Preview: IU Hosts Illinois On Tuesday

OPENING TIP
• Indiana University is ranked #23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and #25 by AP and will put a 10-game winning streak on the line when it hosts Illinois on Tuesday. The Hoosiers are coming a off a 70-63 win at Minnesota on Saturday. Last year, IU won in Champaign against the Illini, 80-74. In the last meeting between the teams in Assembly Hall, IU won 56-46, on January 26, 2014,

Illinois (9-9, 1-4 Big Ten) at #23/#25 Indiana (14-3, 4-0 Big Ten)
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016 • 7:00 p.m. ET
Assembly Hall (17,472) • Bloomington, Ind.
Live Stats: IUHoosiers.com
TV: ESPN & WatchESPN (Mike Tirico, Dan Dakich & Allison Williams)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, Joe Smith)
Series History: Indiana leads, 87-86
Last Meeting: IU 80, at ILL 74 (1/18/15)

UP NEXT
• The Hoosiers are home on Saturday to face Northwestern at Noon.

HEAD COACH TOM CREAN
• Tom Crean is in his eighth year of leading the Hoosiers. Over the last four+ years, IU is 108-48 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 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 (1,687), Verdell Jones III (1,347), Jordan Hulls (1,318), Cody Zeller (1,157), Will Sheehey (1,120) and Victor Oladipo (1,117).

TRAILING IN THE SECOND HALF
• The Hoosiers have won four games in Big Ten play when trailing in the second half against Rutgers, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Minnesota. IU led wire to wire in defeating Ohio State.

DEFENSE KEYS BIG TEN START
• According to KenPom.com, IU is ranked first in the Big Ten in defensive efficiency in conference games at 92.6. In conference games only, IU ranks third in scoring defense (64.4) and field goal percentage defense (41.9) and leads in rebound margin (+8.6) and steals (+7.6).

YOGI CLOSING IN ON IU ASSIST RECORD
• Senior Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell needs two assists to become the IU all-time leader surpassing Michael Lewis who had 545 from 1997-00. With seven assists against Minnesota he moved into second place on the Hoosier list moving past Quinn Buckner who had 542 from 1973-76. Ferrell is trying to become the first player in IU history to lead the Hoosiers in assists in each of his four years with the program.

He enters his final conference season as the active leader in scoring (1,687), assists (544), three-point field goals made (227) and is the only senior in the league to have started every game he has played (120).

SENIOR'S COMBINED FOR 45 OF 70
• In addition to Ferrell (20 points) , senior's Nick Zeisloft (15) and Max Bielfeldt (10) scored 45 of the team's 70 points against the Gophers on Saturday.

FRESHMAN IMPACT
• In Big Ten play, IU freshmen Thomas Bryant, OG Anunoby and Juwan Morgan have had a tremendous impact in their first exposure to the Big
Ten. Collectively, they contributed 105 points, 60 rebounds, shot 69.5% from the floor, made six of nine long distance attempts and made 76.9% of their FT attempts. In addition, they combined for seven assists and nine blocks and 13 steals.

MORE YOGI
• Ferrell leads the Big Ten in scoring during conference games at 19.8 per game. He is one of two active players in the country to have at least 1,550 career points (1,687), 500 assists (544) and 350 rebounds (343) (other is Juan'ya Green, Hofstra) He 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. For the season, he is averaging 17.1 points (6th in Big Ten), 4.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists (4th in Big Ten).

ODDS AND TRENDS
• The Hoosiers have notched 50 percent or better shooting in 24 out of 36 halves played so far this season.

• Senior graduate transfer Max Bielfeldt had 10 points and four rebounds in the win at Minnesota. He had his best day as a collegian with 18 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two steals off the bench at Rutgers. He is seventh in the league in shooting making 57.6% of his shots.

• Sophomore Robert Johnson is third in the Big Ten in three-point field goal percentage making 48.3% of his shots.   Team is 12-0 when he starts. He forced a game-winning steal in the final seconds against Wisconsin and had 11 points, six rebounds and six assists against OSU.

• Senior Nick Zeisloft is second on the team in three-point field goals with 35. He hit five of eight long distance shots and finished with 15 points against Minnesota. He is shooting 43.2 from long range. He had 10 points against the Illini last year.
• Freshman Thomas Bryant was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season (January 11). He had his first career double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds against OSU. He leads the Big Ten in field goal shooting making 72.0% of his shot attempts. He had 19 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots at Nebraska and also had 10 points at Minnesota.

• Junior forward Troy Williams matched his career-high with 23 points against Ohio State. He is seventh in the league in rebounding (6.8) and in field goal percentage (55.7) and is third in the Big Ten in steals (1.4).    He had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Hoosiers' win against Notre Dame, 15 points and 19 rebounds against IPFW and 20 points against IPFW.

• Junior Collin Hartman has moved into the starting lineup with Blackmon's injury. He tied a season-high with nine points and made all three of his long distance attempts at Rutgers. He is averaging 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and is shooting 50.0 from long distance since moving into the starting lineup.

• Freshman OG Anunoby is averaging 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in his first five Big Ten games. He scored a career-high 11 points against Nebraska and Wisconsin. He also had seven points, four rebounds and three steals against Ohio State. He also has made six of eight from long distance.

• Freshman Juwan Morgan had two rebounds, two blocks and a steal in the Wisconsin win and also had two points and four rebounds against Ohio State.   At Rutgers, he had two points and three rebounds in six minutes off the bench against Rutgers.

• Junior walk-on Ryan Burton played 10 minutes against Rutgers and scored a career-high six points when he drained both of his long distance attempts.

• With Blackmon out, the Hoosiers have turned to freshman walk-on Harrison Niego who has seen 41 minutes of action this season with just two turnovers.

• For the second time under Tom Crean, the Hoosiers have put together a 10-game winning streak. IU won 12 to start the 2011-12 season.

• Crean announced the addition of Jackson Tharp to the 2015-16 roster, effective immediately.

Tharp has been an undergraduate manager at IU since the 2012-13 season after playing for head coach Shaun Busick at Zionsville High School. He earned All-Hoosier Crossroads Conference honors as a junior and senior at Zionsville.

Tharp, a senior majoring in Sports Marketing and Management, is the son of Todd and Christy Tharp. He is 6-4, 205, and will wear #24. He is the second manager to suit up for the Hoosiers in the Tom Crean Era.

Mike Santa joined the Hoosiers for the conclusion of the 2008-09 season. Santa is currently the General Manager for IU Event Services after also serving as a graduate manager for the Hoosiers.

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Players Mentioned

OG Anunoby

Max Bielfeldt

Thomas Bryant

Ryan Burton

Collin Hartman

Robert Johnson

Juwan Morgan

Harrison Niego

Jackson Tharp

Troy Williams

Nick Zeisloft