Standout performer(s): On a night where he set Indiana’s all-time assists record on this handsome pass to Max Bielfeldt, it’s hard to go with anyone other than Yogi Ferrell.
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For Illinois to have a shot at knocking off No. 25 IN on the road Tuesday, the Illini will have to play with some desperation added to their game.
The junior, who transferred from Charlotte, averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in the first seven games of the season as a starter.
IN has won 10 straight games since starting 5-3 and is now atop the Big Ten standings at 5-0. Guard Nick Zeisloft’s 3-pointer gave the Hoosiers a 22-11 lead, but IL answered with a 10-0 surge. IL is 9-9 overall, 1-4 in the Big Ten, 0-3 on the road and 6-7-3 against the spread. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers’ 3-point barrage continued. IN likes to get out and push the ball in transition, so the points could pile up quickly if the Illini’s focus lapses.
Indiana’s Yogi Ferrell sets the new school record for assists with 546.
Assembly Hall rose to its collective feet when the former Park Tudor point guard made the record his. The Gophers held the Hoosiers to a season low 41.3 percent from the field.
Coleman-Lands is from Indianapolis and attended high school in Indy before moving to La Lumiere School in LaPorte, Ind.
Looking beyond the perimeter challenges IL are likely to face, Tuesday’s game also could cause major problems for the Illini down low. “I’m from IN and I recognize the state has good coaches and good players and we’ll certainly recruit there”, he said. For the game, the Hoosiers scored 1.46 points per possession, easily their best output so far in Big Ten play. Malcolm Hill had 17 points, four rebounds and seven assists to lead the way.
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Robert Johnson has taken Blackmon’s spot in the starting lineup but it’s the “big three” of Ferrell, forward Troy Williams and freshman big man Thomas Bryant who are leading the team in scoring.
