Wisconsin Game Date Set

2/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

February 3, 2005

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana will travel to Champaign, Illinois for the first time since Feb. 25, 2003 to face the nation's top-ranked team in Illinois. The game will be played in Assembly Hall (16,500) in Champaign, Ill. on Feb. 6, 2005 at 1 p.m. EST.

This contest marks the 153rd meeting between Illinois and Indiana, with the Hoosiers currently owning a 78-74 advantage in the series. Illinois has taken five of the last six games played between the two schools, including winning four consecutive.

Indiana head coach Mike Davis is 3-6 against Illinois. The last IU victory came on Jan. 18, 2003 in Bloomington (74-66).

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 televised nationally on CBS, and is the third of five games the Hoosiers have on CBS. Ian Eagle will do play-by-play, while Clark Kellogg will handle the color commentary.

Scouting Illinois

Illinois (22-0, 8-0 Big Ten) enters the Indiana game ranked No. 1 in the country and is one of two remaining unbeaten teams in Division I NCAA basketball. Most recently, the Fighting Illini traveled to No. 10 Michigan State and defeated them easily, 81-68, last Tuesday, Feb. 1. Illinois was led by senior guard Luther Head, who compiled 22 points and five steals in 36 minutes of action.

Head leads the team in scoring for the season, coming in with 16.8 points per contests, which ranks fifth in the Big Ten. He is one of five Illini players averaging in double figures. Deron Williams, who pours in 13.2 ppg, leads the team and the Big Ten in assists per game, dishing out 6.9 dimes per contest. Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Dee Brown adds 13.0 points, 5.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Forward James Augustine contributes 10.3 points a game and leads the team with 7.5 rebounds a contest, while Roger Powell Jr. (12.8 ppg) also averages double-figure scoring.

The Illini are one of the best passing teams in the nation, ranking second in assists per game (20.0), while also coming in the top 10 in the nation in scoring margin (fourth-18.7), turnovers per game (fourth-11.1), three-point field goals per game (10th-8.9) and scoring offense (10th-81.5).

The Series vs. Illinois
Sunday's contest is the 153rd meeting between Illinois and Indiana. The Hoosiers hold a winning record against 9 of 10 Big Ten teams, with the slimmest lead (78-74) being against the Illini. Purdue is the lone Big Ten team to hold an advantage over Indiana in the all-time series (106-77).

The last Indiana win over Illinois came on Jan. 18, 2003 when it defeated the Illini, 74-66, in Bloomington. In fact, the last time the Hoosiers defeated Illinois in Champaign came in a 70-64 overtime decision on Feb. 24, 1999.

Below is a look at a few facts between the two teams:
SERIES FACTS
Last Meeting: Illinois 71, Indiana 59 (3/12/04)

Indiana at Home: 47-27

Indiana at Illinois: 30-43

IU vs. Illinois on Neutral Court: 1-4

Last Indiana Win: Indiana 74, Illinois 66 (1/18/03)

Last IU Win At Illinois: Indiana 70, Illinois 64 (OT) (2/24/99)

Last Illinois Win: Illinois 71, Indiana 59 (3/12/04)

Last Illinois Win At Indiana: Illinois 51, Indiana 49 (2/3/04)

Most Points IU Scored vs. Illinois: 107 (W, 107-67, 2/9/74)

Most Points Illinois Scored vs. IU: 112 (W, 112-91, 1/14/57)

Current Overall Streak: Illinois W4 (W3 at home)

Strickland Streaking
Junior guard Marshall Strickland has been heating up during Big Ten play. In conference games alone, the Winfield, Md., native is averaging 6.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and has an assist to turnover ratio of over 2 to 1 (25 assists, 12 turnovers). In fact, in his last two games alone, Strickland has hit 8-of-13 shots (.615) from the floor and 3-of-7 shots (.429) from behind the arc. Over that span, Strickland is averaging 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.

