Preparing for Michigan

1/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

January 17, 2005

Bloomington, Ind. - Indiana will return home to host Michigan (12-5, 3-0 Big Ten) on Jan. 19 at 8 p.m., at Branch McCracken Court at Assembly Hall ( 17,456) in Bloomington, Ind.
This will be the 144th meeting between the two foes, with the Hoosiers owning an all-time advantage of 92-51, including winning six straight and nine of the last 10 meetings. The last Michigan win in Bloomington came on Jan. 24, 1995 (65-52).

Each Indiana basketball game can be heard live 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.

The game will be locally-televised on ESPN Plus, and is the 10th of 16 games the Hoosiers will have on ESPN Plus. Mike Gleason will do play-by-play,

while former IU supersub John Laskowski will handle the color commentary.

Scouting Michigan
Michigan (12-5, 3-0 Big Ten) enters the Indiana game after winning six straight and nine of the last 11,

including three Big Ten games. The Wolverines, who open conference play with three of their first four conference games on the road, most recently sneaked out of College Station, Pa. with a 66-62 win over Penn State on Jan. 15.
The Wolverines enter the game against the Hoosiers with four players averaging double figures, led by sophomore guard Dion Harris, who tallies a team-high 13.8 points per contest. Junior guard Daniel Horton (12.2 ppg), junior center Chris Hunter (11.2 ppg) and sophomore forward Courtney Sims (10.7 ppg) also average double digits. Junior forward Graham Brown leads Michigan with 6.6 rebounds per contest, while Harris also leads the team with 63 assists and 20 steals.
Indiana head coach Mike Davis has an all-time record of 6-1 against Michigan. Davis' lone loss came in his first meeting against Wolverines, when the Hoosiers dropped a 70-64 decision on Jan. 9, 2001 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Series vs. Michigan
Wednesday's contest marks the 144th meeting between Michigan and Indiana. The Hoosiers currently own a 92-51 record in the series, including taking wins in six consecutive contests and nine of the last 10. The last time the Wolverines beat the Hoosiers was on Jan. 9, 2001 in Ann Arbor, Mich. (70-64). In fact, the Hoosiers have taken eight straight games over Michigan in contests played at Assembly Hall.

2/FONT>Freshman A.J. Ratliff was the first IU guard to block four shots in a single game since Greg Graham achieved the feat back in 1989.

Michigan has not beaten IU in Assembly Hall since winning 65-52 on Jan. 24, 1995. Below is a look at a few facts between the two rivals:
SERIES FACTS
Last Meeting: Indiana 61, Michigan 56 (Bloomington on 3/3/04)
Indiana at Home: 57-12
Indiana at Michigan: 33-38
IU vs. UM on Neutral Court: 2-1
Last Indiana Win: 61-56 (3/3/04)
Last IU Win At Michigan: 59-57 (1/11/04
Last Michigan Win: 70-64 (1/9/01)
Last UM Win At Indiana: 65-52 (1/24/95)
Current Overall Streak: Indiana W6 (W8 at home)

Tough Tandem
Junior guard Bracey Wright and freshman center D.J. White are proving that they can be a tough tandem for opponents to deal with. Over the final six minutes of regulation and both overtimes in IU's 75-73 win over Purdue, White had eight points, two rebounds and two blocks, while Wright had six points on 6-of-8 free throw shooting, two assists, two rebounds and a steal. On the season, the duo combines for 31.7 points, which ranks as the third-best duo in the Big Ten, and 9.7 rebounds per contests.
Freshmen Fab Four
The Hoosiers defeated Purdue, 75-73, in double overtime last Saturday, thanks in large part to freshmen D.J. White, Robert Vaden, A.J. Ratliff and James Hardy. In the contest, the foursome went 14-of-27 (.519) from the floor and 9-of-13 (.692) from the foul line. Combined, they accounted for 41 of the team's 75 points, 21 of the 37 rebounds and seven of the team's nine blocks on the afternoon.
They are also found among the leaders among freshmen in the Big Ten stats. D.J. White leads all freshmen in scoring (12.6), blocked shots (2.14) and field goal percentage (.575) and ranks second in rebounds (5.4). Vaden leads freshmen in free throw percentage (.879) is second in steals (157) and ranks third in scoting (9.6) and rebounding (5.0). Ratliff is also seen throughout the freshmen stats, ranking second in three-point percentage (.476), sixth in rebounding (3.3) and ninth in scoring (5.5). Overall, a Hoosier freshman is in the top three in every category except for assists.

