djsalway

Around the Country: (18) Kansas Jayhawks 61, (16) Florida Gators 67 Wrap Up: Scottie Wilbekin comes back from injury to post 18 to overcome star freshman Andrew Wiggins’ double-double. Boise State Broncos 55, (19) Kentucky Wildcats 70 Wrap Up: The Wildcats were backed by James Young’s 21 points and Julius Randle’s double-double to knock off the undefeated Broncos. (19) Kentucky Wildcats 77, (14) North Carolina Tarheels 82 Wrap Up: Once again, North Carolina comes up big against a ranked team by knocking off the freshman-led Wildcats. Tennessee Volunteers 61, (11) Wichita State Shockers 70 Wrap Up: Tekele Cotton was able to power the Shockers past the Volunteers to start 10-0 for the first time in Wichita State history. (2) Syracuse Orangemen 68, Saint John’s Red Storm 63 Wrap Up: Syracuse wasn’t very dominant early on and were down with just five minutes left in the game, but were able to come back to beat the Red Storm. Here are the games to look out for in the upcoming week (all times Eastern): (16) University of Florida vs. (15) Memphis University Date and Time: December 17 @ 9 PM Television Coverage: ESPN Preview: Florida comes into this game coming off of a huge week in which they knocked off Kansas. They face yet another big challenge in the Memphis Tigers as a part of the Jimmy V Classic in Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Gators will be looking to beat another ranked opponent to strengthen their résumé as they head into conference play in January. Memphis has a big win against Oklahoma State, but will need more, making this a good opportunity for the Tigers. With the way Florida is playing though, I can’t see them losing. University of Texas vs. (14) University of North Carolina Date and Time: December 18 @ 7 PM Television Coverage: ESPN2 Preview: North Carolina has got to be one of the most bi-polar teams this season, as they have lost to two unranked teams, but beaten three really good ranked teams. Texas has had a good start to the season, starting off 9-1 and will be looking to carry some momentum into their weekend matchup with Michigan State (see below). With the way that North Carolina plays up or down to their competition, this could be a close one. I think they’ve learned their lesson after some close ones in the past. North Carolina big. (8) Duke University vs. UCLA Date and Time: December 19 @ 7:30 PM Television Coverage: ESPN Preview: Duke has had a couple of disappointing losses early on in the season, but are still one of the most talented teams in the country. UCLA, led by Coach Steve Alford, have only lost once, but left the rankings after that loss. Zach LaVine is one of the more underrated freshmen in the country, averaging a near triple-double. UCLA can make this close, as this is going to be played in Madison Square Garden, which doesn’t give a clear home-court advantage. This is going to be one of the best early season games. Don’t miss it. Georgetown University vs. (18) Kansas University Date and Time: December 21 @ 12 PM Television Coverage: ESPN Preview: Georgetown has had an up and down season so far with some very inconsistent play along the way. Kansas has also been a team that has struggled at times, while looking like an elite squad at other times. Andrew Wiggins should dominate this game against a much lesser athletically gifted team in Georgetown. It’ll be close in the first half, but Wiggins will dominate the second. (7) Oklahoma State University vs. (20) Colorado University Date and Time: December 21 @ 11:30 PM Television Coverage: ESPN2 Preview: Marcus Smart is one of the early favorites for the Player of the Year awards that circulate the game of college basketball. He has been dominant so far, but it is quite possible that Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie could slow him down a bit. Oklahoma State has a big supporting cast for Smart though, which will ultimately be the difference in this game. By no means am I saying that Colorado is not good, but Oklahoma State is THAT much better. Around the Big Ten: Milwaukee Panthers 52, (4) Wisconsin Badgers 78 Wrap Up: Wisconsin’s random high-octane offense came to play against in-state foe Milwaukee, winning by 