Playing No. 1
When the Hoosiers square off against top-ranked Illinois, it will mark the 19th time since polls began in 1948-49 IU will be playing a No. 1-ranked team. Indiana owns an all-time record of 5-13 against top-seated teams, including wins in two of the last three occasions. The last time the Hoosiers defeated a No. 1-ranked team during the regular season came in a 59-58 win over then-No. 1 Michigan State on Jan. 7, 2001. The Hoosiers also defeated then-No. 1 Duke, 74-73, in overtime in the NCAA Tournament on March 21, 2002. Ironically, the last time the Hoosiers faced a No. 1 team on its home court came on Jan. 28, 1989 at Illinois, when IU fell, 75-65. When playing on a No. 1 ranked team's home floor, the Hoosiers have never won, going 0-7.

Helping Hand
One of the keys to Indiana's 68-63 win over Penn State last Wednesday was a season-high 17 assists, the most since collecting 17 vs. Minnesota (2/18/04). It marked just the second time this season the Hoosiers have had 15 or more assists in a game. When that happens, victory usually follows as Indiana has a record of 6-1 over the last two seasons when it dishes out 15 assists in a contest.

Additionally, when IU recorded 17 assists and nine turnovers against PSU, it marked the third straight game that the Hoosiers had more assists than turnovers. In fact, in the last three games, Indiana has 46 assists and 24 turnovers. The last time Indiana had more assists than turnovers each in three straight games was March 8-14, 2003 - 11 assists and 10 turnovers at Penn State on March 8, 23 assists and eight turnovers against Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on March 13 and 13 assists and four turnovers against Michigan on March 14.

Tapak Returns
After seeing little or no action over the last 11 contests, senior guard Ryan Tapak proved to be a key in the Hoosiers' 68-63 win over Penn State on Feb. 2. Tapak played a season-best 21 minutes, hit the only three-pointer he shot on the night, had three assists without a turnover and had a rebound and a steal on the night. The three-pointer he connected on came at a crucial point in the contest. With 2:16 remaining in regulation and Indiana clinging to a 62-58 lead, the Indianapolis, Ind., native drilled an off-balance three-pointer with the shot clock running down to give the Hoosiers a seven-point advantage.

Bench Support
The Indiana bench is proving to play pivotal role in the outcome of a contest. Against Penn State, the Hoosier reserves outscored Penn State's 9-4, the five-point margin equalling the final score's margin, 68-63. In five games the IU bench has either outscored or matched its opponents this season, the Hoosiers own a record of 4-1.

Strick-ly Boarding
Junior guard Marshall Strickland matched his career high with seven rebounds against Penn State last Wednesday - a feat he achieved three times on the season. The rebounding by Strickland is proving to be a valuable commodity this season. The Hoosiers are 4-1 when he has five or more rebounds in a contest this season, and 9-4 overall in his three-year career.

Super Bowl Sunday
For the fifth time in school history, Indiana will play on Super Bowl Sunday. Ironically, Indiana's four previous Super Bowl Sunday games were also on the road. IU downed Penn State in 1999 and 1997 but suffered losses at Illinois in 1994 and at Minnesota in 1990.
Date Opponent Score
1/31/99 at Penn State (2OT) W. 98-95

1/26/97 at Penn State W,70-55

1/30/94 at Illinois L, 81-88

1/28/90 at Minnesota L, 89-108

Hot Shooting
After shooting only .385 at Iowa in a 72-57 loss on Jan. 29, Indiana responded by hitting 26-of-50 shots from the floor in the 68-63 victory over Penn State on Feb. 2. The .520 field goal percentage was a season-high for the Hoosiers and marked only the second time this season IU has hit 50 percent or more of its shots in a single game (Furman - .500). In fact, the Hoosiers have won 22 consecutive games when shooting 50 percent or better. The last time IU lost a contests when making at least half of its shots came in a 73-67 loss at Ohio State on Jan. 19, 2002.

Ratliff Rising
Freshman guard A.J. Ratliff is proving why he was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana last year with his recent performances. In IU's win over Penn State, Ratliff collected 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 29 minutes of action. After going through the non-conference season averaging 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and tallying four blocks, the Indianapolis, Ind., native has accounted for 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while also adding 11 blocks (1.4/game).

