Opening Tip
• Indiana University returns to Big Ten Conference play in its 125th season of competition in men’s basketball against Rutgers on Thursday, Jan. 2, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game will be streamed on Peacock with Noah Eagle (pxp), Robbie Hummel (analyst), and Caroline Pineda (sideline) on the call.
• The Scarlet Knights enter the game with a record of 8-5 (1-1 Big Ten) under ninth-year head coach Steve Pikiell. Rutgers is led by two of the top freshmen in the country in guard Dylan Harper and forward Ace Bailey, both are projected lottery picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. Harper averages 22.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per contest, while Bailey adds 18.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per outing.
Game Information
Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 • 8:30 p.m. ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV: Peacock (Noah Eagle, Robbie Hummel, Caroline Pineda)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Indiana trails, 9-8
Last Meeting: RUT 66, IU 57 on Jan. 9, 2024, in Piscataway
Series History
• The Scarlet Knights hold a slight 9-8 series lead over the 17 games played on the hardwood. The Hoosiers hold a record of 4-2 in games played at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
• Indiana, behind a dominant effort from All-American forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, took down No. 24 Rutgers by a score of 66-60 on Feb. 7, 2023, the last time the sides met in Bloomington. TJD finished the game with 20 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists.
Last Time Out
• Senior center Langdon Hatton enjoyed his breakout moment of the season with seven points, 11 rebounds, and three blocked shots in 26 minutes off the Hoosier bench in a 77-68 victory over Winthrop on Sunday, Dec. 29, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice led all scorers with 18 points. Junior forward Malik Reneau posted 14 points and seven rebounds and fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway contributed 11 points and five assists.
• The Hoosier defense held the Eagles to 20 free throw attempts, 12 fewer than the program’s average over the first 14 games of the season. Indiana also forced Winthrop into a cold shooting night from the floor (37.5%) and from the 3-point line (26.1%).
Reneau for Two
• Junior forward Malik Reneau is averaging a team-best 15.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. The Miami, Fla., native is shooting 60.0% (75-of-125) from the floor and 73.7% (42-of-57) from the free throw line in 26.2 minutes per game.
• He is one of five high-major players (Adou Thiero, Arkansas; Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; Chance McMillian, Texas Tech; Norchad Omier, Baylor) to average at least 15.0 points per game while shooting 60.0% from the floor and 70.0% from the charity stripe.
• Reneau has tallied 15-plus points 26 times in his career, including seven games this season, and topped the 20-point threshold nine times. IU holds a record of 18-8 in games Reneau scores at least 15 points throughout his career.
The Leal Deal
• Fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal was a team-best + 39 in Indiana’s 97-71 victory over Sam Houston on Dec. 3 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. He added four points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals in the win.
• Leal, the 2020 Mr. Basketball, is a Kelley School of Business graduate is in the midst of earning his MBA from the school. He has launched MotionSports, a fully-integrated, single platform solution — all in a mobile-native, NIL-native experience.
• The name MotionSports pays homage to legendary Indiana men’s basketball head coach Bob Knight and his successes running the motion offense in Bloomington.
Going the Extra Myles
• Over his last four games, redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice is averaging 14.5 points on 60.0% (24-of-40) shooting from the floor to pair with 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest. He has scored 17-plus points in three of the four games.
• The Washington State transfer was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma on Sept. 12, 2022. After undergoing chemotherapy for five hours a session twice a month for six months, Rice learned his cancer was in remission on June 1, 2023.
Tucker’s Impact Off the Bench
• Freshman wing Bryson Tucker scored a season-best 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor in Indiana’s 82-67 win over Minnesota (Dec. 9). He also collected six rebounds and posted a team-best +15 in 20 minutes of run.
• The 2024 McDonald’s All-American leads the Hoosiers in points (6.7 per game) and rebounds (3.6) off the bench. He has scored 8+ points in six games this season, all resulting in Indiana wins.
• Tucker ranks among the top 10 in Big Ten rookies off the bench in rebounding (3.6 per game, 4th), scoring (6.7 per game, 7th), and total steals (6, 9th).