Ratliff Doing It All
Freshman guard A.J. Ratliff is proving to be one of the top newcomers in the Big Ten. Most recently against Purdue, the Indianapolis, Ind., native had seven points, six boards and a career-best four blocks in the Hoosiers' double overtime victory. Ratliff is the first IU guard to have at least four blocks in a game since Greg Graham achieved the feat with four swats against Texas A&M on Dec. 28, 1989. Thus far through through three Big Ten games, Ratliff is averaging 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds.

Working Overtime
The Hoosiers' double overtime, 75-73, victory over Purdue last Saturday marked their first double overtime game since Feb. 7, 2004 when IU dropped an 84-82 decision to Iowa in Bloomington. In addition, it was the first double overtime victory on the road since Jan. 31, 1999, when Indiana defeated Penn State, 98-95, in State College, Pa. Since 1950, the Hoosiers are 5-1 in double overtime contests, while Mike Davis has a 6-2 record in extra time, including a 3-1 mark in road overtime contests.
Additionally, Bracey Wright (48), D.J. White (46), Marshall Strickland (46), Robert Vaden (45) and A.J. Ratliff (40) each saw at least 40 minutes of action against Purdue. It is the first time in school history that five players were each on the court over 40 minutes. Minutes were not kept in the record books prior to the 1991 season.

Shooters Warming Up
Indiana has been one of the better shooting teams in the Big Ten over its last six contests. Over that period, the Hoosiers have shot .472 (134-of-284) from the field and have a record of 5-1. In addition, IU has averaged a blistering .504 (65-of-129) from the floor in the second stanza during the span.
Through the first nine games this season, IU was unable to reach the 50 percent mark for field goal percentage in a half. However, the Hoosiers have accomplished the feat in five of the last eight halves, including scorching the nets for a season-high 59.1 percent in the second half against Northwestern. Furthermore, IU has exceeded the 40-percent mark for field goals in a half in 16 of the last 18 halves.

Freshmen Taking Over
The Hoosiers have arguably one of the top freshmen classes in the nation. D.J. White, Robert Vaden and A.J. Ratliff are key reasons why Indiana has won five of its last six contests. Each player started the six games and have combined to average 31.0 points and 15.9 rebounds. This effort accounts for 45 percent of the team's scoring and 49 percent of the rebounding during the span.

Deja vu?
After winning in double overtime at Purdue, the Hoosiers improve their record to 2-1 in Big Ten play. It marks the third consecutive season IU has starting conference play with a 2-1 record.

Comeback Kids
The Hoosiers victory was not only a significant win because it was against their arch rival, but it also marked the first time in 17 games Indiana has come back to win from a halftime deficit. IU went into the locker room against the Boilermakers down 28-22, but outscored them 53-45 in the second half and overtimes. The last time IU came back to win after trailing at the half was on March 21, 2003 against Alabama. In that game, the Hoosiers were down 35-24 before coming back to outscore the Crimson Tide, 43-27, in the second stanza.
In addition, IU trailed by double digits (32-22) with 18:21 remaining in regulation; however, finished the half outscoring Purdue, 33-23, to force the overtime. The same Alabama game was also the last time Indiana came back from a double digit deficit.

Quality, Not Quantity
Junior guard Marshall Strickland's scoring line from the Purdue game on Jan. 15 might not look impressive when one first glances (he scored nine points on three-of-seven shooting from the floor and did not hit a three pointer on two attempts). However, all of his nine points were scored in the final 30 seconds of regulation and both overtimes. After a three-pointer by Purdue's David Teague gave his team a 55-52 advantage with 26 seconds remaining in regulation, Strickland had one of the biggest buckets of the contest, when he drove the floor coast-to-coast and hit a layup after being fouled. His subsequent free throw tied the score and forced overtime. Before that bucket, Strickland was 0-of-4 from the floor and was scoreless; however, down the stretch he was 2-of-3 from the floor, 3-of-3 from the free throw line.

