YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The red hot IUPUI basketball team will hit the road one final time in the 2020-2021 regular season this week when the Jaguars trek to Youngstown, Ohio, to face Youngstown State (13-10, 8-10 HL) in a two-game series. The two teams will square off on a Friday (Feb. 19) and Saturday (Feb. 20) inside YSU's Beeghly Center with both games tipping off at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Both contests will be aired on ESPN3. 

IUPUI (7-8, 6-8 HL) comes in having won three of its past four games and four out of six since Jan. 29. The Jaguars put together an impressive home sweep of UIC last week, defeating the Flames 89-69 on Friday and following with an 88-81 victory the next day. Senior Marcus Burk was nothing short of brilliant in the sweep, totaling 70 points in two games while shooting 69.2 percent from the floor and 7-of-10 (70 percent) from three-point range. Burk tallied a season-high 36 points on 15-of-20 shooting on Friday and backed it up with a 34-point effort on Saturday. He was later named #HLMBB Player of the Week, while also earning recognition from ESPN.com and Mid-Major Madness. Burk also went past the 1,000 point mark in his IUPUI career on Saturday, doing so in just his 47th career game. 

Not to be outdone, senior guard Jaylen Minnett registered his fourth and fifth straight games of 20-or-more in the scoring column, pumping in 45 points and 10 threes in the two-game sweep. Minnett hit 13-of-24 (54.2 percent) from the field in the two games and 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) from three-point range. A third senior, Elyjah Goss, notched his fifth and sixth straight double-doubles by averaging 16 points and 11.5 rebounds per game against the Flames. Goss continues to lead the Horizon League at 10.9 rebounds per game and is now averaging 10.0 points per game for the year. 

Sophomore point guard Mike DePersia, who was named to the #HLMBB All-Academic Team on Thursday, tied the IUPUI single-game record with 14 assists on Friday, doing so without committing a turnover. DePersia hasn't committed a turnover since a Jan. 23 loss to Wright State and has delivered 31 assists then and played 207 minutes since his last miscue. 

Youngstown State comes in on a tear, having won five straight since the calendar shifted to February. The Penguins swept Purdue Fort Wayne last week by scores of 84-70 and 72-70. For the year, senior forward Naz Bohannon leads YSU in scoring (16.4 ppg) and is second on the team in rebounding (8.1 rpg). Guard Darius Quisenberry averages 14.5 points per game and senior wing Garrett Covington checks in at 11.7 points per game. Collectively, YSU outrebounds foes by 2.1 rebounds per game and is among the league's best in turnover margin at +3.2. 

IUPUI has struggled mightily with YSU, going just 1-14 all-time against the Penguins. YSU has won the last eight meetings between the two schools, including six-in-a-row since the Jags joined the Horizon League for the 2017-2018 campaign. IUPUI's lone victory came in Youngstown on Feb. 5, 2000 by a 55-48 score. The overall series dates back to Dec. 1975 with the first three meetings occurring prior to IUPUI's move to Division I play. 

FEATURES ON THE IUPUI BASKETBALL TEAM
IUPUI students have written stories on different subjects on this year's men's basketball team through a series of class assignments. Read their work, as published earlier on IUPUIJags.com and other social channels. 
    RIMM INSTILLING NEW CULTURE INTO MEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM, by Bobby Taylor
    COHESION KEY AS JAGUARS SET TO OPEN UNIQUE 2020-2021 CAMPAIGN, by Andrew Thomison
    HOOPS ROOTS RUN DEEP IN DePERSIA FAMILY, by Ed Clark
    MINNETT LOOKING TO IMPROVE AS A LEADER HEADING INTO SENIOR SEASON, by Devin Voss
    GEORGIADIS'S TRAVAILS LAND HIM AT IUPUI, by Alex Burr

OPENING TIPS (notes about this week's series with YSU / click here to read the full game notes)

