2015-16 Herald-Times IU Basketball Preview

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | SECTION F

INDIANA

2015-16

BASKETBALL PREVIEW

F2 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW

CURSED

IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW | THE HERALD-TIMES | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | F3

F

By Mike Miller | 812-331-4369 | mmiller@heraldt.com

WITH

or the past five years, John Lucas has sought to unlock the curse.

He attempts it each summer he spends with Troy Williams in Houston, where the Indiana junior forward goes to further his basketball development. He sees the continued need on television when Williams tries to take over games by forcing issues with his talent.

And he understands that what he sees as a curse can still blossom into a blessing for Williams and Indiana this season.

TALENT “The thing about Troy is he’s athletically cursed,” Lucas, a former NBA star, says, pausing for effect. “That’s a strange comment, huh?

“He tries to give you the whole menu on every play. What I try to get him to do is tell him that great players have one of two things: they have at least one thing they do great, and then they’re very good to average at other things. You can’t be great at everything. You’ve got to decide what’s going to be your calling card.”

Williams’ rangy athleticism has fueled him this far and his amount of talent has easily allowed him to dominate at lower levels of play.

But at the elite NCAA Division I level, and to get to basketball’s highest level, Williams knows he needs to be more than a player reliant on sheer athleticism and

violent dunks. Assists are worth two points, too, you know.

Williams hears it from Lucas, he hears it from Indiana coach Tom Crean, he hears it from his uncle, Boo Williams, and to some degree, he understands what they’re saying — use your talent when obvious opportunities appear.

Otherwise, just play solidly.

If all goes according to plan, this will be Williams’ final season at Indiana. He’ll graduate in the spring, he’ll make the necessary improvements, and both he and the Hoosiers will reap the benefits.

Then, and only then, will Williams know he has turned the curse into a blessing.

Troy Williams’ initial takeoff began on a patch of cement in his grandmother’s backyard where, years earlier, Williams’ grandfather installed a basketball goal for his children to learn the precious game.

It’s the same spot where Boo Williams and his brother, Mike, challenged each other as youngsters, and where their sister, Terri Williams-Flournoy — now the head women’s coach at Auburn — began developing herself into a Division I standout.

The Williams family goal rose from the ground to a tricky height, finishing its ascent from the concrete perhaps a foot higher than a regulation-sized 10-foot-high rim. It was through this quirk, Patty believes, that Troy first found his hops.

As a boy in junior high, Williams would A basketball family Patty Williams saw the future when her toil on that pavement, shooting, driving and son learned to fly.

SEE WILLIAMS | PAGE F4

F4 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | SPORTS

WILLIAMS CONTINUED FROM PAGE F3 trying to dunk. Slamming the ball through the hoop was Williams’ greatest goal as an adolescent, and he jumped and he jumped until he finally caught the rim months before beginning his freshman year of high school.

On the day he finally did, the whole family was a witness.

“We were eating crabs, and Troy was in the backyard playing around,” Patty said.

“He came in and yelled, ‘I got it! I did it! I did it! Y’all gotta come look!’ So we all went in the backyard, and Troy got that dunk. I think that’s why he gets so high sometimes, because my father put it a few feet above regulation. When Troy goes to dunk, his arm looks like it’s way up on top of the rim.

I think that really contributed to it.”

Long before he found his place in the air, before his limbs grew and physical maturation began, Williams was the son of a single mother simply trying to find his place. On the southeastern tip of the VirCHRIS HOWELL | HERALD-TIMES ginia peninsula, the Williams family grew Indiana’s Troy Williams (5) defends Bellarmine’s Josh Derksen (33) during their exhibition game up in Hampton, one of a handful of cities on Nov. 9 at Aseembly Hall. that make up the Hampton Roads area.

There, a long and impressive list of professional athletes rose through the community, each leaving marks on their chosen sports. Lawrence Taylor, Michael Vick and so many other football players; David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman, the Upton brothers and a collection of baseball stars; Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning, Joe Smith, J.R. Reed and a host of other basketball giants.

“Here, just being good ain’t good enough,” Boo Williams said.

Basketball was the family sport, but Troy Williams was never forced into it. He tried baseball and football, too, dropping both and sticking with basketball. But even basketball was an acquired taste.

He didn’t immediately fall in love with the game, but he was attatched to it enough that a love developed naturally over time.

As a child, Williams would spend springs and summers traveling with Boo’s boys’ and girls’ AAU programs, piling into vans and running around gyms while the teams played. He’d run onto the court and shoot for fun during halftime before climbing back into the van for the trips home.

In Monroe & Lawrence Counties call Eventually, it became difficult for Williams to break away from basketball — (812) even for a few hours.

Visit our Columbus Showroom at 1636 State Street “He would put his basketball in his bed, 1-800-NEXT-WINDOW right by his head on the pillow and sleep www.windowworldscindiana.com every night,” Patty said. “(One night) I took

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the basketball and put it in my room, put it in the corner and went back to sleep. Lord, at 3 o’clock in the morning this boy comes to my door hollering, screaming and crying: ‘Why’d you take my ball? Why’d you take my ball, momma? I need that, I need to put it in my head to play better! The ball helps me to play better!’

“Lord have mercy, I never took the ball out of his bed no more. He had it in his mind that the ball was going to seep through to his brain, and he was gonna play better. I think when he got a little older — maybe fourth or fifth grade — he stopped doing that. I said, ‘Thank God!’ That ball would be on his pillow after he took the ball outside to play with it. It was dirty, and every day I was washing his pillow case.”

Even before he realized it, Williams was speaking accurately about basketball knowledge. He needed to learn it and digest it. To do so, he looked to his uncle Boo. Williams had his mother, but Patty didn’t raise him alone. She had help from her own mother, and her siblings.

Boo, in particular, stepped forward as the father figure Troy didn’t have growing up.

And it was in Boo’s shadow where Troy grew the most.

Boo’s nephew

Marcellus “Boo” Williams is the reason the Williams name carries weight in the basketball world.

Boo forged a path from Hampton to the grand stage of college basketball in the late 1970s, starting at Phoebus High School before attending St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. There, Boo scored 1,554 points and grabbed 838 rebounds from 1977 to 1981, earning himself a place in both the Big 5 Hall of Fame and the St. Joseph’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

As a 6-foot-8 power forward, Boo played professionally in France and Germany before returning to Hampton to build a basketball empire. He started the Boo Williams Summer League in 1982, forging an AAU outlet for the area’s youth sports scene. In the ensuing 30-plus years, Boo built a program that has served thousands of players, both boys and girls, at the amateur level.

In 2008, Boo opened the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, a 135,000 square foot, $13.5 million facility catering to youth sports — especially basketball.

“Shoot, I was always under his hip,” Williams said of his uncle. “Everywhere he went — girls teams, boys teams, I was SEE WILLIAMS | PAGE F5

IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW | THE HERALD-TIMES | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | F5

WILLIAMS CONTINUED FROM PAGE F4 always under his hip. For the longest time, I was known as Boo Williams’ nephew, until people finally learned my name.”

Williams began following his uncle’s path from the earliest possible moments.

From those days and nights by his side in the gym, to growing and leaning on Boo for paternal support, Williams took to his example.

Even Boo’s fixation with the number 5 dipped down to Williams, who received permission from his uncle to bring the jersey number out of retirement at Phoebus so he could wear it as an underclassman.

He hasn’t let go of it since then.

While Williams waited for people to recognize him as his own man, he grew.

And he kept growing.

Between seventh and eighth grades, Williams reached 6-feet. Between ninth and 10th grades, he shot up to 6-5, by the time he graduated he reached 6-6, and since arriving at IU in 2013, he’s added another inch.

But it’s taken time to grow into such a body, an ongoing process for a player who insists on motoring across the court at 100 miles per hour, and jumping and falling with abandon.

“I was a late bloomer,” Williams said.

Indeed he was. Williams hardly got off the bench as a high school freshman until his radical growth spurt almost singlehandedly demanded more playing time as a sophomore.

While he began emerging as a Division I prospect, Williams’ grades weren’t what his family thought they could be. So, by his senior year, Williams was shipped across the state to basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, where he received more academic structure, and perhaps just as importantly, learned how to balance a schedule between basketball, travel and the required coursework.

“This isn’t the best area,” Patty said of Hampton. “But we always stay to ourselves, and I was always participating in Troy’s school events, parent meetings and things like that to keep him busy. We had a family meeting for Troy to get out of Phoebus for his senior year, because he felt like making Cs was good enough, because that’s all his friends did. I stay on the grades. I don’t do the sports part. Boo and my sister handle that, but the grades, school — that’s my job. We had a meeting to send Troy to Oak Hill and that taught him how to keep up his grades, travel, play

DAVID SNODGRESS | HERALD-TIMES

Troy Williams celebrates his designation as best-dressed player during Hoosier Hysteria. basketball and do study hall. Troy didn’t know nothing about a study hall. He got there and graduated with a 3.2 (grade point average).”