One, Two, Three...CHARGE!
For the season, Indiana has drawn 23 charges for an average of almost two per game. A.J. Ratliff, Ryan Tapak and Pat Ewing lead the team, each drawing four charges on the year. Below is a breakdown of which players have drawn offensive charges on the season:
Name Charges Drawn
A.J. Ratliff 4
Pat Ewing 4
Ryan Tapak 4
Sean Kline 3
Errek Suhr 2
Bracey Wright 2
Mark Johnson 1
Mike Roberts 1
Rod Wilmont 1
Robert Vaden 1
Totals 23

Sharp Shooter
Freshman guard A.J. Ratliff is becoming more comfortable in head coach Mike Davis' system. Since being placed in the starting lineup against Ball State, the Indianapolis, Ind., native has averaged 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds. Most importantly, IU has gone 5-1 during that same stretch. In his last three games alone, Ratliff's increased confidence is reflected in his numbers, hitting on seven of his last 11 three-pointers, while also averaging 9.7 points and 5.7 boards, which rank third and second on team, respectively. He leads the team by hitting .476 of his shots from behind the arc (10-of-21) for the season. Against Northwestern, he accounted for career-highs with 16 points, including hitting for 4-of-5 three-pointers, and 10 rebounds to record his first career double-double.

Recent Trends
Below is a few things to take into consideration over the last several games for Indiana:
 Mike Davis has a penchant for kicking the new year off in winning fashion. During his head coaching career, he has a 24-12 (.667) record in the month of January.
 With 11 more points, junior guard Bracey Wright will become just the 22nd player in school history to reach the 1,300-point plateau, and the first to achieve the feat since Kirk Haston did so during the 2000-01 campaign.
 Indiana shot 43.6 percent from the floor, marking the eighth consecutive game the Hoosiers have shot 40 percent or better in a game. IU is 6-3 this season in games when they have shot 40-plus percent.
 As a team, IU has averaged 68.1 points in its seven victories; however, in its seven defeats, the Hoosiers have scored just an average of 59.0 points.
 The Hoosiers' defense has been impressive this season. As a team, IU only allows its opponents to shoot an average of .397 from the floor. That number leads the Big Ten and ranks 59th in the country.
 Freshman Robert Vaden has opened the season making 29 of his first 33 (.879) free throw attempts. It is the best start since Jay Edwards' freshman season when hit .909 of his free throws in 1988.

The Wright Stuff
Junior guard Bracey Wright continues to show why he is considered one of the top players in not only the Big Ten, but in the country. Recently coming off his second 30-point performance this season and fifth of his career with 30 points in the win over Wisconsin on Jan. 5, Wright continues to lead the Big Ten in scoring with 19.1 points per game. In fact, over his last six contests, Wright has averaged 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, while shooting .471 (41-of-87) from the floor and .804 (41-of-51) from the charity stripe. During that span, IU has gone 5-1.

Home vs. Away
The Hoosiers are 5-3 in games played at the friendly confines of Assembly Hall; however, they have won just one game on the road, going 1-3 thus far on the season. One of the reasons for that is the rebounding margin. In home games, IU is averaging 35.0 rebounds per game, while only collecting an average of 31.3 boards on the road. Additionally, IU scores 64.0 points per game and outscores its competition by a margin of 3.5 points at Assembly Hall. However, it is a different story on its opponents court, as the Hoosiers average 62.2 points per game and is outscored by 6.8 points per game.

Three of a Kind
Indiana is one of the youngest teams in the country, a stat backed by the Hoosiers starting three freshmen. IU is one of only four teams in the country to start three freshmen on a regular basis (Tulane, Georgia and Fresno State). IU leads all Big Ten teams with 34 starts by freshmen this season, while Penn State is second with 31 freshmen starts. In fact, on three occasions this season, Indiana has had four freshmen on the court at the same time when James Hardy, A.J. Ratliff, Robert Vaden and D.J. White played at the same time against Oral Roberts, Furman and Purdue.