Game Day Central
Series: Purdue Leads 27-4
TElevision: Big Ten Network
Play-By-Play: Tom Werme
Analyst: Bob Ford
Radio: ESPN Radio 1130/1300 AM
Play-By-Play: Brian Fritz
Analyst: Matt Renn
Internet: GoSycamores.com
Storylines
After playing tough games in three days from Dec. 6-8 at the Marques Maybin Classic hosted by Louisville, the Indiana State (1-7) returns to action today against No. 14 ranked Purdue (7-2) at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m., with the game being televised live on the Big Ten Network.
ISU coming off a 62-50 loss to Ohio on Monday in the final game of the three-day tournament at Freedom Hall. The game was close for the first half, but the Bobcats out-shot the Sycamores in the second half 46.7 percent to 29.2 percent to pick up the win.
Sophomore Aaron Carter finished with a career-high 20 points, including a 6-for-9 effort from three-point range, and senior Jay Tunnell also finished with a season-high 20 points for ISU while adding seven rebounds and two assists.
Purdue (7-2) is currently ranked No. 14 in the country in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. The team's only two losses of the season have come against nationally-ranked teams in No. 5 Oklahoma (87-82 in OT) and No. 7 Duke (76-60).
The Boilermakers are coming off an impressive 68-39 defeat of in-state rival Ball State on Tuesday night. Robbie Hummel, the preseason Big Ten player of the year, sat out of the team's win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff due to back spasms but came back to lead the Boilermakers with 15 points in the win over the Cardinals. JaJuan Johnson scored 12 points and E'Twaun Moore and Nemanja Calasan added 10 points for the Boilermakers in the win as well.
Purdue leads the all-time series between the schools by a margin of 27-4. The Boilermakers have won four out of the last seven meetings between the two schools, including a 71-60 win over the Sycamores a year ago at Mackey Arena. ISU's last win in the series came in 2006, an 89-70 victory over Purdue at the Hulman Center.
About The Coaches
Kevin McKenna (Creighton ?93) is in his second season as the head coach at Indiana State (16-23). In his first season with the Sycamores, McKenna led the team to its highest win total since the 2000-01 season and an impressive 12-2 record at home in the Hulman Center. McKenna came to Indiana State after spending nine seasons as an assistant coach at Creighton, where he helped the Bluejays advance to four NCAA tournament appearances. From 2001-05, McKenna spent four years as the head coach (89-33) at NCAA Division II Nebraska-Omaha, where he guided the Mavericks to four consecutive 20-win seasons and three appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Matt Painter (Purdue ?94) is in his fourth season as the head coach at his alma mater Purdue (63-42) and his fifth overall as a Division I head coach (88-47). Last season, Painter led his young group of Boilermakers to a 25-9 record, a second-place finish in the Big Ten Conference and to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season. The team's 25 wins were the most by a Purdue team since the 1997-98 season and the sixth most in school history. The Boilermakers won their 11th straight first round NCAA Tournament game with a 90-79 victory over Baylor.
Scouting The Boilermakers
► Purdue University is located in West Lafayette, Ind., and has an enrollment of 40,090 students. The Boilermakers are members of the Big Ten Conference and play their home games at Mackey Arena (14,123).
► The Boilermakers finished with an overall record of 25-9 during the 2007-08 season and posted a 15-3 record in Big Ten Conference play (2nd). The Boilermakers won their 11th straight first round NCAA Tournament game with a 90-79 victory over Baylor before losing in the second round to No. 12 ranked Xavier by a score of 74-67 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
► Purdue (7-2) is currently ranked No. 14 in the country in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. The team's only two losses of the season have come against nationally-ranked teams in No. 5 Oklahoma (87-82 in OT) and No. 7 Duke (76-60).
► The Boilermakers are coming off an impressive 68-39 defeat of in-state rival Ball State on Tuesday night. Robbie Hummel, the preseason Big Ten player of the year, sat out Saturday's win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff due to back spasms but came back to lead the Boilermakers with 15 points in the win over the Cardinals. JaJuan Johnson scored 12 points and E'Twaun Moore and Nemanja Calasan added 10 points for the Boilermakers in the win as well.
Last Time Against The Boilermakers
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. ? After an 89-70 win over the Purdue Boilermakers last year at Hulman Center, the Indiana State men's basketball team headed into West Lafayette looking to extend its winning streak over their Big Ten opponents on Saturday. The Sycamores (3-3) led the Boilermakers (4-1) at the half and held that lead all the way to the 7:55 mark in the second half, until Purdue rallied on its home court for a 71-60 non-conference win at Mackey Arena.
Purdue was up 6-2 early and the lead eventually grew to 20-10 on a three-pointer by Robbie Hummel. However, the Sycamores crept back on the heels of an 11-3 run, as three-straight points from sophomore Harry Marshall cut the Purdue lead to 23-21 with 7:06 left in the half.