By that point, Williams was excelling on the court, too. He was Virginia’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2013, helping Oak Hill to a 34-5 record, while averaging 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and posting two triple-doubles and nine double-doubles.

He had finally earned his own name.

“It’s at the point now where I’m not Patty, I’m Troy’s Mom,” Patty said. “That’s OK.”

Building ahead

The most important year of Williams’ life began with a book.

Boo assembled it during the NBA Draft process this spring, compiling evaluations from scouts and and professional connections on Williams’ weaknesses, his nextlevel position projections, salary possibilities and all the ways he could benefit from another year in school. Scouts wanted to see Williams take another developmental leap, they told Boo, and the best place to do it was Indiana.

“It was like going back to school,” Boo said. “The book was that big.”

Lucas, the former All-American at Maryland and No. 1 overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft, is a longtime family friend of Boo, and he’s worked with Williams since his high school days at Phoebus, spending summers coaching the rangy Indiana forward to harness his athleticism in a way that doesn’t spin him out of control.

Crean has talked at length about teaching

Williams not to simply make a play, but to make the correct play.

Essentially, that’s a stance that echoes Lucas’ teachings, too.

“Let the game present what you do,” Lucas said. “Don’t you present to the game what you do. That’s going to be a transformation. I think (during) the three years in college, and this year, I’ve seen the maturation in Troy. He’s not there yet, but it’s so much better.”

Make no mistake, Lucas sees greatness in Williams — so much that he long ago gave him a nickname: Scottie Trippen.

It’s a play on the name of Chicago Bulls great and Hall of Famer, Scottie Pippen, who built a career on his ability to impact any of the five positions on the floor during the Michael Jordan era in Chicago. While working with Lucas in Houston this past summer, Williams was able to meet the legendary Pippen.

“His athleticism reminds me of a young Scottie Pippen,” Lucas said. “When Scottie came into the league, he couldn’t really shoot the ball. His defense was a big factor, and he was able to get out in transition and finish on the breaks.”

That mirrors the portrait of Williams the college player. Williams spent his summer working on his jumper. He’s not trying to become more of a perimeter player, he just wants opponents to respect his ability to shoot over them.

Even more than the shooting side of his game, Williams has worked on his anticipation, taking the advice from Lucas, Crean, his uncle Boo and so many others who see a player that needs to develop

better spur of the moment court vision to complement his desire to race across the court at 100 miles per hour.

“It’s a work in progress,” Boo said.

“Troy’s a guy that plays with a high motor and he’s not the kind of guy that plays with a lack of effort. You know that going in.

His teammates will say that any mistake he makes is not because of a lack of effort.

He plays hard, but he’s working on his decision making. He’s got to be in learning mode (this year). He’s the kind of player, and I hate to say it, it a minute’s time he can give you joy and give you (pain) at the same time.”

That’s where Boo’s book comes in.

Williams knows the knocks on his game, and he’s striving to be better. It is, he agrees with Boo, a work in progress.

Through his first two seasons, Williams has already seen signs of progress.

Williams saw his assist percentage go from 8.8 percent as a freshman to 14.7 percent as a sophomore. His turnover percentage fell from 21.4 percent to 16.7, and he averaged almost six more points per game.

And although Williams connected on only six 3-pointers for the second consecutive season, he opted for quality over quantity, shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc last season. Off the court, too, he seemed to understand the importance of staying out of trouble after he was suspended four games at the beginning of last season after reportedly failing a drug test.

Mostly, Williams is making the necessary improvements.

“Troy’s got great instincts,” Crean said.

“He’s incredibly smart. We want him to play even more instinctual.”

His pursuit of an Indiana University education is also ongoing. When he was in the middle of the NBA Draft process this spring, Patty made it clear that she didn’t want him leaving Bloomington until he had his degree in recreation sport management. For one, Patty didn’t think her son was physically ready to endure the rigors of the 82-game NBA season, playing each night against grown men.

But mostly, she wanted that degree.

“Just like when he chose IU, I said, ‘This is the school you’re going to,’” Patty said.

“I don’t care with everybody else leaving schools, switching schools, this and that.

This is where you’re going and this is where you’re going to graduate from. This is where you’re going to stay.’ My prayers were answered.”

Troy’s decision to return to Indiana was, Patty hopes, the first of many continued blessings this year.

Curse begone.

F6 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW

CHRIS HOWELL | HERALD-TIMES

Indiana guard Yogi Ferrell (11) looks for an opening during the Hoosiers’ exhibition game against Bellarmine on Nov. 9.

Too many unknowns temper expectations for Hoosiers CHRIS HOWELL | HERALD-TIMES

Indiana’s Troy Williams is fouled on the way to the basket by Bellarmine’s Michael Parrish during their Nov. 9 exhibition game. Williams averaged 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season.

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There are certain expectations for Indiana University basketball, just simply because it is Indiana University basketball.

Then there are raised expectations for the Hoosiers, in certain years, when the quality of the team is above average. Some of those expectations are based in reality, while others stem from the hunger of a malnourished fanbase now nearly 30 years removed from its last national championship and currently suffering through a 13-year drought from even reaching the Final Four.

The 2015-16 IU basketball team is one of those teams with raised expectations and has the top 15 ranking to prove it.

I mean, everybody says these Hoosiers are capable of competing for the Big Ten title, should be a fixture in the top 20, if not top 10, and should reach the Sweet

Sixteen at worst.

If you read such things on the internet, then it must certainly be true.

Right? Right?

Well, kind of.

Maybe. Probably?

OK, fine, I Jeremy admit to a certain Price measure of skepH-T SPORTS WRITER ticism.

But first, a little clarification.

It’s not that the Hoosiers aren’t capable of reaching all these heights, because they are.

It’s not that fans shouldn’t have these kind of expectations, because they should. At least at Indiana, they should.

The real problem here is the unknown.

This Indiana squad is nothing

if not a bundle of question marks, which is what makes the forthcoming season so strange.

Rarely do you have a team with such lofty expectations, realistic or manufactured or somewhere in between, without having a measure of known quantities.

But in the Hoosiers’ case, even the apparent known quantities come with bit of uncertainty.

Here are just 10 questions to be answered: • Senior point guard Yogi Ferrell is capable of creating for himself or creating for others, but can he provide the intangible leadership off the court, in the locker room and even on the court necessary for IU to be better in 2015-16 than it was in 2014-15?

Because there is no doubt the Hoosiers must be better in nearly every facet.

SEE PRICE | PAGE F7

IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW | THE HERALD-TIMES | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | F7

PRICE

Plenty of unknowns for Indiana CONTINUED FROM PAGE F6

trouble cut into the razor thin margin for error?

• The turnover conundrum. Last year, Indiana committed 28 more turnovers than its opponents, finished eighth in assist to turnover ratio in the Big Ten and was 10th in turnover margin. Part of that was the Hoosiers’ occasional generosity, but committing just 11.3 turnovers per game meant it was more because IU didn’t force its opponents into very many turnovers (10.7). So if Indiana can simply force a few more turnovers, generating a few more points per game, that’s the difference in three conference losses by four or less points and thereby the difference in being tied for seventh and being tied for third in the Big Ten standings.

• How does the new 30-second shot clock help or hurt the Hoosiers on both offense and defense?

• Which brings us to the elephant in the room — can Indiana simply be a passable defensive team? Not great, not even good, just passable. That means simply being active and aggressive, even when out of position or overhelping, thus covering a multitude of defensive sins.

The answers to any and all of these questions may well vary from game to game throughout the season, but if the affirmative outweighs the negative, it’s hard not to see 20-plus wins in the regular season, a favorable NCAA Tournament seed and at least two games, if not more in the Big Dance.

That would more or less live up to expectations, so maybe my doubts are misguided after all. Maybe.

• Troy Williams is a potential firstround NBA draft pick, but can he harness his unbridled enthusiasm, energy and athleticism enough to avoid the costly turnover or rash of turnovers?

And while he’s at it, can he be enough of a threat with his jump shot to make defenses honest instead of sagging off of him?

• Does James Blackmon Jr. take the requisite leap from freshman to sophomore year (ditto for Robert Johnson, who will likely be adjusting to a new role coming off the bench)?

If Blackmon does make the leap, will it include the defensive end of the floor where his liabilities often offset his assets a year ago?

• Is freshman Thomas Bryant really and truly the missing piece of the puzzle, both as a defensive anchor and a post threat on the offensive end? (Side note, do the Hoosiers actually know how to get him the ball in the post?) And, oh yeah, can Bryant stay out of foul trouble or is it a Hanner Mosquera-Perea rewind with two fouls in two minutes to start Big Ten games?

• What does Michigan grad transfer Max Bielfeldt bring to the table?

• Follow up — is there enough depth in the frontcourt for the Hoosiers between Bryant, Bielfeldt, freshmen Juwan Morgan and O.G. Anunoby, and even Collin Hartman or Williams in case of emergency?

• Is there enough depth in the backcourt with the quartet of Ferrell, Sports writer Jeremy Price can be reached at 812Blackmon, Johnson and Nick Zeis331-4342 or jprice@heraldt.com. Follow him on loft, especially should injuries or foul Twitter @JPPrice.

