Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Ready For Greyhounds
11/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 9, 2005
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The No. 22/23 (Coaches/AP) Indiana men's basketball team returns to the hardwood for its final exhibition game of the season. The Hoosiers will host the NCAA Division II University of Indianapolis Greyhounds on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. on Branch McCracken Court at Assembly Hall.
IU is coming off an impressive 93-65 victory over Saint Joseph's (Ind.) College on Nov. 4. The Hoosiers were led by senior Marco Killingsworth and sophomore Robert Vaden's 17 points apiece, while senior Sean Kline and sophomore D.J. White each contributed 13 points to the cause.
The Greyhounds fell at Indiana State, 75-49, on Nov. 5 in Terre Haute, Ind., in both teams' exhibition opener. Indianapolis looks to fill the void left by NCAA Division II Player of the Year David Logan who graduated last May.
Scouting Indianapolis
Indianapolis enters the 2005-06 campaign with one of the younger rosters in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. After losing four of its top five scorers from a season ago, including NCAA Division II Player of the Year David Logan, the Greyhounds' 2005-06 roster has seven freshmen and sophomores, mixed with only three seniors.
Last season, Indianapolis finished with an impressive 19-10 overall record, including a 14-6 mark in league play. Logan led the charge with an average of 28.6 points per contest - a mark that led the NCAA Division II in scoring. Sophomore Justin Barnard is the team's leading returning scorer and one of two returning starters from last year's squad. Barnard averaged 6.2 points and a team-high 4.9 rebounds last season. Senior Jon Labad played in 26 contests, making 20 starts last season Ninth-year UIndy head coach Todd Sturgeon is 134-90 (.598) in eight years at U of I after leading his team to a 39-20 mark over the last two seasons.
The Indianapolis Series
This will be the first meeting between the two schools.
Indianapolis Last Time Out
Indiana State took advantage of the Greyhounds' youth in a 79-45 exhibition men's basketball win at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 5. The Hounds turned the ball over 22 times and were held to just 29-percent shooting from the floor.
Indianapolis spotted the Sycamores an 8-0 lead in the early going. Two threes from Jordan Barnard kept the Hounds in the game early, but ISU's Tyson Schnitker poured-in 19 of his game-high 25 points in the opening stanza to give ISU a 45-24 cushion at the break. Schnitker also corralled a game-high nine rebounds to lead ISU.
Senior Jon LaBad led Indianapolis with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the floor. The Irving, Tex. native also added seven rebounds to lead the Hounds.
Junior Scott Strahm added 10 points for the Greyhound cause.
Hoosiers Roll Past Pumas
The Indiana men's basketball team shot 53 percent from the field and placed four players in double figures on its way to a 93-65 victory over Saint Joseph's (Ind.) in the exhibition opener. Senior Marco Killingsworth and sophomore Robert Vaden paced IU with 17 points apiece as 11 different Hoosiers scored in the victory.
Killingsworth was 7-of-8 from the field, while Vaden chipped in five assists and two blocks. Sophomore D.J. White and senior Sean Kline each had 13 in the win. Senior guard Marshall Strickland led the team in rebounding with seven, while junior guard Earl Calloway tied Vaden for team assist-honors with five.
Preseason Rankings
The Hoosiers' talented team in 2005-06 is starting to catch wind nationally. In the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll released Oct. 27, the Hoosiers were ranked 22nd in the country. IU also found itself among the Associated Press top-25 preseason poll released on Nov. 7, coming in at No. 23 in the nation. It is the first time since the 2002-03 campaign that an IU team has appeared among the top 25 teams in the nation in a preseason poll. In addition, the Hoosiers are also ranked 17th in the country according to Street & Smith's.
Milestones Ahead
As the 2005-06 season approaches, several IU basketball players are approaching milestones.