In addition, Ratliff has swatted 15 shots on the season for an average of 0.94, which ranks 11th in the Big Ten. At this pace, Ratliff would be the finish with 36 blocks on the season which would be a school record for a guard. Jay Edwards has the school record with 27 blocked shots during the 1988-89 campaign.

Freshman Of The Year?
Several preseason newsstand publications tabbed Indiana's D.J. White as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and the 6-9 forward is certainly living up to expectations. Over the last five contests, White has averaged 16.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. Among Big Ten freshmen in all games, White is first in scoring (13.3), blocked shots (2.21) and in field goal percentage (.569), second in rebounding (5.4) and third in free throw percentage (.778).

Double Figure Streak Snapped
Against Penn State, Indiana freshman D.J White had his double figures streak snapped at 12 consecutive games dating back to the Missouri contest. Thus far on the season, White has reached double digits in 15 of 19 games. Below is a look at where the 12-game streak ranked in school history among freshmen:
Consecutive Games
Mike Woodson (1976-77) 18

Bracey Wright (2002-03) 14

Jay Edwards (1987-88) 14

Calbert Cheaney (1989-90) 13

D.J. White (2004-05) 12

Jared Jeffries (2000-01) 12

70-The Magic Number
During the Mike Davis Era, Indiana is 61-10 when it scores at least 70 points in a game. However, the Hoosiers are looking for more productivity in their offense. Indiana has scored 70 or more points just four times this season, compared to an average of 16 times in the previous four seasons.

The Glassman
Sophomore forward Pat Ewing Jr. has provided a rebounding lift off the bench. He has 18 rebounds in his last four games, compared to a total of four rebounds in the previous four games.

White Hot
Indiana freshman D.J. White leads the team and ranks eighth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.569). This is the best single-season effort by a Hoosier since Alan Henderson shot .595 in 1994-95. It is also on pace to be the third-best single-season freshman effort in IU lore.

White has been more productive in Big Ten games, hitting .587 (44-of-74) from the floor. This is fifth in the league behind Illinois' James Augustine (.689) and is the best effort by a Big Ten player since the Boilers' Steve Scheffler hit .767 (115-of-150) in 1990.

Three-Point Specialist
A.J. Ratliff currently leads Indiana in three-point field goal percentage (.394, 13-of-33). If he maintains this pace, he will become the first freshman to lead IU in three-point field goal percentage since Calbert Cheaney (.490 in 1989-90).

Role Reversal
Freshman forward D.J. White has been the go-to guy as of late, which is a change from the team relying on junior guard Bracey Wright as the Hoosiers have done for most of the season. Over his last three contests, White leads Indiana with 17.3 points, while also contributing team highs of 6.7 boards and shooting .500 (18-of-36) from the floor. However, Wright is also contributing with second bests of 15.3 points and 4.0 boards. During the three-game stretch, the duo combines for 32.6 points of the 63.3 points per game average.

Three Amigos
Over the last seven contests, Bracey Wright (19.7 ppg), D.J. White (16.0 ppg) and Robert Vaden (10.9 ppg) have been proving a tough trio to stop. Over that span, they scored 326 of the team's 468 points. That equates to 70 percent of the team's 66.9 points per game average.

Home Sweet Home
With a victory over Penn State on Wednesday, the Hoosiers are now 8-3 at Assembly Hall this season. Additionally, IU is shooting .419 from the floor and outscoring their opponents by an average margin of 3.8 points (64.5-60.7).

The win moves the program to only three wins shy of reaching the program's 400th victory in the facility. In its 33rd year of service for the men's basketball team, IU has an all-time record of 397-63, which averages out to 12 wins and just 1.7 losses annually.

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 eighth 20-point performance this season and 30th of his career in the, 67-60, win over Ohio State on Jan. 22, Wright is second in the Big Ten in scoring with 18.5 points per game. The last Hoosier to lead the Big Ten in scoring was Kirk Haston who did so in 2001 (20.3 ppg). In fact, over his last seven contests, Wright has averaged 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, while also leading the team in assists (3.6/game), steals (1.1/game), points and rebounds during that stretch.