Purdue then fought back and widened the lead to six points at 32-26 on a Tarrance Crump basket with 3:08 left on the clock. ISU freshman Isiah Martin quickly answered that score with one of his own to cut the lead to four points, as Marshall took over to close out the half for the Sycamores. The reserve point guard scored the next seven points to give ISU its first lead of the game at 35-32. After Purdue tied the score on an E'Twaun Moore three-pointer with 38 seconds left, Martin took a Gabe Moore pass and slammed it home for the alley-oop dunk to send ISU into the locker room leading Purdue 37-35 at the half.
ISU came out of the locker room composed and led by seven points at 44-37 three minutes into the second half. However, the Boilermakers rallied and cut the lead to one point at 44-43 on a basket by Moore. Once again, it was Marshall who answered back for the Sycamores, as he drained a three-pointer to extend the lead to four points at 47-43. Later in the half, two made free throws by senior Todd McCoy maintained the four-point lead at 54-50 with 8:43 left on the clock.
However, that's when the Boilermakers broke out and went on an 11-0 run, capped off by a Scott Martin three-pointer, to take a seven-point lead at 61-54. Following a basket from junior Adam Arnold that cut the Purdue lead to five at 61-56, the Boilermakers went on an 8-0 run to lead the Sycamores 69-56 with just 1:32 left in the game and later secured the 71-60 victory.
Marshall led ISU and all scorers in the game with a career-high 20 points and added four rebounds and three steals to cap the game. He was joined in double figures by Martin, who finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots.
Sycamores and Boilermakers Face Off On Big Ten Network
Today's game against the No. 14 ranked Boilermakers will be televised live on the Big Ten Network beginning at 2 p.m. For fans wishing to watch the game in Terre Haute, the game can be found on Channel 74 through Time Warner Cable, on Channel 610 for DirecTV customers and on Channell 439 for Dish Network subscribers.
No Easy Victory For The Sycamores
The Sycamores had to fight from behind to pick up their first win of the season on Sunday against Lamar. ISU was down by as much as eight points with just over seven minutes remaining in the game and fought back to take a one-point lead with just 38 seconds remaining after a three-pointer by Rashad Reed. Lamar then tied the game at 66-66 after two free throws with nine seconds left, but it was Reed who came up big once again and hit a floater in the paint with 0.2 seconds left on the clock to give the Sycamores a 68-66 win.
Coming Through In The Clutch
Rashad Reed was Indiana State's leading scorer heading into Sunday's game against Lamar at the Marques Maybin Classic at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky. When the Sycamores needed a go-ahead basket late in the game against the Cardinals, they went to Reed who connected on a floater in the lane with 0.2 seconds to propel ISU to its first win of the season. Reed finished the game with 15 points and six rebounds for the Sycamores in the game and now leads the team with an average of 12.9 points per game in seven starts.
Reed Gets Some Company In The 20 Point Club
Through seven games, junior Rashad Reed was the only Sycamores to score more than 20 points in a game with his 21 points in the season opener at Northern Illinois. However, on Monday against Ohio both Jay Tunnell and Aaron Carter joined the club as each scored 20 points against the Bobcats. Tunnell tied his career high with 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field to go along with seven rebounds. Carter's 20 points also set a career high for the sophomore, who used a 6-for-9 effort from three-point range to set the new standard. The last time ISU had two players score 20 points or more in the same game was on December 30, 2007, against Drake when Marico Stinson (37) and Cole Holmstrom (20) achieved the feat.
Kentucky Brings Out The Best In Cutter, Leitnaker
Freshman point guard Tyler Cutter and sophomore center Brant Leitnaker enjoyed playing over the weekend at the Marques Maybin Classic, as both set new career highs on the historic floor of Freedom Hall. Cutter played a strong game against No. 11 Louisville on Saturday, as he scored a career-high eight points in 24 minutes of action. He followed that up by dishing out a career-high eight assists against Lamar on Sunday to help the team win its first game of the season. Leitnaker also had a career effort against Louisville on Saturday, as he scored a career-high nine points while tying a career high with five rebounds in 15 minutes of action against the Cardinals.
Mr. Consistency
Sophomore Aaron Carter is quickly asserting himself as one of the most consistent Sycamores on this year's squad. Carter, who had four double-digit scoring efforts in 30 games as a freshman last season, has posted six double-digit scoring efforts in six of the team's eight games. The Cannelton, Ind., native scored in double figures twice in three days at the Marques Maybin Classic last weekend in Louisville, including a career-high 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting from three point range against Ohio. Carter currently ranks second on the team with an average of 11.6 points per game to go along with 3.6 rebounds per contest.
Tunnell Just Misses A Double-Double
Senior Jay Tunnell has recorded four career double-doubles in his four seasons at Indiana State. In the team's win against Lamar on Sunday, he just missed out on the fifth of his career after he scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help the Sycamores defeat the Cardinals at the Marques Maybin Classic at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky.
An Impressive Debut For Crawford
At 6-11, junior transfer Josh Crawford will no doubt pose a problem for opposing defenses for Indiana State this season. He gave Northern Illinois fits with his size and prowess in the paint in the season opener, as he scored 13 points and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds against the Huskies. He also made his presence felt on the defensive end, as recorded three blocked shots while altering several others shots. He followed that up with 16 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots against North Texas on Sunday to average 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in his first two games in an ISU uniform.
