Indiana University Athletics
Vaden and Strickland Recognized Among Elite Backcourts
1/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana duo of sophomore Robert Vaden and senior Marshall Strickland was recognized as one of the top backcourt combinations in the country according to SportsIllustrated.com. The website ranked the Hoosier tandem sixth among its top 10 backcourt duos nationally. Vaden and Strickland combine for 26.2 points, 7.1 assists and 8.1 rebounds per contests this season leading the No. 13/11 (AP/Coaches) Hoosiers to an 11-3 overall mark and a 3-1 Big Ten ledger.
The twosome also are instrumental in the Hoosiers leading the nation in field goals percentage and three-point percentage (as of Jan. 16). The pair has combined to shoot 51.6 percent (131-of-254) from the field and 50.4 percent (64-of-127) from three-point range this season.
They are two of the most prolific three-point shooters in the conference and the nation with Vaden hitting on 49.3 percent and Strickland shooting 51.7 percent from downtown. The pair could be the most dangerous free-throw shooting backcourt as well. They shoot a combined 90.9 percent (50-of-55) from the charity stripe. Strickland tops the Big Ten in free throw shooting at 91.9 percent.
The list included two more Big Ten tandems along with Vaden and Strickland. Michigan State's Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown were ranked second, while Iowa's Adam Haluska and Jeff Horner were ninth. Randy Roye and Allan Ray of Villanova topped SI.com's top backcourt list.
Vaden and Strickland will look to continue IU's success this season when they lead the Hoosiers against archrival Purdue in Bloomington on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 2:35 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN Plus Regional and can also be heard on the IU Radio Network.
SI.com's Top 10 Backcourts
1. Randy Foye and Allan Ray, Villanova
2. Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown, Michigan State
3. Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo, UCLA
4. Marcus Williams and Rashad Anderson, UConn
5. Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock, Iowa State
6. Robert Vaden and Marshall Strickland, Indiana
7. J.R. Pinnock and Carl Elliott, George Washington
8. C.J. Watson and Chris Lofton, Tennessee
9. Adam Haluska and Jeff Horner, Iowa
10. Steve Burtt Jr. and Ricky Soliver, Iona