26. (25) Iowa Hawkeyes 82, (17) Iowa State Cyclones 85 Wrap Up: Iowa had a great game throughout, but couldn’t hold on in the end. The Hawkeyes’ Aaron White had 26 points and 17 boards in the loss. (1) Arizona Wildcats 72, Michigan Wolverines 70 Wrap Up: Michigan led the whole game, but Arizona was able to come through in the end as the Wolverines’ offense stalled down the stretch. Butler Bulldogs 76, Purdue Boilermakers 70 Wrap Up: Butler was led by Kellen Dunham with 25 points as they win the second game of the Crossroads Classic. Illinois Fighting Illini 64, (13) Oregon Ducks 71 Wrap Up: Illinois played a spirited game, but were knocked off by the high-ranked Ducks of Oregon, backed by Moser’s 14 and 9. Here are the games to look out for in the upcoming week (all times Eastern): University of Nebraska-Omaha vs. Minnesota University Date and Time: December 20 @ 9 PM Television Coverage: BTN Preview: This is about the best game that airs on the Big Ten Network this week, with the rest of the marquee matchups coming on ESPN’s family of networks and CBS. With that being said, this is still a good one to watch. Minnesota is coming on as one of the better teams in the Big Ten and will be looking to continue their hot streak against a decent Omaha team that is trying to win its first Division I conference title. Minnesota’s athleticism will carry them through this game, as the Hollins’ (not brothers) will take over. (5) Michigan State University vs. University of Texas Date and Time: December 21 @ 4 PM Television Coverage: CBS Preview: This could either be a really good game at Texas, or a not so good game, depending on how Texas fares against North Carolina earlier in the week. Michigan State lost to North Carolina, so if Texas can beat UNC that gives them an “advantage.” Yes, I understand, it doesn’t work that way but for today, it does. Texas has a pretty balanced attack. Michigan State does also, but only if Gary Harris is healthy. Without him, they are limited to Adreian Payne and Keith Appling to carry the offense. With this one being at Texas, it will be close. Michigan State hasn’t looked great lately. If they have Gary Harris, they will prevail; if not, uh oh… Illinois University vs. (23) Missouri University Date and Time: December 21 @ 5:30 PM Television Coverage: ESPN2 Preview: Missouri is one of the last undefeated teams in college basketball and made their way into the rankings by beating UCLA a couple weeks ago. Illinois has played some good teams, but has not beat a quality opponent thus far. With this game at Missouri, Illinois can finally get the win that they have been looking for. Missouri’s long, athletic guard play will be tough to handle for the Illini, but if they can withstand Missouri’s runs, it should be close. Notre Dame University vs. (3) Ohio State University Date and Time: December 21 @ 7:30 PM Television Coverage: ESPN2 Preview: Notre Dame is a very inconsistent team, as they have lost to some pretty bad teams, but played other decent teams close. Ohio State has yet to play a better team than Marquette, but are still within the top 5 in the country. OSU is going to need this win to continue to gain supporters for their number one seed in the year-end tournament. Guard play will be huge in this one, with Craft and Thompson for the Buckeyes and Grant and Atkins for the Fighting Irish. It might be close halfway through the second half, but I believe the Buckeyes have too much firepower and defense for the Irish to hang around. Purdue University vs. West Virginia University Date and Time: December 22 @ 1 PM Television Coverage: ESPNU Preview: Purdue is coming off of a loss to Butler at the Crossroads Classic, while West Virginia is playing really good basketball early on. Purdue has been up and down, which makes me believe that this one could go either way. Freshmen Bryson Scott and Kendall Stephens will have to lead the charge and make shots for the Boilermakers to take down a solid offensive team in West Virginia. In the end, I don’t think Bob Huggins will let his team lose to the mighty Boilermakers. If the big men from the Mountaineers can make a difference, it should be an easy victory. West Virginia by double digits.

