The Indiana University men’s basketball team has completed its 2011-12 schedule with the addition of an exhibition game on Saturday, November 5 at Assembly Hall against the University of Indianapolis. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed on Bigtennetwork.com.

“Our goal in scheduling our exhibition games is to find programs that will best prepare us for the upcoming season, “ said IU Coach Tom Crean. “Having the opportunity to schedule a team with strong local ties is an added bonus. Stan (Gouard) and his staff have done a great job in a short period of time, which is evident by their win at Tennessee last year.”

The Greyhounds were 19-9 last season and return three starters. The two teams last met in an exhibition game on November 10, 2006 in Assembly Hall with the Hoosiers taking an 83-46 triumph. A year earlier to the day, IU also defeated the Greyhounds, 96-49 in Bloomington in another preseason exhibition.

The Hoosiers will open the season on Friday, November 11 and will host Stony Brook at 7 p.m.

Admission is free, but you’re encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item. Complete details from IU Media Relations after the jump.

The Indiana University Athletics Department will hold its annual Hoosier Hysteria presented by Smithville on Saturday, October 15 in Assembly Hall. The event will feature the IU men’s and women’s basketball teams. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., the women’s team will take the floor at 7:30 p.m. and the men’s team will follow at 8 p.m.

“Our players and looking forward to this event each year.,” said IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean. “Any time we can go out and play in front of a packed house at Assembly Hall, it makes a lasting impression on everyone involved.”

Details of each team’s appearance are being finalized as are the names of some special guests for Hoosier fans and will be released prior to the event. The varsity shop in Assembly Hall will be open at 6:30 p.m. Team members are expected to be available for autographs at the conclusion of the evening. Admission is free but fans are encouraged to bring a canned food item which benefits the Hoosier Hills Food Bank.

“We are excited to be a part of it.,” said IU women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack. “What better way to start the year than have so many fans rooting you on. We have a group of young ladies that are going to work hard and give everything they have for this program and this institution, and we hope all of those attending Hoosier Hysteria will come out and support women’s basketball this season.”

For Crean, the move to Saturday night will hopefully allow many to visit Assembly Hall and Cook Hall for the first time.

“One of the things that I enjoy most, is to meet families who come to a game or this event with their children and expose them to IU basketball for the first time,” said Crean. “Our hope is that we will have a lot of first time visitors, who when they experience this event with all of the long-time loyal students and fans, become Hoosier fans for life.”

Student season tickets remain on sale and a Holiday Mini Series for the general public, which includes home games with Ohio State and Michigan, also are available. For ticket and event information, call 1-866-IUSPORTS or visit IUHoosiers.com.

The Indiana University basketball program announced the complete schedule for the 2011-2012 season this afternoon. A significant chunk of the schedule had been known, but now the finalized schedule has been revealed. A few times and dates will be solidified at a later date.

Indiana’s non-conference portion of the schedule is highlighted by home games with Butler and Kentucky, a neutral court meeting at Conseco Fieldhouse with Notre Dame and a trip to Evansville to play in the Purple Aces’ new arena which opens in November.

The Hoosiers will play seven Big Ten games on ESPN or CBS and will open the Big Ten season on the Big Ten Network in East Lansing against Michigan State on Wednesday, December 28. IU will play just one game against Illinois (home), Northwestern (home), Nebraska (away) and Wisconsin (away) while facing every other Big Ten team twice.

You can find the complete 2011-12 schedule after the jump.

– Saturday, December 31: Ohio State at Indiana, 6 p.m. on ESPN2
– Thursday, January 5: Michigan at Indiana, 9 p.m. on ESPN2
– Sunday, January 15: Indiana at Ohio State, 1:30 p.m or 4:30 p.m on CBS
– Thursday, January 26: Indiana at Wisconsin, 9 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
– Sunday, February 19: Indiana at Iowa, 1 p.m. (CBS Wildcard)
– Saturday, February 25 or Sunday, February 26: Indiana at Minnesota, 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. (CBS/ESPN wildcard)
– Tuesday, February 28: Michigan State at Indiana, 7 p.m. on ESPN

The complete CBS/ESPN broadcast schedule for the Big Ten can be accessed here. If my math is correct, here’s a breakdown of CBS/ESPN appearances by each Big Ten school:

– Ohio State 12, Wisconsin 12, Michigan 11, Michigan State 10, Illinois 8, Penn State 8, Purdue 8, Indiana 7, Iowa 7, Nebraska 5, Northwestern 5, Minnesota 3.

