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So the entire NCAA Tournament is to land in this city lock, stock and Gonzaga—which begs a question: What if they gave a big dance in Indianapolis, and hardly any Indiana teams came?
Could happen. The regular season reached the halfway point when this week began, and in the NCAA’s NET rankings, only Purdue (33) and Indiana (58) were in the top 124. The other eight state teams had a combined record of 38-52. Nobody led its league—Ball State was the closest at third.
Looks a tad iffy, doesn’t it? When Indy last hosted the Final Four in 2015, five state teams were invited to the tournament. When the RCA Dome was the site in 2000, there were six. So here at the halfway pole, we should check on the Indiana 10 to see how things are going.
Take Ball State, where K.J. Walton averages 16.6 points but has put up only one 3-pointer all season and missed it. Know what that makes him? The top-scoring guard in the nation without a 3-point field goal. The Cardinals are 6-5 and just beat conference co-leader Bowling Green by 24 points, then Northern Illinois by 20. Now they’re getting 2020 MAC freshman of the year Jarron Coleman back from injury. “I feel like we’re in a good place,” Coach James Whitford said.
Or Indiana State. Tyreke Key is 109 points from passing Bird on the all-time school scoring list. Wait, that’s Eddie Bird. Larry’s a couple of light years up ahead. Cooper Neese, Indiana’s ninth all-time high school scorer from Cloverdale, is in the lineup, too. The Sycamores last week swept Illinois State on the road to stand 6-7.
Like 3-pointers? When this week began, the best 3-point percentage in the land belonged to … Purdue Fort Wayne. The Mastodons were 6-5 and had won four in a row, and doing it with a diverse cast, geographically speaking. Five starters from five states, none of them Indiana.
Is Butler on the way back? Blue the bulldog would growl at the metrics—last in the Big East in scoring (and 314th in the nation), last in free-throw shooting, next to last in field-goal percentage and field-goal defense. That’s one way to start 3-7. The Bulldogs have also labored with injuries, which is why only three players appeared in every one of the first 11 games. But they’re getting healthier, and the slightly mystical overtime win over No. 8 Creighton last Saturday in Hinkle—they shot 31% the second half, were blown away 26-3 in one stretch, and still won—brought some fresh air.
“Sometimes,” Coach LaVall Jordan said, “it’s just heart and effort.”
About Notre Dame. The Irish are among the nation’s best at making free throws and avoiding turnovers and have a 64% shooter in Nate Laszewski. They’re 4-8 overall, 1-5 in the ACC. They’ve gone against Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and Michigan State. That’s basketball’s answer to touring the stars’ homes in Beverly Hills. And there is one stat they’d like to get rid of ASAP. They’ve lost 27 games in a row against ranked opponents going back to 2017. Ouch.
IUPUI had been 0-6 all-time at Northern Kentucky but won twice in 24 hours last weekend. The 3-4 Jaguars don’t exactly light up the scoreboard—last in the Horizon, 304th in the nation—but they do lead the league in turnovers forced. COVID concerns slowed any schedule rhythm. They didn’t open the season until Dec. 12, then were shut down for 19 days. They’ve played only seven games. Horizon League cousin Oakland has played 17.
Evansville was picked to finish last in the Missouri Valley Conference, and why not after the Aces went 0-18 in league play in 2020? But they’re 4-4 in the MVC and 6-8 overall, which is nifty pick-up-the-pieces coaching from Todd Lickliter, the old Butler man who took over in the middle of last season’s train wreck. He has Evansville unafraid to fire away. The Aces have been in the top 15 nationally in 3-pointers taken and made.
Up at Valparaiso, life in the Missouri Valley Conference continues not to be a bowl of cherries. The Crusaders once ruled the Horizon League but are 22-34 in league play since joining the MVC. They’re 3-8 overall this season but nearly beat Purdue. The good news: Valpo is a lock for a spot on the all-name team this season. And we do mean good news. It’s sophomore guard Goodnews Kpegeol.
“I’ve always liked my name,” he said. “My mom is very spiritual, and she said whatever she was feeling, that’s what she came up with.” That explains his siblings, too. Sister Peace, and brothers Confidence, Bright and Wisdom.
Did we leave anyone out? Oh, yeah.
Trayce Jackson-Davis should keep 8-6 Indiana in the tournament hunt, and the Hoosiers often look most capable. Until they don’t. If they can’t find consistent footing, they’ll be spending restless time on the tournament selection bubble. Not a good place this season when the Big Ten is too brutal to allow many winning streaks. Remaining are multiple games with Iowa, Michigan and Michigan State—plus trips to Ohio State and the pests at Purdue, who have beaten them eight times in a row.
The operative name in Bloomington might be Parker Stewart, the midseason graduate transfer who averaged 19.2 points at Tennessee-Martin. It seems unclear when he’ll be ready. He’d certainly be useful. He made 71 3-pointers in each of his first two seasons. Going into this week, the entire Indiana team had 85.
Which leaves the team right now that looks to have the best shot of having its name on the side of the JW Marriot. Purdue.
The Boilermakers are big on unusual numbers. They had to take a four-game road swing in the Big Ten for the first time in 60 years, and went 2-2—scoring 270 points and allowing 270.
Trevion Williams is shooting 58.2% in road games. Everybody else in a Purdue uniform is shooting 36.2%.
Zach Edey pushes Purdue’s streak of having a 7-footer to nine years. He’s one of the new wave. Of the Big Ten’s top 12 freshman scorers, four are Boilermakers.
They went up 20 against Miami and lost. They fell behind 17 against Michigan State and won.
Weird. But they’re 10-5, despite starting the season in the bottom 20 in the nation in experience. In the last tournament in 2019—the prehistoric, pre-COVID days—Purdue was the lone state participant. If IU keeps struggling and nobody else finds magic in their league tournament, the Boilermakers might be again. Sixty-eight teams landing in Indianapolis, but only one from Indiana.•
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Lopresti was a columnist for USA Today and Gannett for 31 years. He can be reached at mjl5853@aol.com.
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