IU - 92 Other guys - 69 Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Glad we're going to see him this late in the year. Keep him happy coaches. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I think he's gonna commit to us, just gonna take some more time to do so. No worries here. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Come on Larryn! Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I think it's safe to say that I want any player that has also been offered by Bama. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Still on top. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Exactly. He's pretty much the only consistent scorer. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

When players don't hit shots, it's very easy to average 3.5 assists per game. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Let's go! Stop them right here and tie it up on the next possession! Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I don't want this to be close in the last minute. Sent from my iPad using BtownBanners

Hey Charlie, that's why Stan is in. So get over yourself. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Luke... Come on bro. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

I'm so frustrated. Sent from my iPad using BtownBanners

No matter what he retweets or says, it is most likely not us.

I think it's great that he does all of the little things as the senior leader of the team. BUT! When he has an open shot, he should be making it. I wouldn't be as upset if he wasn't taking any shots in these games. He needs to finish when he gets close to the rim. I'm still a supporter, but I think he will adjust as the season goes on.

IU will beat Notre Dame if ND plays like they did against North Dakota State.

I really wanted to vote for Hollowell, just based on the fact that he grabbed 10 boards. But there's no denying that Gordon was the MVP.

  He also won't face any good post competition as long as they play Fort Wayne area teams (I'm from there), so I would expect some big numbers every game.