The remaining conference games, which will air on the Big Ten Network, are expected to be released tomorrow.

During the 2011-12 Big Ten men’s basketball season, each team will play seven teams twice and four teams once. Below are each team’s “single-plays” for the upcoming season, as well as home-away designations for those games.

The single-plays for IU are as follows:

Home: Illinois, Northwestern
Away: Nebraska, Wisconsin

Tough break with getting Wisconsin on the road rather than at home, but the game at Lincoln should be a solid opportunity to walk away with a win. The Hoosiers avoid a trip to the other Assembly Hall, but also won’t get the opportunity to travel to Welsh-Ryan Arena, which is usually packed with IU fans.

The list of single-plays for the remainder of the conference is available after the jump …

Illinois
Home: Iowa, Michigan State
Away: Indiana, Penn State 

Iowa
Home: Michigan, Ohio State
Away: Illinois, Michigan State

Michigan
Home: Minnesota, Wisconsin
Away: Iowa, Nebraska

Michigan State
Home: Iowa, Penn State
Away: Illinois, Northwestern

Minnesota
Home: Ohio State, Purdue
Away: Michigan, Penn State

Nebraska
Home: Indiana, Michigan
Away: Northwestern, Purdue

Northwestern
Home: Michigan State, Nebraska
Away: Indiana, Wisconsin

Ohio State
Home: Penn State, Purdue
Away: Iowa, Minnesota

Penn State
Home: Illinois, Minnesota
Away: Michigan State, Ohio State

Purdue
Home: Nebraska, Wisconsin
Away: Minnesota, Ohio State

Wisconsin
Home: Indiana, Northwestern
Away: Michigan, Purdue

The Big Ten made the announcement after its annual meeting of the Council of Presidents/Chancellors at the Big Ten office in Park Ridge, Ill.

The decision, according to Indiana University President Michael McRobbie, was unanimous among council members.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney expressed excitement over the conference’s decision to rotate the event between Chicago and Indianapolis.

“What we wanted to do is get back to Chicago. We’re really pleased that we could get to the United Center.” Delaney said on a conference call Sunday afternoon. “And we’re really pleased that we had enough events that we could see Chicago, get back to Chicago and also continue to have a strong presence in Indy.”

Tom Crean expressed his desire for the event to remain in Indianapolis on an annual basis last week at an IU Tailgate Tour stop at Huber Farms.

“I absolutely see no reason, not only as the coach at Indiana, but from anything I’ve seen as a coach walking into that environment, that it shouldn’t stay there,” Crean said. “I’m hopeful that it does. I think any support that can be shown is really good.”

The United Center hosted the first four Big Ten men’s tournaments before the event rotated between Conseco Fieldhouse and the United Center from 2002-2007.

Future Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Sites

– 2012: Conseco Fieldhouse
– 2013: United Center
– 2014: Conseco Fieldhouse
– 2015: United Center
– 2016: Conseco Fieldhouse

Matchups for the 13th annual Big Ten-ACC Challenge were announced this afternoon and Indiana will go on the road to face Mark Gottfried and North Carolina State. The Hoosiers fell to Boston College, 88-76, in last year’s challenge.

IU is 3-7 all-time in the event, including losses the past three seasons, and North Carolina State is 5-6. The complete schedule is available after the jump.

2011 Big Ten/ACC Challenge schedule
(times and networks are to be determined):

Tuesday, November 29
Miami at Purdue
Northwestern at Georgia Tech
Illinois at Maryland
Michigan at Virginia
Clemson at Iowa
Duke at Ohio State

Wednesday, November 30
Indiana at NC State
Penn State at Boston College
Florida State at Michigan State
Virginia Tech at Minnesota
Wake Forest at Nebraska
Wisconsin at North Carolina

For the second consecutive year, Indiana (along with Michigan) will receive a road game against an ACC opponent. Minnesota will play at the Barn once again and Nebraska somehow received a home game in the event. The full schedule for the 13th annual Big Ten-ACC Challenge should be released next month.

Next year’s non-conference slate is looking a bit more daunting than last year’s, which was the 325th toughest in the country according to Ken Pomeroy. The Hoosiers beat just two teams in Pomeroy’s top 250 in last season’s non-conference, Wright State (112) and Evansville (166), and only played one NCAA Tournament team (Kentucky).

Here’s what we know thus far about next year’s non-conference schedule:

- At Evansville. This was announced last August and is the second game in a 3-game series which began last season at Assembly Hall. It will not, however, be the opening regular season game in Evansville’s new arena.

