Indiana is in its 113th season of college basketball and will visit Northwestern. The Hoosiers are currently ranked No. 2 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and by the Associated Press, the 23rd straight week they have been nationally ranked, the longest since they were ranked for 71 straight weeks from 1989-94. This was the first time since the 1979-80 preseason and the third time in school history (1975-76), that IU started the season as the top ranked team in the country.
Indiana was also picked by the Big Ten media to win the conference championship. The Hoosiers, who have won 20 Big Ten titles, including 11 outright, have the best winning percentage in league game history winning 59.5 percent of its conference tilts (822-558). Sunday’s game is sold out.
The Hoosiers have the fifth-rated offense in the country and the 10th-best defense in the nation according to kenpom.com.
Indiana leads the nation in scoring (85.4), scoring differential (24.8), free throws made (349) and are second in free throws attempted (470). IU also leads the Big Ten in free throw percentage (73.8), 3-point field goal percentage (41.9, 9th nationally), rebound margin (+11.0, 3rd nationally) and field goal percentage defense (36.8, 10th nationally). IU leads the Big Ten in home attendance (17,377) and will sell out all 20 home games this season.
The Hoosiers are the only team in the Big Ten with five players averaging 10 points or better per game (Zeller, 16.9; Oladipo, 13.5; Watford, 12.8; Hulls, 11.2; Sheehey, 10.7).
Junior Victor Oladipo is second in the country in effective field goal percentage at 71.8 percent and is third in the nation in overall field goal percentage at 66.9 percent. Sophomore Cody Zeller is seventh in the country in field goal percentage at 63.1 percent, senior Jordan Hulls is the nation’s top 3-point shooter at 51.9 percent.
The Hoosiers are one of the most improved teams in the country defensively ranking 10th in the nation in field goal percentrage defense with a Big Ten best (36.8 percent) and third in the country in rebound margin (+11.0). After two weeks of Big Ten play, the Hoosiers lead in conference games only holding their three opponents to 38.3 percent shooting.
ZELLER NAMED BIG TEN CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore All-American Cody Zeller was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week (Deshaun Thomas) after he averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 3.0 steals and 1.5 assists per game as the Hoosiers beat Penn State and No. 8/10 Minnesota to improve to 3-0 in Big Ten play. Since the Preseason National Player of the Year put on the Cream and Crimson, Indiana is 42-11 and the Hoosiers lead all Big Six Conference school’s in field goal percentage (49.6 percent), 3-point field goal percentage (42.4 percent), free throw percentage (75.6 percent), free throws made (1,004) and attempted (1,328). He leads the Big Ten in points/rebounds/assists per 40 mins (36.7), free throws made per game (5.3) and attempted (7.4).
He is fourth in scoring (16.9), second in rebounding (7.9), third in field goal percentage (63.1), and seventh in blocked shots (1.4). He had 23 points and 10 rebounds in his last game against Wisconsin. He has also been named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 and was a consensus Preseason National Player of the Year pick.