Freshmen Fab Four
The freshmen class has lived up to its billing during the 2004-05 season. D.J. White, Robert Vaden, A.J. Ratliff and James Hardy are showing why they were each highly recruited coming out of high school. In eight Big Ten games, the foursome has averaged 34.6 of the Hoosiers' 65.0 points and 14.9 of the 30.8 rebounds per game. Those numbers account for 53 percent of the scoring and 48 percent of the rebounding.

They are also found among the freshmen leaders in the Big Ten stats. As of Feb. 3, D.J. White led all freshmen in scoring (13.7), blocked shots (2.21) and field goal percentage (.569) and ranks second in rebounds (5.4). Vaden ranks second in free throw percentage (.800) and steals (1.47) and third in scoring (9.9) and rebounding (4.7). Ratliff was also seen throughout the freshmen stats, ranking second in blocked shots (0.94) third in three-point percentage (.394), sixth in rebounding (2.9) and ninth in scoring (5.6). Overall, a Hoosier freshman is in the top three in every category except for assists.

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 eight of its last 11 contests. For the season, the Hoosiers lead all Big Ten teams with 49 freshmen starts this season. In comparison, Penn State is second in the league with 38 starts, while Minnesota ranks third in the conference with 23 rookie starts.

In fact, on four occasion this season all four of the heralded freshmen were 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, Purdue and Ohio State.

One, Two, Three...CHARGE!
For the season, Indiana has drawn 27 charges for an average of 1.5 per game. A.J. Ratliff and Patrick Ewing lead the team with five drawn charges, while Ryan Tapak has 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 5

Pat Ewing 5

Rod Wilmont 2

Robert Vaden 1
Totals 27

Block Party
Freshman D.J. White is showing why he is one of the top shot blockers in the Big Ten. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native raised his team-best total to 42 rejections on the campaign (2.21 per game) with three blocks against Penn State. White has had at least two blocks in all but seven games this season, including a season-high of five against North Carolina (Dec. 1) and Notre Dame (Dec. 8). Currently, he ranks third among shot blockers in the Big Ten.

Late Game Leads
A good way in foretelling the outcome of an Indiana basketball game is if it is winning at the five minute mark. The Hoosiers are 10-2 when they are ahead or tied at that point of the contest. However, IU's chances of winning drop dramatically if it trails with five minutes remaining. The Cream and Crimson have yet to win a game in that scenario, going 0-7 thus far on the season.

Clutch Free Throws
Here is a player-by-player breakdown of how Indiana has fared at the foul line with five minutes or less remaining in the game and in overtimes:

Name FTs FT %

Robert Vaden 20-of-22 .909

D.J. White 15-of-18 .833

Marshall Strickland 15-of-19 .789

Bracey Wright 33-of-42 .786

Errek Suhr 3-of-4 .750

A.J. Ratliff 6-of-8 .750

Pat Ewing 5-of-7 .333

James Hardy 0-of-1 .000

Team Totals 97-of-121 .802

Did You Know...
Below is a few things to take into consideration over the last several games for Indiana:

 Indiana's defense has been stifling opponents throughout the campaign. For the season, the Hoosiers allow their opponents to average just .408 from the floor. That number leads the Big Ten and ranks 57th in the country according to the most recent NCAA stats (1/31).

 Over the last three contests, freshman forward D.J. White leads the team in scoring (17.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg).

 In Big Ten play, Indiana is one of only two teams to have two players among the top eight in scoring. Bracey Wright leads the team with 18.1 ppg in conference games which ranks third, while D.J. White's 16.9 ppg in Big Ten games is sixth. Iowa's Pierre Pierce (19.1), who has been suspended for the year, and Greg Brunner (16.0) rank second and fifth, respectively.

 As a team, IU has averaged 67.4 points and allowed 60.1 points in its 10 victories; however, in its nine defeats, the Hoosiers have scored just an average of 59.4 points, while allowing teams to 68.6 points a game.