- Notre Dame on December 17 in the Crossroads Classic at Conseco Fieldhouse. The Hoosiers get the Fighting Irish in year one of this event and Butler on December 15, 2012.

- Butler at Assembly Hall. This will be the fourth game of an exempt tournament in which both IU and Butler will host three games at home and then meet in Bloomington.

- Kentucky at Assembly Hall. Depending on which players decide to return to Lexington, the Wildcats could come to Bloomington ranked in the top 3 nationally.

- ACC opponent on the road. Assuming the ACC swaps last year’s home and away designations, the potential opponents are Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia and Wake Forest. As appealing at it might sound for storyline purposes to have Zeller vs. Zeller in Chapel Hill, IU would be better off going to Georgia Tech or North Carolina State for postseason aspiration purposes.

Indiana University men’s basketball coach Tom Crean has announced that the Hoosiers will play their first exhibition game of the season at 7 p.m. on November 3 against nearby Franklin College. The game will be shown on Bigtennetwork.com.

“I think the more you can involve institutions from the area during the exhibition season, the stronger it makes both programs,” said Crean. “We appreciate the efforts of Coach (Kerry) Prather and assistant coach Adam Martin (Bloomington South graduate), and are excited to have them on the schedule.”

The two teams will meet for the first time since the 1935-36 season. IU holds a 7-0 advantage in a series which began on January 8, 1916. The contest will mark the Grizzlies’ first exhibition game with a modern NCAA Division I level program.

“We are very appreciative of Coach Crean’s generous invitation, and I applaud the fact that he has gone out of his way since coming to Indiana to engage the local small colleges to this extent. He is a class act building a solid program, and I am confident he is the right man to return IU basketball to a level of perennial national success. I’m a big fan of the work he is doing with the Hoosiers,” Prather said.

5. Wisconsin (Kohl Center, January 20, 9:00PM ESPN2): While the Badgers might not stack up quite as high talent wise to some of the other opponents on IU’s schedule, winning at the Kohl Center is no easy task. The Hoosiers have fallen by a combined 52 points the past two seasons in Madison and the Badgers return three starters, including 6-10 senior forward Jon Leuer (15.4 ppg), from a team that finished 24-9 before falling to Cornell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

4. Kentucky (Rupp Arena, December 11, 5:15PM, ESPN): The Wildcats replaced five first round NBA Draft picks with the nation’s top recruiting class and once again should be ranked in the top 15. The eligibility of their top incoming player, Turkish center Enes Kanter, will play a significant role in determining just how good this year’s Kentucky team will be. Without Kanter, the Wildcats will be a much more perimeter oriented team with freshman guards Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb and junior wings DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller leading the way. If Kanter is eligible to play, Kentucky will once again have a likely top-five NBA Draft pick and a dominant post presence in the fold.

3. Illinois (Assembly Hall, March 5/6, TBA, TBA): When you combine one of the best student sections, a general disdain for the IU program and one of the better returning rosters in the conference, you get an environment in Champaign that will be both hostile and tough to conquer. The Hoosiers matched the Fighting Illini blow-for-blow a season ago on the road before falling 72-70 on a buzzer beater from Demetri McCamey. This year’s meeting won’t be any easier as McCamey, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale all return for Bruce Weber as do super sophomores D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul.

2. Purdue (Mackey Arena, February 8, 7PM, ESPN): When E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson opted to return for their senior seasons, the Boilermakers solidified themselves as one of the nation’s best teams and a co-favorite to win the Big Ten. With Moore, Johnson and an assumed healthy Robbie Hummel, Matt Painter has three All-Big Ten caliber players at his disposal, but will need to replace the intangibles of the graduated Chris Kramer (defensive agitator) and Keaton Grant (capable of hitting the big shot). Lewis Jackson is the incumbent at point guard, but it likely won’t be long until freshman Terone Johnson, a North Central product, takes the reigns.

1. Michigan State (Breslin Center, January 30, 6PM, BTN): IU caught a break by once again getting a single play with the Spartans, but this time the meeting will be in East Lansing, a place where the Hoosiers have dropped their last 15 games. After flirting with the Cleveland Cavs job, Tom Izzo dismissed guard Chris Allen over the summer, but returns a stacked roster that includes Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers, Korie Lucious, Draymond Green, Delvon Roe and a stellar incoming freshman class. That sounds like a recipe for another Final Four run.

Others games under consideration: New Mexico/Colorado (Las Vegas Classic, December 23, TBA, TBA); Ohio State (Value City Arena, February 26/27, TBA, TBA).