Around the Country: (19) Florida Gators 64, (9) Connecticut Huskies 65 Wrap Up: Shabazz Napier nails a shot at the buzzer on a second attempt to knock off the 15th ranked Florida Gators. (11) Kentucky Wildcats 62, (14) Baylor Bears 67 Wrap Up: Baylor’s Kenny Chery leads Baylor with 18 points to top the freshman-loaded Kentucky squad. (13) Kansas Jayhawks 72, (21) Colorado Buffaloes 75 Wrap Up: Askia Booker eurosteps to a buzzer-beating three pointer to beat Kansas, even with Andrew Wiggins knocking home 22 points. New Mexico State Aggies 68, (20) Gonzaga Bulldogs 80 Wrap Up: Gonzaga wins easily with a balanced attack, led by Sam Dower with 22 points. (15) Oregon Ducks 115, Ole Miss Rebels 105 (OT) Wrap Up: This high scoring game ended with a buzzer beater to send it into overtime, but the Ducks were able to overcome Marshall Henderson’s 39 points en route to a victory. Here are the games to look out for in the upcoming week (all times Eastern): (13) Kansas University vs. (19) University of Florida Date and Time: December 10 @ 7 PM Television Coverage: ESPN Preview: Both of these teams are looking to bounce back from disappointing last-second losses in the past week. The Gators are banged up and don’t have a real point guard in the equation right now, with both Kasey Hill and Scottie Wilbekin out indefinitely. Kansas superstar freshman Andrew Wiggins has struggled of late, but both he and Joel Embiid will have big games against this Florida squad. Look for a good one, but Kansas should get back on track. Boise State University vs. (11) University of Kentucky Date and Time: December 10 @ 9 PM Television Coverage: ESPN Preview: Boise State is still undefeated, led by Anthony Drmic, after a run to the NCAA tournament last season. They have a good core returning and are looking to make another run this year, starting with this big game. Kentucky is coming off of a disappointing loss to Baylor in which Coach Calipari was disappointed in the fight by his players. On paper, Kentucky should dominate, but Boise State is better than expected. It should really be a good one. (11) University of Kentucky vs. (18) University of North Carolina Date and Time: December 14 @ 5:15 PM Television Coverage: ESPN Preview: Here’s another big game for Kentucky AT North Carolina. Both losses this year for the Wildcats have come at neutral sites and this is their first road game on the season. With a bunch of freshmen, they may crack under the pressure again. Also, North Carolina only really shows up for big games this year against ranked teams, so they should make it a close one. UNC all the way. University of Tennessee vs. (12) Wichita State University Date and Time: December 14 @ 2 PM Television Coverage: ESPN2 Preview: Tennessee has had a decent season so far under coach Cuonzo Martin, but they have yet to have a marquee win. Wichita State is a mid-major but they have spent all of the season in the top 25 after a run to the Final Four last year. Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet run this team’s backcourt and are regularly dominant. Tennessee has good front court play, but I think the Shockers will pull this out in a close one. (2) Syracuse University vs. Saint John’s University Date and Time: December 15 @ 12 PM Television Coverage: Fox Sports 1 Preview: Syracuse is still undefeated and quickly making a run at the top overall ranking in the country. Their 2-3 zone is extremely difficult to figure out, no matter what team is facing them. Saint John’s will be looking to attack with their athletic wings and knock off the high ranked Orangemen. The Johnnies will need some great shooting out of D’Angelo Harrison, otherwise they will get blown out. Around the Big Ten: Indiana Hoosiers 52, (2) Syracuse Orangemen 69 Wrap Up: Syracuse’s 2-3 zone was enough to hold high-scoring Indiana to a season-low of 52 points. Michigan Wolverines 69, (8) Duke Blue Devils 79 Wrap Up: Quinn Cook guides the Blue Devils to an easy win with 24 points and 9 assists. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 93, (23) Iowa Hawkeyes 98 Wrap Up: High-scoring Iowa is led to a win behind Aaron White’s stat sheet stuffing performance with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. (18) North Carolina Tarheels 79, (5) Michigan State Spartans 65 Wrap Up: North Carolina was able to get up early and the Spartans couldn’t fight back, plagued by injuries. Marquette Golden Eagles 64, (4) Wisconsin Badgers 70 Wrap Up: Sam Dekker leads Wisconsin to another win over a quality opponent with a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds). Here are the games to look out for in the upcoming week (all times Eastern): University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee vs. (4) University of Wisconsin Date and Time: December 11 @ 8 PM Television Coverage: TBD Preview: Milwaukee is one of the best mid-major teams this year, coming in at 9-2 on the season. Wisconsin has been arguably the most dominant team this season with easily the most impressive résumé thus far. With the way the Badgers play defense, I don’t see any way that Milwaukee can come away with this game. Look for a Badgers rout. (23) Iowa University vs. (17) Iowa State University Date and Time: December 13 @ 9:30 PM Television Coverage: ESPNU Preview: Iowa has been impressive thus far, but so has Iowa State. This is an in-state rivalry game that most likely favors Iowa State due to the fact that they are the home team. With the bad blood in this game, mixed with all of the Iowa players that have lost this game in the past, I see Iowa coming away with this one led by Devyn Marble and Aaron White. BUT… Iowa State will have something to say about that. (1) University of Arizona vs. Michigan University Date and Time: December 14 @ 12 PM Television Coverage: CBS Preview: Arizona is the number one team in the country and Michigan is not nearly as good as they were last year, with both Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III not playing up to their full ability. Arizona’s Aaron Gordon will play a big role in this one, shutting down one, if not both, of those key players for Michigan. Arizona’s backcourt will have their way with the Michigan guards, and Arizona will run away with this one. Illinois University vs. (15) Oregon University Date and Time: December 14 @ 9 PM Television Coverage: ESPN2 Preview: Illinois has had a solid season to this point and this is Oregon’s last game without two of their starters who were suspended at the beginning of the season. Oregon looks to be one of the top teams in the nation, even without those great starters that they are missing. Illinois will be looking to slow down Mike Moser and Johnathon Loyd, but Oregon has too much firepower on offense. Illinois will keep it close in the first half, but Oregon will handily come away with this one. Butler University vs. Purdue University Date and Time: December 14 @ 6 PM Television Coverage: BTN Preview: This is the second game of the Crossroads Classic, which also includes Indiana and Notre Dame. It will be played in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, which gives the Butler fan base an advantage as far as travelling goes. Purdue played well in the Big Ten – ACC Challenge last week against Boston College and that should carry over into this game. Without Brad Stevens on the sideline, the Bulldogs just aren’t the same. It’s a dangerous one for Purdue, but in reality they should come away with a victory.

