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(02/01/12 5:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There’s something Michigan has yet to do this season.The Wolverines have yet to lose a Big Ten game at the Crisler Center.The IU men’s basketball team will try to put a blemish on Michigan’s 5-0 home record in conference play when the teams face off at 6:30 tonight in Ann Arbor, Mich.However, IU Assistant Coach Steve McClain said the Wolverines play like the same team no matter what gym they’re in.“I haven’t seen them play any different on the road than they have at home,” McClain said. “They’re not a team where on the road they play this way and at home, they play this way.”Michigan’s (16-6, 6-3) home record didn’t help them in the team’s first meeting when IU (17-5, 5-5) beat the Wolverines 73-71 in Assembly Hall on Jan. 5. But since that game, the Wolverines have gone 4-2 in conference while the Hoosiers suffered a three-game losing streak and found themselves behind Michigan in the Big Ten standings.One of the reasons for the Wolverines’ resurgence was freshman point guard Trey Burke, who has garnered Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors four times this season.While IU held Burke to 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting, IU sophomore forward Will Sheehey said his passing ability is what sets him apart.“I know that point guard can get into the lane, he can distribute and that’s something a lot of freshman point guards can’t do,” Sheehey said. “They kind of need to sit back and watch for a couple years, but he’s doing a great job.”IU’s freshman starter, forward Cody Zeller, has won the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award five times. McClain said that Zeller’s importance to IU is similar to Burke’s to the Wolverines.“They’re both getting a lot of attention,” McClain said. “They both play major parts of their team’s success, and they both seem to handle the success they’ve had very well.”McClain said that, besides Burke, Michigan boasts a veteran-laden squad that has shown signs of maturation since last season.“They’ve got guys that understand what this league is all about. They’ve been through it,” McClain said. “Trey Burke is a freshman like Cody (Zeller) is a freshman, but those other four guys they’re putting out there have been through this league.”Zeller, who is coming off a career-high 26 points in a 103-89 win against Iowa on Sunday, figures to be part of the game plan again.Junior forward Christian Watford said they learned from the first meeting that getting Zeller involved against a smaller Michigan team will be crucial.“They have a hard time guarding Cody in the post so we’re just going to play through him and see what happens,” Watford said.Michigan’s leading scorer, sophomore guard Tim Hardaway, Jr., struggled from the outside in the first meeting. Hardaway shot 7-of-19 and shot 0-for-7 from 3-point range, but scored 19 points.Watford said that, just like last time, shutting down Hardaway and Burke will be key to IU pulling out a win.“Those players have gotten a lot better since then, and they kind of play a little different,” Watford said. “We’re just going to try to take some of their strengths away and make everything difficult for them.”
(01/30/12 5:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming into Sunday night’s game, junior forward Derek Elston had yet to be a part of IU’s offensive equation in conference play.In just 68 seconds, that changed.The junior forward’s eight points in 68 seconds fueled an 11-point output to help lead the Hoosiers to a 103-89 victory against Iowa on Sunday at Assembly Hall.“Coach (Tom) Crean called me last night and told me to play with confidence,” Elston said. “Once I saw that first one go down, that’s how it goes for me shooting-wise. If I make my first couple shots, I have potential to have a good game.”Crean said a clear mind is what sparked Elston’s performance.“He’s absolutely one of our best shooters, and sometimes he gets away from that, and he needs a reminder that he’s that good,” Crean said. “The last thing we want Derek to do is play where he’s got to be thinking too much. I don’t mean that negatively. He just needs to play.”That’s exactly what Elston did from the moment he came into the game at the 15:23 mark in the first half. With IU deadlocked at an 18-18 tie, Elston knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Hoosiers the lead. The next time down the floor, Elston hit a baseline jumper. On Iowa’s next possession, Elston swatted Iowa sophomore guard Roy Devyn Marble on a layup. Elston said his recovery made the block even more rewarding.“The block was nice because I’ve been worried about my defense a lot this year,” Elston said. “To know that he crossed me over a little bit, and to jump back, keep my feet and get that block, I would pat my shoulder on that.”IU senior forward Tom Pritchard said it was a milestone accomplishment for Elston.“Is that your first career block?” Pritchard jokingly asked Elston.Another 3-pointer from Elston capped off the eight-point stretch on three straight IU possessions.Elston finished with his best offensive performance in Big Ten play since March 6, 2010, when he scored 17 against Northwestern. For a player who has spent parts of this season battling injury, Sunday night was a product of what Elston chocked up to hours in the gym. “I’ve been coming late at night and shooting, and to come in here and actually see the work pay off is a big relief,” Elston said. “My mom will probably tell me I played a good game, and then that’s about all I’ll think about that.”
