Tuesday, November 22
Fort Wayne, IN
9:00 PM
Indiana University
at
Fort Wayne
PREVIEW: #3/5 Indiana Travels To Fort Wayne For Matchup With the Mastodons
11/21/2016 4:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
OPENING TIP
• Indiana University begins its 117th season and the defending Big Ten Champions are ranked 3rd in the Associated Press Poll and 5th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. IU is 3-0 for the 7th straight season, IU was ranked 9th in the final rankings a season ago - the 2nd in 4 years the Hoosiers finished the year ranked in the top 10.
UP NEXT
• The Hoosiers will host Mississippi Valley State in the final game of the Indiana Classic on Nov. 27.
THE SERIES
• IU won the first meeting in the three-game series a year ago, 90-65, in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Fort Wayne will return to Bloomington during the 2018-19 season.
HEAD COACH TOM CREAN
• Tom Crean, the 2016 Big Ten Coach of the Year, begins his ninth year of leading the Hoosiers. Over the last five years, IU is 123-53 and leads the Big Ten with 24 regular season wins over ranked opponents during that time. IU is nationally ranked for the sixth straight season. Eight players in his first six recruiting classes have scored 1,000 points in their career under Crean at Indiana. Yogi Ferrell (1,986), Christian Watford (1,730), Verdell Jones III (1,347), Jordan Hulls (1,318), Cody Zeller (1,157), Will Sheehey (1,120), Victor Oladipo (1,117) and Troy Williams (1,115) also have scored 1,000 points or more. From the Class of 2014, James Blackmon, Jr., is the next closest Hoosier to approach the mark. He has scored 793 points. Three players, Yogi Ferrell (2016), Cody Zeller (2013) and Victor Oladipo (2013) have been selected as All-Americans. In addition, Oladipo earned two National Player of the Year honors and was named National Defensive Player of the Year. IU won the 2013 and 2016 Big Ten titles outright. Last year's outright title is the team's second in a four year period with the last time that happened at IU coming in 1980, 81 and 83. The Hoosiers are now tied for the Big Ten lead in overall championships (22) and outright titles (13).
IU INSIGHT
• IU shot 60.9% from the field against Liberty marking the 15th time the Hoosiers have shot 60.0% or better from the field in a game in the Tom Crean Era.
• IU held Liberty to 29.7% shooting marking the 8th time in the Crean ERA an opponent has shot under 30.0%.
• IU had a +35 edge on the boards (55-20), a single game record for Assembly Hall.
• Later this season, the Hoosiers will take on No. 6 North Carolina at home in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Hoosiers will face Butler, ranked No. 19 by Kenpom, in the 6th Annual Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis on December 17. IU and No. 12 Louisville will start at three-year series with a game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on New Year's Eve.
• Since 2011, the Hoosiers have averaged 24 wins per season compared to 20 averaged at IU from 1995-2008.
• Since 2011-12, IU has had the most potent offense in the Big Ten, leading in points scored (78.1), field goal percentage (47.9), and 3-point field goal percentage (40.3). The Hoosiers lead all major conference schools in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage during that same time frame.
• The 2015-16 Hoosiers were just one of three teams in the last 20 years in college basketball to average more than 80 points, shoot better than 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range. The others are the 2001-02 Kansas Jayhawks and the 2000-01 Stanford Cardinal.
DID YOU KNOW
• IU is 7-1 in Fort Wayne and played consecutively one game each season there from 1960-67.
In Fort Wayne
Date Opponent Result
12/20/1960 Notre Dame W, 74-69
12/11/1961 North Carolina W, 76-70
1/2/1963 Notre Dame L, 70-73
12/4/1963 Notre Dame W, 108-102
12/21/1964 Notre Dame W, 107-81
12/21/1965 Notre Dame W, 80-58
12/20/1966 Notre Dame W, 94-91
12/19/1967 Notre Dame W, 96-91
• The Hoosiers won their first game in the Indiana Classic, 100-78 over UMass Lowell on Wednesday night and defeated Liberty, 87-48 on Saturday.
• Junior James Blackmon, Jr. played his first three seasons of high school basketball for his father, James, Sr., at Bishop Luers High School in Ft. Wayne.
• Former Hoosiers Christian Watford and Nick Zeisloft are playing in the NBA D-League with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
• Five former Crean-coached Hoosiers are on active NBA rosters including Cody Zeller (Charlotte), Victor Oladipo (Oklahoma City), Noah Vonleh (Portland), Yogi Ferrell (Brooklyn) and Troy Williams (Memphis). Three of his former players at Marquette also are active including Dwyane Wade (Chicago), Steve Novak (Milwaukee) and Wes Matthews (Dallas). Oladipo just signed a 4-year, $84 million extension and Zeller got 4-years and $56 million.
