MILWAUKEE, Wisc. - The IUPUI basketball team looks to finish the 2K Classic strong on Tuesday night (Nov. 22) when the Jaguars take on Marquette (2-2) in a nationally televised game on FS1. The game will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. Central (7:30 Eastern) as Jeff Levering (pxp) and Stephen Bardo (analyst) describe the action. The game can also be heard on the iHeartRadio app as Morgan Adcock (pxp) is on the call.
IUPUI (2-2) comes in seeking a third straight win after capturing the Indianapolis Subregional of the 2K Classic this past weekend, thanks to wins over Howard (77-55) and Eastern Michigan (83-71). Junior
Ron Patterson was named Subregional MVP after totaling 32 points and hitting 9-of-17 three-point attempts. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by senior
Matt O'Leary, who averaged 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
"I thought our guys really got after it on the defensive end," IUPUI Head Coach Jason Gardner said. "I think the guys have been a little bit more locked in. They've been on point as far as the scouting reports. They've really been hammering down in the film sessions.
"I think we're happy with the wins, but we're certainly not satisfied with where we're at."
Senior
Darell Combs leads the Jaguars in scoring (17.5 ppg) and assists (15) and is one of four Jags checking in in double-figures. Patterson is second on the team at 11.3 points per game and has made a team-high 12 threes, while
Kellon Thomas is averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 assists per game. O'Leary is netting 10.3 points per game and is tied with
Evan Hall, averaging a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game.
IUPUI comes into Tuesday's game at 0-3 all-time against Marquette, losing to the Golden Eagles last season in overtime, 75-71 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
JAGUAR TIDBITS
2K CLASSIC
Today's game caps the Jaguars four-game participation as part of this year's 2K Classic. The Jaguars are coming off winning the Indianapolis Subregional of the 2K Classic, thanks to victories over Howard (77-55) and Eastern Michigan (83-71). Junior
Ron Patterson was named Subregional MVP after averaging 16 points and hitting 9-of-17 threes. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by senior forward
Matt O'Leary, who averaged 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals over two games.
VERSUS THE GOLDEN EAGLES
IUPUI is 0-3 all-time against Marquette, just missing a signature win last season before falling in overtime, 75-71. Mason Archie had a potential game-winning three blocked at the end of regulation and the Golden Eagles outscored the Jags 6-2 in overtime for the win. Then-junior
Darell Combs led four Jags in double-digits with 21 points (8-17 FG) and
Nick Osborne added 14 points. Luke Fischer had 17 points and 10 rebounds and NBA Draftee Henry Ellenson added 18 points.
SEVENTH IN DUBS
Through just four games, IUPUI has already had seven different players score in double-digits as
Aaron Brennan hit for 13 and
Evan Hall had 12 against Eastern Michigan. No IUPUI player has scored in double-digits in all four games as
Darell Combs,
Kellon Thomas,
Matt O'Leary and
Ron Patterson have tallied double-digits in three of four games.
BUSS FOR THREE
Not known as a three-point threat upon transferring from Syracuse, junior
Ron Patterson has been lethal from deep to start the season. The Indianapolis-native made just 15-of-71 (21.1 percent) attempts in his two years with the Orange, but is 12-of-26 (46.2 percent) in his first four games with the Jaguars. He's hit at least three threes in three of the Jaguars' four games, including a career-high 5-of-9 in the win over Eastern Michigan. Patterson has posted a new career-high in each of the past two games, scoring 15 against Howard and 17 against Eastern Michigan.
JAGS GET DEFENSIVE
The most important stat in the Jags' wins over Howard and Eastern Michigan was how stingy the Jaguars' defense was - specifically on the perimeter. Howard and Eastern Michigan combined to hit just 36.3 percent from the field and 3-of-26 (11.5 percent) from three-point range. Howard was 0-for-9 from three on Friday, marking the first time in IUPUI's Division I era
(1998-present) that a foe hasn't hit at least one trey.
JAGS SIGN TWO
IUPUI inked two during the early signing period, signing 6-foot-8 forward Brandon Hau (Mukwonago, Wisc./Mukwonago) and 6-foot guard Jaylen Minnett (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute South) to National Letters of Intent. Hau averaged 16.3 points and 7.5 boards per game as a junior and chose IUPUI over Air Force, Drake, Elon, Iowa, Navy, North Dakota State and South Dakota. Minnett averaged 21.6 points, 5.0 assists and 4.8 boards per game last season. Minnett chose IUPUI over interest from Ball State, Kent State and Xavier.
IUPUI DEBUTS
Three players made their IUPUI debuts in the season-opening loss at Eastern Kentucky as transfers
Ron Patterson and
Kellon Thomas were in the starting lineup and true freshman
Giovanni Fraser came off the bench. Below is a quick look at each of their stat lines in their IUPUI debuts:
Patterson (11 pts, 3-6 3's, 23 min)
K. Thomas (11 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 26 min)
Fraser (2 pts, 4 min)
Since then, two others (
Chad Hudson and
Noah Thomas) have made their IUPUI debuts this season in the closing minutes of the win over Howard.
Hudson (2 min, 1 reb, 1 stl)
N. Thomas (3 min, 1-2 FT)
EASTERN MICHIGAN TIDBITS
Sophomore
Evan Hall registered his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 11 rebounds... four of the Jaguars' five starters scored in double-digits and the fifth,
Darell Combs, added nine points and seven assists... IUPUI had a season-high 21 assists and shot a season-high 50 percent from three-point range.
HOME COOKING
IUPUI went 9-2 at home last season at home and hasn't lost a non-conference home game since a 73-64 loss to Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 13, 2014.
Click here to see full IUPUI game notes.