Yea, me too, but let’s be honest: After two years November tossing the Hoosiers in well over their heads, and facing as talented a Big Ten as we’ve seen in five years or more, there’s really nothing wrong with taking it a little bit easier before the New Year turns.

Given that IU will still play Kentucky, still has a date in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, (which it had no power in deciding) and will still meet Northern Iowa and, potentially, New Mexico, the pre-Big Ten slate really isn’t as weak as it could be – trust me. To some extent, it probably also looks a lot easier when you consider Indiana’s last two years, with dates against Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Gonzaga and Maryland, among others, on top of the traditional rivalry with the Wildcats.

In truth, it probably still tells us a fair amount about these Hoosiers, who – given their schedule – have more than just an outside shot at postseason basketball for the first time since 2008. No, not the NCAA Tournament, but anything beats staying home, doesn’t it?

Considering its path through the first quarter of the season, there’s ample reason to believe Indiana will be 8-0 when the Hoosiers head to Kentucky on Dec. 11. In fact, it would be rather surprising if Tom Crean’s squad wasn’t 8-0 (certainly nothing below 7-1) on the bus to Lexington.

Which brings me to the primary point of this rambling – can Indiana beat Kentucky at Rupp Arena in mid-December? I’m sure it’s something plenty of you salivate at the thought of. One way or the other, it’s a worthwhile debate to have.

Consider the following:

+ Kentucky loses basically all its experienced leadership and its top four leading scorers from one year ago. More than that, perhaps, with the loss of John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, etc., the Wildcats lose the basis of their team identity, not an easy commodity to replace.

+ Three guesses who Kentucky’s best returning frontcourt player might be. You should only need one guess, since Josh Harrellson is the only possible answer. The senior forward is literally the only forward coming back from last year’s team, and he averaged right at four minutes per game last season. Super freshmen Enes Kanter and Terrence Jones along with JUCO transfer Eloy Vargas will probably be expected to carry most of the load down low for a squad whose official roster only lists four players as forwards. That is a bit deceiving, with the athleticism of taller guards like DeAndre Liggins.

+ Once again, John Calipari will field a team that’s primarily driven by freshmen – albeit, again, impressively gifted freshmen – including the aforementioned Kanter, Brandon Knight, Jones and Stacey Poole. The blessing in that is that Calipari has made a habit of getting the most out of freshmen in recent seasons. (See: John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Derrick Rose.) The curse is that, unlike last year, Kentucky does not have nearly the clear-cut veteran leadership to guide and back up all that youth. Patrick Patterson, Perry Stevenson, these were guys who brought that kind of experience and guidance. This year, Harrellson also gets the privilege of being the team’s only senior, and the Wildcats only have two juniors that aren’t transferring in this year, as well.

+ We should all have a good idea what Kentucky brings to the table by the time the Hoosiers find Lexington. Calipari and crew open with two rather easy opponents before a trip to the Maui Invitational, and a road date with UNC and a home tilt with Notre Dame stand between the beaches of Hawaii and the bank shots of Verdell Jones. If all those aforementioned freshmen can find their proverbial sea legs quickly, turn out some good early-season results and drum up some confidence, then Kentucky ought to be in a very good frame of mind for their annual rivalry match-up. Stumble early, and it could be a different story.

+ The Hoosiers, by contrast, face no real tests other than a trip to Boston College, where former Cornell coach Steve Donahue has his hands full remaking a program that sort of fell apart a little bit when Al Skinner’s tenure ended rather unceremoniously. The Hoosiers won’t be perhaps as battle-tested as Kentucky, but they also won’t enter the season with nearly as many questions to answer, either, beyond Maurice Creek’s health.

So what do you think? My two cents: I think it’s very possible. Indiana ought to be a very good place when it travels south to Lexington, and frankly, I’m not sure I have as much undeniable faith in this crew of freshmen as I did Kentucky’s last group of college greenhorns.

I would demur from making any sort of firm prediction now, because well, it’s August, and I need at least two months of college football before I even start thinking about other sports. Also, I’m taking the easy way out while Maurice Creek continues to work his way back from a knee injury.

But at the end of the day, I think it’s possible. Do you?

