Indiana University Athletics
Vaden Honored as Big Ten Player of the Week
1/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2006
Complete Michigan Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
PARK RIDGE, Ill. - Sophomore guard/forward Robert Vaden earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors after leading the No. 17/17 Indiana men's basketball team past Ball State, 80-56, the Big Ten Conference announced on Jan. 2. The Indianapolis, Ind., native posted a school record going a perfect 6-of-6 from behind the three-point arc. He also equaled his career high with 22 points for the second time in as many games.
Over the last two games, Vaden is a perfect 10-of-10 from beyond the three-point line, another school record. He is nearing the NCAA record held by Northwestern's Todd Leslie, who made 15 consecutive three-pointers over a four-game stretch in 1990. Vaden currently ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 2.5 three-pointers made per game and is a key force behind the Hoosiers leading the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.492).
Against Ball State on New Year's Eve, Vaden was 8-of-11 from the field, including his perfect marksmanship from behind the arc, leading IU to an 80-56 road win. His perfect 6-of-6 effort from downtown bettered the previous mark of 5-of-5 held by Kyle Hornsby (vs. Michigan, Feb. 17, 2002) and Keith Smart (vs. Ohio State, March 5, 1987). Vaden's six-three pointers also equal a Big Ten record and is the first 6-of-6 performance since Iowa's Jeff Horner on Jan. 31, 2004.
Vaden earns his first Player of the Week accolade and is the second Hoosier player to claim weekly laurels this season. Senior forward Marco Killingsworth was honored on Nov. 21 and Dec. 5. Killingsworth earned the distinction after notching his first double-double as a Hoosier with 28 points and 13 rebounds on Nov. 18 against Nicholls State. He earned the honor two weeks later after a career-high 34 points and 10 rebounds against reigning national defensive player of the year Shelden Williams and No. 1 Duke on Nov. 30.
Indiana is currently on a four-game winning streak entering Big Ten Conference play. Over that four-game stretch, Vaden is averaging 17.3 points per game and is shooting an astonishing .714 (15-of-21) from behind the three-point arc. For the year, Vaden is the Hoosiers' second-leading scorer at 14.9 points per game. He tops the team with 5.1 assists per contest. The 6-5, 224-pounder is shooting .523 (57-of-109) from the field this season, including a .521 (25-of-48) clip from three-point range.
The Hoosiers open the Big Ten season with a home affair against the 10-1 Michigan Wolverines on Jan. 3. The game is slated for 6 p.m. tipoff at Branch McCracken Court at Assembly Hall and will be televised on ESPN Plus. The game can also be heard on the IU Radio Network with Don Fischer (play-by-play), former IU guard Todd Leary (color) and Joe Smtih (pregame, halftime and post game) on the call.