•  IUPUI is 6-4 in the past 10 games and has won three of its past four after sweeping UIC last week. The Jags enter play at 7-8 overall and 6-8 in #HLMBB play.
• Few players in the country come in as hot as IUPUI senior Marcus Burk. Burk was unstoppable in last week's sweep of UIC, totaling 70 points in the two games while shooting 69.2 percent from the floor and 7-of-10 from three-point range. Burk surpassed the 1,000 point mark in his IUPUI career last Saturday (Feb. 13), doing so in just his 47th career game. Burk was honored as the #HLMBB Player of the Week and was also recognized by ESPN.com and College Sports Madness. Burk has climbed to No. 6 nationally in scoring (22.0 ppg) and is among the Horizon League's top 10 in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, free throw percentage and leads the league in steals. 
• While Burk grabbed the headlines, his senior colleagues Jaylen Minnett and Elyjah Goss have also been dominant of late. Minnett has scored 20-or-more in each of IUPUI's last five games, averaging 22.6 points per game during that span and hitting 17-of-43 (39.5 percent) from three-point range. Goss is riding an IUPUI Division I record six straight double-doubles, averaging 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds over than span while shooting 31-of-58 (53.4 percent) from the field in that stretch. 
• IUPUI is 10-3 under head coach Byron Rimm when holding opponents to 69 points or fewer. 
• Youngstown State has dominated the series with IUPUI, winning 14-of-15 meetings and eight-in-a-row dating back to 2000. IUPUI is 0-6 against the Penguins since joining the Horizon League in 2017.  
• The Horizon League recently announced the postseason tournament format as the first round (seeds 5-12) will be played on campus sites on Thursday, Feb. 25, followed by the quarterfinals round on campus sites on Tuesday, Mar. 2. The semifinals and championship game will return to Indianapolis in 2021 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. 
• IUPUI has had eight different players start at least one game with sophomore Nathan McClure being the most recent addition to the Jaguars' starting five, just prior to the Northern Kentucky series. Goss and sophomore Mike DePersia are the only players to have started all 15 games so far this season. 

    THE RECORD SETTERS
    IUPUI head coach Byron Rimm II refers to his senior trio of Marcus Burk, Elyjah Goss and Jaylen Minnett as the 'Record Breakers'.
    Goss is the program's all-time leader in rebounds and Minnett is the program's all-time leader in threes made. Burk has simply exceeded 1,000 career points in just 47 career games and is likely going to be a two-time All-Horizon League selection when the postseason teams are announced. 
    The trio has combined to account for 67 percent of the team's scoring this season (717 of 1067 points) and that has climbed to new levels recently. 
    Last Friday against UIC, the trio scored 78 of the team's 89 points and then followed with 69 of the squad's 88 points in the Saturday win. 

    PILING UP
    IUPUI has three high achieving seniors on the roster who all rank among all of Division I college basketball's active career leaders in specific categories. 
    Senior Marcus Burk, who played his first two seasons at Campbell, ranks No. 13 in all of college basketball with 1,788 career points (1,012 in an IUPUI uniform). Burk also ranks No. 7 among active D1 players, having made 290 three-point field goals (132 in an IUPUI uniform). 
    Senior Jaylen Minnett ranks 12th among Division I players by having made 281 three-point field goals in his IUPUI career and is No. 67 in active career scoring with 1,377 points. 
    Senior Elyjah Goss ranks No. 11 among all active Division I players by having grabbed 834 career rebounds. 

    FLAMES EXTINGUISHED
    IUPUI was brilliant in its two-game sweep of UIC last week, putting up ridiculous numbers against the Flames. In the two games, IUPUI shot 57.4 percent from the floor and 20-of-40 from three-point range while holding UIC to just 44.4 percent overall and 16-of-54 (29.6 percent) from deep. In addition, IUPUI outrebounded UIC by 22 rebounds in the two games. 
    IUPUI had topped 80 points just one time all season before hitting for 89 and 88 in back-to-back games last week. 