• Junior James Blackmon, Jr. and sophomore center Thomas Bryant are among 50 candidates for the 2017 Naismith Award and John Wooden Award.
• The Hoosiers have the only ranked win in the Big Ten the first 10 days of the season. The rest of the league is 0-6 with Michigan State and Penn State losing twice and Wisconsin and Purdue once apiece.
• During the last two years, the Hoosiers have averaged 9.7 3-point field goals per game, the most of any major college program. Villanova is second at 9.0. IU is second in the nation averaging 11.7 per game early this season.
• IU leads the Big Ten in scoring (96.7), field goal percentage (52.7), 3-point field goal percentage (44.3) and rebound margin (+22.7)
• Blackmon, Jr., leads the Big Ten in 3-point field goals per game (4.7) and is second in scoring (23.0).
• IU scored 100 points or more in back-to-back games for the first time since 2005 and for the first time in the first two games of the season since the 1992-93 season.
• The Hoosiers have three former head coaches on their coaching staff this season (Buckley, Martin, Judson). Associate Head Coach Tim Buckley begins his ninth year at Indiana. The former head coach at Ball State, his Cardinals beat No. 3 Kansas and No. 4 UCLA at the 2001 Maui Classic. Assistant Coach Chuck Martin is in his third year with the Hoosiers and was the head coach at Marist (2008-13). Assistant Coach Rob Judson is in his second year as an assistant coach after serving as Director of Operations in early 2014. He was the head coach at Northern Illinois (2001-07) and won the MAC West title in 2006.
• Bryant was named Preseason All-American by Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook (first team) and NBCSports.com (second team). He averaged 14.4 points and 5.5 rebounds in postseason play. Had 19 points, five rebounds and two steals against Kentucky. He led the Big Ten in field goal percentage. He also was named Preseason All-Big Ten and is on the Kareem Abdul Jabbar Watch List (Top Center). He had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Kansas. Blackmon Jr. has the highest career average (16.2) of any player who has played for Crean at Indiana. He was National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week following his 26-point effort against Kansas. He was named Preseason All-Big Ten and is on the Jerry West Award watch list.
Top 5 Career Scorers In Tom Crean Era
James Blackmon, Jr. 16.2
Cody Zeller 16.1
Yogi Ferrell 14.5
Christian Watford 13.1
Thomas Bryant 11.9
• Blackmon Jr. tied his career-high with nine rebounds against Liberty. He also had his third straight 20-point effort becoming the third player in the last 10 years to accomplish that feat (Yogi Ferrell and Eric Gordon). Gordon opened the 2007-08 season with 7 straight 20-point games.
•Junior guard Robert Johnson is the most experienced Hoosier, having started 58 career games. Coming off of ankle surgery, he is averaging 13.0 points and leads the team with 10 assists. He averaged 14.5 points in 2 games last week.
• Senior forward Collin Hartman will begin rehab for his knee immediately. He played three games in the NCAA Tournament with a fractured wrist and averaged 5.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 rebounds.
• Sophomore forward OG Anunoby is a preseason All-American and elite defender who is coming off his first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 boards vs. Liberty. He had a career-high 15 points against UMass Lowell on Nov. 16. He is on the Julius Erving Award List. He leads the team with 5 blocked shots and 4 steals.
• Junior guard Josh Newkirk has fit right in with the Hoosier attack, averaging 6.0 points and 3.0 assists. He has made all four of his 3-point field goal attempts and had a career-high five rebounds against Liberty.
• Sophomore forward Juwan Morgan came on in the last nine games of the 2015-16 season despite shoulder issues. He has been an everyman for the Hoosiers, averaging 6.7 points and a team-high 8.3 boards per game. He also has 8 assists and 4 turnovers.
• Junior Freddie McSwain, Jr. is a Georgia native who comes to IU after averaging 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds at Neosho County Community College. He had his first basket against UMass Lowell and averages 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals.
• Freshman De'Ron Davis is 7-for-9 from the floor and averaged 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 2 games last week. He also hit two key free throws in the final minute in the win over Kansas.
• Freshman Curtis Jones is a Virginia native and a Boo Williams AAU product. He played with Thomas Bryant and Miles Bridges at Huntington Prep. He had seven of his 15 points in overtime in beating Kansas.
• Freshman guard Devonte Green is another big-bodied guard who had 6 points and a career-high 4 steals against UMass Lowell.
• Freshman Grant Gelon came off the bench had scored 5 points against Liberty. He hit his first three-pointer.
• Junior Tim Priller had a career-high three points against Liberty.
Most Wins Vs. AP Top 3 Teams, Since 2011-12
Duke 6
Indiana 5
Kansas 5
Wisconsin 5
• Indiana University begins its 117th season and the defending Big Ten Champions are ranked 3rd in the Associated Press Poll and 5th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. IU is 3-0 for the 7th straight season, IU was ranked 9th in the final rankings a season ago - the 2nd in 4 years the Hoosiers finished the year ranked in the top 10.