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Indiana center Thomas Bryant (31) shoots over Ottawa’s Nathan McCarthy during their Nov. 3 exhibition game at Assembly Hall. The freshman is being counted on to be a presence on the inside offensively and defensively for the Hoosiers.

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F8 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW

IU PLAYER PROFILES

1

James BLACKMON JR.

0

Max BIELFELDT Class: Graduate | Position: Forward Height: 6-8 | Weight: 240 High School/Previous school (hometown): Notre Dame H.S./Michigan (Peoria, Ill.) Key stats: Averaged 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as a rotational player with the Wolverines last season.

Outlook: Michigan’s 2015 Sixth Man of the Year is now a Hoosier, and he’s expected to be a valuable one at that.

Bielfeldt could either start or come off the bench in his one and only season in Bloomington, but either way, Indiana is expecting him to contribute in meaningful ways. Perhaps most valuable will be the veteran presence Bielfeldt can bring to the back line of Indiana’s defense. He’s a guy who’s been through the Big Ten after four seasons at Michigan and he can bring a calming influence to the floor, while helping the Hoosiers in terms of on-court positioning and alignments. Bielfeldt shot only 26 percent from 3-point range last season, but Crean sees room for improvement.

Regardless, Indiana will look to use Bielfeldt’s strength as a complement to Bryant, Collin Hartman and freshmen Juwan Morgan and O.G. Anunoby. Bielfeldt, who has only been on campus since the middle of June, has already improved his squat by 140 pounds and recorded a program record of 410 pounds.

be enough to carry him to the next level. He may never be a great defender, but it’s possible he could be a good one, or at least average. Blackmon, it seems, is aware of the biggest Class: Sophomore | Position: Guard knock on his game and wants to alter the reality of it. In the Height: 6-4 | Weight: 195 meantime, he’ll continue to be a reliable weapon through his mid- and long-range shooting. After weighing a possible leap to High School (hometown): Marion (Fort Wayne) the NBA during the spring, Blackmon also wants to diversify his Key stats: Finished second on the team and sixth among offensive profile. He wants to be a more pronounced initiator freshman nationally in scoring with 15.7 points per game. His of IU’s offense and develop a toughness on the drive that he 77 made 3-pointers set an IU freshman record. can turn into free throws. A transformative season could point Outlook: Blackmon arrived last year as a ready-made offensive him toward the NBA Draft by the spring. But first, Blackmon recognizes there’s more work to be done at Indiana. weapon, who gradually learned that offense alone would not

2

Nick ZEISLOFT Class: Senior | Position: Guard Height: 6-4 | Weight: 210 High School (hometown): Lyons Township (La Grange, Ill.) Key stats: Second-most efficient offensive player in the nation

by KenPom.com’s statistical metric. Averaged 14.3 points and 4.3 3a per game over the final four games last season.

Outlook: Zeisloft started the first five games before settling into a role as a valuable shooter off the bench. In his final season, however, Indiana wants Zeisloft to be do more than shoot.

For one, IU coach Tom Crean wants to see Zeisloft draw more contact and get to the free throw line. He took only 17 free throws last season, making 13 of them while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game. Crean wants Zeisloft to be more than a situational shooter this season, and to do so, the Illinois native will have to prove he can consistently get into position defensively. He brings leadership and confidence to the floor, and the Hoosiers will look to see him continue grow into that role.

IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW | THE HERALD-TIMES | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | F9

3

O.G. ANUNOBY Class: Freshman | Position: Forward Height: 6-8 | Weight: 215 High School (hometown): Jefferson City (Jefferson City, Mo.) Key stats: Averaged 19.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a senior, while finishing as a Mr. Basketball finalist in the state of Missouri.

Outlook: Anunoby will have to keep working to establish a role for himself this season, but his otherworldly length makes him an intriguing option off the bench. The freshman has a 7-foot-2 wingspan and could give IU a long and rangy defensive option if he can command and harness his strengths.

Over time, Anunoby can be a player the Hoosiers lean on to bring pressure and get to the rim. Anunoby must still learn how to move without the basketball and adjust to the speed of the college game, but if he can develop into a consistent rebounder, especially, a path to increased minutes could open.

4

Robert JOHNSON Class: Sophomore Position: Guard Height: 6-3 Weight: 195 High School (hometown): Benedictine Prep (Richmond, Va.) Key stats: Ranked second on the team with 79 assists and 29 steals.

Outlook: Within Indiana’s backcourt, Johnson is the glue guy. He started 33 of the 34 games in which he appeared last season and the Hoosiers are hoping Johnson can play older than his one year of experience suggests. He could come off the bench, or he could start. Either way, Johnson is going to play valuable minutes. The sophomore shot nearly 43 percent from the field last season, including a 38 percent mark from the perimeter. Over the summer, Johnson worked on cleaning up his shot. He sought to fix the landing to his jumper, inching a bit closer forward after releasing. Crean has also coached Johnson to get up the court quicker and playing more effectively while he’s without the ball standing under the elbows.

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F10 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW

5

Troy WILLIAMS Class: Junior | Position: Forward Height: 6-7 | Weight: 215 High School (hometown): Oak Hill Academy (Hampton, Va.) Key stats: Scored in double figures in 24 of 32 games, while posting six double-doubles. Led Indiana last year with 7.4 rebounds per game.

Outlook: This could be the year that determines Williams’ future. He was the closest thing Indiana had to a first-round draft pick in the spring, but decided to remain enrolled and return to Indiana for his junior season. If all goes according to plan, this will be his final season at IU. Williams is set to graduate in the spring, and if he can continue his upward trajectory on the court, he could flirt with NBA Lottery designation. First, however, there are a few key areas that must be refined.

Williams worked hard this off-season to develop a more consistent jump shot. It’s come a long way from where it was last year, both he and Crean agree. Williams doesn’t want to be known as a perimeter player, but he wants to add that to his repertoire to use more as a threat. More than anything else, Williams must show he’s capable of not merely making a play, but making the correct one. Beyond developing better defensive awareness, it’s the most important attribute Williams can hone over the coming months. If and when he does, Williams could be a star at the next level. First, he’ll see how far he can help carry the Hoosiers in a pivotal season both for himself and the program. Williams was left off this year’s Preseason All-Big Ten Team, but he’ll seek to prove that snub was a mistake.

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10 Ryan

BURTON

Class: Senior | Position: Forward Height: 6-7 | Weight: 215 High School (hometown): Bedford North Lawrence (Bedford) Key stats: Appeared in 14 games off the bench.

Outlook: Burton won’t see much time, but he brings value to Indiana’s bench.

The walk-on had a night to remember last January against Penn State, when he produced three rebounds and an assist during a critical five-minute stretch midway through the second half. It was a sign that Burton is capable of contributing when called upon. He also saw action in conference games against Illinois, Maryland, Purdue, Rutgers, Northwestern and Iowa.

XXXXXX | THE HERALD-TIMES | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | F11

“Indiana, we’re all for you!”

11

Yogi FERRELL

The Cook family of IU fans wishes you a great season.

Class: Senior | Position: Guard Height: 6-0 | Weight: 180 | High School (hometown): Park Tudor (Indianapolis) Key stats: Ranks sixth in career assists (438). Ferrell has made at least one 3-pointer in 65 straight games, the longest active streak in the country and an IU record.

Outlook: When he announced his intention to return to Indiana for his senior season, Ferrell said he wanted to leave a great legacy. It certainly appears that he’ll have the ability to do just that. This four-year starter could climb toward the top of IU’s record books before he leaves in the spring. He’s only 107 assists shy of tying Michael Lewis’ program record of 545 and is 22nd in career points with 1,379 in three seasons. Defensively, Ferrell is extremely valuable for his ability to guard multiple positions, but IU coaches said they’d like to see him start asking more defensively from his teammates. Ferrell will have influence in nearly everything Indiana does and doesn’t do well this season. Without question, this is once again his team to lead. With that, Crean is asking Ferrell to take ownership both in team success and the development of those around him. The records will be a nice touch to Ferrell’s ultimate legacy, but it’ll be the Hoosiers’ ability to consistently win games that will leave a lasting mark on his time at Indiana.

13 Juwan

MORGAN

Class: Freshman | Position: Forward Height: 6-7 | Weight: 205 High School (hometown): Waynesville (Waynesville, Mo.) Key stats: Averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks as a high school senior.

Outlook: This top 100 recruit will give Indiana skilled frontcourt depth this season. He could take developmental path similar to that of former forward Emmitt Holt. Morgan, like classmate O.G. Anunoby, was a finalist for Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana and was considered one of the top forwards in the 2015 recruiting class. Holt’s dismissal could have the biggest individual impact on Morgan, who will be used in that depth role this season.

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23 Josh

NEWKIRK

15 Harrison NIEGO Class: Freshman | Position: Guard | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 185 High School (hometown): Lyons Township (Western Springs, Ill.) Key stats: Averaged 15.6, 4.4 rebounds and four assists per game as a high school senior.