    MARCUS MY WORD
    Marcus Burk was one of five players voted to the Horizon League Preseason First Team before the season by the league's coaches, media and sports information personnel and is living up to the advance billing. Burk averaged 21.3 points per game last year and drained 93 3's in his first year with the program. 
    This season, he's upped his scoring output to 22.0 points per game and increased his field goal percentage (43.2% to 49.4%), three-point percentage (38.6% to 41.9%) and free throw percentage (78.2% to 82.1%). In addition, he currently leads the Horizon League in steals (2.0/game) and has upped his assist and rebounding numbers.
    He recently surpassed 1,000 points in his two-year IUPUI career, doing so in just his 47th career game. 
    Including his two years at Campbell before coming to IUPUI, Burk has totaled 1,788 points (No. 13 among active D1 players) and 290 threes made (No. 7 among active D1 players) in his collegiate career. 

    NOT JUST 3'S
    Last year, Burk was far more inclined to fire from three while this year, he's mixing it up more. A season ago, 39% of his field goals came from behind the line and 44% of his attempts were three-point attempts. 
    This season, teams have chased him off the line as 33% of his made field goals are threes and 39% of his overall attempts have come from behind the arc. 
        
    BATMAN & ROBIN, PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY
    Marcus Burk and Jaylen Minnett are challenging to be one of the top duos, ranking among the nation's top returning pairs this year.  The duo is one of four in the country that returns to school after averaging at least a combined 35 points per game or better last season. 
    UTSA – Jhivan Jackson (26.8) & Keaton Wallace (18.8) = 45.6
    Austin Peay – Terry Taylor (21.8) & Jordyn Adams (17.4) = 39.2
    Iowa – Luka Garza (23.7) & Joe Wieskamp (14.0) = 38.0 
    IUPUI – Marcus Burk (21.3) & Jaylen Minnett (16.6) = 37.9 
 
    Burk's 21.3 points per game were the most by an IUPUI player since George Hill averaged 21.5 per game in 2007-08. Minnett connected for a school record 115 3's during the season and became the 24th player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points in an IUPUI uniform. 
    This season, they've upped the ante, averaging a combined 38.9 points per contest. 

    JAYL3N
    Senior Jaylen Minnett became the 24th player in program history to achieve 1,000 career points in an IUPUI uniform against Green Bay on Feb. 6, 2020 as part of a career-high 32-point effort last season. He enters today's game with 1,377 career points, ranking No. 10 on the program's all-time list. He became the 16th player to hit for 1,000 points in three seasons or less in IUPUI history. Below is a snippet of the program's all-time leading scorers and where Minnett sits. 
    8.)    1,447    Kim King    1978-83
    9.)    1,395    Todd Schabel    1985-89
    10.)     1,377    Jaylen Minnett    2017-pr.         
    11.)     1,373     Ron Angevine     1979-83
    12.)    1,340     Don Carlisle     1997-01

    Minnett has also taken over as the program's all-time list in threes made and will continue to add to that total all season long.
    1.) Jaylen Minnett    281    2017-pres.
    2.) Brandon Cole        238    2002-06
    3.) Rodney Thomas    215    1996-00
    4.) Carlos Knox        208    1994-98
     
    Finally, Minnett owns the fifth-longest streak of consecutive games with at least one made three in NCAA history at 69 games... Minnett made at least one trey in all 32 games last season and all 33 games of his sophomore campaign. He also hit threes in the final three games of the 2017-18 season.
    Here's the list of the longest streaks of threes made in NCAA Division I history:
    1.) Mack Smith (Eastern Ill.)    ended Jan. 14, 2021    91 straight games / OVC record
           Cory Bradford (Illinois)    ended Feb. 10, 2001    88 straight games / B10 record
    3.) Jordan Howard (Central Ark.)    ended 2017    73 straight games / Southland rec.
           Wally Lancaster (Va. Tech)    ended 1989    73 straight games / ACC record
    5.) Jaylen Minnett (IUPUI)    ended Jan. 2, 2021    69 straight games / HL record