UP NEXT
• The Hoosiers will host Mississippi Valley State in the final game of the Indiana Classic on Nov. 27.
THE SERIES
• IU won the first meeting in the three-game series a year ago, 90-65, in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Fort Wayne will return to Bloomington during the 2018-19 season.
| #3/5 Indiana at Fort Wayne (Indiana Classic) | |
| Location | Fort Wayne, Indiana |
| Venue | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum |
| Tipoff | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | BTN & BTN2Go (Kevin Kugler & Shon Morris) |
| Radio | IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, Joe Smith) |
| Live Stats | IUHoosiers.com |
HEAD COACH TOM CREAN
• Tom Crean, the 2016 Big Ten Coach of the Year, begins his ninth year of leading the Hoosiers. Over the last five years, IU is 123-53 and leads the Big Ten with 24 regular season wins over ranked opponents during that time. IU is nationally ranked for the sixth straight season. Eight players in his first six recruiting classes have scored 1,000 points in their career under Crean at Indiana. Yogi Ferrell (1,986), Christian Watford (1,730), Verdell Jones III (1,347), Jordan Hulls (1,318), Cody Zeller (1,157), Will Sheehey (1,120), Victor Oladipo (1,117) and Troy Williams (1,115) also have scored 1,000 points or more. From the Class of 2014, James Blackmon, Jr., is the next closest Hoosier to approach the mark. He has scored 793 points. Three players, Yogi Ferrell (2016), Cody Zeller (2013) and Victor Oladipo (2013) have been selected as All-Americans. In addition, Oladipo earned two National Player of the Year honors and was named National Defensive Player of the Year. IU won the 2013 and 2016 Big Ten titles outright. Last year's outright title is the team's second in a four year period with the last time that happened at IU coming in 1980, 81 and 83. The Hoosiers are now tied for the Big Ten lead in overall championships (22) and outright titles (13).
IU INSIGHT
• IU shot 60.9% from the field against Liberty marking the 15th time the Hoosiers have shot 60.0% or better from the field in a game in the Tom Crean Era.
• IU held Liberty to 29.7% shooting marking the 8th time in the Crean ERA an opponent has shot under 30.0%.
• IU had a +35 edge on the boards (55-20), a single game record for Assembly Hall.
• Later this season, the Hoosiers will take on No. 6 North Carolina at home in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Hoosiers will face Butler, ranked No. 19 by Kenpom, in the 6th Annual Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis on December 17. IU and No. 12 Louisville will start at three-year series with a game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on New Year's Eve.
• Since 2011, the Hoosiers have averaged 24 wins per season compared to 20 averaged at IU from 1995-2008.
• Since 2011-12, IU has had the most potent offense in the Big Ten, leading in points scored (78.1), field goal percentage (47.9), and 3-point field goal percentage (40.3). The Hoosiers lead all major conference schools in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage during that same time frame.
• The 2015-16 Hoosiers were just one of three teams in the last 20 years in college basketball to average more than 80 points, shoot better than 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range. The others are the 2001-02 Kansas Jayhawks and the 2000-01 Stanford Cardinal.
DID YOU KNOW
• IU is 7-1 in Fort Wayne and played consecutively one game each season there from 1960-67.
In Fort Wayne
Date Opponent Result
12/20/1960 Notre Dame W, 74-69
12/11/1961 North Carolina W, 76-70
1/2/1963 Notre Dame L, 70-73
12/4/1963 Notre Dame W, 108-102
12/21/1964 Notre Dame W, 107-81
12/21/1965 Notre Dame W, 80-58
12/20/1966 Notre Dame W, 94-91
12/19/1967 Notre Dame W, 96-91
• The Hoosiers won their first game in the Indiana Classic, 100-78 over UMass Lowell on Wednesday night and defeated Liberty, 87-48 on Saturday.
• Junior James Blackmon, Jr. played his first three seasons of high school basketball for his father, James, Sr., at Bishop Luers High School in Ft. Wayne.
• Former Hoosiers Christian Watford and Nick Zeisloft are playing in the NBA D-League with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
• Five former Crean-coached Hoosiers are on active NBA rosters including Cody Zeller (Charlotte), Victor Oladipo (Oklahoma City), Noah Vonleh (Portland), Yogi Ferrell (Brooklyn) and Troy Williams (Memphis). Three of his former players at Marquette also are active including Dwyane Wade (Chicago), Steve Novak (Milwaukee) and Wes Matthews (Dallas). Oladipo just signed a 4-year, $84 million extension and Zeller got 4-years and $56 million.
