Preview: Indiana vs. Notre Dame at Crossroads Classic

Saturday, December 19

Indianapolis, IN

2:00 PM

Indiana University

Notre Dame

Preview: Indiana vs. Notre Dame at Crossroads Classic

12/17/2015 9:08:00 AM | Men's Basketball

OPENING TIP
• Indiana University is in its 116th season of men's basketball and will face Notre Dame in the fifth Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Hoosiers are coming off a 105-60 win over McNeese State last weekend, while Notre Dame last defeated Loyola of Chicago, 81-61.

IU IN THE CROSSROADS CLASSIC
2011: IU 69, Notre Dame 58
2012: Butler 88, IU 86 (OT)
2013: Notre Dame 79, IU 72
2014: IU 82, Butler 73

Notre Dame (7-2) vs. Indiana (8-3)
Saturday, Dec. 19 • 2:00 p.m. ET
Crossroads Classic
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (18,165) • Indianapolis, Ind.
Live Stats: IUHoosiers.com
TV: ESPN2 & WatchESPN (Dave Flemming & Dan Dakich)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, Joe Smith)
Series History: Indiana leads, 48-22
Last Meeting: IU 72, ND 79 (12/14/13 - Indianapolis)

UP NEXT
• The Hoosiers host Kennesaw State on Tuesday, December 22 in the final non-conference game of the season for IU.

HEAD COACH TOM CREAN
• Tom Crean is in his eighth year of leading the Hoosiers. Over the last four+ years, IU is 101-48 and leads the Big Ten with 19 regular season wins over ranked opponents during that time. During that same span, the Hoosiers have appeared nationally ranked in at least one major poll during the season. He has also seen a Big Ten best three players selected in the NBA lottery over the last three years and has recruited a McDonald's All-American in each of the last five years. In addition, he has seen seven of his players score 1,000 points or more in an IU uniform. Since 2011, the Hoosiers have averaged 23 wins per season compared to 20 averaged at IU from 1995-2008. Seven players have scored 1,000 points in their career under Tom Crean at Indiana. Christian Watford (1,730), Yogi Ferrell (1,564), Verdell Jones III (1,347), Jordan Hulls (1,318), Cody Zeller (1,157), Will Sheehey (1,120) and Victor Oladipo (1,117).

WOODEN AWARD
• The John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's announced its Preseason Top 50 in November. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious individual honor. IU has three players on the Preseason Top 50 list that was announced on Tuesday. The Hoosiers are represented by senior guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, junior forward Troy Williams and sophomore guard James Blackmon, Jr.

YOGI AFTER HAWAII
• Senior guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell has averaged 18.6 points on 52.5% shooting from the field and 47.8% accuracy from long range during the last five games. He also has 29 assists and just eight turnovers and has made 20 of 21 free throw attempts. He posted a career-high 38 points against IPFW a which is the most for an individual in a game in the Tom Crean Era, surpassing the 33 scored by James Blackmon, Jr., Nov. 30 against Alcorn State. It also was the most at Assembly Hall by an IU player since Steve Alford set the record with 42 points against Michigan State (2/4/87) and is tied for the fifth most by any IU player at Assembly Hall.

CBSSPORTS.COM HONORS WILLIAMS
• Junior forward Troy Williams was named National Player of the Week by CBSSports.com. In two games last week, Williams averaged 14.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals. Including 15 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks against IPFW. Since 96-97, only 12 players have posted 15 points, 19 rebounds and five blocked shots in 33 minutes or less like Williams did that night.

FERRELL PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
• Senior All-Big Ten guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell was named second team Preseason All-American by The Sporting News and USA Today, in addition to garnering third team honors from Athlon Sports and fourth team mention in Blue Ribbon Magazine. A first-team NABC and USBWA All-District selection last season, Ferrell was sixth in the Big Ten averaging 16.3 points and was fourth in assists at 4.9. Ferrell now has 1,564 points in his IU career and moved into 14th on the Hoosiers all-time list for career scoring and is 27 points from passing Greg Graham for 13th on the list. He now has 509 career assists in his IU career, which ranks third in school history. He has made 212 threes in his IU career, which ranks third in school history. For the season, he has 64 assists and just 22 turnovers in 10 games. For the season, he is averaging 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists.

WATCH LISTS

Bob Cousy Award (Top PG) & James Naismith Award: Kevin Yogi Ferrell
Jerry West Award (Top SG): James Blackmon Jr.
Julius Erving Award (Top SF): Troy Williams
K. Abdul-Jabbar Award (Top C): Thomas Bryant

AWARDS
Big Ten Freshman of the Week
Thomas Bryant (11/23)

CBSSports.com National Player of the Week
Troy Williams (12/14)

IU'S MAJOR CONFERENCE RANKINGS (2011-PRESENT)
• 3-point percentage, 40.2(1st)
• Field goal percentage, 47.7 (1st)
• Free throw percentage, 73.7 (3rd)
• Points per game, 77.2 (4th)

ODDS AND TRENDS
• The Hoosiers have notched 50 percent or better shooting in 16 out of 22 halves played so far this season.

• Since the start of the 2011-12 season, IU is 101-48 giving the Hoosiers 100 wins in a similar span for the first time since 1999 to 2004 when IU won 101 games in five full seasons (162 games).

• In the first six games of the season, IU was averaging 18.1 trips to the free throw line making 62.3 percent from the line. In the last four games, the Hoosiers are going to the line 24.8 times per game and making 75.8 percent of its charity tosses.

