team has scored at least 40 points in six of these halves as well.
LUUUUUUUKE, PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Freshmen Luke Recker earned co-Big Ten Player of the Week honors for his play last week against Northwestern and Purdue. He began the week by making 8-9 field goals and 5-6 3-pointers while scoring 22 points at Northwestern. He led the Hoosiers to victory over Purdue by recording the first double-double of his career with career bests of 27 points and 12 rebounds. For the week he was 18-25 (72%) from the field, 7-12 (58.3%) from 3-point range, averaged 24.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, had 6 assists and made only 3 turnovers in 68 minutes. He is the second Hoosiers to earn POW honors as Charlie Miller did so the previous week.
WHAT A PAIR!: A.J. Guyton and Luke Recker last week became Indiana's Dynamic Duo as they led the Hoosiers to two victories. They each scored a team-high 22 points against Northwestern and then against Purdue, Recker had a career-high 27 against while Guyton added 21. The two combined to shoot 67.3% (35-52) from the field while making 10-20 3-pointers. They also had 19 assists.
WINNING WAYS: Indiana comes into this afternoon's game with a four-game winning streak. This is the first time this has happened since the last four games of the 1996 conference season. The last time the Hoosiers had a five-game conference winning streak was in 1993 when they started the league season 13-0.
A TRIPLE 20: Luke Recker's 27 points, A.J. Guyton's 21 and William Gladness' 21 against Purdue marked the first time three Hoosiers had scored 20 or more points in a game since March 1, 1994. In that game at home against Illinois, Damon Bailey had 22, Pat Graham 21 and Alan Henderson 20.
PASSING FANCY: In the two victories last week, A.J. Guyton and Michael Lewis combined for 29 assists and only 9 turnovers which also included 15 assists and just 1 turnover at Northwestern. Over the last four games the two have combined for 47 assists to just 18 turnovers while playing a combined 255 minutes
DOUBLE YOUR FUN: First time double-doubles have started to become common place for Indiana players. Luke Recker had his first against Purdue with career-highs of 27 points and 12 rebounds. Charlie Miller had his first with season-highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds vs. Ohio State. That came after William Gladness had his first with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds vs. Michigan. Recker's performance is the fifth double-double of the season for the Hoosiers as Andrae Patterson has the other two. There could have been at least five more such performances. Patterson has had nine rebounds three times and eight another while Gladness had 13 points and 9 rebounds against Temple.
CHART WATCHING: A.J. Guyton is now seventh on IU's all-time 3-point attempt list with 239 (Greg Graham is sixth with 246). Guyton also needs 13 3-pointers to move into seventh on that all-time list and surpass Steve Alford who had 107. Andrae Patterson now has 1,140 career points which is 26th on the all-time scoring list (Quinn Buckner is 25th at 1,195 points).
JUST WONDERING: The last time IU lost to Iowa at home (before the Dec. 31 loss) was Feb. 21, 1991. IU then went on a 50-game home winning streak which lasted from Feb. 24, 1991 to Jan. 24, 1995. The Hoosiers are now 3/50th of the way to accomplishing this again after the last three home victories.
BALANCED ATTACK: The Hoosiers have proven to be a balanced team at least when it comes to scoring in conference play. A.J. Guyton (17.5), Luke Recker (16.3), William Gladness (12.3) and Andrae Patterson (10.3) are all scoring in double figures. Michael Lewis (8.0) is just a basket off of joining this group.
BEST FOOT FORWARD: A number of Hoosiers posted season-highs in the game vs. Purdue. Luke Recker set career-high with 27 points and 12 rebounds. His 10 field goals was also a season best. William Gladness had 10 field goals and 16 attempts and a conference season-high 21 points.
THE BIG FIVE: A.J. Guyton, Luke Recker, Andrae Patterson, Rob Turner and William Gladness are the top scorers for the Hoosiers. In fact the quintet has accounted for 74.7% (1,030-1,379) of Indiana's scoring this season.
COMEBACK KIDS: The victory over Western Michigan marked the fourth time this season the Hoosiers have overcome a halftime deficit and won the game. Last year IU was 4-9 when trailing at the half but this season they are 4-3. This record also includes wins over UAB, South Alabama and USF. Indiana also overcame a 22-point second half deficit at Illinois to tie the game.
FROM THE FIELD: The Hoosiers have shot better than 50% in each of the last five games (152-276, 55.1%) which is the longest such streak of the season after posting a four-game streak earlier this year. This is the first time since 1992-93 IU has shot better than 50% in five consecutive games. The Hoosiers have been a good second half shooting team, bettering 50% in 14 of the last 15 second halves. The Hoosiers' overall shooting percentage stands at 49.9% coming into this afternoon's game but it is at league-leading 52.3% in conference games. That overall mark is still above last season's 43.8% team mark. Three Hoosiers P William Gladness (56.6%), Rob Turner (54.5%) and Luke Recker (53.8%) P are shooting at least 50% from the field. The Hoosiers have shot 51.6% (380-736) in their victories but just 45.1% (123-273) in the losses. Last season the Hoosiers shot better than 50% only three times but have done so nine times this year.
MARGIN MATERIAL: Each of Indiana's wins this season have been by at least 6 points. The average margin of victory is 14.3 ppg while the loss margin stands at 8.2. Only six of the Hoosiers' games this season has been decided by less than 10 points P at Temple (-6), vs. Kentucky (-3), vs. South Alabama (+8), vs. Western Michigan (+7), at Illinois (-2) and vs. Purdue (+6).