(01/30/12 1:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Whatever offensive woes the IU men’s basketball team had Thursday night at Wisconsin appear to have subsided.IU (17-5, 5-5) had its best single game output in conference play and rolled to a 103-89 victory against Iowa (11-11, 3-6) on Sunday night at Assembly Hall.IU’s 54 first-half points exceeded the squad’s entire offensive output in Madison on Thursday night. The Hoosiers shot 55 percent (37-of-67) from the floor en route to the highest offensive output by a team in any Big Ten game this season.Leading the way for IU — via the slam dunk — was freshman forward Cody Zeller, who led all scorers with a career-high 26 points on 11-of-12 shooting.Senior guard Verdell Jones III and junior forward Christian Watford also contributed to the offensive outburst with 14 and 15 points, respectively.In his first start of the season, sophomore forward Will Sheehey chipped in 10 points and was 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.IU also received post-production from the bench. Senior forward Tom Pritchard had a season-high seven points while junior forward Derek Elston scored 11 of his own.After dishing out a season-low four assists at Wisconsin, the Hoosiers finished with 20 assists against the Hawkeyes.
(01/27/12 3:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite Wisconsin starting off the game with a quick 7-2 lead, the IU men’s basketball team rallied back and leads 27-25 at halftime at the Kohl Center.IU has stayed in the game despite going only 2-of-4 from three-point range in the first half.However, the Hoosiers shot 50 percent (12-of-24) in the first half while the Badgers were held to 39 percent (10-of-26) from the floor.Leading the way for the Hoosiers was senior guard Verdell Jones, who leads all scorers with 12 points. Jones has already exceeded his average of 7.7 points per game.On the other side, senior guard and Wisconsin leading scorer Jordan Taylor has eight points.The Hoosiers have done most of their damage with their leading scorer, freshman forward Cody Zeller, on the bench for the majority of the half with two fouls. Zeller is scoreless in the first half on 0-for-1 shooting.
(01/26/12 5:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There’s something the IU men’s basketball team hasn’t accomplished since a certain general left town.Besides not winning a national championship, IU hasn’t won at the Kohl Center since Jan. 25, 1998.The No. 16/17 Hoosiers (16-4, 4-4) will look to break that 10-game skid when they take on No. 25 Wisconsin (16-5, 5-3) at 9 p.m. EST today in Madison.“I think it has been their players and their style and how they play together as a team,” IU Coach Tom Crean said in a release from IU Athletics. “They have really embraced the concept of protecting their home court and playing well at home.”The Badgers are coming off a 2010-11 campaign in which they went a perfect 17-0 at the Kohl Center. However, they haven’t defended their home floor in the same fashion they did last season.Not only did Wisconsin drop the Big Ten home opener against unranked Iowa on Dec. 31, it lost again four days later at home against then-No.11 Michigan State.But the Badgers shook off their early Big Ten blues and recently finished a four-game winning streak. During the streak, the Badgers only allowed 57 points per game. IU sophomore guard Victor Oladipo said it will be key for the Hoosiers to dictate the flow of the game.“They like to play their base offense and use the shot clock and have it be a slow-paced game,” Oladipo said in a release from IU Athletics. “If we play a high-tempo game and score, then hopefully we will have a better chance of being successful.”Despite Wisconsin’s half-court offense, senior guard Jordan Taylor still lit up the Hoosiers for a career-high 39 points at Assembly Hall last season. Crean said the versatility of the AP preseason All-American makes him tough to defend.“He does a great job of leading his team, and he has confidence in each of his teammates, but if he needs to look for himself to score, he will,” Crean said in a release from IU Athletics.In addition to having scoring options in the backcourt, the Badgers also boast scoring options in the frontcourt. Junior Jared Berggren is Wisconsin’s second-leading scorer, averaging 11 points per game, and is coming off an 18-point performance in a win at then-No. 25 Illinois on Sunday.Crean said Berggren presents a slew of challenges for the Hoosiers.“Berggren provides more athleticism than he gets credit for,” Crean said in a release from IU Athletics. “He is a terrific shot-blocker and rebounder based on his length and his athleticism. He is also a guy that can play outside the 3-point line, so you have to defend him out there. He is a very good post-up player that can score over both shoulders, and he can shoot the 3-point shot.”Two and a half weeks ago, the Badgers were reeling after a 59-41 loss at then-No. 13 Michigan. At 1-3 in the Big Ten, they fell out of the AP and coaches’ poll rankings for the first time all season. That same day, IU moved into the top 10 in both polls for the first time in four seasons.But since then, the tables have turned.The Badgers won four straight and leapfrogged an IU team that went 1-3 during that stretch. Now, it will be up to IU to stop that tide and end a 14-year drought in Madison.“A lot of people have had difficulty in the Kohl Center,” Crean said in a release from IU Athletics. “We have to go in there and not let them take us out of our game and how we want to play.”