Outlook: Niego played at the same high school as teammate Nick Zeisloft and will add depth to Indiana’s backcourt as an extra point guard in practice. Niego joined the program as a preferred walk-on, turning down offers from Illinois-Chicago, Northern Illinois, North Dakota State and a collection of Ivy League schools. His father, joe, was drafted in the fourth round of the 1987 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.

Class: Junior | Position: Guard Height: 6-1 | Weight: 185 High School/Previous School (hometown): Word of God Academy/Pittsburgh (Raleigh, N.C.) Key stats: Played in 69 games in two seasons at Pittsburgh, where he scored in double figures 12 times.

Outlook: Newkirk will sit out the upcoming season due to NCAA transfer rules. He was originally an Indiana recruiting target for the 2013 class before ultimately deciding to commit to Pittsburgh. For the Panthers, Newkirk showed early signs of developing into a reliable four-year point guard and posted 154 career assists against 77 turnovers. After undergoing microfracture surgery on his left knee in May, Newkirk transferred to IU in August and is beginning to join the Hoosiers in basketball activities.

He’ll practice with the team all winter and could be in line to replace Yogi Ferrell as IU’s starting point guard a year from now.

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30 Collin

HARTMAN Class: Junior | Position: Forward Height: 6-7 | Weight: 215 High School (hometown): Cathedral (Indianapolis) Key stats: Shot 50 percent from the field and 47.5 percent from the perimeter, while appearing in 32 games and making 12 starts.

Outlook: It was a breakthrough season for Hartman, who quickly returned from an ACL injury suffered at the end of the 2013-14 season and established himself as IU’s most versatile

player. A natural swingman, Hartman filled a number of roles for last year’s Hoosiers, including a brief stint playing the 5 while former center Hanner Mosquera-Perea recovered from a knee injury in January. Hartman’s penchant for hustle plays and efficient offense has endeared him to the IU fan base, while his ability to play multiple positions makes him a valuable member of Indiana’s rotation. He can start at power forward, or he can remain Indiana’s sixth man. Whatever the role, Hartman won’t be defined by a position. He spent ample time over the summer working on ball handling and playing at a faster pace.

Backcourt depth could be a weakness for the Hoosiers, but Hartman could be another option for Crean to utilize in certain situations. Hartman missed a few weeks of preseason practice with a rib injury, but is ready to go for the start of the season.

31 Thomas

BRYANT

Class: Freshman | Position: Center Height: 6-10 | Weight: 245 High School (hometown): Huntington Prep (Rochester, N.Y.) Key stats: Averaged 17.3 points, 11.6 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game as a senior.

Outlook: Bryant’s April commitment to Indiana was a significant boost to a team lacking a true rim protector. Crean called Bryant a transformative player. That could be the case for the Hoosiers, who will rely on Bryant’s length to help fix some of the defensive lapses that hurt the team a year ago. Bryant has already added a level of energy to the floor that Indiana did not necessarily have last season. Beyond what he should give IU defensively, he’s a willing and exceptional passer out of the low post. Although it’s far too early to anoint him any level of savior status, the New York native appears able to provide the kind of support Indiana needs to play deep into March.

35 Tim

PRILLER Class: Sophomore | Position: Forward Height: 6-9 | Weight: 225 High School (hometown): Richland (North Richland, Texas) Key stats: Appeared in eight games off the bench for a total of 23 minutes.

Outlook: Priller may not be one of Indiana’s on-court stars, but he’s already a fan favorite. He’s Indiana’s latest human victory cigar, a little-used underclassman who scored only two points in his first college season. For a big man, Priller is an exceptional 3-point shooter and is at his best as a trailer on the perimeter. He may not see many meaningful minutes this year, but he’ll receive the loudest cheers of any nonstarter whenever he emerges from the bench this winter.

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F14 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW

2015-16 IU OPPONENTS

MAUI INVITATIONAL Wake Forest Deacons

Eastern Illinois Panthers

at Creighton.

KEY PLAYERS: James Milliken (6-3, Sr., G) 9.6 WHEN: Nov. 13, 7 p.m. ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.8 apg; Isaiah Zierden (6-3, Jr., (BTN Plus) G) 9.5 ppg; Justin Patton (6-11, Fr., C) WHERE: Assembly Hall OUTLOOK: There are seven freshmen dotting 2014-15: 18-15, 9-7 in the OVC (3rd OVC West) the Bluejays’ roster, but none more potentially COACH: Jay Spoonhour 40-55 in 4th year at impactful than top 50 recruit Justin Patton, Eastern Illinois. a 6-foot-11 center out of Omaha. He’ll try to KEY PLAYERS: Trae Anderson (6-5, Sr., F) combine with 7-footer Geoffrey Goselle to 13.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg; Cornell Johnston (5-7, So., G) provide a frontcourt presence to go with a 9.1 ppg, 4.7 apg; pair of veterans in the backcourt — senior OUTLOOK: Jay Spoonhour, the son of James Milliken and junior Isaiah Zierden — as longtime college basketball coach Charlie Creighton tries to regain its winning ways in Spoonhour, led the Panthers to their first winthe post-Doug McDermott era. ning season in five years last season. But EIU lost seven players off of that roster, including Alcorn State Braves five of the top seven players in the rotation.

WHEN: Nov. 30, 7 p.m. (BTN) That means the Panthers must rely on five WHERE: Assembly Hall freshmen and two junior college transfers to 2014-15: 6-26 overall, 4-14 in help fill the void along with returning leading the SWAC (9) scorer Trae Anderson and sophomore point COACH: Montez Robinson 0-0 in 1st year at guard Cornell Johnston.

Alcorn State.

KEY PLAYERS: Marquis Vance (6-7, Jr., F) 13.0 Austin Peay Governors ppg, 7.8 rpg; Reginald Johnson (6-5, So., F) 9.8 WHEN: Nov. 16, 7 p.m. (BTN) ppg, 3.6 rpg; Tyrel Hunt (6-5, Sr., F) 7.7 ppg.

WHERE: Assembly Hall OUTLOOK: Forward Marquis Vance is a 2014-15: 8-22, 3-13 in the preseason first team All-SWAC selection, but OVC (6th OVC West) other than that it’s back to the drawing board COACH: Dave Loos 371-333 in 23rd year at for the Braves and first-year head coach MonAustin Peay. tez Robinson, who inherits a program banned KEY PLAYERS: Chris Horton (6-8, Sr., C/F) 13.1 from postseason play as a result of poor APR ppg, 11.1 rpg; Josh Robinson (6-2, So., G) 9.9 (Academic Progress Rate) scores. ppg; Khalil Davis (6-5, Sr., G) 9.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg.

OUTLOOK: After a rough 2014-15 season, the Governors hope to bounce back with their top Duke Blue Devils three scorers back in the fold. That includes WHEN: Dec. 2, 9:15 p.m. the school’s all-time blocked shots leader in (ESPN) Horton, who averaged a double-double and WHERE: Cameron Indoor became the first Austin Peay player in 20 Stadium, Durham, N.C. years to grab 20 rebounds in a game. This 2014-15: 35-4, 15-3 in the ACC (2) will also mark a homecoming for Indianapolis COACH: Mike Krzyzewski 945-251 in 35th natives and JUCO transfers Terrell Thompson year at Duke.

(Warren Central) and John Murry (North KEY PLAYERS: Amile Jefferson (6-9, Sr., F) 6.1 Central). ppg, 5.8 rpg; Matt Jones (6-5, Jr., G) 6.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg; Grayson Allen (6-5, So., G) 4.4 ppg; Creighton Bluejays Brandon Ingram (6-9, Fr., G/F); Chase Jeter WHEN: Nov. 19, 7 p.m. (BTN) (6-10, Fr., F/C).

WHERE: Assembly Hall OUTLOOK: It’s not so much rebuilding but 2014-15: 14-19, 4-14 in the reloading for the defending national chamBig East (t9) pions. Sophomore Grayson Allen was at his COACH: Greg McDermott 121-57 in 6th year best during the NCAA Tournament last season

WHEN: Nov. 23, 5 p.m. (ESPN2) WHERE: Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii 2014-15: 13-19 overall, 5-13 in the ACC (12) COACH: Danny Manning 13-19 in 2nd year at Wake Forest.

KEY PLAYERS: Codi Miller-McIntyre (6-3, Sr., G) 14.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.3 apg; Devin Thomas (6-9, Sr., F) 12.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg; Konstantinas Mitoglou (6-10, So., C) 9.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg; Cornelius Hudson (6-7, So., F) 7.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg; Mitchell Wilbekin (6-2, So., G) 7.2 ppg; Doral Moore (7-1, Fr., C) OUTLOOK: Danny Manning has almost all of the major pieces back from last year, plus a standout freshman class headed by center Doral Moore, who also had an Indiana offer. The biggest question surrounds the health of senior guard Codi Miller-McIntyre, who had surgery for a foot fracture and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Miller-McIntyre hopes to be back for the Maui Invitational, which would be four weeks since his surgery.

