Indiana University Athletics
#IUBB Game 1 Preview: Mississippi Valley State
11/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 13, 2014
 |
GAME 1
Friday, Nov. 14 -- vs. Mississippi Valley State, 7:00 p.m. ET
Video: BTN (Tom Hamilton and Shon Morris) | BTN2Go
Live Stats: Gametracker
Game Notes: Indiana Notes | MVSU Notes
Preview Quotes: Coach Crean, Blackmon and Johnson
Follow On Social Media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
OPENING TIP
• The 2014-15 college basketball season represents the 115th in the history of Indiana University. The Hoosiers will host Mississippi Valley State University in their season opener. IU
won both its exhibition games, 94-70 over Northwood (Michigan) and 76-63 over the University of Indianapolis.
UP NEXT
• IU will begin the Hoosiers Showcase next Monday night, November 17 by hosting Texas Southern. TSU is coached by former IU head coach Mike Davis. IU also will host SMU (11/20), Lamar (11/22) and Eastern Washington (11/24) in the event.
HEAD COACH Tom Crean
• Indiana named Tom Crean as its 28th men's basketball coach on April 2, 2008, and he is in his seventh year with the Hoosiers. He is 291-193 all-time as a head coach and in the last three years, he has led IU to a 73-31 record, the 2013 Big Ten Championship and back-to-back appearances for the Hoosiers in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1994. In 2012-13, he was named NABC District 7 and USBWA District V Coach of the Year. In 2011-12, In the last two seasons, Crean has mentored three NBA Lottery picks which is tied with Kansas for the most among NCAA schools in that span.
• Crean is the only Big Ten coach to mentor an NBA lottery pick, a National Player of the Year, a first team All-American, a first team Academic All-American and a Senior Class Award winner this decade.
• Over the last three years, Indiana leads all Big Ten teams in scoring (76.2), field goal percentage (47.5), three-point field goal percentage (39.4), free throw percentage (74.6) and free throws made (1,903).
• The Hoosiers three-point field goal percentage is the highest among major college conference schools in that time frame.
• IU and Kansas are the only two school's that have sent three lottery picks to the NBA in the last two years. (Victor Oladipo, Orlando and Cody Zeller and Noah Vonleh, Charlotte)
FROM LAST YEAR
• IU was sixth in the country last year in rebound margin (+7.6) and 12th in the country in three-point field goal percentage defense.
BEST IN THE NATION
• IU is among the top academic programs in the country with four straight perfect APR scores of 1,000 and has received an NCAA Recognition Award each of the last two years. Twenty-one players have earned a degree while playing for Coach Tom Crean at Indiana, including five who have earned master's degrees. IU has been honored a league best 27 times on the Academic All-Big Ten team since 2010.
OPENERS
• Indiana has won 16 straight season openers and 29 consecutive home openers. Tom Crean is 14-1 all-time in regular season openers, including an 8-1 mark during his career at Marquette and 6-0 at Indiana.
HEAD START
• The Hoosiers played five exhibition games in Canada during early August. The Hoosiers were 4-1 on the trip and took advantage of 10 additional practices this summer. Included was a 95-85 win at defending Canadian champion Carleton.
SEVEN-GAME NUMBERS
• If you combined the numbers from the Canada trip and the two exhibition games, here are some of the things you might learn.
• Freshman James Blackmon, Jr. averaged 19.1 points and shot 54.5% from the floor. He also averaged 4.0 rebounds per game.
• Junior Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell averaged 16.0 points per game and shot 55.6% from the field. He had 32 assists and just 14 turnovers.
• Freshman Robert Johnson averaged 11 points and 5.0 rebounds. He shot 41.7% from three-point range and had 24 assists, 11 turnovers and a team-high 12 steals.
• Junior transfer Nick Zeisloft averaged 10.3 points and is shooting 46.9% from three-point range. He has made a team-best 15 triples.
• Junior Hanner Mosquera-Perea (Visa issues) and sophomore Collin Hartman (knee) did not play in Canada.
* In Canada, sophomore Troy Williams averaged 18.4 points and sophomore Stanford Robinson averaged 12.0 points.
STAFF WITH EXPERIENCE
• The Hoosiers have four former head coaches on their coaching staff this season.
• Associate Head Coach Tim Buckley begins his seventh year at Indiana. Former head coach at Ball State. His Cardinals beat #3 Kansas and #4 UCLA at the 2001 Maui Classic.
• Associate Head Coach Steve McClain is in his fifth year in Bloomington. Former head coach at Wyoming who led the Cowboys to the 2002 NCAA Tournament and a win over Gonzaga.
• Assistant Coach Chuck Martin joined the IU staff this past summer. Former head coach at Marist.
Director of Operations Rob Judson came to IU in mid-season a year ago. Former head coach at Northern Illinois, who captured a MAC West title.
EIGHT IN THE PROS
• Eight of Tom Crean's former IU players are currently playing professional basketball.
Victor Oladipo (Orlando), injured
Cody Zeller (Charlotte), 8.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg.
Noah Vonleh (Charlotte)), Inactive
Christian Watford (Maine, NBDL) Friday at OKC
Verdell Jones III (Japan), 15.0 ppg., 5.8 assists
Jordan Hulls (Kosovo) 9.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 5.7 assists
Will Sheehey (Montenegro) 4.6 ppg., 2.0 rpg.Derek Elston (Portugal) 19.0 ppg., 4.7 rpg.
FRESHMAN STARTERS
• With the emergence of freshmen James Blackmon, Jr., and Robert Johnson, it's safe to say that for the sixth time in seven years under Tom Crean that a freshman will crack the opening night starting lineup. Here is a look at other frosh and how they have fared in their first college game at IU.
2008 (vs. Northwestern State)
Tom Pritchard, 13 points, 10 rebounds
Verdell Jones III, 18 points, 5 assists
2009 (vs. Howard)
Christian Watford, 14 points, 11 rebounds
Maurice Creek; 17 points, 2 rebounds
2011 (vs. Stony Brook)
Cody Zeller, 16 points, 10 rebounds
2012 (vs. Bryant)
Kevin Yogi Ferrell, 10 points, 7 assists
2013-14:
Noah Vonleh, 11 points, 14 rebounds
Troy Williams, 13 points, 2 rebounds
BEST FIRST GAME
• Eric Gordon scored 33 points in his Hoosier debut in 2007 against Chattanooga, the most points ever for a player wearing the Cream and Crimson for the first time. George McGinnis, a sophomore, scored 26 in his first game against Eastern Michigan on December 1, 1970.