Let's take a look at what's going on elsewhere in "Around the Country."Around the Country: (19) Florida Gators 64, (9) Connecticut Huskies 65 Wrap Up: Shabazz Napier nails a shot at the buzzer on a second attempt to knock off the 15th ranked Florida Gators. (11) Kentucky Wildcats 62, (14) Baylor Bears 67 Wrap Up: Baylor’s Kenny Chery leads Baylor with 18 points to top the freshman-loaded Kentucky squad. (13) Kansas Jayhawks 72, (21) Colorado Buffaloes 75 Wrap Up: Askia Booker eurosteps to a buzzer-beating three pointer to beat Kansas, even with Andrew Wiggins knocking home 22 points. New Mexico State Aggies 68, (20) Gonzaga Bulldogs 80 Wrap Up: Gonzaga wins easily with a balanced attack, led by Sam Dower with 22 points. (15) Oregon Ducks 115, Ole Miss Rebels 105 (OT) Wrap Up: This high scoring game ended with a buzzer beater to send it into overtime, but the Ducks were able to overcome Marshall Henderson’s 39 points en route to a victory. Here are the games to look out for in the upcoming week (all times Eastern): (13) Kansas University vs. (19) University of Florida Date and Time: December 10 @ 7 PM Television Coverage: ESPN Preview: Both of these teams are looking to bounce back from disappointing last-second losses in the past week. The Gators are banged up and don’t have a real point guard in the equation right now, with both Kasey Hill and Scottie Wilbekin out indefinitely. Kansas superstar freshman Andrew Wiggins has struggled of late, but both he and Joel Embiid will have big games against this Florida squad. Look for a good one, but Kansas should get back on track. Boise State University vs. (11) University of Kentucky Date and Time: December 10 @ 9 PM Television Coverage: ESPN Preview: Boise State is still undefeated, led by Anthony Drmic, after a run to the NCAA tournament last season. They have a good core returning and are looking to make another run this year, starting with this big game. Kentucky is coming off of a disappointing loss to Baylor in which Coach Calipari was disappointed in the fight by his players. On paper, Kentucky should dominate, but Boise State is better than expected. It should really be a good one. (11) University of Kentucky vs. (18) University of North Carolina Date and Time: December 14 @ 5:15 PM Television Coverage: ESPN Preview: Here’s another big game for Kentucky AT North Carolina. Both losses this year for the Wildcats have come at neutral sites and this is their first road game on the season. With a bunch of freshmen, they may crack under the pressure again. Also, North Carolina only really shows up for big games this year against ranked teams, so they should make it a close one. UNC all the way. University of Tennessee vs. (12) Wichita State University Date and Time: December 14 @ 2 PM Television Coverage: ESPN2 Preview: Tennessee has had a decent season so far under coach Cuonzo Martin, but they have yet to have a marquee win. Wichita State is a mid-major but they have spent all of the season in the top 25 after a run to the Final Four last year. Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet run this team’s backcourt and are regularly dominant. Tennessee has good front court play, but I think the Shockers will pull this out in a close one. (2) Syracuse University vs. Saint John’s University Date and Time: December 15 @ 12 PM Television Coverage: Fox Sports 1 Preview: Syracuse is still undefeated and quickly making a run at the top overall ranking in the country. Their 2-3 zone is extremely difficult to figure out, no matter what team is facing them. Saint John’s will be looking to attack with their athletic wings and knock off the high ranked Orangemen. The Johnnies will need some great shooting out of D’Angelo Harrison, otherwise they will get blown out. Around the Big Ten: Indiana Hoosiers 52, (2) Syracuse Orangemen 69 Wrap Up: Syracuse’s 2-3 zone was enough to hold high-scoring Indiana to a season-low of 52 points. Michigan Wolverines 69, (8) Duke Blue Devils 79 Wrap Up: Quinn Cook guides the Blue Devils to an easy win with 24 points and 9 assists. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 93, (23) Iowa Hawkeyes 98 Wrap Up: High-scoring Iowa is led to a win behind Aaron White’s stat sheet stuffing performance with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. (18) North Carolina Tarheels 79, (5) Michigan State Spartans 65 Wrap Up: North Carolina was able to get up early and the Spartans couldn’t fight back, plagued by injuries. Marquette Golden Eagles 64, (4) Wisconsin Badgers 70 Wrap Up: Sam Dekker leads Wisconsin to another win over a quality opponent with a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds). Here are the games to look out for in the upcoming week (all times Eastern): University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee vs. (4) University of Wisconsin Date and Time: December 11 @ 8 PM Television Coverage: TBD Preview: Milwaukee is one of the best mid-major teams this year, coming in at 9-2 on the season. Wisconsin has been arguably the most dominant team this season with easily the most impressive résumé thus far. With the way the Badgers play defense, I don’t see any way that Milwaukee can come away with this game. Look for a Badgers rout. (23) Iowa University vs. (17) Iowa State University Date and Time: December 13 @ 9:30 PM Television Coverage: ESPNU Preview: Iowa has been impressive thus far, but so has Iowa State. This is an in-state rivalry game that most likely favors Iowa State due to the fact that they are the home team. With the bad blood in this game, mixed with all of the Iowa players that have lost this game in the past, I see Iowa coming away with this one led by Devyn Marble and Aaron White. BUT… Iowa State will have something to say about that. (1) University of Arizona vs. Michigan University Date and Time: December 14 @ 12 PM Television Coverage: CBS Preview: Arizona is the number one team in the country and Michigan is not nearly as good as they were last year, with both Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III not playing up to their full ability. Arizona’s Aaron Gordon will play a big role in this one, shutting down one, if not both, of those key players for Michigan. Arizona’s backcourt will have their way with the Michigan guards, and Arizona will run away with this one. Illinois University vs. (15) Oregon University Date and Time: December 14 @ 9 PM Television Coverage: ESPN2 Preview: Illinois has had a solid season to this point and this is Oregon’s last game without two of their starters who were suspended at the beginning of the season. Oregon looks to be one of the top teams in the nation, even without those great starters that they are missing. Illinois will be looking to slow down Mike Moser and Johnathon Loyd, but Oregon has too much firepower on offense. Illinois will keep it close in the first half, but Oregon will handily come away with this one. Butler University vs. Purdue University Date and Time: December 14 @ 6 PM Television Coverage: BTN Preview: This is the second game of the Crossroads Classic, which also includes Indiana and Notre Dame. It will be played in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, which gives the Butler fan base an advantage as far as travelling goes. Purdue played well in the Big Ten – ACC Challenge last week against Boston College and that should carry over into this game. Without Brad Stevens on the sideline, the Bulldogs just aren’t the same. It’s a dangerous one for Purdue, but in reality they should come away with a victory. [url=https://btownbanners.com/page/articles.html/_/basketball/around-the-country-12913-r121]Click here to view the article[/url]