St. John’s Red Storm/Vanderbilt Commodores WHEN: Nov. 24, 2 or 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN) WHERE: Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii 2014-15: St. John’s 21-12, 10-8 in the Big East (5); Vanderbilt 21-14, 9-9 in the SEC (7) COACHES: Chris Mullin 0-0 in 1st year at St. John’s; Kevin Stallings 313206 in 17th year at Vanderbilt.

OUTLOOK: Indiana’s likely opponent will be Vanderbilt, which is picked to finish second in the SEC behind Kentucky. The Commodores are anchored by preseason first team All-SEC 7-footer Damian Jones (14.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg). Vandy has a roster full of players willing and able to shoot the 3. St. John’s, on the other hand, is largely an unknown. First-year coach and Red Storm legend Chris Mullin will have five freshmen and three transfers to work with.

Maui placement game WHEN: Nov. 25, TBA WHERE: Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii OUTLOOK: The possible outcomes in the tournament finale range from elite matchups with Kansas or UCLA to a solid opponent in UNLV or less-than-glamorous host Chaminade. The Bruins would offer a matchup against former Hoosier Steve Alford for the first time since he coached at Iowa.

COACH: Sean Woods 52-49 in 4th year at Morehead State.

KEY PLAYERS: Brent Arrington (6-3, Sr., G) 11.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg; Corban Collins (6-3, Jr., G) 8.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg; DeJuan Marrero (6-6, Jr., F) OUTLOOK: Sean Woods, the former Kentucky standout, last saw the Hoosiers as a head coach at Mississippi Valley State in 2010. He’ll bring what he hopes is a more competitive Morehead State Eagles crew to Assembly Hall this time, including WHEN: Dec. 5, 7 p.m. (BTN) former Indiana All-Star DeJuan Marrero, who WHERE: Assembly Hall signed with DePaul out of Bowman Academy, 2014-15: 17-17, 10-6 in the OVC then spent last season at Chipola Junior College before landing with the Eagles.

(3rd in OVC East) and a loaded freshman class is prepared to make an impact, but it remains to be seen how all the pieces fit together and how fast they take on the look of a Mike Krzyzewski-coached team. Veterans Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee will anchor the frontcourt for the first meeting between the Blue Devils and Hoosiers in nine years.

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IPFW Mastodons

KEY PLAYERS: Bishop Daniels (6-3, Sr., G) 8.4 ppg; Mike Williams (6-2, So., G) 6.3 ppg; Greg Lewis (6-9, Sr., F) 5.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg OUTLOOK: The Scarlet Knights’ first year in the Big Ten was a struggle from start to finish, and the prospects don’t look much better for the second time around. Gone are Rutgers’ top two players from a year ago — Myles Mack and Kadeem Jack. Perhaps this team will prove to find greater chemistry and depth, but the talent level is still not ready for the league’s elite level of competition.

WHEN: Dec. 9, 7 p.m. (BTN Plus) WHERE: Assembly Hall 2014-15: 16-15, 9-7 in the Summit League (t4) COACH: Jon Coffman 16-15 in 2nd year at IPFW. KEY PLAYERS: Mo Evans (6-0, Jr., G) 10.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg. 3.3 apg; Max Landis (6-2, Sr., G) 9.3 ppg; Joe Reed (6-8, Sr., F) 8.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg OUTLOOK: The Mastodons lost their top two scorers from a year ago, but are coming off back to back trips to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. They’d like to challenge in the Summit League for a better postseason berth this year with a nucleus of seven in-state players. IPFW assistant coach Ryan Sims has a pair of IU connections, having played for former Hoosier Dan Dakich at Bowling Green, while Sims’ younger brother, J.R., is a graduate assistant for the Hoosiers.

Nebraska Cornhuskers WHEN/WHERE: Jan. 2, 4 p.m. (BTN), Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.; Feb. 17, 8:30 p.m.

(BTN), Assembly Hall 2014-15: 13-18, 5-13 in the Big Ten (12) COACH: Tim Miles 47-49 in 4th year at Nebraska.

KEY PLAYERS: Shavon Shields (6-7, Sr., F) 15.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg; Benny Parker (5-9, Sr., G) 4.2 ppg; Tai Webster (6-4, Jr., G) 3.9 ppg; Andrew White (6-7, Jr., G) OUTLOOK: After a breakout 2013-14 season, the Cornhuskers took a step back last year, in part due to a rash of injuries. Now Nebraska will look to move forward again under the personable Tim Miles with a new-look roster that will rely heavily on seniors Shavon Shields and Benny Parker, as well as Kansas transfer Andrew White. Seven freshmen dot the roster, and some of them will have to step up in order for the Cornhuskers to climb back into the top half of the conference.

McNeese State Cowboys WHEN: Dec. 12, 6:30 p.m. (BTN) WHERE: Assembly Hall 2014-15: 15-16, 8-10 in the Southland (7) COACH: Dave Simmons 101-116 in 8th year at McNeese State.

KEY PLAYERS: Jamaya Burr (6-0, Jr., G) 9.0 ppg, 4.1 apg; Austin Lewis (6-8, Sr., F) 5.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg OUTLOOK: There are five freshmen and a junior college transfer on the roster for the Cowboys, who lost their top three scorers from a season ago and are picked to finish eighth or ninth in the Southland Conference preseason polls.

This will be the first meeting between Indiana and McNeese State.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

WHEN: Dec. 19, 2 p.m. (ESPN) WHERE: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis.

2014-15: 32-6, 14-4 in the ACC (3) COACH: Mike Brey 332-165 in 16th year at Notre Dame.

KEY PLAYERS: Zach Auguste (6-10, Sr., F) 12.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg; Demetrius Jackson (6-1, Jr., G) 12.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.1 apg; Steve Vasturia (6-5, Jr., G) 10.1 ppg; V.J. Beachem (6-8, Jr., F) 5.9 ppg OUTLOOK: Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton, who anchored the Fighting Irish on their way to the Elite Eight last season, have departed for the NBA, but coach Mike Brey still has plenty of weapons at his disposal. That includes one-time

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Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson (11) goes to the basketb against Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns during their NCAA Tournament game on March 28. Jackson and the Irish will face Indiana on Dec. 19 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

IU target Demetrius Jackson, who appears primed to take over Grant’s lead guard role and is a first team preseason All-ACC choice. The Irish and Hoosiers will both spread the floor, which should make for an entertaining offensive contest.

Kennesaw State Owls

Wisconsin Badgers WHEN/WHERE: Jan. 5, 7 p.m. (ESPN), Assembly Hall; Jan. 26, 7 p.m. (ESPN), Kohl Center, Madison, Wis. 2014-15: 36-4, 16-2 in the Big Ten (1) COACH: Bo Ryan 357-125 in 15th year at Wisconsin.

KEY PLAYERS: Nigel Hayes (6-8, Jr., F) 12.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg; Bronson Koenig (6-4, Jr., G) 8.7 ppg, 2.5 apg; Zak Showalter (6-2, Jr., G) 2.1 ppg OUTLOOK: After back-to-back Final Four trips, this is an almost all-new squad, but keep in mind that Bo Ryan has never finished worse than fourth in the Big Ten. No reason to believe that would change this year. Whether it’s a freshman or someone else on the roster, expect there to be a surprise or two stepping up to make the Badgers more competitive.

WHEN: Dec. 22, 6 p.m. (BTN) WHERE: Assembly Hall 2014-15: 10-22, 4-10 in the Atlantic Sun (t6) COACH: Al Skinner 0-0 in 1st year at Kennesaw State.

KEY PLAYERS: Yonel Brown (5-9, Sr., G) 15.2 ppg, 2.8 apg; Nigel Ohio State Buckeys Pruitt (6-7, Sr., F) 12.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg WHEN: Jan. 10, 1:30 or 4:30 p.m. (CBS) OUTLOOK: The Owls have a new coach in former Rhode Island WHERE: Assembly Hall and Boston College head man Al Skinner, who takes over a team 2014-15: 24-11 overall, 11-7 in the Big Ten (6) that returns its top two scorers from a lackluster 2014-15 season. Kennesaw State last visited Assembly Hall in 2013, absorb- COACH: Thad Matta 299-94 in 12th year at Ohio State.

KEY PLAYERS: Marc Loving (6-7, Jr., F) 9.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg; ing a 90-66 loss, and will provide the final non-conference Jae’sean Tate (6-4, So., F) 8.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg; Daniel Giddens fodder for the Hoosiers this year.

(6-10, Fr., F/C); JaQuan Lyle (6-5, Fr., G); Trevor Thompson Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-11, So., C) WHEN: Dec. 30, 1 p.m. (ESPN2) OUTLOOK: The Buckeyes rode standout freshman guard WHERE: Louis Brown Athletic Center, D’Angelo Russell as far as they could last year. Now they’ll turn to Piscataway, N.J. a new crop of freshmen on a team with just one senior and one 2014-15: 10-22, 2-16 in the Big Ten (14) junior. Former Evansville Bosse standout JaQuan Lyle is set to inherit Russell’s playmaking role.