Senior guard Marshall Strickland is already found among the top 10 in three-pointers made and attempted. He also has 728 points in his career, which places him 62nd overall among the IU all-time scoring leaders. He only needs 262 points this season to become the 40th Hoosier in IU lore to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
Additionally, Strickland and Robert Vaden should improve their standing among the school's all-time steals leaders. Strickland enters the season with 75 steals, while Vaden has 45. A complete list of all the upcoming milestones can be found in the column on the right.
Spreading The Wealth
Last season, Indiana had three players who averaged double figures, while scoring 63.8 points as a team. Head coach Mike Davis looks to have more of an up-and-down pace this season and if the Hoosiers' opening exhibition game is an indication, he is well on his way to an improved offense. The Hoosiers put 93 points on the scoreboard last Friday night, while 11 of the 12 Hoosiers scored at least two points in the contest.
Welcome Back
Seniors Marco Killingsworth and Lewis Monroe made their long anticipated return to the court when the Hoosiers defeated St. Joseph's (Ind.) last Friday night. In addition to Killingsworth's outstanding debut, Monroe also played well, with four points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes of action.
The duo were three-year players for the Auburn Tigers, helping the team reach the 2003 NCAA Sweet 16. After transferring, both players were forced to sit out the 2004-05 season due to NCAA rules, meaning this will be their first collegiate games in over a year.
Kline Looking Fine
Senior forward Sean Kline has stepped up his game this season. The Huntington, Ind., native averaged just 1.8 points and 0.8 rebounds a year ago, but proved he has moved past the knee injury that has hampered him throughout the last two years. In Friday night's exhibition opener against Saint Joseph's (Ind.), Kline performed well with 13 points, three rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes of action. Prior to his knee injury during his sophomore campaign, Kline proved he can be a force on the hardwood, averaging 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest.
Hot Shooting
Last season, Indiana ranked ninth in the Big Ten Conference in field goal percentage (.425). However, if last Friday's exhibition opener was any indication, the Hoosiers will be a much better shooting team from the floor in 2005-06. IU shot .530 for the game against Saint Joseph's (Ind.), including a blistering .559 in the opening 20 minutes. Senior Marco Killingsworth, who led the Southeastern Conference for two seasons in field goal percentage at Auburn, was 7-of-8 for the evening on his way to scoring a team-high 17 points on the night.
Furthermore, the Hoosiers ranked fourth among Big Ten schools in field goal percentage defense (.420). Against Saint Joe's, Indiana limited its opponent to .323 for the game, including 10 steals and seven blocks on the evening.
White Out With Injured Foot
Indiana sophomore forward D.J. White will be out with a broken left foot, Indiana head coach Mike Davis announced Nov. 8. White underwent an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. White will be sidelined for probably at least six weeks so that the bone can heal.
While White's absence will be felt, Davis feels this year's team has the depth to overcome such injuries.
"D.J. is one of the best players in not only the Big Ten, but in the country," Indiana head coach Mike Davis said. "He has been playing terrific basketball, and we are going to miss him. At the same time, we also have the depth and talent inside to help fill his void. Sean Kline and Ben Allen have both played well in the preseason, and they are going to have to step up their game in his absence. Marco Killingsworth will also have a larger load to carry, but he has the talent to do so."
Preseason Choices
The Indiana men's basketball team was picked to finish third in the Big Ten by the conference media for the 2005-06 season. In addition, sophomore forward D.J. White was one of five players honored by the conference media as a preseason all-conference selection. White joined Illinois guard Dee Brown, Michigan State center Paul Davis, Minnesota guard/forward Vincent Grier and Wisconsin forward Alando Tucker as members of the preseason first team All-Big Ten honorees.
White is the Hoosiers' top returning scorer and rebounder from a season ago. The 6-9, 242-pound forward averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest in his rookie campaign. He was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2004-05, leading conference freshmen in scoring, field goal percentage and block shots.
King Of Swats
Sophomore forward D.J. White is a tough presence inside the paint. Last season, the Tuscaloosa, Ala., native swatted an average of 2.2 blocks per contest. That number not only led the Big Ten, but his 64 blocks on the season was the best tally by a freshman in IU school history, bettering a mark established by former IU All-American and current 11-year NBA veteran Alan Henderson. It also ranked as the seventh-best single-season number, while his 34 blocks in Big Ten play ranked him in a tie for sixth among single-season shot blockers during conference play in IU lore.