• No major college team has been a better three-point shooting team over the last 4+ years than IU. In their last 149 games, IU has made 40.2 percent of its long distance tries. The next closest program to the Hoosiers is Duke at 38.8 percent and in the Big Ten , Michigan is at 37.5 percent.

• The Hoosiers have 20 blocked shots in the last two games.

• In the last three games, junior Troy Williams is averaging 14.7 points and 10.0 rebounds. He also has seven blocks and four steals in those contests.

• Sophomore Robert Johnson tied for the second best shooting night from long distance in IU history when he made all five of his three-point field goal attempts against IPFW. In the last five games, he is averaging 10.2 points and shooting 64.7% from behind the arc. He is second in the Big Ten shooting 57.1% from three-point range.

• Sophomore James Blackmon, Jr., had a career-high 33 points against Alcorn State and is third in the league in 3-point field goals made at 2.7 per game and 10th in scoring at 16.0. He had 24 points against McNeese State.

• Freshman Thomas Bryant leads Big Ten in field goal percentage at 72.3 %. He had 18 points and nine rebounds against McNeese and made all seven of his field goal attempts.

• Senior Max Bielfeldt is second in the Big Ten in field goal shooting at 66.7%. He has made 20 of his last 30 shots and had 11 points and six rebounds against McNeese State. He is averaging 11.3 points in his last three games.

• Over the last two seasons, senior Nick Zeisloft is the top 3-point shooter among major conference players making 47.3 % of his three-point attempts (87-for-184). He is third in the Big Ten shooting 54.5% from long distance.

• In three games at the Crossroads Classic, senior Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell is averaging 15.0 points per game and shooting 50% (8 of 16) from three-point range.

Indiana head coach Tom Crean
Previewing Crossroads Classic against Notre Dame

On the challenges Notre Dame presents…
"They are outstanding as usual. They are extremely talented offensively, a veteran group, battle tested, and they have had a very good year so far. They have a lot of guys that have played in a lot of big games for them. They won the ACC last year with a lot of those guys.

"They score, they move the ball, and they can beat you in a lot of different ways. They can beat you in the post, with the three, and they do a great job of cutting and moving without the ball. They can get you at their pace and tempo. That is a big part of their game.

"We have got to make sure that we can play at our pace, and at the same time, execute in a good way and not give them extra possessions by giving them the ball back or by taking rushed shots. I think they are really good defensively in the sense of how they challenge shots. We have to make sure we are making the extra pass. They are really good, extremely well coached, and they know how to win."

One the rules changes and how that affects the pressure defense…
"We were so conscious at Duke of not fouling and putting them on the foul line because of how many free throws they were averaging, especially Grayson Allen. It almost became a bad stigma in our head. We have got to be aggressive.

"Again, the technique has to be right. You cannot be wild, you can't be flailing around, and you don't have to be up in a guy's body. But you have to be very conscious of it because of the way that the game is being called. That is where the footwork is crucial. Your hands being out and active and nowhere near the inside of your body.

"I think a lot of times when you are aggressive, you have a tendency to want to use your hands and use them inside your body, and it is the same thing in the post. Verticality is having your hands behind your head. Verticality is not moving up under the guy. Verticality is not letting your hands come up over the top and try to get that block. You have got to be really detailed with it, and that takes a while for guys to get. There is a fine line between being technique savvy and aggressive, and we have to continue to find that."

On whether this game is bigger than others…
"No, it is our next game. We are playing Notre Dame. There is no focus on anything other than our finals this week and improving as a team and playing Notre Dame."

On the players hearing too much of the outside perspective of the game…
"I am not sure. That is not what we talk about. Their focus has been really good on getting ready for Notre Dame. We stress to them that they control what they can control, to pay attention to what matters, and their preparation is what makes the biggest difference.

On Mike Brey's comments yesterday…
"We just want to win the game tomorrow, they're a really good team and we just want to win tomorrow."

On how this Notre Dame team is similar to the ones of the past…
"We've played them a lot of times in my past as a coach. They are really good and they have a really good team. We're just going to get ready to play this team."

On Notre Dame PG Demetrius Jackson…
"We have to play well against the entire Notre Dame team, they are more than a one-man team, they always are. It's not about an individual matchup, it really never is. It's about team vs. team and making sure that we execute on both ends of the court.

"(Jackson) is strong. He shoots it, he's going to try and attack you, he passes the ball, he's a great pick-and-roll passer. He uses his strength well and he's always in the play. That's one thing we try to get across to the guys, whether he has the ball or not, he's always in the play. That's why it's never a one-man job, you have to have everyone aware of him."

On keys to the shooting success…
"A lot of guys have gotten better, that's the key. The key is that you get really good reps and build good habits and you stay with them and that there is someone around to correct them in a hurry if it's not. That's where their teammates come in, when they do a lot of extra work."

On the health of Robert Johnson…
"We are just going to be ready to play the game with who we have and I'm not really addressing or predicting where guys are at injury-wise or what they have to get better at right now. He's practicing and playing. It doesn't make any sense for me to go over injuries, it just doesn't. He's playing, it's not like it's anything keeping him out of the game."

On Notre Dame's Zach Auguste…
"He's aggressive. He's really aggressive on the glass, rolling well, posting up, facing up. He's an aggressive guy and he's been in a lot of games. He had a great ending to his year, so he has a lot of confidence. They're good. They are a well rounded team."