Via a source, below is what we believe to be the 2010-2011 Indiana basketball schedule, which should be officially released soon:

Friday, November 12 – Florida Gulf Coast, 6:30 PM, BTN
Sunday, November 14 – Wright State, TBA, ESPNU
Tuesday, November 16 – Mississippi Valley State, 7PM, BTN
Sunday, November 21 – Evansville, 1PM, BTN
Tuesday, November 23 – North Carolina Central, 7PM, BTN
Friday, November 26 – Northwestern State, TBA, BigTenNetwork.com
Wednesday, December 1 – ACC/Big Ten Challenge At Boston College, 7:15 PM, ESPNU
Saturday, December 4 – Savannah State, TBA, ESPNU
Saturday, December 11 – at Kentucky, 5:15 PM, ESPN

LAS VEGAS CLASSIC
Friday, December 17 – SIU-Edwardsville, 7PM, BTN
Sunday, December 19 – South Carolina State, 4PM, BTN
Wednesday, December 22 – Northern Iowa, 7:30PM
Thursday, December 23 – New Mexico/Colorado, 7:30PM/10PM

Monday, December 27 – Penn State, 7PM, BTN
Friday, December 31 – Ohio State, 6PM, ESPN2
Tuesday, January 4 – at Minnesota, 7PM, ESPN2
Sunday, January 9 – at Northwestern, 7PM, BTN
Saturday, January 15 – Michigan, 8PM, BTN
Thursday, January 20 – at Wisconsin, 9PM, ESPN2
Sunday, January 23 – at Iowa, 3PM, BTN
Thursday, January 27 – Illinois, 9PM, BTN
Sunday, January 30 – at Michigan State, 6PM, BTN
Wednesday, February 2 – Minnesota, 6:30PM, BTN
Saturday, February 5 - Iowa, 4PM, ESPN/ESPN2
Tuesday, February 8 – at Purdue, 7PM, ESPN
Saturday, February 12 – at Michigan, 4PM, BTN
Saturday, February 19 or Sunday, February 20 – Northwestern, TBA
Wednesday, February 23 – Purdue, 8:30PM, BTN
Saturday, February 26 or Sunday, February 27 – at Ohio State, TBA
Wednesday, March 2 or Thursday, March 3 – Wisconsin, TBA
Saturday, March 5 or Sunday, March 6 – at Illinois, TBA
March 10-13 – Big Ten Tournament – Indianapolis, Ind.

Comments from Tom Crean on the schedule after the jump …

“This schedule will present us with a lot of unique challenges.  Twice, we have stretches early in the season where we will play six games in 14 days so our depth and health will be a critical factor.”

“I think we will learn a lot about our team during the four non-conference games we play away from Assembly Hall.  Boston College has one of the most experienced teams with 11 seniors or juniors, the Kentucky game is one of the most intense rivalries in college basketball and in Las Vegas we will see a very good Northern Iowa team and then a day later have to take on a team like New Mexico or Colorado.”

“The Big Ten schedule is a grind that you have to be mentally and physically prepared to handle.  This year, the league should be as good as any in the country.”

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It’s only a matter of time before the complete Indiana hoops schedule is released, but for now, we’ll have to live with bits and pieces being revealed.

In a release this afternoon, ESPN announced that Indiana will travel to Mackey Arena on February 8 for a meeting with Purdue.

The 7 PM tip will be IU’s only Super Tuesday appearance of the season.

Here’s the complete breakdown of Super Tuesday appearances by school for the upcoming season:

- Purdue (4)
- Michigan State (3)
- Ohio State (3)
- Illinois (3)
- Wisconsin (2)
- Indiana (1)

No love for the following schools: Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State.

It’s too early, obviously, for deep reaction to the Irish, but having covered them over the last year, here are four names to watch for: Tim Abromaitis, Scott Martin, (yes, that one) Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant. The former pair are solid, scoring wings with legitimate 6-foot-8 size and plenty of athleticism. Atkins and Grant are both freshmen, but talented and about to get plugged into Mike Brey’s points-happy offense.

Release after the jump. (Courtesy of Bernie Cafarelli at Notre Dame media relations.)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. —- Notre Dame and Indiana will renew its storied men’s basketball rivalry during the 2011-12 campaign when the two teams will meet at Conseco Fieldhouse on Dec. 17, 2011 in the Crossroads Classic. The contest will be a part of doubleheader that also will feature Butler and Purdue meeting on the hardwood that same day.

The announcement of the event was made today (Aug. 16) at Conseco Fieldhouse. Irish director of athletics Jack Swarbrick was present for the formal announcement of the doubleheader as were Barry Collier of Butler, Fred Glass of Indiana and Morgan Burke of Purdue. The four athletic directors each signed the Memorandum of Understanding that provides for the Crossroads Classic to be held in the state capital in both 2011 and 2012.

