Opening tip

• Indiana University continues its 125th competitive season of men’s basketball with a non-conference matchup against Sam Houston on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game will be broadcast on BTN with Jeff Levering (pxp) and Brian Butch (analyst) on the phone.

• The Bearkats enter the game with a 4-4 record under head coach Chris Mudge. Senior guard Lamar Wilkerson leads a trio of double-digit scorers for SHSU with 19.4 points per game. He shoots 45.3% (29 of 64) from the 3-point line. Junior guard Dorian Finister is averaging 11.4 points and 7.0 rebounds, while senior forward Cameron Hüfner scores 10.4 points per night.

Game information

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 • 7:30 p.m. ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV: BTN (Jeff Levering, Brian Butch)
radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series story: Indiana leads 1-0
Last meeting: IU 99, SHSU 45 on November 15, 2012 in Bloomington

Series story

• Indiana defeated Sam Houston by a score of 99-45 on November 15, 2012 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

• Five Hoosiers scored in double figures on the night. Christian Watford were ahead with 23 points off the bench. Current team and recruiting coordinator Jordan Hulls posted 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in the win.

Out last time

• No. 14/15 Indiana (5-2) completed the Battle 4 Atlantis with an 89-73 victory over Providence on Friday, Nov. 29, at the Imperial Ballroom in the Bahamas.

• Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako finished the game with a team-high 25 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the floor and 4 of 7 from the 3-point line. Junior striker Malik Reneau scored 21 points on 8 of 9 shots from the floor.

• The frontcourt duo is the first pair of IU teammates to each score more than 20 points in a game since then Kel’el Ware (22 points) and Mgbako (20) against Northwestern on February 18, 2024.

• Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway scored 18 points on 7 of 12 shooting, five rebounds, five assists and one block, his first 15-5-5 game of his career.

Big guy Ballo

• Sixth graders center Oumar Ballo SShot a career-best six shots against South Carolina (November 16). The Koulikoro native of Mali has blocked 156 shots in his career.

• Against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 10), Ballo had 17 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 27 minutes. He shot 8 of 10 from the field in the Indiana win. He is one of three players (Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; Danny Wolf, Michigan) to post a line of 17-9-3 or better while shooting at least 80.0% from the floor this season.

• Ballo scored a season-best 25 points on 11 of 13 shots from the floor against No. 3/4 Gonzaga on the second day of the Battle 4 Atlantis. He is the first IU player since then to finish the game shooting at least 80% from the floor with 10 or more made field goals Kel’el Ware vs. Wisconsin on February 27, 2024 (91.7%, 11-12).

Jump into the second year for Mgbako

• Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako Scored a career-high 31 points on 13 of 17 shooting from the floor and 4 of 5 shooting from beyond the arc in Indiana’s win over SIUE on Nov. 6 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

• The 31 points scored marked the most in a season debut for a Hoosier since 17-year NBA veteran Eric Gordon dropped 33 points in his collegiate debut against Chattanooga on Nov. 12, 2007. The program record is held by former All-American Jimmy Rayl for points in a season opener when he scored 35 points against Virginia on December 1, 1962.

• His total of 49 points in two games (24.5 points per game) marked the most by an IU player in the first two games of a season since James Blackmon Jr. scored 49 points (26 vs. Kansas, 23 vs. UMASS Lowell ). Early 2016-17.

• The Gladstone, NJ native is the only Big Ten player to average at least 15.0 points per game this season while shooting better than 50.0% from the floor, 50.0% from 3-point range. line and shooting 90.0% from the free throw line. Among major conference players, Eric Dixon (Villanova) is the only player to reach those numbers this season.

IU is ranked seventh in Battle 4 Atlantis

• The Hoosiers (5-2) went 1-2 and placed seventh in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis. Indiana lost in the opening round to Louisville (89-61) and in the consolation round to No. 3/4 Gonzaga (89-73) before defeating Providence (89-73) in the seventh-seeded game.

• Junior forward Malik Reneau averaged 16.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in three games over three days. He shot 69.2% (18 of 26) from the floor and 90.9% (10 of 11) from the free throw line.

• Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako scored 15.3 points per outing on shooting, 48.4% (15 of 31) shooting from the floor, 50.0% (8 of 16) shooting from the 3-point line and 88.9% (8 of 9). ) shot by the charity Strip in the Imperial Ballroom.

• Sixth graders Oumar Ballo patrolled the paint with 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per contest. He shot 65.5% (19 of 29) from the floor.

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