Live Stats I Live Audio I Live Video I Game Notes (.pdf)

INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI basketball team will play its first of 12 home televised contests on Saturday (Nov. 22) when the Jaguars host Ball State (1-1) inside the Fairgrounds Coliseum at 1:00 p.m.. Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Bob Lovell (analyst) will call the action on HTSN and ESPN3 from courtside and tickets are available at the Coliseum box office and Ticketmaster outlets. The game can also be heard on iHeartRadio and WNDE.com as Morgan Adcock (pxp) is on the call. 

Fans in attendance will receive an added treat on Saturday as former IUPUI basketball player Mike Archer will perform the national anthem and a brief set during halftime of the game. 

On the court, Head Coach Jason Gardner's team is seeking a second straight win after stunning reigning Horizon League champion Milwaukee at UWM Panther Arena on Wednesday night (Nov. 19), 70-68. IUPUI (1-2) trailed by as many as 13 points in that contest and didn't take its first lead until 4:44 remained. Junior Mason Archie, II helped seal the win by making 5-of-6 free throws in the final 29 seconds. 

QUICK HITTERS
- IUPUI is making its 2014-15 HTSN debut on Saturday as every home game the remainder of the year will be televised on HTSN. Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Bob Lovell (analyst) will call the action.  
- More than half of IUPUI's points have come from the bench this season, including a 44-point effort at Purdue. All total, IUPUI has nine players averaging between 5-9 points per game and nobody averaging in double-figures. 
- IUPUI is 3-6 all-time against Ball State and 2-2 in the four meetings in Indianapolis.
- P.J. Boutte has 17 assists and just four turnovers for a 4.25 A/TO ratio through three games.
- This marks the 43rd season of IUPUI basketball, beginning with the 1972 campaign.
- IUPUI will play every home game at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum this season in year one of a five-year pact. IUPUI last played home games at the Coliseum from 1975-79. The building was home to the Indiana Pacers from 1967-74.  
- More than half of IUPUI's 13-man roster is newcomers this year. All total, the Jaguars welcome seven new faces this year with four Division I transfers and three true freshmen.  

FIVE COUNT - QUICK TIDBITS FROM THE LAST GAME
IUPUI 70, Milwaukee 68 - Nov. 19, 2014 - Milwaukee, Wisc.
COMEBACK CATS
    IUPUI trailed by as many as 13 and didn't take its first lead until 4:44 was left when Josh James dropped in a layup. The Jags trailed by seven at the break before ultimately coming all the way back for the win. 

CLUTCH PERFORMANCES
    Seemingly all 11 Jaguars who played on Wednesday contributed to the win, although Mason Archie and Khufu Najee made the big plays late. Archie made 5-of-6 free throws in the final 29 seconds and Najee atoned for an intentional foul with 3.2 seconds left by picking off the ensuing sideline inbounds pass to seal the victory. 

SWEET STROKES
    IUPUI shot a season-high 49 percent from the floor and 5-of-10 from three-point range, including 2-of-2 from freshman D.J. McCall off the bench. Nine different Jags made at least one field goal and 10 players scored. 

MR. DOUBLE-DOUBLE
    Senior DavRon Williams had his best showing of the year on Wednesday, turning in a team-high 11 points (4-5 FG, 3-4 FT), 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots off the bench. His double-double was the first by an IUPUI player this season. 

FREE MONEY
    For the first time in three games, IUPUI was not outscored at the free throw line by the opposition. Despite committing three more fouls than Milwaukee (21-18), both teams got to the line 22 times. IUPUI cashed in though, hitting 17 to Milwaukee's 11 makes. 

CHASING .500
    Remarkably, a win today would get IUPUI back to .500 for the first time since Nov. 17, 2012 when the Jaguars opened the 2012-13 season at 2-2 through four games. That year, IUPUI opened with wins over Utah Valley and Bowling Green and dropped contests to Michigan and Bradley. 

BALANCING ACT
    Nine different IUPUI players are averaging between five and nine points through three games, led by Marcellus Barksdale's 9.0 points per game. Three of IUPUI's top five scorers are typically reserves in D.J. McCall (8.7 ppg), P.J. Boutte (8.0 ppg) and Leo Svete (7.0 ppg). 
    IUPUI's top nine are all averaging at least 15 minutes per game as well. 

MR. INDISPENSABLE
    While Gardner has shown a deep and versatile bench, the one constant for the Jaguars this season is junior guard Marcellus Barksdale. The 6-foot-5 veteran is playing 36.7 minutes per game and leading the squad in scoring (9.0 ppg), field goal attempts (28) and free throw attempts (12). He's also averaging nearly four boards and two assists per contest.  

HAPPY HOMECOMING
    Junior guard P.J. Boutte has been outstanding in his first three games back in Indy, averaging 8.0 points, 5.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game. Boutte has led the Jaguars in assists in each of the first three games and only turned the ball over four times. On the flip side, defensively, he collected a team-high eight steals.
    Boutte leads The Summit League in assist-to-turnover ratio and steals through three games.  

BENCH PRODUCTION
    Through three games, IUPUI's bench has scored 98 of the team's 193 points, equivalent to 50.8 percent of the team's scoring.  