    MR. REBOUND 
    While it was seemingly a foregone conclusion entering the season, senior Elyjah Goss took over as IUPUI's all-time leader in rebounds against Milwaukee on Jan. 29.     After earning Horizon League All-Defensive Team honors last year and leading the league in rebounding at 11.5 rebounds per game, Goss has backed it up and is leading the league in boards again this year at 10.9 rebounds per contest. 
    Goss owns IUPUI's single-game (21), single season (369) and career rebounding (834 and counting) records. 
    He entered this season fifth on the program's career rebounding list and owns six career games of 17 boards or more. He owns 41 career double-digit rebound games and 23 career double-doubles. Last year, he tied IUPUI's D1 record with 12 double-doubles in a season. 
    Below is a look at IUPUI's top four in career rebounds. 
    1.    834    Elyjah Goss    2017-pr.
    2.    769    Don Carlisle    1997-01
    3.    703    Brandon Cole    2002-06
           703    Jesse Bingham    1985-89

    ROLLIN' ON DUBS
    Elyjah Goss is amidst a stretch of an IUPUI Division I record six straight double-doubles. He tied IUPUI's single-season record with 12 double-doubles last season and owns the Jaguars' Division I record with 23 double-doubles in his career. 

    69 OR LESS
    Through a combination of pace and defense, IUPUI has found that 69 carries weight on the scoreboard. When holding foes to 69 points or less the past two seasons, IUPUI is 10-3 (.769) and 4-30 (.118) when the opposition hits for 70-or-more. 

    SATURDAYS ARE FOR STEAK (TACOS)
    Going through the NBA process this past summer, senior Marcus Burk was afforded three pieces of advice heading into the college campaign. Tighten up his body, become better defensively and show more playmaking ability. 
    Burk went to a largely vegetarian diet in August 2020 (he allows himself to eat meat on Saturdays - his favorite is steak tacos) and worked tirelessly on his body during the offseason, shedding 10 pounds. His work in the weight room has seen him up his strength and lower his Body Mass Index (BMI). His BMI was at 13.7 at the close of last season and now hovers between 7-8. 
    Defensively, he leads the Horizon League at 2.00 steals per game and has routinely drawn the assignment of guarding the opposition's best wing players.

    JERSEY MIKE DELIVERS
    Sophomore Mike DePersia showed last year that he's a bona fide playmaker from the point guard spot. The New Jersey-native delivered an IUPUI Division I freshman record 85 assists in his 32 appearances and was a two-time Horizon League Freshman of the Week honoree. In league play, he averaged 3.2 assists per game and had a 3.05 assist-to-turnover ratio (58 ast/19 tos). 
    This year, he's third nationally with a 4.85 assist-to-turnover ratio (63 ast/13 tos) and hasn't committed a turnover since a Jan. 23 loss to Wright State. Last week, DePersia tied IUPUI's single-game record with 14 assists against UIC with zero turnovers. His 14 turnovers tied for the third-most in a game in NCAA Division I this season. 
    Lastly, DePersia just missed a double-double in the Jaguars' Feb. 13 win, contributing nine points, nine rebounds and five assists in the Jaguars' 88-81 victory over UIC. 

    SMARTY CAT
    In addition to his work on the court, DePersia was honored on Feb. 18 with a spot on the Horizon League's All-Academic Team. Academically, he holds a 3.70 grade point average while majoring in finance and was voted to the six-man team by the league's faculty athletic representatives.  
    
    McCLURE EFFECT
    IUPUI is 6-4 since sophomore Nathan McClure joined the Jaguars starting five prior to the two-game series at Northern Kentucky. During that span, McClure is averaging 5.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 1.0 apg while shooting 36 percent from three-point range. 
    McClure was averaging 9.8 minutes per game in the season's first five games but is averaging 26.3 minutes per game since moving into the starting five. 

    CLASS ACTS
    IUPUI is coming off a banner semester in the classroom, achieving a 3.20 grade point average during the fall. Ten Jags (Carrasco, DePersia, Dhaliwal, Harvey, LaStrap, McClure, Pandev, Seay, Shirley and Stoltz) all posted a GPA of 3.0 or better, paced by McClure (3.93), Stoltz (3.75) and DePersia (3.66).