Indiana University Athletics
IU Readies For Missouri
12/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
December 13, 2004
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana visits Missouri, Sunday at 2 p.m. at Norm Stewart Court in Mizzou Arena (15,061). It marks the first trip to Columbia, Mo. for the Hoosiers since Dec. 7, 1999, when IU defeated Mizzou, 73-68.The game will be televised by ESPN Plus and is the third of 16 IU games televised on the local package. Tom Hamilton (play-by-play) and former IU supersub John Laskowsky (color commentary) will call all of the action.
Fans can also listen on the IU Radio Network. WHCC (105.1 FM in Bloomington) is the flagship station for the network that has more than 50 stations broadcasting Hoosier basketball all season long. Don Fischer (play-by-play), former Indiana guard Todd Leary (color commentary) and Joe Smith (pregame, halftime and postgame host) call all of the action.
Below are a few notes regarding the Missouri game:
• Through the first six games, Indiana is allowing just 64.0 points per game, the best opening six game defensive performance of coach Mike Davis' tenure and the 10th-best opening six-game defensive stretch by an Indiana team in the last 25 years.
• Indiana freshmen Robert Vaden and D.J. White are two of the Big Ten Conference's top newcomers. Vaden is the only Hoosier to score in double figures in five of the first six games. The duo has started every game and combine for 20.0 ppg and 9.5 rpg. This accounts for 31 percent of the Hoosiers' offense and 29 percent of the rebounding.
• In the past three years, Jeff Newton and George Leach each ranked among the Big Ten leaders in blocked shots. White is following in their footsteps, tying his career high with five rejections against Notre Dame. He is the top freshman shot blocker in the league and tied for third overall at 2.33 per game.
In addition, White (17-of-21, .810) is eighth in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, while Vaden ranks 13th in the conference in rebounds per game (5.7).
• Junior guard Bracey Wright is showing why he is considered one of the top players in the nation. Wright, a candidate for the 2004-05 Wooden Award and Naismith Award, recorded 31 points against nationally-ranked Kentucky, which tied his second best output in his career. He also scored 31 on two occasions his freshman season, reaching the tally against Vanderbilt (12/9/02) and then Ball State (12/31/02). His career best output was 39 points last season against North Texas (Dec. 29, 2003). For the year, Wright is averaging 17.5 points, second best in the Big Ten, and 3.8 rebounds.