FREE MONEY
    Whistles have piled up on the Jaguars in the season's first three games as IUPUI has been called for 83 fouls, while drawing just 57 fouls. All total, IUPUI has been outscored 66-47 at the charity stripe. IUPUI has yielded 99 free throw attempts, while receiving just 62 freebies. 

SHARP SHOOTING
    While perimeter shooting was expected to be an issue this season, it hasn't been the case for the Jaguars through three games. IUPUI has hit a Summit League-best 38.3 percent from three-point range, led by D.J. McCall (3-of-3) and Leo Svete (6-of-13). Seven different Jaguars have hit at least one triple already this year (nine Jags made at least one three in a game last season). 

FUTURE HOST
    Good news piled up for Indianapolis and the IUPUI program over the past couple weeks as Indy was awarded the 2021 Men's Final Four and 2017 First/Second Round games.
    IUPUI will co-host this year's Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium, along side partners from the Horizon League and Indiana Sports Corp. In 2017, games will be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and the Men's Final Four returns to Indy and LOS in 2021.  

NEW LOOK
    IUPUI made a change at the top at the conclusion of last season, bringing former Indiana Mr. Basketball Jason Gardner to replace Todd Howard as Head Coach. 
    Gardner was on staff at Memphis after previously coaching at Loyola for two seasons. 
    Gardner retained two of the three-man signing class and added six newcomers, including five Division I transfers. Gardner also retained Matt Crenshaw from last year's coaching staff and later hired Jon-Michael Nickerson and Scott Gillespie to round out his coaching staff. Both Nickerson and Gillespie were graduate managers at Memphis during Gardner's year with the Tigers. 

NEW DIGS
    This year marks year one as the Jaguars re-open the Fairgrounds Coliseum, bringing basketball back to the historic facility. The venue will seat roughly 6,800 for basketball and has been fully renovated, including distinctive branding, brand new concourses, a state-of-the art sound system and a center hung double ribbon scoreboard. 
    The Jaguars opened the building with a 79-66 overtime loss to Indiana State in front of a crowd of 3,159. 
 
BETWEEN THE LINES
    The Jaguars bring back six letterwinners from last year's team, most notably senior guard Khufu Najee and junior Marcellus Barksdale. 
    Najee earned Summit League All-Newcomer honors last season after averaging 10.8 points and shooting 47.4 percent overall in 14 league games. Meanwhile, Barksdale ranked among The Summit League leaders in rebounding (6.8 rpg), assists (117) and steals (35), while averaging a career-high 8.6 points per game. 
    The other four returners are all sophomores - Elijah Ray (5.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg), Justus Stanback (3.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg), Jalen McCallum (2.5 ppg) and Josh James (2.0 ppg, 68.0 FG%). 

PLAYING PERCENTAGES
    Below are the percentages returning of IUPUI's major statistical categories in 2014-15. 
    POINTS:     39.3% returns (836/2126)
    REBOUNDS:     48.3% returns (445/921)
    ASSISTS:     59.2% returns (197/333)
    MINUTES:     46.7% returns (3,003/6,425)
    3's MADE:     25.7% returns (36/140)
    BLOCKS:     37.8% returns (37/98)
    STEALS:     52.8% returns (85/161)

LEADING STATISTICAL RETURNERS
    Below is a listing of IUPUI's top returners in selected statistical categories:
    PPG: Najee (9.9), Barksdale (8.6)
    RPG: Barksdale (6.8), Najee (2.7)
    MPG: Barksdale (33.6), Najee (33.0)
    Assists: Barksdale (117), Najee (62)
    Blocks: Barksdale (24), Najee/Stanback (6)
    Steals: Barksdale (35), Najee (29)
    3's Made: Najee (16), Barksdale/Ray (7)
    FT Made: Barksdale (103), Najee (61)

JAGS ON THE TUBE
    All but one of IUPUI's home games will be televised this season on Hometown Sports & News (HTSN / RTV6.2). Greg Rakestraw and IUPUI Hall of Famer Bob Lovell will be on the call and most games will be simulcast on ESPN3. 
    
BACK ON 1260
    For the fourth straight year, IUPUI games will be broadcast on WNDE 1260 AM and on the free iHeartRadio app, available on smartphones. 
    Nearly every game will be heard over the AM airwaves in Indianapolis while every broadcast will be on iHeartRadio.
    Veteran broadcaster Will Flemming will be on the call for the second straight season. 

SCHEDULE NOTES
    IUPUI will host 13 regular season home games this season, while also hitting the road to take on teams from the Big Ten (at Purdue; Nov. 16), BIG EAST (at Xavier; Dec. 9). The home slate includes games against Indiana State (Nov. 14), Ball State (Nov. 22), Georgia State (Nov. 29), Eastern Kentucky (Dec. 13) and South Alabama (Dec. 20). 
    The home slate marks some notable opponents with in-state games against ISU and Ball State. The Nov. 29 game with Georgia State marks the return of longtime Head Coach Ron Hunter, while EKU is coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance. The South Alabama also has an Indiana tie as the Jaguars are coached by former Butler standout Matthew Graves. 
    The game against Purdue marks the first-ever meeting between the Jaguars and Boilermakers. In doing so, the Jaguars will now have played all nine Division I in-state teams.
    Other road games include return games at Milwaukee (Nov. 19), Drake (Nov. 25), Evansville (Dec. 6) and 2014 NCAA Tournament participant North Carolina Central (Dec. 29).  

