INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indiana State men’s basketball heads to its first-ever NIT Final Four, this year hosted in Indianapolis at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
ISU NOTES:
» ISU has recorded the best season since 1978-79 (33-1). ISU’s 31 wins is second-most in program history (33). This team has more wins this season compared to total wins in all seasons since 1978- 79. The 17 league wins is the most in program history. » ISU on Senior Day broke the program record in total made threes in a season with 341. Last year’s team made set the record at 340 in 36 games. This year, ISU leads Division I in made three-pointers with 403 through 37 games. ISU is the only DI in the nation with 400+ three-pointers. » ISU for the first time since 1978-79 earned national rankings. In the Feb. 12 national polls, ISU was ranked #23 in the AP Top 25 and #24 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. In the Feb. 5 polls, ISU received 53 points in the AP Top 25 and 45 in the Coaches Poll. ISU received votes for four straight weeks in the AP poll and received votes in the Coaches Poll since the Week 9 polls, released on Jan. 2. » In the CollegeInsider.com mid-major poll this week, ISU was ranked No. 7 after the Sycamores were No. 1 for three straight weeks. The first poll with ISU at No. 1 was released on Jan. 29. The Sycamores’ highest ranking is 5th (originally on 12/26/23). » The Sycamores have consistently been ranked in the top five in the nation in field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage. *Per the NCAA, ISU has four team top-five rankings: 1. Team: 1st – Effective Field Goal Percentage (59.9%) 2. Team: 3rd – Field Goal Percentage (50.4%) 3. Team: 3rd – Free Throw Percentage (79.7) 4. Team: 4th – Three-pointers Per Game (10.9) » Team: 7th – Win Pct. (.838); 7th – Scoring Off. (84.6); 11th – AST/G (17.7); 11th – 3P% (38.3%)
» Per KenPom, ISU led the MVC in defensive efficiency at 100.3. Indiana State also led in the best defensive two-point and three-point percentage (48.8%, 32.0%). » *Through the season, ISU led the conference in Scoring Offense (84.41), Scoring Margin (+12.41), FG Percentage (50.5%), FT Percentage (79.7%), 3-Point FG Percentage (38.5%), 3-Point FG Made (373; 10.97 per-game), Assists (594), Assists-per-Game (17.47), and Defensive Rebounding (35.71). » Coach Schertz currently has the 8th-highest winning percentage out of all active college coaches at 78.8%. Out of coaches with at least 10 seasons has HC, Coach Schertz is 6th. » Jayson Kent is 2nd in most double-doubles with eight, and Robbie Avila is T-4th with five. Kent is 2nd in 10-rebound games with 10 total and is the only player in the league with a 20-rebound game. » Jayson Kent’s 35-point game vs. SMU is the ninth 30-point game by a player in the Schertz era.
NCAA NET RANKINGS » Indiana State, in the initial March Madness NET Rankings, landed at No. 22 in the rankings posted on Dec. 4. Going back to last season, ESPN had ISU ranked 8th in the MVC and 149th overall to begin the 2022-23 season. » Through games on March 17, Indiana State stands at No. 29. » The highest ranking for ISU this year is 20 on Feb. 12. » Seven MVC schools were in the initial Top 100, with ISU being the only school in the Top 50. Selected as No. 4 in the MVC preseason rankings, ISU led the preseason-ranked 1-through-3: » Other MVC Schools Initial Rankings (Top 100) Preseason 1 – Drake: No. 56 NET Ranking Preseason 2 – UNI: No 212 NET Ranking Preseason 3 – Bradley: No. 90 NET Ranking » Through games on March 17, Drake (47) and Bradley (57) are the other MVC schools in the Top 100.
THE SYCAMORE HOT STREAK » Indiana State snapped the 10-game win streak in the Dec. 30 loss at Michigan State. Prior to this season, the records were: » 13-0 start in 1977-78 » 16-1 start in 1976-77 (9-1 in first 10 games; longest streak was 12; head coach was Bob King) » 16-2 start in 1966-67 (9-1 in first 10 games; longest streak was 7; head coach was Duane Klueh) » 9-1 start in 2022-23 (longest streak was 7) » 8-2 start in 2011-12 » 8-2 start in 1979-80 » 7-3 start (four times – 2018-19, 2013-14, 2001-01, 1997-98) SYCAMORES IN THE SPOTLIGHT » Indiana State games on national television:
» 11/10/23 at #24/24 Alabama, L, 102-80 » 12/2/23 at Bradley, W, 85-77 » 12/16/23 vs Ball State, W, 83-72 (at Gainbridge Fieldhouse) » 12/30/23 at Michigan State, L, 87-75 » 1/21/24 at Murray State, W, 72-63 » 1/27/24 vs Bradley, W/OT, 95-85 » 2/3/24 vs Drake, W, 75-67 » 2/24/24 vs UIC, W, 88-73 » 3/3/24 vs Murray State, W, 75-59 » 3/9/24 vs UNI, W, 94-72 (St. Louis) » 3/10/24 vs Drake, L, 84-80 (St. Louis) » 3/24/24 vs Minnesota, W, 76-64 » 3/26/24 vs Cincinnati, W, 85-81
UTAH NOTES:
The Utah men’s basketball team is headed to Indianapolis to play Indiana State in the NIT semifinals in front of a sold out crowd inside Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday, April 2. Mike Corey will have the call alongside former head coach Fran Fraschilla with Myron Medcalf roaming the sidelines on ESPN as the Runnin’ Utes and Sycamores duke it out for the first time in program history while vying for a spot in the NIT Championship game.
