Indiana University Athletics
#IUBB Game 14 Preview: at Nebraska
12/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 30, 2014
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GAME 14
Wednesday, Dec. 31 -- Indiana (10-3, 0-0 Big Ten) at Nebraska (8-4, 0-0 Big Ten), 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
TV/Video: BTN (Kevin Kugler and Shon Morris) | BTN2Go
Game Notes: Indiana Notes | Nebraska Notes | Big Ten Weekly Release
Series Record: Indiana leads, 9-4
Last Meeting: Indiana lost, 60-70, in Bloomington, Indiana on March 5, 2014
Preview Quotes: Thoughts from Coach Crean, Ferrell and Blackmon Jr.
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OPENING TIP
• The 2014-15 college basketball season represents the 115th in the history of Indiana University. The Hoosiers will travel to Nebraska to open Big Ten play on New Years Eve. This will be the sixth straight season that IU has played on the last day of the year and the third straight they will have played a road New Years Eve game.
UP NEXT
• The Hoosiers will travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State on January 5.
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 301-196 all-time as a head coach and in the last 3+ years, he has led IU to an 83-34 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 the last two seasons, Crean has mentored three NBA Lottery picks which is tied with Kansas for the most among NCAA schools.
• 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.
• Since 2011-12, IU leads all major conference teams in field goal percentage (47.8), three-point field goal percentage (39.7) and in free throw percentage (74.4) and 2nd free throws made (2,123). The Hoosiers are 4th nationally in scoring (77.3).
• The Hoosiers 38.6 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line since the start of the 2010-11 season is the highest among major college conference schools in that time frame.
• With the win over No. 22 SMU and No. 23 Butler, IU leads Big Ten teams with 17 regular season wins over Top 25 teams since the start of the 2011-12 season. This year, IU had 2 of the Big Ten's 4 wins against nationally ranked squads in non-conference play.
THREE YEAR WIN TOTAL
• The Hoosiers 73 wins from 2011-12 to 2013-14 represents the highest three-year win total for IU since 1990-91 to 1992-93.
NUMBERS
• The Hoosiers are 4th in the country in scoring (86.4), 7th in 3FG percentage (41.7), 12th in overall FG percentage (50.3.) and 10th in effective field goal percentage (57.7).
NON-CONFERENCE COMPARISON
•Here are a couple of stats that have shown the Hoosiers have improved against non-conference competition.
IU shot 41.7 percent from three-point range this year and 31.5 percent after 13 games last season.
IU had 202 assists and 161 turnovers this year and 160 assists and 207 turnovers last year. The Hoosiers averaged 12.4 turnovers this year and 15.9 last season.
IU has made 121 three-pointers after making 64 in non-league games a year ago.
IU INSIGHT
• Sophomore Troy Williams has improved his scoring average almost 4 points per game. He is coming off a career-high 23 points against Georgetown. He also had 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. He is 7th in the Big Ten shooting 59.0 from the field.
• Junior Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell is now 45th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,047 points after his 27-point explosion against the Hoyas. He is 6th in the league in scoring (17.2), 4th in FT% (87.7), 5th in 3FG% (47.5), and 6th in assists (4.8). Ferrell leads all Big Ten juniors in is scoring (1,047) and assists (330).
• James Blackmon, Jr. had 22 points and 7 rebounds against Georgetown. He had a season-high 6 treys. He is second in scoring among all freshmen nationally at 17.9 points per game. He is 3rd in the Big Ten in scoring and 6th in FT% (88.4).
• In the Big Ten, the Hoosiers are 1st in scoring (86.3), and in three-point field goals made per game (9.3). IU is 2nd in field goal percentage (49.9), 4th in 3FG% (41.7), 6th in FT% (72.4) and in rebound margin (+4.2).
• The Hoosiers have won the rebounding battle in each of its last four games and have a +4.3 advantage in those games.
40 PERCENT PLUS CLUB
• The Hoosiers boast five players who have made 9 or more three pointers who are shooting better than 40.0 percent from long distance.
Yogi Ferrell 47.5 (28/59)
Collin Hartman 45.0 (9/20)
James Blackmon, Jr. 44.3 (35/79)
Robert Johnson 41.5 (17/41)
Nick Zeisloft 40.3 (25/62)
ODDS AND TRENDS
• IU has made at least 7 three-pointers in all 13 games this season. Last year, the Hoosiers made 7 three-pointers or more just 8 times in 32 games.
• The Hoosiers made a season-high 13 three-point field goals against Georgetown.
• In the last five games, junior Hanner Mosquera-Perea has 14 blocked shots, including one in the final seconds to send the Georgetown game to overtime. He is 5th in the Big Ten shooting 63.9 from the field.
• With 12 seconds left in regulation, Yogi Ferrell hit a three-pointer that tied the score and sent the game to overtime against the Hoyas. It was the second time in his career that he hit a game tying shot to force overtime. He also did that against Butler at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in December 2012. Ferrell has made 15 of his 30 three-point attempts in the last 5 games.
• Freshman Max Hoetzel has hit 3 of his last 5 three-pointers.
• Sophomore Troy Williams is averaging 15.4 points in his last 5 games and is shooting 78.3 from the free throw line (18-23) during that time. He also is averaging 6.8 rebounds and has 15 assists to 10 turnovers and a team-high 6 steals in those 5 games.
• Sophomore Collin Hartman is shooting 61.5 percent from the field, making 8 of his 13 shots in the last 5 games.
• Freshman Robert Johnson has made 5 of his last 11 three-pointers in the last 3 games.
BLACKMON AND 20+ POINTS
Mississippi Valley State 25
SMU 26
Lamar 21
UNC Greensboro 24
Georgetown 22
FERRELL AND 20+ POINTS
Texas Southern 20
Eastern Washington 27
Butler 20
Georgetown 27
WILLIAMS AND 20+ POINTS
Butler 22
Georgetown 23
JOHNSON AND 20+ POINTS
Texas Southern 21
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 No. 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.
IN THE PROS
• Seven of Tom Crean's former IU players are currently playing professional basketball.
Victor Oladipo (Orlando),14.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.9 apg.
Cody Zeller (Charlotte), 7.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg.
Noah Vonleh (Charlotte), 2.7 ppg., 2.7 rpg.
Christian Watford (Maine),12.4 ppg., 6.5 rpg.
Verdell Jones III (Japan), 16.6 ppg., 4.5 assists
Jordan Hulls (Kosovo) 10.0 ppg., 4.4 rpg, 6.0 apg.
Derek Elston (Portugal) 14.4 ppg., 4.9 rpg.
Tom Crean'S 1,000-POINT SCORERS
9. Christian Watford, 1,730
24. Verdell Jones III, 1,347
26. Jordan Hulls, 1,318
36. Cody Zeller, 1,157
37. Will Sheehey, 1,120
38. Victor Oladipo, 1,117
45. Yogi Ferrell, 1,047