GOTHAM CLASSIC
    IUPUI will play four games as part of this year's Gotham Classic, sponsored by the Gazelle Group. Three of the four games will be true road games, in addition to the home game against South Alabama on Dec. 20. 
    The Classic will begin at Howard (Dec. 15) before the home game with South Alabama (Dec. 20). From there, IUPUI will play at Richmond (Dec. 23) and Pepperdine (Dec. 27). The Jaguars will then head back east to play at North Carolina Central (Dec. 29). 
    Including the game at NC Central, the Jaguars will travel more than 6,500 air miles during that five-game stretch, including a 2,250 mile trip from Malibu, Calif., to Durham, N.C..  

DI'S ELIGIBLE
    This year's roster includes three DI transfers who practiced with the team a season ago. Detroit-transfer P.J. Boutte leads that group, having played 66 games in two years for the Titans. 
    Boutte finished as the state's career leader in assists while at Indianapolis Howe High School and was the Indianapolis Student-Athlete of the Year in 2011. 
    Senior forward DavRon Williams played in 21 games (five starts) at North Carolina Central in 2012-13 before sitting out last season and Mason Archie, II played 26 games in two years at Davidson College before joining the Jaguars. 

CLEAR FOR TAKEOFF
    The IUPUI program got a double dose of good news during the month of October, learning that both Mason Archie, II and Leo Svete would be eligible at the start of the season. 
    Archie, a Davidson-transfer, didn't enroll at IUPUI until last spring, but the NCAA deemed it would be in his best interest to be immediately eligible at the start of the season, as opposed to waiting until second semester. Academically, Archie is on pace to graduate this spring, but has two years left of eligibility. 
    Svete, a Western Michigan-transfer, missed the past two years due to separate knee injuries, but was ruled immediately eligible by the NCAA. The 6-foot-5 guard missed his senior year of high school to an injury before then missing last year at WMU to a second mishap. Svete was cleared in October and will retain all four years of his playing eligibility. He was the first player to commit to the IUPUI program after Gardner took over. 

FRESHIES
    Two true freshmen were signed by the previous coaching staff, but are expected to play key roles for this year's squad. 
    Rookie forward Aaron Brennan was a three-year starter at nearby Guerin Catholic, where he finished as the program's 
all-time leader in points and rebounds. Brennan averaged 16.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 blocks per game, earning a spot on the Indy Star's Super Team Second Team.
    A second freshman, D.J. McCall was named to the prestigious Indiana All-Star Team after averaging 18.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game at Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran High School. The 6-foot-5 guard helped Concordia Lutheran to an IHSAA Class 3A state runner-up finish in 2013, including scoring 17 points in the state championship game. 
    A third true freshman, swingman John Hubler, was later added by the current staff. Hubler averaged 15.5 points per game, earning First Team All-District 3 honors a season ago. 

FOUR DOWN
    IUPUI practices should be intense this year with four Division I transfers sitting out, including a trio of Loyola-transfers. 
    The Jaguars have backcourt depth on the way in Darell Combs (Eastern Michigan) and Jordan Pickett (Loyola). Up front, former Loyola big men Matt O'Leary and Nick Osborne will also sit out this season. O'Leary and Osborne roomed together while at Loyola.
    Of the four, three played high school basketball in the Hoosier State and Combs prepped at Thornwood High School in Chicago. 
    Combs, a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 7.5 points and 1.4 assists per game at Eastern Michigan. Combs made six starts for the Eagles and shot 32.7 percent from three-point range while scoring in double-digits 11 times. 
    Pickett, a 6-foot guard, was limited to just five games at Loyola last season, totaling four points and five assists for the season. 
    O'Leary, a 6-foot-8 forward, played in 61 games and made five starts in two years at Loyola. Last season, the Terre Haute-native averaged 4.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the floor.   
    Osborne, a 6-foot-8 forward, played in 59 games and made 26 starts in two years at Loyola. The Muncie-native netted 5.4 points and 4.0 boards per game last season while shooting 50.4 percent from the field.

STAFF PRODUCTION
    Few coaching staffs can match the production of the IUPUI staff during their respective playing days. All total, IUPUI's four coaches combined to score 5,588 points in their four-year careers, led by Gardner's 1,984 points at Arizona. Gardner later had his No. 22 jersey retired at Arizona. 
    Scott Gillespie scored 1,871 points in his four years at Ripon College while Associate Head Coach Matt Crenshaw tallied 938 points in four seasons with the Jaguars. 
    Lastly, Jon-Michael Nickerson scored 795 points in his four-year career at Kennesaw State. Nickerson took a circuitous path to the hardwood, originally playing professional baseball after being drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 16th round of the 2003 MLB Amateur Draft. Nickerson played rookie and Single-A ball before retiring just prior to the 2006 season.