(01/24/12 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At just under halfway into Big Ten play, the IU men’s basketball team is back to .500 in the conference and starting to develop more consistent personnel rotations.Here is a look at each player’s plus/minus in Big Ten games. A plus/minus ratio is a measure of how a team fares in terms of point differential while a certain player is in the game. (Players only eligible if they have played in every Big Ten game.) Total Big Ten plus/minus (Average Big Ten plus/minus)Matt Roth +31 (+3.88)Jordan Hulls +20 (+2.5)Cody Zeller +12 (+1.5)Christian Watford +2 (+0.25)Tom Pritchard -8 (+1)Derek Elston -10 (-1.25)Verdell Jones III -16 (-2)Victor Oladipo -29 (-3.63)Source: statsheet.com— Connor O’Gara
(01/23/12 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s basketball team gave up 82 points at Penn State two weeks ago. The Hoosiers won the game but still had their worst defensive performance of the season.Sunday afternoon was a different story.In a turnaround from the first bout, IU (16-4, 4-4) beat the Nittany Lions (10-11, 2-6) 73-54 at Assembly Hall, marking the Hoosiers’ best defensive output in conference play.“I think to hold the team to the shooting percentage that we did — especially in the second half — says a lot about our guys’ resolve in the defensive end,” IU Coach Tom Crean said.IU held Penn State to 34 percent (17-of-50) shooting from the field and 24 percent (4-of-17) from 3-pointer range in the game.The Nittany Lions were limited to 23 percent (5-of-22) shooting in the second half, which was a clip that Crean said stemmed from shutting down Penn State junior guard Tim Frazier.“The defensive intensity ratcheted up in the second half, especially when it came to how we had to guard Tim Frazier,” Crean said. “I think everyone saw again today how hard a matchup he is and how much he thrives on pressure and playing through that pressure and what he creates.”IU sophomore guard Victor Oladipo was faced with the task of guarding Frazier, whose 21 points in the first meeting kept his team within striking distance. Frazier again scored 21 points, but shot 25 percent (2-of-8) in the second half.Oladipo said the defensive performance left him satisfied. “I think I did a pretty good job of containing him today,” Oladipo said. “He’s a really good player, and he has the ball in his hands a lot. I was up for the challenge.”IU was able to rattle off a slew of consecutive stops that resulted in Penn State going without a field goal from 17:11 to 9:03 in the second half. IU held the Nittany Lions to 16 points in the paint.IU freshman forward Cody Zeller, who had four blocks, said the defensive lockdown started with Oladipo.“Vic did a nice job of keeping them out of the lane,” Zeller said. “We got back to the basics of doing what we were doing when we were winning. I thought it was a pretty good defensive performance. I know they didn’t shoot a very high percentage, so that’s always good to see.”When Oladipo was out, sophomore forward Will Sheehey was responsible for staying consistent defensively.“There’ll be times where it’s Victor and Will together,” Crean said. “There’ll be times when it’s those two separate, and today, for the most part, it turned out with those two tag-teaming on a very good player.”Frazier’s inability to take over coupled with Penn State’s 25 percent (2-of-8) 3-pointer shooting in the second half resulted in IU’s lowest defensive output in a half in Big Ten play.“I think this was a really good game to show that when we’ve got to bear down and guard and we’ve got to win it on the defense end, we can do it,” Crean said.IU junior guard Jordan Hulls, who joined the defensive act with three steals, said Oladipo’s defensive intensity sparked the 19-point victory.“It was great defensive pressure by Victor, and it was a core group of five guys out there playing good defense,” Hulls said. “We just got stops and turned it into offense, which is what we needed.”
(01/22/12 7:15pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After losing three games in a row, the IU men’s basketball team bounced back at home and picked up a 73-54 win Sunday afternoon.Coming off a first half in which IU (16-4, 4-4) trailed heading into the locker room, the Hoosiers came out firing on all cylinders in the second half.Despite holding the Nittany Lions (10-11, 2-6) to 29 first-half points, the Hoosiers found themselves trailing because of some cold shooting. IU shot 29 percent (2-of-7) from beyond the arc in the first half.However, that trend did not continue in the second half.A couple of early 3-pointers to start off the second half gave IU a lead it would not relinquish. IU shot 56 percent from three-point range in the second half (5-of-9) to distance themselves from the Nittany Lions.The 54 points by Penn State marked IU’s best defensive output in conference play. The Hoosiers held the Nittany Lions to just 34 percent (17-of-50) shooting to cruise to the double-digit victory.IU was again led by freshman forward Cody Zeller, who paced the Hoosiers with 18 points. Penn State junior guard Tim Frazier led all scorers with 21 points.