The Irish will play Purdue in the second year of the event on Dec. 15, 2012.

“Notre Dame is very excited to be able to join with Butler, Indiana University and Purdue in making the Crossroads Classic possible,” said Swarbrick. “This is a great basketball event in America’s best basketball venue, but it is more than that. It is also a celebration of higher education in Indiana. The partnership reflected in this basketball event mirrors the many ways in which Indiana’s great colleges and universities work together to benefit Hoosiers.”

“We at Conseco Fieldhouse and Pacers Sports & Entertainment are pleased to be the host for this extraordinary event, which brings four of the state’s outstanding universities together for two great games each of the next two years,” Jim Morris, president of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, said. “This expands our basketball heritage and will be tremendously exciting for alumni and all basketball fans.”

The Irish and Hoosiers last faced each other on Nov. 24, 2008 when Notre Dame defeated Indiana, 88-50, in the first round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The last regular-season meeting between the two schools in the state of Indiana occurred on Dec. 12, 2004 at Assembly Hall in Bloomington as the Irish defeated the Hoosiers, 55-45. Indiana leads the all-time series, 47-21.

There have been 40 matchups between the Irish and the Boilermakers and the series is split with each team winning 20 games. The last meeting occurred on March 17, 2004 in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament held at Notre Dame. The Irish earned a 71-59 victory in a contest that marked the first meeting between the two schools since the 1965-66 campaign.

Game times and ticket information will be announced at a later date.

Comments from the three other directors of athletics:

“This doubleheader will be a great event for the city of Indianapolis, the state of Indiana and for college basketball in general. The tradition and passion behind college basketball in Indianapolis and at the four institutions make this a must-see event that will generate statewide and national interest.”

Barry Collier, Butler athletic director

“We think it makes tremendous sense to resurrect what had been a pretty historic doubleheader with what I think most people would acknowledge are the four premier programs in the state. I think it will be a really good event and a great showcase for the state of Indiana.”

Fred Glass, Indiana vice president and director of athletics

“Growing up in Indianapolis, this event definitely strikes an emotional chord for me. I vividly remember attending the Hoosier Classic at Hinkle Fieldhouse as a young boy. It was my introduction to the significance of basketball in the state of Indiana. Hopefully by bringing together our four schools at the new Crossroads Classic on the magnificent stage of Conseco Fieldhouse, we will showcase this great sport to a new generation of fans.”

Morgan Burke, Purdue director of intercollegiate athletics

(EVANSVILLE, IN) – The last time they faced off in Evansville was December 20, 1995. Today, Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel had the pleasure of announcing that the University of Evansville’s Purple Aces will take on the Indiana University Hoosiers at Evansville’s new downtown arena in November 2011. The exact date is still pending.

“We couldn’t have chosen a better collegiate basketball matchup to tip off the inaugural season at our downtown arena than the Aces and the Hoosiers. I know many hours were put into making this happen and I am very glad both teams were able to reach an agreement,” said Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. “The fans are going to be thrilled to see these teams hit the hardwood right here in Evansville and what a showcase the game will be for our new arena.”

The new 290,000 square-foot Evansville arena will be the home court for the University of Evansville Aces men’s and women’s basketball teams. Opening in late 2011, the arena will be the region’s center for sports and entertainment, designed to host basketball, hockey, concerts, exhibitions and shows for audiences as large as 11,000. The arena’s primary architect’s, Populous, Inc., work includes the Mizzou Arena at the University of Missouri, Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, the new Yankee Stadium, Reliant Stadium in Houston, PETCO Park in San Diego, and the new TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, the largest project in collegiate sports history.

The November 2011 UE – IU game at Evansville’s new arena is one in a three game series which will tip off in Bloomington this season and wrap up in Bloomington during the 2013-14 season. “The past few weeks have been good ones for the University of Evansville basketball program, with the announcement that we will be hosting North Carolina this season and Indiana University next season. Our players are looking forward to the challenge, and I know our fans will enjoy having IU come to Evansville for the first time in a while,” said UE Coach Marty Simmons.

“I have a great deal of respect for Coach Simmons and the Evansville program and we are excited to begin a series with them,” said IU Coach Tom Crean. “There is great support for the Hoosiers in the Evansville area and playing in the new arena in the 2011-12 season will be something special for the fans of both teams.”

This will be the seventh game in a series between UE and IU that Indiana currently leads 6 – 0. The most recent matchup between UE and IU took place on December 9, 1997 in Bloomington with IU winning 85-73. The December 1995 game in Evansville also went to IU with a score of 76-48.