CHARITY TOSSES: Indiana made a conference season-high 21-23 (91.3%) free throws vs. Purdue after making only 37-57 (64.9%) in the three previous games. That percentage was the second time this year IU has passed the 90% mark (Indiana's season-high is 94.1% (16-17) against Northeast Louisiana and that mark ties for the 10th best in school history). Indiana was one of the top free throw shooting teams in the nation last season finishing second at 76.6%. The Hoosiers come into this afternoon's game at 71.9%. Michael Lewis is the top player at 42-49 (85.7%). In the victories IU has made 219 free throws while the opponents have attempted 223. In the losses the opponents have almost twice as many attempts (100) as IU does free throws (58). The Hoosiers are shooting 73.7% from the line in the victories but just 65.4% in the losses.
THREE-POINTERS: The Hoosiers have made 14-29 from behind the arc in the last two games. Over the last four games IU has made 25-53 (47.1%). Over the last five games, IU has managed to shoot at least 40% four times. Indiana is shooting 36.4% on the season. A.J. Guyton is the top long range shooter at 39-94 (41.5%). A.J. Guyton leads the team with 39 treys and he, Turner and Luke Recker have combined to make 77 of the Hoosiers 96 3-pointers. IU is shooting 37.4% in the losses but 35.8% in the victories.
THE BOARD REPORT: After being outrebounded by a -21 margin the conference opener against Iowa, the Hoosiers outrebounded three of their next four opponents with another game being tied. IU lost the battle of the boards by a 35-32 margin against Purdue. Indiana's rebounding margin is +1.6. The Hoosiers have been outrebounded in three of their losses and are at a -2.0 margin in the losses. IU has registered 40+ rebounds five times. The Hoosiers have held an edge in rebounding 10 times.
ASSISTS ANGLE: IU leads the conference in assists (league games only) at 19.7 per game. It is also first in assist to turnover ratio at 1.33. Indiana has registered at 20 or more assists in three of the last four games and has done so eight time this year (three times in league play). The season-high is 26 vs. NLU while the league high is 24 vs. Northwestern. The Hoosiers have averaged 19.7 in the last 15 games after an average of just 11.7 in the first three games. Taking care of the ball has been a good barometer for Indiana success. In the victories they have 258(19.8) assists but just 74 (14.8) in the losses.
TURNOVER TALE: The Hoosiers had 19 turnovers vs. Purdue after a season-low 7 at Northwestern. Indiana averages 15.4 per game overall and 14.8 in league play. In the victories the Hoosiers have turned the ball over 184 times (14.1 tpg) while in the losses that number inflates to 93 (18.6 tpg). Indiana has registered 12 games this season in which the assists have outnumbered the turnovers (happened only 5 times last season).
BLOCK PARTY: The Hoosiers have 68 blocks this season but 58 of those have come in the victories. IU had only 10 in the first four Big Ten games but have matched that in the last two games which includes 8 against Northwestern which was the second-highest total of the season. Andrae Patterson (18) leads the team.
SCORING SOME POINTS: The Hoosiers enter today's game averaging 76.6 points per game overall and a Big Ten-leading 80.2 a game in conference play. Indiana averages 80.1 ppg in the wins but just 67.6 ppg in the losses. IU's 94 points vs. Purdue was the first time they had scored over 90 points in league play since posting 93 over Ohio State last year. It was also the most since scoring 95 in a victory over Northwestern Feb. 4, 1996. Indiana's season-high is 103 vs. Northeast Louisiana in the final game in Hawai'i. The 103 points was the first time the Hoosiers had eclipsed the century mark since Dec. 29, 1995 when they also scored 103 points against Appalachian State (span of 56 games). The Hoosiers scored over 90 points only twice last year in 33 games but have done so three times this year.
80 IS THE MAGIC: Indiana has won all eight of its games this season where it has scored 80 or more points. Over the last three years, Indiana is 24-5 when scoring at least 80 points.
MAKING THE STEAL: Indiana has averaged 8 steals a game over the last three contests. IU's season-high was 16 against SMSU (ties for the fifth-highest mark in school history). IU has 119 (9.2 spg) steals in the victories but just 27 (5.4 spg) in the losses. They have double figures in steals 5 times.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: The Hoosiers have held four opponents under 40% (accomplished 13 times last year in 33 games). In the last four games, the Hoosiers have allowed just 68.5 ppg. The opponents are shooting 43.5% coming into this afternoon's game. In the victories, Indiana has held the opponents to 42.6% from the field and forced them into 229 turnovers which includes an opponents season-high 25 by USF. By contrast in the losses, the opponents are shooting 45.7% and have turned the ball over 72 times.
GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD: This year the Hoosiers are 9-1 while leading at halftime, 4-3 when trailing and 0-1 when tied. The Hoosiers are usually good at holding onto a lead as they are 27-2 in the last 29 games in which they led at the half over the last two seasons.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: Indiana has led the Big Ten in scoring over the last seven years with a average of 79.9 points per game.... As strange as it might sound, no Indiana player has ever recorded a triple-double... The Hoosiers have had 27 consecutive winning seasons. Every Coach Knight team at IU has had a winning season. During Knight's tenure in Bloomington, Indiana is the only school in the Big Ten to register an overall winning record each year. Along those same lines with 9 conference victories last year, the Hoosiers have 24 (out of 26) non-losing conference seasons during Knight's tenure... Indiana is one of the top schools in the country during the 1990's. Entering the season, IU was12th among all teams during this span with a 72.4 winning percentage... All-time in Assembly Hall the Hoosiers are an impressive 326-43 (.883) including a 196-36 (.845) record in Big Ten games. Since the beginning of the 1990-91 season the Hoosiers are 93-10 (.903) in Assembly Hall. Indiana is 63-23 (.733) against ranked teams in Assembly Hall...
NEXT UP: The Hoosiers play at Michigan State Wednesday (Jan. 28). Tipoff is 8 p.m. (EST). The game will be televised on the over-the-air ESPN-Plus network which includes WTTV Ch. 4 in Indianapolis..
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