(01/19/12 5:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Nine days ago, the IU men’s basketball team was celebrating its first top-10 ranking in the Tom Crean era.Now, the Hoosiers (15-4, 3-4) dropped their third straight game Wednesday, this time a 70-69 loss at Nebraska (10-8, 2-5) after IU carried an 11-point lead with 6:38 to play.“We’ve got to learn how to put somebody away when we’ve got it,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “We didn’t do as good a job with that.”IU carried a lead for all but the final 11 seconds of the second half and even led by as many as 13 with 15:08 to go after a dunk by freshman forward Cody Zeller.But two free-throws from Nebraska center Jorge Brian Diaz, gave the Cornhuskers their first win against a ranked opponent this season.With a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, junior guard Jordan Hulls forced a contested shot in the lane, and Nebraska had the defensive stop it needed. Similar to IU fans after the Hoosiers beat then-No. 1 Kentucky on Dec. 10, Nebraska fans rushed the court.Crean said it was a crushing blow after IU led for most of the game.“We’ve got a lot of really, really disappointed guys in there, and I’m not going to let that last long,” Crean said. “As I told them, disappointment — that’s inevitable. Discouragement, that’s on us, and we’re not getting discouraged.”IU had nothing to be discouraged about after a first half in which it led 41-34 thanks to 56 percent (5-of-9) 3-point shooting.In addition to fueling the offensive attack from the outside, the Hoosiers also got contributions on the interior. Zeller led the Hoosiers with 10 first-half points.The freshman big man wasted little time starting back up in the second half, scoring six points in the first five minutes to give IU a 13-point lead.Then it all went south.Nebraska chipped away at IU’s lead but struggled to break through a seven-point deficit. Every time the Cornhuskers went on a run, IU answered.But Nebraska rattled off three 3-pointers to close the gap. Senior guard Bo Spencer, who led all scorers with 23 points, knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, and senior guard Toney McCray also hit two 3’s to get Nebraska within three.Though it was the deep ball that kept Nebraska in it, Crean said it was a product of IU not stopping the inside-out game.“The thing that bothers me about our defense is that we gave up much too much middle penetration,” Crean said.IU allowed 18 points in the final 6:02 to squander its once-double-digit lead. Crean said it was a product of IU giving the basketball away.“We’re not taking care of the ball well enough,” Crean said. “We’re really not. We’ve got to continue to try and make the right decisions. We made a couple of boneheaded mistakes with the basketball that you just cannot make.”After only five first-half turnovers, IU had 10 in the second half.Crean said IU’s inability to care of the ball down the stretch could result in some lineup changes.“There’s too many times, especially with the turnovers that don’t make any sense,” Crean said. “There’s no way to defend them. That’s where some hard decisions may come on minutes and situations like that because we just can’t have them.”For IU, it’s another loss to an unranked team. A three-game losing streak is likely not what the Hoosiers envisioned when they were 3-1 in conference this past Sunday after a win at Penn State. But now, IU will face those same Nittany Lions this Sunday at Assembly Hall.Crean had a simple message for IU fans following the last-minute loss.“Don’t panic,” Crean said. “Stay behind these guys in a big way.”
(01/18/12 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At 3-3 in the Big Ten, the IU men’s basketball team has seen a little bit of Jekyll and Hyde in conference play, mainly from 3-pointer range. Notice how similar IU’s statistics are in conference play wins and losses in nearly every category aside from 3-pointer shooting. Points per gameConference wins: 78Conference losses: 67Opponent points per gameConference wins: 74Conference losses: 79 Field goal percentageConference wins: 50 percentConference losses: 43 percentOpponent field goal percentageConference wins: 47 percentConference losses: 52 percent3-pointer percentageConference wins: 58 percentConference losses: 30 percentOpponent 3-pointer percentageConference wins: 33 percentConference losses: 38 percentFree-throw percentageConference wins: 70 percentConference losses: 78 percentTurnovers per gameConference wins: 14Conference losses: 15Assists points per gameConference wins: 13Conference losses: 9— Connor O’Gara
(01/17/12 4:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ohio State had four starters that were ranked in the top 100 in CBSSports.com’s Preseason Top 100 College Players.Lenzelle Smith, Jr. was not one of them.The sophomore guard — who came in averaging 5.2 points per game — scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Buckeyes past the Hoosiers 80-63 Sunday at Value City Arena.“Much like (senior guard) Matt Roth was for us last week, Lenzelle Smith, Jr. went above and beyond what he usually does,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “He averages two field goals made and four field goals attempted, and today, he was 10-of-12. He was a huge, huge difference in the game.”Like Roth, Smith caught fire from beyond the arc. Smith was 4-of-5 from 3-point range to head the Buckeye attack.Crean chalked up Smith’s ability to take over to Ohio State Coach Thad Matta’s game plan.“Smart coaching by them. Lenzelle’s averaging four shots a game. Look it up,” Crean said. “He really played well and played well at our place, too.”Smith’s only double-figure scoring game in his career coming into Sunday also came against the Hoosiers. On that night, Smith had a then-career high 12 points in IU’s 74-70 win Dec. 31.“Throughout the other game I just saw my man leave me,” Smith said. “This game I capitalized off of that, and we were able to get some easy buckets.”But Sunday, Smith reached that mark midway through the first half.Smith had already scored 18 points by halftime to pace the Buckeyes to a 35-14 lead. It was a fast start for a player who hadn’t practiced until Saturday due to strep throat.“When I got back yesterday, we had some different sets that were specifically for the guys leaving me (open),” Smith said. “It turned out to be good.”IU junior guard Jordan Hulls, who had the duty of guarding Smith for much of the first half, said containing him was a tall task.“Guys get hot, knock down shots, get their confidence, and we just have to adjust,” Hulls said. “That’s part of basketball, and that plays into the defense and toughness factor, as well.”IU tried switching defenses throughout the second half, but could not keep the Buckeyes within arm’s reach.Even after halftime adjustments, Smith was still able to rattle off 10 second-half points to keep the Buckeyes’ double-digit lead throughout the second half.Sophomore forward Jared Sullinger, who IU held to two first-half points, said when a player gets going like that, the best thing to do is to keep feeding him.“I kept finding him,” Sullinger said. “He came to the sideline after the pull-up transition shot and said, ‘My bad, guys.’ I said, ‘Hey, you’re open, so keep shooting.’”The 28 points by Smith was the largest offensive outburst allowed by the Hoosiers this season. Crean said Smith’s performance is exactly the reason why the Buckeyes are capable of playing deep into March.“They could win the National Championship with that,” Crean said. “That’s what it comes down to because that’s what they had last year. They had five guys that could score at any given point. That’s why we went to the zone a little bit earlier. You’ve got to play Ohio State’s system. You’ve got to play their personnel, and you’ve got to play the momentum they can create because of how many guys can make plays.”