“We are very excited about having a basketball series with Indiana University. IU has a great basketball tradition and so do the Aces. Both teams will enjoy playing a game in the new downtown arena and we believe the community will share in our enthusiasm for the event next year in Evansville,” said John Stanley, University of Evansville Director of Athletics. “It takes a lot of effort by a lot of people to complete an arrangement like this. Special thanks go to the coaching staffs, IU AD Fred Glass, Trustee Pat Shoulders, Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel, and many others for helping to make this series become a reality.”

“Indiana University is really excited about this basketball series, especially playing in the new arena in Evansville. We offer our congratulations to Mayor Weinzapfel for his foresight and follow through in making the arena a reality. We’d also like to thank Pat Shoulders for the positive role he played in getting this series put together. It wouldn’t have happened without him,” said Fred Glass, Indiana University Director of Athletics.

The 10th Annual Las Vegas Classic is pleased to announce their lineup for the 2010 tournament. The field includes Indiana University, University of Colorado, University of New Mexico, University of Northern Iowa, Longwood University, South Carolina State University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and The Citadel.

Indiana University (10-21) makes its first trip to Las Vegas with all five starters returning, led by junior guard Verdell Jones III (14.9 ppg) and Foxsports.com Big Ten freshman of the year forward Christian Watford (12 ppg). The Hoosiers will also welcome back sensational scoring guard, sophomore Maurice Creek (16.4 ppg), who suffered a season ending injury after playing only 12 games his freshman season.

New Mexico is coming off a 30-5 season when it advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1999 and set numerous school records, including most wins. Head Coach Steve Alford was named Mountain West Conference Coach of the year for the 2nd straight season and he finished 3rd in the balloting for AP National coach of the year. The Lobos return one of the nation’s best points guards in senior Dairese Gary (12.8 ppg).

The University of Northern Iowa returns two starters and seven of its top 10 scorers from last year’s Sweet 16 appearance. The Panthers won a school-record 30 games in winning back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference regular and tournament titles. The Panthers will be led by Senior point guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe (10.6 ppg).

The University of Colorado returns all 5 starters which finished 15-16 and had their best season in 5 years. The Buffaloes are led by Big 12 Freshman of the year Alec Burks, who scored a school freshman record 512 points (17.1 ppg). All-Big 12 performer senior guard Cory Higgins has led the team in scoring the last two years and he ranks ninth all-time on the CU scoring list (1,391 points).

Each team will play four games-the first two at campus sites and the final two rounds at the beautiful Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on December 22nd & 23rd.

Tickets for the final rounds in Las Vegas can be purchased at the Indiana athletic ticket office or starting Saturday June 26th by calling the Box Office at the Orleans Arena (702) 284-7777, or on the web at www.orleansarena.com.

Per IU Media Relations:

Indiana will travel to Boston College to face the Eagles in the 12th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com. This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams, and first since the 1996 NCAA Tournament.  BC won that game, 64-51, and in the 1994 NCAA Tournament, 77-68.  IU won the first meeting in 1983 in Indianapolis, 72-66.

“Boston College has one of the most experienced teams and they are battle tested and our players will have the opportunity very early in the season to compete against a nationally prominent program away from home, much like the Pitt game last year,” said IU Head Coach Tom Crean. “I have a lot of respect for their new coach Steve Donahue, who brought his Cornell team to Assembly Hall two years ago.  It will be an exciting matchup for the players and fans.”

IU will return all five starters from last season and 12 lettermen, while BC could return 11 seniors or juniors to their roster.

The Big Ten is the defending Challenge champion, defeating the ACC by a 6- 5 margin a year ago. Road teams won six of the 11 games in 2009, and seven of the contests were decided by seven points or less, including four games won by four points or fewer.

The schedule for the 12th Annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge is as follows:

2010 ACC/Big Ten Challenge schedule

Monday, November 29
Virginia at Minnesota

Tuesday, November 30
North Carolina at Illinois
Ohio State at Florida State
Michigan at Clemson
Georgia Tech at Northwestern
Iowa at Wake Forest

Wednesday, December 1
Michigan State at Duke
Purdue at Virginia Tech
North Carolina State at Wisconsin
Indiana at Boston College
Maryland at Penn State

Game times and ESPN platform designations will be determined and announced at a later date.

