Preview: IU Opens Big Ten Tournament on Friday

Friday, March 11

Indianapolis, IN

12:00 PM

Indiana University

Michigan (Quarterfinals)

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3/9/2016 6:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball

OPENING TIP
• Indiana University is ranked #10 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and by the Associated Press and will play either #8 seed Michigan or #9 seed Northwestern in the tournament quarterfinals on Friday. IU won its 22nd Big Ten title (tied for most with Purdue) and its 13th outright crown.

#1 Indiana (25-6, 15-3 Big Ten) vs. #8 Michigan/#9 Northwestern
Friday, March 11, 2016 • 12:00 p.m. ET
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (18,165) • Indianapolis, Indiana
Live Stats: IUHoosiers.com
TV: ESPN & WatchESPN (Mike Tirico, Dan Dakich & Quint Kessenich)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, Joe Smith)

DID YOU KNOW
• The Hoosiers defeated Michigan, 80-67, in Ann Arbor on February 2 and defeated Northwestern, 89-57, on January 23 in Bloomington.

• IU is the top seed in the event for the second time in its history (2013). IU last played in the tournament championship in 2001, where it fell to Iowa, 63-61.

BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR TOM CREAN
• Tom Crean is in his eighth year at IU and has led them to outright Big Ten titles in 2013 and 2016. Over the last five years, IU is 118-51 and leads the Big Ten with 22 regular season wins over ranked opponents during that time.    Since 2011, the Hoosiers have averaged 23 wins per season compared to 20 averaged at IU from 1995-2008. For his efforts this season, he was named Big Ten Coach of the Year (AP, Big Ten Coaches, Big Ten Media and CBSSports.com). He also was named USBWA District V Coach of the Year by the USBWA.

TOM CREAN'S
1,000 POINT SCORERS BY RECRUITING CLASS
2008-Verdell Jones III (1,347)
2009-Christian Watford (1,730) and Jordan Hulls (1,318)
2010-Will Sheehey (1,120) and Victor Oladipo (1,117)
2011-Cody Zeller (1,157)
2012-Yogi Ferrell (1,909)
2013-Troy Williams (1,053)

HOOSIER SHOOTING
• IU is third in the country in field goal percentage (50.2), fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (41.9), seventh in scoring margin (+13.9), ninth in 3-point field goals made per game (10.1) and 11th in scoring offense (82.7).

FERRELL IS 45TH IU ALL-AMERICAN
• Senior guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell was named second-team All-American by USA Today, The Sporting News, NBCSports.com and ESPN.com. He is a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten choice and becomes the first Hoosier to earn that distinction in consecutive years since Calbert Cheaney did in 1991, 92 and 93. He also is a member of the league's All-Defensive Team.

MORE NATIONAL HONORS
• Ferrell is being considered for the Wooden and Naismith Awards for National Player of the Year. He was also named one of five finalists for the Cousy Award, given to the nation's top point guard. Ferrell is the only player in Big Ten History with 1,900 points, 600 assists, 400 rebounds and 250 three-pointers. He is IU's all-time leader in games started at 133 and assists with 607 (Michigan's Gary Grant had 2,200 points, 700 assists and 400 rebounds). He joins IU greats Calbert Cheaney, Don Schlundt, Damon Bailey, and Kent Benson to rank among the top 10 scorers all-time at IU and win multiple Big Ten titles.

MORE ALL-BIG TEN HONORS
• Graduate transfer Max Bielfeldt was named Sixth Man of the Year and junior Troy Williams and freshman Thomas Bryant were named third-team All-Big Ten by the Coaches. Bryant also was a member of the coaches All-Freshman team and was an honorable mention All-League pick by the media.

Crean Era Superlatives In B1G Play
• The Hoosiers are allowing the fewest number of free throws made per game (11.5) in conference play during Coach Crean's eight seasons at IU. Opponents also are hauling in just 8.6 offensive rebounds.

• The Hoosiers are averaging 78.1 points per game in conference play, the highest since the Hoosiers averaged 74.6 in 2013. IU also is having its best rebounding season, hauling in 36.8 per game, compared to 36.5 in 2013.

• IU is dishing out 15.2 assists per game, which eclipses the 12.9 it accomplished last season.

• The Hoosiers are making (9.9) and taking (24.8) the highest number of 3-pointers it ever has.

JAMES BLACKMON, JR.
Sophomore guard James Blackmon, Jr., (15.8 ppg) is out for the season after he had surgery on his right knee. In his two years with the Hoosiers, IU is 21-0 anytime he shot 47.0 percent or higher from the field.   He is the Big Ten sophomore class career leader in scoring averaging 15.7 ppg.

ODDS AND TRENDS
• Senior graduate transfer Max Bielfeldt is the first Big Ten hoops player to win championships at two different league schools (Michigan 2, IU 1). He is averaging 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds. He had his second double-double with 15 points and 10 boards at MSU. He had 16 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and three steals against Illinois. His best day as a collegian came at Rutgers, when he recorded 18 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two steals off the bench. He has shot 43.6% (24-of-55) from long distance this season.

• Sophomore Robert Johnson is shooting 43.6 percent from 3-point range.   He forced a game-winning steal in the final seconds at home against Wisconsin. He had 16 points and six rebounds at Michigan and had 13 points against Iowa and Nebraska. He is second on the team in assists (88) and did not play the last three games (ankle).

• Senior Nick Zeisloft is second on the team in 3-point field goals with 60 made. He made his third straight start and had nine points against Maryland, 11 at Iowa, and 14 at Illinois. He finished with 15 points at Minnesota and led the Hoosiers with 14 points at Penn State. He is shooting 43.2% from long distance this season and 55.0% in the last five games.

• Freshman Thomas Bryant made his fifth three-pointer (11 attempts) of the season against Maryland. He had 14 points and 8 rebounds at Illinois and his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Iowa. He is a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree. He had a career-high 23 points at home against Minnesota. 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 70.1% of his attempts.

• Junior Troy Williams tied his career-high with a 23-point effort against Maryland (also had 23 against OSU this season. He had 15 points and seven rebounds at Iowa. He was B1G Player of the Week after scoring 18 against Nebraska and 19 versus Purdue (2/22). He has made 20 3-point field goals this season after making 12 total during his first two years with the Hoosiers.
• Junior Collin Hartman has started 16 B1G games this season and is averaging 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in those games. He is shooting 43.4% in Big Ten play from 3-point range combined over the last two seasons. That is the third-highest total among players who have taken more than 75 3-point attempts in the last two years in the league.

• Freshman OG Anunoby is averaging 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in Big Ten games. He scored a career-high 11 points at Nebraska, at Wisconsin and at Michigan. He has shot 52.8 percent from the field and made 9-of-22 3-point field goal attempts. He had six points and six rebounds at Iowa.

• Freshman Juwan Morgan had five points and five boards at Iowa and hit the go-ahead free throws with 3:16 to go. He had a career-high 12 points against Nebraska and also added 5 rebounds. He also had 7 points in the win over Northwestern. He has made a three-point field goal in four of the last five games. He had six points and four rebounds against Maryland.

• Senior walk-on Ryan Burton played 10 minutes against Rutgers and scored a career-high six points on a pair of 3-point field goals. He also hit a 3-pointer against Northwestern. Freshman walk-on Harrison Niego played seven minutes at home against Iowa and had a basket and took a charge. He has averaged 6.4 minutes in the last five games. Former manager Jackson Tharp is now on the 2015-16 roster. Tharp has been an undergraduate manager at IU since the 2012. He had an assist in his first game against Illinois.