(01/16/12 2:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ohio State had four starters that were ranked in the top 100 in CBSSports.com’s Preseason Top 100 College Players. Lenzelle Smith, Jr. was not one of them.The sophomore guard — who came in averaging 5.2 points per game — scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Buckeyes past IU, 80-63 Sunday night at Value City Arena.“Much like Matt Roth was for us last week, Lenzelle Smith, Jr. went above and beyond what he usually does,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “He averages two field goals made and four field goals attempted, and today, he was 10-of-12. He was a huge, huge difference in the game.”Like Roth, Smith caught fire from beyond the arc. Smith was 4-of-5 from 3-point range to head the Buckeye attack.Crean chalked up Smith’s ability to take over to Ohio State Coach Thad Matta’s game plan."Smart coaching by them. Lenzelle's averaging four shots a game. Look it up,” Crean said. “He really played well and played well at our place, too."Smith’s only double-figure scoring game in his career coming into Sunday also came against the Hoosiers. On that night, Smith had a then-career high 12 points in IU’s 74-70 win Dec. 31.“Throughout the other game I just saw my man leave me,” Smith said. “This game I capitalized off of that, and we were able to get some easy buckets.”But Sunday, Smith reached that mark midway through the first half. Smith had already scored 18 points by halftime to pace the Buckeyes to a 35-14 lead. It was a fast start for a guy who hadn’t practiced until Saturday due to strep throat.“When I got back yesterday, we had some different sets that were specifically for the guys leaving me (open),” Smith said. “It turned out to be good.”IU junior guard Jordan Hulls, who had the duty of guarding Smith for much of the first half, said containing him was a tall task.“Guys get hot, knock down shots, get their confidence and we just have to adjust,” Hulls said. “That's part of basketball, and that plays into the defense and toughness factor as well."IU tried switching defenses throughout the second half, but they could not keep the Buckeyes within arm’s reach. Even after halftime adjustments, Smith was still able to rattle off 10 second-half points to keep the Buckeyes’ double-digit lead throughout the second half. Sophomore forward Jared Sullinger, who IU held to two first-half points, said when a guy gets going like that, the best thing to do is to keep feeding him.“I kept finding him,” Sullinger said. “He came to the sideline after the pull-up transition shot and said, ‘My bad, guys.’ I said, ‘Hey, you’re open so keep shooting.’”The 28 points by Smith was the largest offensive outburst allowed by the Hoosiers this season. Crean said Smith’s performance is exactly the reason why the Buckeyes are capable of playing deep into March.“They could win the National Championship with that,” Crean said. “That's what it comes down to because that's what they had last year. They had five guys that could score at any given point. That's why we went to the zone a little bit earlier. You've got to play Ohio State's system. You've got to play their personnel, and you've got to play the momentum they can create because of how many guys can make plays."
(01/15/12 11:43pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After suffering its first loss at home of the season on Thursday against Minnesota, life didn’t get any better for IU on the road.The IU men’s basketball team was routed by Ohio State on Sunday, falling 80-63 to the Buckeyes at Value City Arena.After defeating the then-No. 2 Buckeyes (16-3, 4-2) 74-70 at Assembly Hall on Dec. 31, IU (15-3, 3-3) suffered its worst loss of the season on Sunday.Leading the way for the Buckeyes was sophomore guard Lenzelle Smith, Jr. with a career-high 28 points. Sunday marked only the second time in which Smith registered double-digit points with the first time coming on Dec. 31 against IU.IU was led by freshman forward Cody Zeller, who scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Zeller was the only Hoosier to score a point in the final 15:31 of the first half.The Hoosiers will look to snap their skid when they travel to Lincoln to take on Nebraska on Wednesday night.