COACH: Eddie Jordan 22-43 in 3rd year at Rutgers.

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Minnesota Golden Gophers WHEN/WHERE: Jan. 16, 12:30 p.m. (BTN), Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minn.; Jan. 30, 2:15 p.m. (BTN), Assembly Hall 2014-15: 18-15, 6-12 in the Big Ten (t10) COACH: Richard Pitino 43-28 in 3rd year at Minnesota.

KEY PLAYERS: Carlos Morris (6-5, Sr., G) 11.1 ppg; Nate Mason (6-1, So., G) 9.8 ppg; Joey King (6-9, Sr., F) 9.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg; Charles Buggs (6-9, Jr., F) 3.6 ppg OUTLOOK: Six freshmen will increase the roster depth for the Gophers, who will be better equipped to play Richard Pitino’s preferred style of basketball. The challenge may be to get consistent guard play out of some of those freshmen, along with returnees Carlos Morris and Nate Mason, to replace the departed Andre Hollins and DeAndre Mathieu.

makes the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats certainly flashed potential in the latter half of last season, but it would still require a significant leap to reach such postseason heights. A winning record is a good jumping off point for Chris Collins’ third year in Evanston.

Michigan Wolverines

WHEN: Feb. 2, 9 p.m. (ESPN) WHERE: Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, Mich.

2014-15: 16-16, 8-10 in the Big Ten (9) COACH: John Beilein 166-110 in 9th year at Michigan.

KEY PLAYERS: Caris LeVert (6-7, Sr., G) 14.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.7 apg; Zak Irvin (6-6, Jr., G/F) 14.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg; Derrick Walton (6-1, Jr., G) 10.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.0 apg; Spike Albrecht (5-11, Sr., G) 7.5 ppg, 3.9 apg OUTLOOK: Last year was in many ways a lost season for the Wolverines, who suffered stunIllinois Fighting Illini ning upsets at the hands of NJIT and Eastern WHEN/WHERE: Jan. 19, 7 p.m. Michigan while losing Caris LeVert and Derrick (ESPN), Assembly Hall; Feb. 25, Walton for much of the season to injury. The silver lining was a wealth of experience for 9 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2), State then-freshmen Aubrey Dawkins, Kameron ChatFarm Center, Champaign, Ill. man, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Ricky 2014-15: 19-14, 9-9 in the Big Ten (t7) COACH: John Groce 62-42 in 4th year at Illinois. Doyle. If everything gels together, Michigan could well be the darkhorse in the Big Ten race KEY PLAYERS: Malcolm Hill (6-6, Jr., G) 14.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg; Kendrick Nunn (6-3, Jr., G) 11.1 ppg, this season.

3.5 rpg; Leron Black (6-7, So., F) 5.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg Penn State Nittany Lions OUTLOOK: It seems like the Illini are simply WHEN: Feb. 6, 8 p.m. (BTN) picking up where they left off last season with WHERE: Bryce Jordan Center, injuries, first losing point guard Tracy Abrams University Park, Pa. to an Achilles heel injury a year after he was 2014-15: 18-16, 4-14 in the Big Ten (13) sidelined by a torn ACL. Incoming freshman COACH: Patrick Chambers 56-75 in 5th year at Jalen Coleman-Lands of Indianapolis is trying to recover from a stress fracture, then Kendrick Penn State.

Nunn, Illinois’ second-leading returning scorer, KEY PLAYERS: Shep Garner (6-1, So., G) 9.2 ppg; Brandon Taylor (6-6, Sr., F) 9.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg suffered a thumb injury that required surgery OUTLOOK: A year after coach Patrick Chambers and is expected to be out until at least midDecember. That won’t make the job any easier appeared to be on the hot seat, the Nittany for fourth-year coach John Groce to satisfy the Lions have made strides in the recruiting game to provide some momentum to the program. increasing grumbles in Champaign.

Winning three of the last four games a year ago Northwestern Wildcats was a start to doing the same on the court, and Penn State hopes that will carry over this seaWHEN: Jan. 23, 12 p.m. son. Most of the Lions’ scoring departed in the (ESPN2/ESPNU) form of D.J. Newbill, but plenty of role players WHERE: Assembly Hall return to provide a veteran presence.

2014-15: 15-17, 6-12 in the Big Ten (t10) COACH: Chris Collins 29-36 in 3rd year at Iowa Hawkeyes Northwestern.

WHEN/WHERE: Feb. 11, 9 KEY PLAYERS: Tre Demps (6-3, Sr., G) 12.5 ppg; Alex Olah (7-0, Sr., C) 11.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.8 bpg; On the Scoop Bryant McIntosh (6-3, So., G) 11.4 ppg, 4.7 apg; Vic Law (6-7, So., F) 7.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg Keep up with the latest OUTLOOK: With the main cast almost entirely IU sports news and share intact and another strong freshman class helpyour comments on the ing bolster the ranks, the question is whether Hoosier Scoop at scoop. this could be the year that Northwestern finally hoosiershq.com.

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F18 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW

Iowa Hawkeyes

Purdue Boilermakers

WHEN/WHERE: Feb. 11, 9 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2), Assembly Hall; March 1, 9 p.m. (ESPN), Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa 2014-15: 22-12, 12-6 in the Big Ten (t3) COACH: Fran McCaffery 96-75 in 6th year at Iowa.

KEY PLAYERS: Jarrod Uthoff (6-9, Sr., F) 12.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg; Mike Gesell (6-2, Sr., G) 7.4 ppg, 4.0 apg; Adam Woodbury (7-1, Sr., C) 6.6 ppg, 5.2 OUTLOOK: Aaron White is finally gone, but the Hawkeyes still have a squad laden with nine upper classmen that will try to mesh with a crop of newcomers. If there’s one thing Iowa has been known for in recent years under Fran McCaffery, it’s being consistently inconsistent. It’s hard to say that will change this year, especially in the wake of an exhibition loss to D-II Augustana, but getting back to the NCAA Tournament is still in the cards.

WHEN: Feb. 20, 7 or 9 p.m.

(ESPN) WHERE: Assembly Hall 2014-15: 21-13, 12-6 in the Big Ten (t3) COACH: Matt Painter 212-124 in 11th year at Purdue.

KEY PLAYERS: A.J. Hammons (7-0, Sr., C) 11.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg; Raphael Davis (6-6, Sr., G) 10.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg; Vince Edwards (6-8, So., F) 8.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg; Kendall Stephens (6-7, Jr., G) 8.7 ppg; Isaac Haas (7-2, So., C) 7.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg OUTLOOK: The big just keep getting bigger.

In addition to returning the twin towers of A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas, the Boilermakers have added 6-foot-9 freshman Caleb Swanigan to a formidable frontline. Wing players such as Raphael Davis, Vince Edwards and Kendall Stephens return, making the lone question mark for Purdue the point guard position. Just as Jon Octeus filled that role as a grad transfer last year, Texas-Arlington grad transfer Johnny Hill will look to do the same this season.

Michigan State Spartans WHEN: Feb. 14, 1 p.m. (CBS) WHERE: Breslin Center, East Lansing, Mich.

2014-15: 27-12, 12-6 in the Big Ten (t3) COACH: Tom Izzo 495-199 in 21st year at Michigan State.

KEY PLAYERS: Denzel Valentine (6-5, Sr., G) 14.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.3 apg; Bryn Forbes (6-3, Sr., G) 8.5 ppg; Matt Costello (6-9, Sr., F) 7.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg; Gavin Schilling (6-9, Jr., F) 5.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg; Marvin Clark (6-6, So., F) 4.5 ppg OUTLOOK: This shapes up to be another outstanding team for Tom Izzo, who has eight of his top 10 rotation players back from a year ago and adds West Virginia transfer Eron Harris to the backcourt. The real measure of the Spartans’ potential, however, may be the progress that sophomores and former IU targets Lourawls Nairn and Marvin Clark are able to make.

Maryland Terrapins WHEN: March 5 or 6, TBA (TBA) WHERE: Assembly Hall 2014-15: 28-7, 14-4 in the Big Ten (2) COACH: Mark Turgeon 87-50 in 5th year at Maryland.

KEY PLAYERS: Melo Trimble (6-3, So., G) 16.2 ppg, 3.0 apg; Jake Layman (6-9, Sr., F) 12.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg; Jared Nickens (6-7, So., G) 6.1 ppg; Robert Carter (6-9, Jr., F); Diamond Stone (6-11, Fr., C) OUTLOOK: Ranked No. 3 in the preseason, Maryland returns the core of last year’s squad and adds reinforcements in the frontcourt.

Georgia Tech transfer Robert Carter and freshman Diamond Stone should add talent and firepower for uber-talented point guard Melo Trimble, who passed on the NBA Draft.

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IU men’s schedule

IU women’s schedule

Nov. 13: Eastern Illinois, 7 p.m.

Nov. 16: Austin Peay, 7 p.m.

Nov. 19: Creighton, 7 p.m.