A Balanced Scoring Attack
The Sycamores have shown an ability to share in the scoring duties this season based on their performances in the team's first three games of the season. Against Northern Illinois four players finished in double figures, led by Rashad Reed's 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three-point range. That became a trend for the Sycamores in their second game of the week on Sunday against North Texas, as once again four players tallied double-digit scoring efforts. Freshman Carl Richard led the way against the Mean Green with a career-high 17 points while Crawford posted another solid effort with 16 points and four blocked shots. Against Murray State, the trend continued as three players scored in double figures led by Tunnell's 12 points and redshirt freshman Keenan Barlow's career-high 11 points. In all, the Sycamores have three players averaging double figures in points: Jay Tunnell (12.4), Aaron Carter (11.6) and Rashad Reed (11.3).
Dialed In From Long Distance
Against Murray State, the Sycamores made a season-high 12 three-pointers score 36 of the team's 61 total points. Redshirt freshman Keenan Barlow led the way with a 3-for-4 effort to end up with a career-high 11 points, while fellow redshirt freshman Jordan Printy, senior Jay Tunnell, junior Rashad Reed and sophomore Aaron Carter each added two treys against the Racers.
Welcome To The Show
Several Sycamore rookies saw their first action in a Sycamore uniform in the team's season opener against Nortern Illinois on Nov. 18. In all, six players made their debuts at Indiana State during the game while four players made their collegiate debuts: Keenan Barlow, Tyler Cutter, Jordan Printy, Carl Richard. Two of those newcomers, junior college transfers Rashad Reed and Josh Crawford, both scored in double figures with 21 and 13 points, respectively.
Get That Outta Here!
Albion College found it very hard to score points in the paint against the Sycamores in the exhibition opener, as the team had 11 of its shots blocked by ISU defenders. Sophomore Isiah Martin, who led the Missouri Valley Conference last season with 59 blocked shots as a freshman, collected six by himself to start the season strong. Freshman Koang Doluony added three swats of his own thanks to his wingspan of over seven feet while junior Josh Crawford and Carl Richard each added a block apiece.
Blocked Shots Piled Up For Martin In First Season
During his freshman season, Isiah Martin surprised many people with his ability to block shots and change shots in the paint. Martin ranked first in the conference in total blocks (59) and blocks per game (1.9) last season while ranking 54th nationally in blocks per game (1.9). In addition, his 59 blocks set a new ISU freshman record and were the second-most in a single season at ISU by any player.
The Man Everyone Looks To
Indiana State fields one of its youngest teams in years in 2008, with forward Jay Tunnell serving as the team's lone senior leader. Tunnell has played in 90 career games, with 84 starting assignments, while averaging nearly nine points and five rebounds per contest in his three seasons with the Sycamores. During his career, he's recorded four double-double performances, including 14 double-digit scoring efforts during the 2007-08 season. In addition, Tunnel has scored 866 points in his career with the Sycamores which leaves him just 134 points shy of becoming the 31st player in school history with at least 1,000 career points.
Honoring A True Sycamore Legend
Prior to the start of lSU's first exhibition game against Albion College, the floor at Hulman Center will officially be named the Nellie and John Wooden Court in honor of the legendary coach and his late wife, Nellie. Prior to achieving legendary success as the head coach at UCLA, Wooden began his collegiate coaching career and served two years as head men's basketball coach, baseball coach and athletics director at Indiana State from 1946 to 1948. While earning his master's degree at Indiana State, he compiled a 44-15 record as basketball coach while leading the Sycamores to post-season tournament appearances each year and two conference championships. In addition, coach Wooden will also be inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Athletic Hall of Fame in March.
The Dream Season ... 30 Years Later
This season marks the 30th anniversary of Indiana State's historic 1978-79 season that saw the Sycamores advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament and eventually to the National Championship game. In order to get there, the Sycamores had to defeat today's opponent, DePaul, in the Final Four. Led by consensus First-Team All-American and future NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird, Indiana State compiled a 33-1 overall record, including a perfect 29-0 record during the regular season with the only loss of the season coming in the championship game to Michigan State 75-64. The current Sycamores will wear commemorative patches on their uniforms and will wear throwback 1978-79 jerseys in selected games during the season to celebrate the anniversary.
Mahurin Signs On The Dotted Line
With just one senior on this year's roster, Indiana State men's basketball head coach Kevin McKenna needed to fill just one spot for next year's team. He filled that spot with the addition of local star RJ Mahurin (Rockville, Ind./Rockville HS), who signed a National Letter of Intent with ISU to continue his education and basketball career. Mahurin, a 6-foot-8 forward, has scored 1,404 points in his career for the Rox and is just 118 points away from becoming the top scorer in school history heading into his senior season. During his junior season, Mahurin led the Rox to a sectional championship and a spot in the regional finals with a 23-4 overall record. He averaged 25.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game, which earned him Honorable Mention All-State honors from the Associated Press and led to him being named the Tribune Star's Wabash Valley Player of the Year. Mahurin was also named the team's MVP and was an All-Wabash River Conference Selection.