(01/13/12 5:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the Hoosiers’ first test as a top ten team, they failed.The IU men’s basketball team suffered its first loss at Assembly Hall this season, as they fell to unranked Minnesota 77-74 Thursday night.“Any loss is going to be terrible,” junior guard Jordan Hulls said. “It’s our home court. We’ve got to defend our home court. Give credit to Minnesota. They came here, and we didn’t match their energy.”The Golden Gophers (13-5, 1-4), who came into the contest without a conference win, captured their first road win over a top ten foe since 1981.Besides snapping IU’s 11-game home win streak, the loss also marked the first time the Hoosiers (15-2, 3-2) fell to an unranked foe this season.“We just didn’t have our edge,” Hulls said. “We didn’t get stops when we needed to, we let them get way too many open shots, we didn’t take away things that we needed to. We were very poor defensively and needed to communicate a lot more.”On the offensive side of the ball, IU came into Thursday night boasting the nation’s top 3-point field goal percentage at 48 percent. The Hoosiers were even coming off of a game against Penn State in which they hit 16-of-24 shots from 3-point range.However, the Hoosiers were held to 22 percent (4-of-18) from beyond the arc.It didn’t get much better for IU inside the paint either as the Hoosiers shot 43 percent from the field.“We’ve just got to play a lot better defense and let that create our offense,” Hulls said. “We’ve got to be mature enough and have that edge when they aren’t falling. We’ve just got to create it some other way.”The Gophers on the other hand, shot 47 percent from the floor to capture the upset victory.Crean said the reason for their successful three-point shooting coming into Thursday’s game was a product of good ball movement. But against Minnesota, IU had a season-low six assists.“It’s going to be one of those nights where we’re going to look at the film and see the ball didn’t move as well,” Crean said. “Our movement and some of our screening weren’t nearly as good.”After trading baskets for much of the first half, the Gophers took the lead at the 9:50 mark of the first half.IU shot just 39 percent (10-of-26) from the floor in the first half and was 13 percent (1-of-8) from beyond the arc. The Gophers wouldn’t look back.Every attempt the Hoosiers made to close the gap, the Gophers answered with a run of their own. IU’s 3-point struggles continued as they were held to one trey ball in the first 28:35 of the game.IU rallied in the final minute to score 12 points in 41 seconds to get within one.But Minnesota sophomore guard Austin Hollins knocked down two free throws to close out the win. Again, it came down to a lack of edge.“We just didn’t come with that same edge that we’ve won with,” freshman forward Cody Zeller said.With a showdown at No. 5 Ohio State on Sunday, the Hoosiers won’t have time to sulk. For Crean and his team, it’s a lesson learned.“As I said in the locker room to these guys, I’m not going to overreact, but I’m not going to under-react,” Crean said. “We’re going to move forward in a quick way. It is very clear that we’ve got to get that edge back, and I’m very confident we will.”
(01/13/12 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s no secret that the matchup of IU freshman forward Cody Zeller and Ohio State sophomore forward Jared Sullinger has garnered some headlines. Sullinger was named the 2011 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, while Zeller has already won the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award five times this season. Sullinger’s Buckeyes lost the first battle to Zeller and the Hoosiers Dec. 31, 2011. Now the two will square off for the second time on Sunday afternoon at Ohio State.Here’s a look at how Zeller’s freshman campaign compares to Sullinger’s freshman season.POINTS PER GAMEZeller 14.2Sullinger 17.2REBOUNDS PER GAMEZeller 6.4Sullinger 10.2BLOCKS PER GAMEZeller 1.5Sullinger 0.5FOULS PER GAMEZeller 2.6Sullinger 2.4Foul outs (through 17 games)Zeller 1Sullinger 1FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGEZeller 66.1 percentSullinger 54.1 percentMINUTES PER GAMEZeller 27.0Sullinger 31.7DOUBLE-DOUBLES (through 17 games)Zeller 1Sullinger 8TEAM RECORD (through 17 games)Zeller 15-2Sullinger 17-0(all statistics as of Jan. 11)
(01/13/12 4:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the Hoosiers’ first test as a top ten team, they failed.The IU men’s basketball team suffered its first loss at Assembly Hall this season, as they fell to unranked Minnesota 77-74 Thursday night.“Any loss is going to be terrible,” junior guard Jordan Hulls said. “It’s our home court. We’ve got to defend our home court. Give credit to Minnesota. They came here, and we didn’t match their energy.”The Golden Gophers (13-5, 1-4), who came into the contest without a conference win, captured their first road win over a top ten foe since 1981.Besides snapping IU’s 11-game home win streak, the loss also marked the first time the Hoosiers (15-2, 3-2) fell to an unranked foe this season.“We just didn’t have our edge,” Hulls said. “We didn’t get stops when we needed to, we let them get way too many open shots, we didn’t take away things that we needed to. We were very poor defensively and needed to communicate a lot more.”On the offensive side of the ball, IU came into Thursday night boasting the nation’s top 3-point field goal percentage at 48 percent. The Hoosiers were even coming off of a game against Penn State in which they hit 16-of-24 shots from 3-point range.However, the Hoosiers were held to 22 percent (4-of-18) from beyond the arc.It didn’t get much better for IU inside the paint either as the Hoosiers shot 43 percent from the field.“We’ve just got to play a lot better defense and let that create our offense,” Hulls said. “We’ve got to be mature enough and have that edge when they aren’t falling. We’ve just got to create it some other way.”The Gophers on the other hand, shot 47 percent from the floor to capture the upset victory.Crean said the reason for their successful three-point shooting coming into Thursday’s game was a product of good ball movement. But against Minnesota, IU had a season-low six assists.“It’s going to be one of those nights where we’re going to look at the film and see the ball didn’t move as well,” Crean said. “Our movement and some of our screening weren’t nearly as good.”After trading baskets for much of the first half, the Gophers took the lead at the 9:50 mark of the first half.IU shot just 39 percent (10-of-26) from the floor in the first half and was 13 percent (1-of-8) from beyond the arc.The Gophers wouldn’t look back.Every attempt the Hoosiers made to close the gap, the Gophers answered with a run of their own. IU’s 3-point struggles continued as they were held to one trey ball in the first 28:35 of the game.IU rallied in the final minute to score 12 points in 41 seconds to get within one.But Minnesota sophomore guard Austin Hollins knocked down two free throws to close out the win.But again, it came down to a lack of edge.“We just didn’t come with that same edge that we’ve won with,” freshman forward Cody Zeller said.The Hoosiers won’t have time to sulk with a showdown at No. 5 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon.For Crean and the Hoosiers, it’s a lesson learned.“As I said in the locker room to these guys, I’m not going to overreact, but I’m not going to under-react,” Crean said. “We’re going to move forward in a quick way. It is very clear that we’ve got to get that edge back, and I’m very confident we will.”