Nov. 23: Wake Forest, 5 p.m.† Nov. 24: St. John’s or Vanderbilt, 2 or 7 p.m.† Nov. 25: TBA† Nov. 30: Alcorn State, 7 p.m.

Dec. 2: at Duke, 9:15 p.m.

Dec. 5: Morehead State, 7 p.m.

Dec. 9: IPFW, 7 p.m.

Dec. 12: McNeese State, 6 p.m.

Dec. 19: Notre Dame, 2 p.m.‡ Dec. 22: Kennesaw State, 6 p.m.

Dec. 30: at Rutgers, 1 p.m.

Jan. 2: at Nebraska, 4 p.m.

Jan. 5: Wisconsin, 7 p.m.

Jan. 10: Ohio State, 1:30 or 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 16: at Minnesota, 12:30 p.m.

Jan. 19: Illinois, 7 p.m.

Jan. 23: Northwestern, noon Jan. 26: at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.

Jan. 30: Minnesota, 2:15 p.m.

Feb. 2: at Michigan, 9 p.m.

Feb. 6: at Penn State, 8 p.m.

Feb. 11: Iowa, 9 p.m.

Feb. 14: at Michigan State, 1 p.m.

Feb. 17: Nebraska, 8:30 p.m.

Feb. 20: Purdue, 7 or 9 p.m.

Feb. 25: at Illinois, 9 p.m.

March 1: at Iowa, 9 p.m.

March 3 or 4: Maryland, TBA †Maui Invitational ‡at Indianapolis

Nov. 13: Tennessee State, noon† Nov. 17-22: Preseason WNIT Nov. 24: at IPFW, 7 p.m.

Nov. 27: Ohio, TBA‡ Nov. 28: Austin Peay or Vanderbilt, TBA‡ Dec. 2: Georgia Tech, 7 p.m.

Dec. 8: at Indiana State, 7 p.m.

Dec. 11: Samford, 7 p.m.

Dec. 20: Miami (Fla.), 7:15 p.m.§ Dec. 21: West Virginia, 7:15 p.m.§ Dec. 28: Yale, 7 p.m.

Dec. 31: at Wisconsin, 3 p.m.

Jan. 3: Michigan, 12:30 p.m.

Jan. 7: at Ohio State, 7 p.m.

Jan. 10: at Purdue, 2 p.m.

Jan. 13: Michigan State, 7 p.m.

Jan. 17: at Minnesota, 3 p.m.

Jan. 20: Illinois, 7 p.m.

Jan. 24: at Northwestern, 5 p.m.

Jan. 27: Rutgers, 7 p.m.

Jan. 30: at Maryland, 2 p.m.

Feb. 4: Iowa, 7 p.m.

Feb. 7: Nebraska, 2 p.m.

Feb. 10: at Illinois, 8 p.m.

Feb. 14: Wisconsin, 2 p.m.

Feb. 18: Minnesota, 7 p.m.

Feb. 21: at Iowa, TBA Feb. 24: at Nebraska, 8 p.m.

Feb. 27: Penn State, 4 p.m. †Preseason WNI ‡at Nashville, Tenn. §at Winter Park, Fla.

Final 2014-15 IU men’s basketball statistics (20-14) Yogi Ferrell James Blackmon Jr. Troy Williams Robert Johnson Nick Zeisloft H. Mosquera-Perea Collin Hartman Emmitt Holt Stanford Robinson Max Hoetzel Jeremiah April Ryan Burton Nate Ritchie Tim Priller Jordan Fuchs team Total Opponents

GP-GS 34-34 33-33 32-28 34-33 34- 7 26-22 32-12 29- 0 32- 1 31- 0 4- 0 14- 0 6- 0 8- 0 3- 0

Min. 34.9 30.0 27.6 27.0 19.6 19.4 19.7 11.4 11.4 7.7 4.3 3.5 2.5 2.9 2.7

34 34

AFG 181-412 177-421 161-298 111-259 75-158 63-106 51-102 39- 60 33-100 24- 56 3- 3 4- 4 0- 1 1- 6 0- 3

Pct. .439 .420 .540 .429 .475 .594 .500 .650 .330 .429 1.000 1.000 .000 .167 .000

3PFG 82-197 77-199 6- 13 52-134 63-140 0- 0 29- 61 0- 0 0- 10 10- 29 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 0- 3 0- 0

Pct. .416 .387 .462 .388 .450 .000 .475 .000 .000 .345 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000

FT Pct. 111-129 .860 87-108 .806 89-120 .742 28- 43 .651 13- 17 .765 42- 73 .575 23- 35 .657 27- 50 .540 31- 53 .585 15- 21 .714 0- 0 .000 0- 0 .000 2- 2 1.000 0- 0 .000 0- 0 .000

923-1989 900-1986

.464 .453

319-786 196-604

.406 .325

468-651 442-651

.719 .679

OR Reb Avg. 21 110 3.2 53 176 5.3 71 238 7.4 14 99 2.9 22 76 2.2 37 111 4.3 46 98 3.1 38 86 3.0 22 60 1.9 10 41 1.3 1 5 1.3 4 10 0.7 3 6 1.0 1 3 0.4 3 5 1.7 61 100 2.9 407 1224 36.0 374 1122 33.0

PF 59 51 72 65 72 61 70 48 57 32 4 7 1 5 1 1 606 623

Ast 166 50 64 79 22 6 26 5 39 10 1 3 2 0 0

TO 65 53 71 71 14 28 22 11 30 13 1 0 0 2 0 11 473 392 428 364

Blk 1 2 15 1 2 33 19 21 7 3 2 0 0 2 0

Stl 24 21 32 29 11 6 16 7 17 4 1 0 1 1 0

Pts 555 518 417 302 226 168 154 105 97 73 6 8 2 2 0

Avg. 16.3 15.7 13.0 8.9 6.6 6.5 4.8 3.6 3.0 2.4 1.5 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.0

108 170 2633 77.4 146 209 2438 71.7

Final 2014-15 IU women’s basketball statistics (15-16)

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Larryn Brooks Tyra Buss Amanda Cahill Karlee McBride Alexis Gassion Jenn Anderson Jess Walter Taylor Agler Lyndsay Leikem Maura Muensterman Andrea Mize team Total Opponents

GP-GS 31-30 31-31 31-31 31- 0 31-16 30-28 31- 4 29-15 29- 0 14- 0 8- 0 31 31

Min. 32.3 29.2 27.8 14.8 26.8 19.5 17.7 17.5 15.3 4.3 2.9

AFG 125-315 121-310 125-249 92-222 93-207 94-168 78-205 31- 97 32- 84 4- 15 2- 6

Pct. .397 .390 .502 .414 .449 .560 .380 .320 .381 .267 .333

797-1878 779-1873

.424 .416

3PFG Pct. 57-157 .363 25-104 .240 23- 75 .307 40-120 .333 16- 46 .348 0- 5 .000 43-103 .417 23- 73 .315 5- 19 .263 3- 11 .273 1- 1 1.000 236-714 143-489

.331 .292

FT Pct. 58 -68 .853 95-140 .679 62- 80 .775 37- 53 .698 47- 61 .770 49- 68 .721 31- 42 .738 8- 11 .727 10- 12 .833 2- 2 1.000 0- 0 .000 399-537 338-485

.743 .697

OR Reb Avg. 9 74 2.4 21 112 3.6 79 239 7.7 14 70 2.3 47 189 6.1 41 105 3.5 7 45 1.5 9 59 2.0 38 108 3.7 2 13 0.9 3 5 0.6 67 126 4.2 337 1145 36.9 366 1181 38.1

PF 49 71 97 44 65 80 44 32 38 14 1 1 536 503

Ast 124 98 47 33 48 11 48 41 14 0 3

TO 85 75 38 47 38 50 46 29 21 1 0 12 467 442 427 495

Blk 2 4 30 4 20 16 2 2 2 2 0

Stl 36 65 40 20 28 12 17 25 4 0 1

Pts 365 362 335 261 249 237 230 93 79 13 5

Avg. 11.8 11.7 10.8 8.4 8.0 7.9 7.4 3.2 2.7 0.9 0.6

84 248 2229 71.9 109 216 2039 65.8

IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW | THE HERALD-TIMES | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | F19

65

BY THE NUMBERS

Straight games with a made 3-pointer by Yogi Ferrell, an IU record. Ferrell will have a shot this season to break the NCAA record of 88 consecutive games set by Illinois’ Corey Bradford from 1998-2001

74

43

All-time wins in Indianapolis for the Hoosiers after last year’s win over Butler in the Crossroads Classic. Indiana will take on Notre Dame this year at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and the Big Ten Tournament also returns to Indy.

9

Consecutive years Indiana has ranked among the top 16 in the NCAA in attendance, the only Big Ten program to do so.

Wins in the Maui Invitational for Indiana in five previous trips to Hawaii.

The Hoosiers will look to improve on their 9-6 record when return to Maui on Nov. 23. IU won the tournament championship in 2002.

121

Wins at Indiana for Tom Crean, which ranks fourth all-time among IU coaches behind Bob Knight (662), Branch McCracken (364) and Everett Dean (162).

