Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Butler
NOTES: Indiana Set to Face Butler in Crossroads Classic
12/18/2020 11:26:00 AM | Men's Basketball
OPENING TIP
Indiana University is in its 121st season of competition in men's basketball and opens the doors of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for the 50th season. The Hoosiers will play their 5th high major opponent away from home this season when it takes on Butler in the 10th Crossroads Classic. IU, Stanford and North Carolina will be the only Power 5 teams to play at least 5 of their 7 non-conference home games on an away or neutral court. IU and Butler share the best record in the Crossroads Classic at 6-3 and IU has won 5 of 6 and three in a row in the 4-team event. IU is coming off an 87-52 win over North Alabama. IU is rated 10th by KenPom in adjusted defense, 16th overall and 54th in strength of schedule, which is the highest rated in the Big Ten.
GAME INFORMATION
Crossroads Classic
Saturday, Dec. 19 • 11:30 a.m.
Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
TV: FS1 (Vince Welch and Stephen Bardo)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, Joe Smith) | TuneIn
Series History: Indiana leads, 39-15
Last Meeting: IU 71, BU 68; 12/15/18
THE COACHES
Indiana Coach Archie Miller is in his fourth season of guiding the Cream and Crimson and is 59-45 with the Hoosiers. He is 198-108 in nine+ years as a head coach, which includes six years at the University of Dayton. His Flyer teams made NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his last four seasons, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2014. He is 4-0 as the IU coach at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. LaVall Jordan is 60-41 in 4 seasons at Butler.
JACKSON-DAVIS STARTS SEASON STRONG
Sophomore forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was named All-Tournament at the Maui Invitational and Big Ten Player of the Week (Dec. 7) and is averaging 21.0 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 51.2% from the field. His most dominant performance was a 25-point, 17-rebound effort at Florida State. He had a career-high 31 points in the win over Stanford in the 3rd place game at Maui. He is a Preseason All-Big Ten pick and has been named to several Preseason All-American teams and is on the watch lists for the Wooden, Naismith and Malone Awards. Last year, he was named third team All-Big Ten and was selected to the All-Freshman team. He had 12 double-doubles, the most since D.J. White had 20 in 2007-08. Davis, a Greenwood native and a graduate of Center Grove, was just one of four freshman nationally a year ago to lead his team in scoring, rebounds, FG percentage, FT made and FT attempted and blocked shots. The Hoosiers are 12-2 when he records a double-double. He is averaging 23.7 points and 10.0 rebounds in his last 3 games. He is the only Hoosier in the last 25 years to have 3 games of 25 points and 15 rebounds (at Minnesota, Nebraska). He leads the B1G in FTs made (42) and attempts (59).
ARMAAN'S HOME
Sophomore Armaan Franklin is coming off a career-high 19-point game, hitting a career-high 5 treys, and his performances at Bankers Life last season were his two best games of the year. Against Notre Dame in the Crossroads Classic he scored 17 points, made 4 of 5 triples and knocked in the go ahead basket with 14 seconds left. Against Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament, he had 13 points, 8 rebounds and made 3 long distance shots.
QUICK HITS
IU returns seven of its top nine scorers, including four starters. Last year, IU was on the brink of earning its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2016 before the COVID-19 pandemic halted post season play after one game. The Hoosiers finished the season with a 20-12 record. IU leads the Big Ten allowing opponents to shoot just 24.6% from long distance.