(01/13/12 2:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With IU playing their first game since moving into the Associated Press top ten, the Hoosiers were down nine points to a Minnesota team that came in 0-4 in conference play.But an 8-0 IU rally got the Hoosiers back in it as they now trail 37-34 at halftime.After a career-high 28 points in Sunday’s win at Penn State, IU junior guard Jordan Hulls was held scoreless for the first 15 minutes of the contest.Hulls nailed a three-pointer at the 4:57 mark end his scoreless drought and IU’s 3-pointer drought.Though the Hoosiers came in as the nation’s No. 1 team in three-point field goal percentage, IU has only made one from beyond the arc.IU freshman forward Cody Zeller leads the Hoosiers with 10 points while sophomore Will Sheehey has eight points. Sheehey is playing in his first game since Dec. 19 against Howard.
(01/12/12 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It wasn’t the typical way for Matt Roth to get going.Roth got an open look from 3-point range, the place he had scored 82 percent of his points. But instead of pulling the trigger, Roth saw Penn State guard Nick Colella closing out on him and pump-faked. He got Colella in the air, drew the foul and knocked down three free throws for a five-point lead at halftime. In the second half, Roth went back to his usual way of getting three points. With Penn State focused on stopping IU junior guard Jordan Hulls, Roth went off. The senior hit five 3’s and scored 19 second-half points to lead IU to its first Big Ten road win in nearly two years.The performance was an example of how Roth has risen — and fired — in his career. Since sophomore guard Will Sheehey’s injury, Roth has filled his offensive void and averaged 9.4 points per game, shooting 70 percent (12-of-17) from 3-point range.“I think sometimes his range catches people by surprise,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “You know what? When they adjust to his range, he’ll just back it up a little more. Seriously, not many guys can do that, but he can.”Like Sheehey, Roth knows about watching games in IU sweats from the bench.Coming off a freshman season in which he played in all 31 games — eight of which he made three 3-pointers or more — Roth was ready to make the next step in his sophomore season. For the first time, Roth was bitten by the injury bug. He tore his fifth metatarsal in his right foot during practice at the Puerto Rico Tipoff. Just two games into his sophomore campaign, Roth was shelved for the season.“It was definitely a huge disappointment for me,” Roth said.Besides getting his legs under him again, Roth had to regain the stroke that defined him on the court.“It definitely changed how I moved and really made it difficult to get comfortable again making those cuts and just trusting that everything was good to go and that I wasn’t going to have another problem with it,” Roth said.The injury stuck him on the sidelines for the first four games of his junior season. However, Roth slowly returned to his old form. He had three games in which he knocked down four trey balls. But Roth wasn’t getting the minutes.After averaging 21 minutes per game as a freshman, Roth averaged only 8.2 minutes as a junior. He was down to 3.4 points per game and made less than half the 3’s he made as a freshman.But Roth said he adjusted to his post-injury role.“It’s something I had to embrace and really work on what it was that I was going to bring to the team,” Roth said. “I feel like I did that throughout the course of last year.”Roth came to IU after setting the Illinois state record for 3-point field goals. He tied the IU single-game record with nine 3-pointers in a 29-point outburst against Ohio State his freshman year. But entering his senior season, Roth was still searching for playing time.He was behind a backcourt rotation that included Hulls, Sheehey, senior Verdell Jones III and sophomore Victor Oladipo. He also competed with incoming freshmen Remy Abell and Austin Etherington for minutes.In IU’s first 10 games, Roth received double-digit minutes once. Roth didn’t see the floor in IU’s buzzer-beater win against then-No. 1 Kentucky or the next game against Notre Dame.But he said all that mattered was IU’s 11-0 record.“We were undefeated, and that’s why I came here,” Roth said. “I came here to win, and I know what my role is. I’m confident in my abilities, and I’m confident in my teammates’ abilities. It didn’t matter to me what the stat line said. At the end of the day, did we win, or did we lose?”On Dec. 21, 2011, IU Athletics released a statement announcing Sheehey was injured in practice and would be sidelined. It wasn’t the break IU needed heading into Big Ten play.It was the break Roth needed.The next game, Roth delivered. He knocked down four shots from beyond the arc in a blowout win against the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Crean said Roth’s defensive improvements have enabled him offensively.“It’s helped him stay on the court,” Crean said of Roth’s defense. “Absolutely, that’s the biggest area.”It wasn’t the way Roth drew up his career when he signed his IU letter of intent. He had games like he did against Ohio State his freshman year and last Sunday at Penn State, when he couldn’t miss from beyond the arc. He had games he watched from the bench, chained to a protective boot. He had games like those against Kentucky and Notre Dame when he was 100 percent and didn’t take off his warm-ups. It’s been an unconventional climb for Roth. But luckily for IU, he’s peaking at the right time.“It’s had its shares of ups and downs,” Roth said, “but we have a great group of guys. Our coaching staff has done a great job of preparing us day in and day out for what we’re going to face. I couldn’t be happier where I’m at and what we’re doing as a team.”