40

Years since Indiana’s undefeated national championship team in 1975-76.

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F20 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW

BY THE NUMBERS

11.7

0

Points per game by sophomore point guard Tyra Buss, the most of any returning Hoosier.

Number of seniors on the team

10

Active players on the roster, which will make absorbing any injuries this season difficult

6

Number of non-conference road games, twice as many as last season. That number could grow, depending on how far the Hoosiers go in the Preseason WNIT

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IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW | THE HERALD-TIMES | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | F21

IU PLAYER PROFILES

2

3

11

21 Karlee

Jess WALTER

Tyra BUSS

Kym ROYSTER

McBRIDE

Class: Soph. | Position: Guard | Height: 6-0 High School (hometown): Midland (Midland, Mich.)

Outlook: The Hoosiers’ leading returner in 3-point percentage (41.7) has been dealing with a concussion since Hoosier Hysteria.

When she’s healthy, she can help handle stretch defenses. She is also a backup at point.

Class: Soph. | Position: Guard | Height: 5-8 High School (hometown): Mt. Carmel (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) Outlook: Buss takes over at point guard after Larryn Brooks’ departure, and it will be her mission to run a fast-paced Indiana offense. She is also expected to better her 24 percent success rate from beyond the arc as a freshman.

Class: Frosh. | Position: Forward | Height: 6-2 High School (hometown): Newark (Newark, Ohio) Outlook: The freshman post is long and athletic, earning early praise from coaches for her ability to run the floor and attack the glass.

Royster should see time early, and could be a prominent player by season’s end.

Class: Junior | Position: Guard | Height: 6-0 High School (hometown): Villa Maria (Erie, Pa.) Outlook: McBride has been effective spark off the bench for the Hoosiers, providing 3-point shooting and passing theatrics. She will be an important part of the Hoosiers’ backcourt rotation.

23 Alexis

24 Tyshee

33 Amanda

40 Lyndsay

GASSION

TOWNER

CAHILL

LEIKEM

Class: Junior | Position: Guard | Height: 5-11 High School (hometown): Fairborn (Fairborn, Ohio) Outlook: Gassion is an athletic perimeter defender, but she will look to be more aggressive on the offensive side of the ball in 2015-16.

She can pull up from 15 feet. She also rebounds well for a player her size.

Class: Junior | Position: Guard | Height: 5-9 High School (hometown): East Aurora (Aurora, Ill.) Outlook: The junior college transfer is expected to star on the defensive end for the Hoosiers, but she will also serve as a backup point guard. Offensively, she has shown an ability to slash and attack the basket.

Class: Soph. | Position: Forward | Height: 6-2 High School (hometown): Clyde (Clyde, Ohio) Outlook: The offense will prominently feature Cahill at the high post. Whether she facilitates, screens for a pick-and-pop 3, or drives to the basket, the sophomore is a dangerous offensive weapon and a double-double machine.

Class: Junior | Position: Forward | Height: 6-1 High School (hometown): Flowing Wells (Tucson, Ariz.)

Outlook: Leikem is an undersized post, but she will play a prominent role in Indiana’s post rotation because of her ability to rebound and shoot the baseline jumper. She will graduate in the spring and leave the team after this season.

2 Jess Walter Class: Sophomore Postion: Guard Height: 6-0 High School (Hometown): Mid The Hoosiers’ leading returner 3 Tyra Buss Class: Sophomore Postion: Guard Height: 5-8 High School (Hometown): Mt. Buss takes over at point guard 11 Kym Royster Class: Freshman Postion: Forward Height: 6-2 High School (Hometown): New The freshman post is long and 21 Karlee McBride Class: Junior Postion: Guard Height: 5-10 High School (Hometown): Vill McBride has been effective sp 22 Tia Elbert Class: Sophomore Postion: Guard Height: 5-7 High School (Hometown): Tar The transfer from Marquette w 23 Alexis Gassion Class: Junior Postion: Guard Height: 5-11 High School (Hometown): Fau Gassion is an athletic perimet 24 Tyshee Towner Class: Junior Position: Guard Height: 5-9 High School (Hometown): Eas The junior college transfer is e 33 Amanda Cahill Class: Sophomore Position: Forward Height: 6-2 High School (Hometown): Cly The offense will prominently f 40 Lyndsay Leikem Class: Senior Position: Forward Height: 6-1 High School (Hometown): Flow Leikem is an undersized post, after this season.

43 Jenn Anderson Class: Junior Position: Center Height: 6-3 High School (Hometown): We

F22 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW

43 Jenn

44 Danielle

ANDERSON

WILLIAMS

Class: Junior | Position: Center | Height: 6-3 High School (hometown): Westfield (Sheridan, Ind.) Outlook: Anderson is an expert charge-inducer with a soft touch around the basket. She showed flashes of brilliance last year, but was also limited by her conditioning and an inability to stay on the court.

Class: Frosh. | Position: Center | Height: 6-4 High School (hometown): North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas) Outlook: At 6-foot-4, Williams brings a lot of size to the table. But she is a work-in-progress.

If she can work on her conditioning, she could provide shot-blocking and rebounding off the bench.

DAVID SNODGRESS | HERALD-TIMES

HT-6275635

Tyra Buss gets a hug from Lyndsay Leikem after winning the 3-point contest during Hoosier Hysteria at Assembly Hall on Oct. 24. Buss and Leikem are two of the seven players returning from last season’s squad.

IU BASKETBALL PREVIEW | THE HERALD-TIMES | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 | F23

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

UConn experiments with ball Associated Press

BRYNN ANDERSON | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Maryland head coach Brenda Frese has a 341-103 record in 13 seasons, including appearances in the Final Four the past two seasons.

Maryland still class of Big Ten Associated Press

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Following two straight Final Four appearances and an unbeaten romp through the Big Ten, the Maryland women’s basketball team has loftier accomplishments in mind this season.

“We want to get to that national championship,” said junior guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough. “That’s always the ultimate goal.”

The potential is there.

Although standout guard Lexie Brown transferred following her sophomore season, the No. 9 Terrapins still have plenty of talent left from a team that last season went 34-3 and won 28 straight before falling to eventual titlist Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament semifinals.

If Maryland could do all that after losing star Alyssa Thomas to graduation, then making up for the loss of Brown shouldn’t be an issue.

“We had a lot of doubters in the beginning because we lost Alyssa,” senior guard Brene Moseley said. “We carried ourselves very maturely, and our character was shown because we didn’t miss a step.”

Three of the five starters from last year’s team are back from the squad that won all 21 of its league games during its

first season in the Big Ten. Losing Brown will require some adjustment, but it’s nothing coach Brenda Frese can’t handle.

“You don’t anticipate losing your point guard from back-to-back Final Four teams,” Frese said. “We added two forwards. We’re really deep in our forward post position and we’re going to be thin in the backcourt. But at the same time, we’ve got two talented senior point guards.”

Moseley and Chloe Pavlech will alternate running the offense. Freshmen forwards Kiah Gillespie and Brianna Fraser join a frontcourt that includes 6-foot-4 senior Malina Howard and 6-3 junior Brionna Jones.

Frese isn’t predicting a national championship, but said, “That’s always the goal, to cut down nets, to be as successful as possible. For me, it’s just figuring out the pieces.”

Maryland is 341-103 in 13 seasons under Frese, who’s taken the team to Final Four three times and won the NCAA championship in 2006.

“It’s a great coaching staff, a really good program that’s built on tradition,” said the highly recruited Gillespie, who played high school ball in Connecticut. “They showed that they were interested in me, but I couldn’t wait around. Where I’m at now is pretty perfect for me.”

STORRS, Conn. — UConn coach Geno Auriemma doesn’t expect any immediate rules changes to come out an experimental game. But he’s happy to get the conversation going.

The Huskies used their final exhibition of the season Sunday to play with the rules, using the larger basketball used for men’s games, a 24-second shot clock and the international 3-point line distance of 22 feet, 1 inch, back from 20 feet, 9 inches.

UConn got a special waiver from the NCAA to try a number of changes that also included a wider lane (16 feet rather than 12) and an 8-second backcourt clock.

Two NCAA rules officials watched and planned to bring film of the game back to rules committee for discussion.

The three-time defending national champions easily beat Vanguard University 98-18.

“The only effect that I saw was that

I saw was that you can move the ball up and down the floor a little quicker,” Auriemma said. “And that you have to move the ball up and down the floor a little quicker.”

There was one 8-second violation called on Vanguard and three 24-second clock violations.

The teams also seemed to have a tough time shooting with the bigger basketball. UConn hit just two of its first eight shots, and those baskets were layups. The teams were a combined 8 of 39 from 3-point range, including 1 of 18 from behind the arc in the first half.

But UConn made 6 of 13 from 3-point range in the second half.

“Obviously you have to use your legs more because it’s farther and it’s a heavier ball,” said Breanna Stewart, who missed all five of her 3-point attempts and finished with 15 points.

“They just weren’t going it. We made them in practice.”

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