MADSEN MAKIN’ MOVES Utah guard Gabe Madsen had an electric night offensively, scoring a career-high 31 points on 7-of-15 shooting from 3-point range vs. Iowa. The Rochester, Minn., product scored 19 of his 31 in the first half and then 12 in the second frame – all from beyond the arc. ALL ALONE AT THE TOP With 6:01 left to play, Deivon Smith pierced through the air to grab his 10th rebound of the night to record his fifth tripledouble of the season, breaking a 30-year old record Pac-12 record set by Jason Kidd – who had four during the 1993-94 season at Cal. With it being the last season of the Pac-12 banner, Smith’s record could stand the test of time or be a long time before the conference is revitalized.
SEEING TRIPLE Deivon Smith joins a select group of players in Division I history to have record five-plus triple-doubles in a single season. The senior will get at least one more game to try and tie the NCAA single-season record set by Kyle Collinsworth twice.
NIT NOTES Through three games in the NIT, Deivon Smith has dished out a total of 2 assists with a double-double and two tripledoubles. He is 1-of-23 players since 1996-97 to record 30-plus assists through three games played in the NIT.
TOP NOTCH Through 26 games, Deivon Smith is averaging 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists and is the only player in NCAA Division I to average those numbers. Additionally, he is just 1-of-7 players to average at least 12.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists dating back to 1996-97 per Stats Perform.
GAMES PLAYED ALL-TIME Utah’s Gabe Madsen, Cole Bajema, Ben Carlson and Hunter Erickson are now tied with sven other players from two different seasons for the most games played in a singleseason (36) after Wednesday night’s contest vs. VCU. The quartet will break the program record for most games played in a single-season on Tuesday in Utah’s NIT semifinals match-up against (1) Indiana State. The 2023-24 season will also pass the 2015-16 and 1950-51 seasons for the most games played in a single year. by a team. POINTS OFF TURNOVERS Utah converted 13 VCU turnovers into 20 points on Wednesday, making it the fifth time this season the Utes have scored 20-plus points in that category.
30 BURGERS With 31 points on Sunday vs. Iowa in the second round of the NIT, Gabe Madsen became the second Runnin’ Ute this season to score 30-plus points in a game and the fifth instance this season – the other four belonging to Branden Carlson. Per Stats Perform, Madsen and Carlson are the only Utah duo to record 30-plus points in a single-season dating back to 1996-97. The five games with a player scoring 30-plus points is the first time since Keith Van Horn did it himself during the 1996-97 season.
UTES IN THE NIT Utah has had a lot of history with the NIT having won it back in 1947 to go along with five semifinal appearances in the program’s history (1947, 1974, 1992, 2018, 2024). Of those four previous semifinal appearances, the Runnin’ Utes are 3-1 in semifinal action and 1-2 all-time in the championship game. Last Tuesday’s NIT First Round game vs. UC Irvine marked Utah’s 15th appearance in the National Invitation Tournament all-time. The Utes are now 18-13 (.581) all-time with the quarterfinal round win over VCU this past Wednesday. Utah is now 7-2 (.778) all-time when playing in the NIT at home with two wins coming in 1992, two in 2018 and three wins in 2024. It’s two losses came in the first round back in 2001 vs. Memphis (71-62) and 2017 against Boise State (73-68). HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF The last time Utah played in the NIT? 2018. Utah’s first opponent? UC Davis, the two-time defending Big West Regular-Season Champions (2017, 2018). Utah’s first-round opponent in the 2024 NIT? UC Irvine, the two-time defending Big West Regular-Season Champions (2023, 2024).
HISTORY REWIND Utah has great history with the NIT, winning the championship back on March 24, 1947, when Vadal Peterson’s squad defeated Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky Wildcats 49-45 inside Madison Square Garden in front of 18,493 fans. The Runnin’ Utes were led by a pair of All-Americans and ABA draft selections in Vern Gardner and Arnie Ferrin, who had 15 points each, while Leon Watson chipped in with 13 points. Fred Weidner added 4 points while Wat Misaka had 2 points. “Undoubtedly, Coach [Vadal] Peterson had instructed his men to slow down the pace and stress possession at all times. The Utah plan of battle never deviated although the Wildcats tried to force the Utes into faster action. The Utes knew what they wanted to do and did it — handsomely.” – Louis Effrat, New York Times.
AGAINST THE VALLEY Utah is 17-10 all-time against the Missouri Valley Conference with its last two meetings coming against Wichita State. Both teams won on their respective floors with the 25th-ranked Utes taking the 69-68 victory in OT over the No. 8-ranked Shockers on a go-ahead jumper with 14 seconds left in overtime at the Huntsman Center. Wichita State then knocked off No. 25/24 Utah the following year inside Intrust Bank Arena, 67-50, by turning the Utes over 19 times and held Utah future Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recipient Jakob Poeltl to just 11 points and 9 rebounds on 4-of-5 shooting. The Shockers outshot Utah by a margin of 25 field-goal attempts as well.