The Iowa at Indiana men’s basketball game this Sunday has been moved from a 5 p.m. (Eastern) tipoff to a 6 p.m. Tipoff. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

The change was pursuant to discussions between IU Athletic Director Fred Glass and the Big Ten Conference to avoid as much conflict as possible with Sunday’s AFC Championship game featuring the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Jets on Sunday. That game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

“My primary goal in all this is to get as many people in Assembly Hall as possible,” said Glass. “What this does for us, is the people in and around Assembly Hall, primarily students and faculty and staff, can watch pretty much the entire Colts game, and still get to our game. So hopefully that’s significant. We appreciate the cooperation of the Big Ten Conference, the Big Ten Network and the University of Iowa.”

OK, so here’s how we’re going to shave this down to five teams. We’re going to eliminate all road Big Ten games from the equation. (Yes, even the Feb. 7 almost-home game at Northwestern and the Feb. 28 tilt at Iowa.) In fact, we’re going to eliminate all conference games, seeing as IU is projected near the bottom of the league again this year.

What else? Big Ten-ACC Challenge game against Maryland? See ya. The entire Puerto Rico Tipoff and the matchup with Pittsburgh in the Jimmy V Classic? Gone. Kentucky at home? Gone.

I think you see where I’m going with this: the vaunted non-conference home games before Big Ten season starts; the games IU (mostly) won during last year’s rough season.

They are as follows: Howard (Nov. 13), USC-Upstate (Nov. 16), Northwestern State (Nov. 28), North Carolina Central (Dec. 19), Loyola (Maryland) (Dec. 22) and Bryant (Dec. 28).

That’s six teams. Whoops. Let’s cut out Loyola (Maryland). OK, that should do it.  My work here is done.

5. Maryland (Assembly Hall, December 1, 7:30 PM, ESPN2): Senior guard Greivis Vasquez returns to lead a Terrapin team that went 21-14 a year ago, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and should be among the top 25 teams in the country. The Venezuela native averaged 17.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 5.0 apg as a junior and tested the NBA Draft waters before deciding to return. Besides Vasquez, Gary Williams returns three other starters. It will be the first trip for Maryland to Assembly Hall.

4. Michigan (Crisler Arena, January 14, 9:00 PM, ESPN/ESPN2): Year three of the John Beilein era in Ann Arbor could find the Wolverines square in the middle of the Big Ten race with Michigan State and Purdue. After winning one game in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, Beilein has the pieces in place to make a run deeper into March. The one-two punch of guard Manny Harris and forward DeShawn Sims is arguably the best in the conference and the supporting cast is strong with guards Laval Lucas-Perry, Stu Douglass and Zack Novak all returning.

3. Michigan State (Assembly Hall, February 16, 7:00 PM, ESPN): The Spartans knocked off a pair of No. 1 seeds in Connecticut and Louisville a year ago before falling to North Carolina in the national championship. Forward Goran Suton and guard Travis Walton are both gone, but Kalin Lucas returns as the front runner for Big Ten Player of the Year. Sprinkle in a healthy Delvon Roe with wings Durrell Summers and Chris Allen and the Spartans could be looking at Tom Izzo’s sixth Final Four appearance.

2. Kentucky (Assembly Hall, December 12, 12:00 PM, CBS): The Billy Gillispie era was short lived in Lexington and the Wildcats swung for the fences by hiring former Memphis coach John Calipari. The move paid immediate dividends as Calipari brought in the nation’s top recruiting class, highlighted by point guard John Wall and forward DeMarcus Cousins. Jodie Meeks opted for the NBA Draft, but forward Patrick Patterson returns to anchor the front court with Cousins and freshman Daniel Orton. Kentucky will be a consensus top five team nationally, but are there enough basketball’s to keep everybody happy?

1. Purdue (Mackey Arena, March 2/3/4, TBA, TBA): The rivalry between Indiana and Purdue will only become more heated as Tom Crean and Matt Painter battle for in-state recruits to build their programs. The Boilermakers figure to be in the race for the Big Ten regular season title and this late season test on the road could be the toughest of all for a young Indiana team. E’Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel and JuJuan Johnson should all compete for first team All-Big Ten honors and Chris Kramer returns for his final season in West Lafayette.

Just missed the cut: Ole Miss (Puerto Rico Coliseum, November 19, 5:00 PM, ESPN2); Pittsburgh (Madison Square Garden, December 8, 9:00 PM, ESPN); Ohio State (Value City Arena, January 6, 8:30 PM, BTN); Illinois (Assembly Hall, January 30, 2:00 PM, ESPN/ESPN2).