• Junior James Blackmon, Jr. and sophomore center Thomas Bryant are among 50 candidates for the 2017 Naismith Award and John Wooden Award.
• The Hoosiers have the only ranked win in the Big Ten the first 10 days of the season. The rest of the league is 0-6 with Michigan State and Penn State losing twice and Wisconsin and Purdue once apiece.
• During the last two years, the Hoosiers have averaged 9.7 3-point field goals per game, the most of any major college program. Villanova is second at 9.0. IU is second in the nation averaging 11.7 per game early this season.
• IU leads the Big Ten in scoring (96.7), field goal percentage (52.7), 3-point field goal percentage (44.3) and rebound margin (+22.7)
• Blackmon, Jr., leads the Big Ten in 3-point field goals per game (4.7) and is second in scoring (23.0).
• IU scored 100 points or more in back-to-back games for the first time since 2005 and for the first time in the first two games of the season since the 1992-93 season.
• The Hoosiers have three former head coaches on their coaching staff this season (Buckley, Martin, Judson). Associate Head Coach Tim Buckley begins his ninth year at Indiana. The former head coach at Ball State, his Cardinals beat No. 3 Kansas and No. 4 UCLA at the 2001 Maui Classic. Assistant Coach Chuck Martin is in his third year with the Hoosiers and was the head coach at Marist (2008-13). Assistant Coach Rob Judson is in his second year as an assistant coach after serving as Director of Operations in early 2014. He was the head coach at Northern Illinois (2001-07) and won the MAC West title in 2006.
• Bryant was named Preseason All-American by Blue Ribbon Basketball Yearbook (first team) and NBCSports.com (second team). He averaged 14.4 points and 5.5 rebounds in postseason play. Had 19 points, five rebounds and two steals against Kentucky. He led the Big Ten in field goal percentage. He also was named Preseason All-Big Ten and is on the Kareem Abdul Jabbar Watch List (Top Center). He had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Kansas. Blackmon Jr. has the highest career average (16.2) of any player who has played for Crean at Indiana. He was National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week following his 26-point effort against Kansas. He was named Preseason All-Big Ten and is on the Jerry West Award watch list.
Top 5 Career Scorers In Tom Crean Era
James Blackmon, Jr. 16.2
Cody Zeller 16.1
Yogi Ferrell 14.5
Christian Watford 13.1
Thomas Bryant 11.9
• Blackmon Jr. tied his career-high with nine rebounds against Liberty. He also had his third straight 20-point effort becoming the third player in the last 10 years to accomplish that feat (Yogi Ferrell and Eric Gordon). Gordon opened the 2007-08 season with 7 straight 20-point games.
•Junior guard Robert Johnson is the most experienced Hoosier, having started 58 career games. Coming off of ankle surgery, he is averaging 13.0 points and leads the team with 10 assists. He averaged 14.5 points in 2 games last week.
• Senior forward Collin Hartman will begin rehab for his knee immediately. He played three games in the NCAA Tournament with a fractured wrist and averaged 5.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 rebounds.
• Sophomore forward OG Anunoby is a preseason All-American and elite defender who is coming off his first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 boards vs. Liberty. He had a career-high 15 points against UMass Lowell on Nov. 16. He is on the Julius Erving Award List. He leads the team with 5 blocked shots and 4 steals.
• Junior guard Josh Newkirk has fit right in with the Hoosier attack, averaging 6.0 points and 3.0 assists. He has made all four of his 3-point field goal attempts and had a career-high five rebounds against Liberty.
• Sophomore forward Juwan Morgan came on in the last nine games of the 2015-16 season despite shoulder issues. He has been an everyman for the Hoosiers, averaging 6.7 points and a team-high 8.3 boards per game. He also has 8 assists and 4 turnovers.
• Junior Freddie McSwain, Jr. is a Georgia native who comes to IU after averaging 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds at Neosho County Community College. He had his first basket against UMass Lowell and averages 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals.
• Freshman De'Ron Davis is 7-for-9 from the floor and averaged 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 2 games last week. He also hit two key free throws in the final minute in the win over Kansas.
• Freshman Curtis Jones is a Virginia native and a Boo Williams AAU product. He played with Thomas Bryant and Miles Bridges at Huntington Prep. He had seven of his 15 points in overtime in beating Kansas.
• Freshman guard Devonte Green is another big-bodied guard who had 6 points and a career-high 4 steals against UMass Lowell.
• Freshman Grant Gelon came off the bench had scored 5 points against Liberty. He hit his first three-pointer.
• Junior Tim Priller had a career-high three points against Liberty.
Most Wins Vs. AP Top 3 Teams, Since 2011-12
Duke 6
Indiana 5
Kansas 5
Wisconsin 5
Players Mentioned
Forward
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Center
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Forward
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Guard
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Forward
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Guard
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