(01/10/12 4:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The latest Associated Press poll has IU at No. 7, marking the first time the Hoosiers have cracked the top 10 since Jan. 21, 2008. While the rest of the season has yet to be determined, recent history has not been on IU’s side. Here’s a look at how IU has fared in post-Bob Knight seasons in which they’ve cracked the AP top 10.2002-03Highest AP ranking: 6Final Record: 21-13 (8-8)Final AP ranking: UnrankedPostseason: Lost in the second round of NCAA Tournament 2005-06Highest AP ranking: 9Final Record: 19-12 (9-7)Final AP ranking: UnrankedPostseason: Lost in the second round of NCAA Tournament2007-08Highest AP ranking: 7Final Record: 25-8 (14-4)Final AP ranking: 26Postseason: Lost in the first round of NCAA Tournament2011-12Current AP ranking: 7Current Record: 15-1 (3-1)Final Record: ?Final AP ranking :?Postseason: ?
(01/09/12 4:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Penn State held IU junior guard Jordan Hulls to just one 3-pointer in the final 19 minutes of the game after he had already knocked down six.Unfortunately for Penn State, the team forgot about Matt Roth.The senior guard made five 3-pointers in the second half and finished with a season-high of 22 points Sunday to lead IU (15-1, 3-1) to an 88-82 win at Penn State (9-8, 1-3).“The only thing we wanted to do was find him early,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “That was a big thing to Verdell (Jones) and Jordan (Hulls) was that when he’s in, let’s get him established early. Even if he’s not shooting it and making it, let’s get him established where he’s touching it.” But IU didn’t exactly do that in the first half.While Roth was able to catch fire in the second half, it wasn’t until the final seconds of the first half that he got on the board. Roth was fouled by PSU junior guard Nick Colella during his first 3-point attempt of the day, which sent him to the line for three. Roth knocked down all three free-throws to give IU a five-point lead going into the half.“It’s always good to get to the free-throw line to get things going,” Roth said. “It was a situation where I had to make a play to try and get us a basket or get to the foul line so we could set our defense for the last play.”With IU clinging to a 51-46 lead in the second half, Roth struck for the first time. Four minutes later, Roth struck again. Then he struck again, another time and once more for good measure. In less than five minutes, Roth knocked down four 3-pointers to give the Hoosiers an 11-point lead with 4:27 to play. “It’s huge to get Matt involved in the game, because he can open the floor up so much once he gets a couple 3’s,” Hulls said. “He was able to hit a lot tonight so that was really good.“I was just trying to penetrate and drive and find him on the 3’s because he’s always ready to shoot. He played huge for us tonight, both offensively and defensively.”But following Roth’s 3-point attack, the IU offense went cold. The Hoosiers scored just one point in the next 2:36 and saw their double digit lead all but evaporate. IU needed Roth to step up in a different way.With the Nittany Lions creeping as close as two points in the final minutes, he would need to knock down free throws if IU was to break a nearly two-year conference road losing streak.Roth did exactly that.Just as he did to close out the first half, Roth made the free ones to close out the game. Roth’s four free throws in the final 27 seconds helped IU fend off the Nittany Lions.The 22 points (5-of-6) for Roth comes two and a half weeks after his four 3-pointers helped IU to an 89-47 against UMBC. But unlike that night, Roth was relied on to lead IU in a close game against a Penn State team that had a chance to win in the final minute.Sunday afternoon was a zone Roth said he hopes he can continue to channel in his final season at IU.“It was just a testament to how well we moved the ball,” Roth said. “We had a lot of inside-out stuff to get us started. That’s always the best shot to get when you’re shooting 3’s, is when you’re coming from the inside. “They went a little zone on us, and I thought we attacked it well as well as in transition. We did a great job of running the floor and getting lost in the game.”