We have finally found a man who can provide a spark off the bench. EG (No, not Eric Gordon!) scored 26 points off the bench in a fantastic spectacle of shooting. Hopefully Evan Gordon can continue to play with his hair (which is almost non-existent) on fire. He was the driving force as far as offense was in the last ten minutes of the first half and most of the second half. The crowd’s loudest point during the game came after a pair of Gordon threes, which had the student section chanting “Ev-an Gor-dan.” It was quite a spectacle. Let me tell you, I’ve been to a bunch of games at Assembly Hall against cupcakes, but this was by far the loudest it has been in any of those games. There is a certain aura about Evan that the crowd seems to like (we all know that this is because of his brother). Apart from Evan’s outstanding performance, Yogi had 11 points, Troy had 13 points, and Noah added a solid 8 points and 10 boards. I’m glad that Assembly Hall, even though it was about 65% full, was able to finally get extremely excited about something. The future is bright, meaning there will be many more games with crowd excitement, but for now, we have to be happy with what we’ve got. And we’ve got the new-look Evan Gordon on our team. It was the last game for students before the upcoming Winter Break, which we are surely looking forward to. It’s been a great first 10 games and let’s hope the only direction we will go from here is up! Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell – Yogi has gotten a lot better over the past couple weeks about randomly chucking up shots. He finds teammates all over the floor, but there had to be at least five times in which he passed it to someone for a wide open shot and they missed it. He is able to distribute the ball, but there needs to be some work done on the end of those dimes. Will Sheehey – Will obviously didn’t have a great game on the offensive end, only putting up 3 points and 2 assists, but he was instrumental in shutting down the leading 3 point shooter in the country, Travis Bader. Prior to this game, Bader had hit a 3 pointer in 61 straight games. Sheehey had a solid game defensively, but there is plenty to work on from an offensive perspective, especially with the weak shots he puts up close to the rim. I’m waiting for the Sheehey of old to come back. Maybe Coach Crean will bring him off the bench, where Will seems to be more comfortable anyway. Jeremy Hollowell – This is the first game this year where Jeremy was able to contribute in other areas of his game while having an off night shooting. He grabbed 10 rebounds and had 4 assists to go along with his 6 points, which helped the squad immensely. If he could become this type of role player, along with becoming more consistent shooting the ball, he will surely be the X-Factor this season. Noah Vonleh – This man is a beast on the boards. I think I can keep opening his analysis with that sentence. Another double-digit performance on the boards, but not as solid as far as scoring goes. Sure, he only had 5 shots all night, but he wasn’t nearly as aggressive as we’d like to see on multiple possessions throughout. He even missed a dunk during a scramble on the offensive end. No matter what though, he’s awesome. Troy Williams – Troy came out very aggressive in the first half, which I LOVED. He attacked the rim when needed and even hit a three near the beginning of the game. The only criticism I can offer to Troy is the fact that he dove after a ball with two seconds left in the game - with a 27 point lead - and came away limping. Stanford Robinson – This game was by far the most Stan has contributed this year. He hit a three and drove the ball well to draw a few fouls. Stan even grabbed 3 boards and had 2 assists. If he continues to get the playing time, I can only see these statistics increasing. He has a bright future ahead of him, he just needs to hone in his ballhandling skills, as he is a little too loose with it at times. Devin Davis – DNP; injury Hanner Mosquera-Perea – Hanner had a few good possessions, but still looked a little lost on the defensive end, as he has throughout his career at IU. I’m thoroughly impressed with how well he is coming along on the offensive end, though. If he can use his size, he should become a more consistent threat on the offensive glass. Evan Gordon – Evan is finally becoming the scorer we knew he was. I explained pretty much everything about his night in the opening paragraph, but let’s just hope he can continue this hot streak. Luke Fischer – This game was the most impressed I have been with Luke all year. He grabbed some key boards down low and added 6 points in the paint. If he can play this way more often, he will start to see the court a lot more. Austin Etherington – Still not a fan of Austin Etherington. He fouled Bader on a three point shot at one point and he was late closing out on his man on numerous occasions. I’d like to see him be a spot up shooter, a la Matt Roth, more than a man who drives and distributes. Yes, I realize he’s struggling from the three point line, but all he needs is a little confidence. He can still contribute to this team, but Collin Hartman is almost the same player, so why not get him some experience? These players have so much room to grow, with so many young guys. Our upside is tremendous. We need our seniors (EG and Sheehey) to step up and be consistent. If that happens, we will be dangerous while dancing in the tournament. If not, it might be a long year for #HoosierNation.

I still can't believe that Albers wins this battle... I'm so disappointed in myself. Cuse all the way though. Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

IU - 79 ND - 69

    I see where you're coming from, but he better step it up for Saturday. I don't really mind if he doesn't play well against a cupcake,  but when it comes to the big game, especially in B1G play, I'm expecting much more from him.