Player Update
Sophomore guard A.J. Ratliff injured his right thumb during an Oct. 24 practice and will be out for an undetermined amount of time. Ratliff, who claimed the Hoosier Hysteria slam dunk crown with a crowd-pleasing slam over the entire sophomore class, had successful surgery on Oct. 25, and is expected to make a full recovery.
"A.J. was playing some great basketball, and it is unfortunate that this kind of thing happened," head coach Mike Davis said. "At the same time, we have the type of team this year, where if one of our guys gets hurt, another could just as easily step in without missing a beat. A.J. was one of the most improved players during the offseason and we will miss him, but I also feel confident about the other group of players who could fill his spot."
In addition to conditioning, Ratliff has switched to a lighter, more flexible brace, which allows him to work on his shooting and dribbling.
The Model Of Consistency
Sophomores D.J. White and Robert Vaden, who were members of the 2004-05 conference all-freshman team, certainly earned respect among their peers by their play on the court. The twosome were the only two players to have started all 29 contests a year ago. The last time Indiana returned two players that started every game for it the previous year occurred when Jared Jeffries and Dane Fife both started all 34 contests for IU in 2000-01 and returned for the 2001-02 season. That year, the Hoosiers won the Big Ten regular season championship and reached the NCAA championship game.
Approaching The Century Mark
Entering his sixth season as head coach at Indiana, Mike Davis has an overall record of 96-67 (.589) - just four wins shy of reaching the 100-win plateau. When he reaches the milestone, he will become the second-fastest coach in school history to reach the century mark in wins at Indiana. Bob Knight won his 100th game as a head coach during his fifth season as a head coach (1975-76), while Branch McCracken obtained win number 100 with a victory in his first game of his seventh season (1947-48).
Class Act
The 2004-05 freshman class came to Indiana as one of the most heralded classes in the nation and they certainly did not disappoint. In 29 games last season, the trio combined to average 29.3 of the Hoosiers' 63.8 points and 11.0 of the 30.0 rebounds per game. Those numbers account for 46 percent of the scoring and 37 percent of the rebounding.
They were also found among the freshmen leaders in Big Ten stats. D.J. White led all freshmen in scoring (13.3), blocked shots (2.21) and field goal percentage (.572) and ranked second in rebounds (4.9). Vaden led all rookies in steals (1.55) and finished third in scoring (10.2), rebounding (4.3) and free throw percentage (.803). Ratliff was also seen throughout the freshmen stats, ranking second in three-point percentage (.436), third in blocked shots (0.62), fifth in rebounding (2.8) and eighth in scoring (5.8). Overall, one of the three was among the top five in every category.
Additionally, Indiana's 75 freshmen starts not only led the Big Ten, but set the IU mark for single-season true freshman start total for the Hoosiers. Previously, the 1989-90 group of Lawrence Funderburke, Calbert Cheaney, Greg Graham, Pat Graham, Todd Leary, Chris Reynolds and Chris Lawson held the school record of 73 starts between them.
Mr. Reliable
Senior guard Marshall Strickland enters this season as the most experienced player for Indiana. The Winfield, Md., native has played in 91 career games, starting 67 times. The next closest player in terms of games played at Indiana is senior Sean Kline who has seen action in 67 games for the Hoosiers. Senior transfers Marco Killingsworth and Lewis Monroe are two more proven veterans for the squad, playing 89 and 68 games, respectively, at Auburn.
Powerhouse Program
The Indiana men's basketball team has been named one of college basketball's "Powerhouse Programs" by ESPN. A total of 10 programs were highlighted during the Honor Roll series, which aired on ESPNU. IU is one of just seven Division I men's teams. The others are Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina and UCLA. The Connecticut and Tennessee women's programs, along with Division II Kentucky Wesleyan round out the 10-program list.
