(IUPUI SI)
INDIANAPOLIS - The IUPUI basketball team will open a four-game homestand this week, beginning with back-to-back games with Wright State on Friday (Jan. 22) and Saturday (Jan. 23). Both games will tip at noon inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum and be broadcast on ESPN3 as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Hall of Famer Bob Lovell (analyst) call the action.
It'll mark IUPUI's second and third games inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum as the Jaguars defeated Tennessee State in their season opener back on Dec. 12.
On the court, it's a good time to be a Jaguar as IUPUI (3-4, 2-4 HL) is coming off a two-game road sweep at Northern Kentucky last week. The Jags edged the Norse in both contests, defeating NKU 74-69 on Friday and 65-63 on Saturday. Senior Marcus Burk shouldered the offensive load, averaging 25 points, four rebounds and four steals per game while shooting 69 percent from three-point range in the two victories. Senior Jaylen Minnett contributed 18 points per game in the two contests and crossed the 1,200 mark in his IUPUI career.
The Jags used three key categories to knock off Northern Kentucky last week, shooting 42 percent from three-point range and averaging 17 second chance points per game in the series. In addition, the Jags made a concerted effort to get out in transition, outscoring NKU 31-4 in fast break points in the two-game series. For the year, IUPUI leads the Horizon League and ranks No. 25 in the country in turnovers forced as opponents commit 17 miscues per game.
Burk, coming off back-to-back 20+ scoring games, continues to lead the Jaguars in scoring at 17.9 points per game, while Minnett checks in at 13.5 points per contest. A third senior, Elyjah Goss, checks in at 8.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Newcomers Bobby Harvey (7.3 ppg) and Azariah Seay (7.0 ppg) give the Jaguars depth on the wings and sophomore point guard Mike DePersia ranks among the Horizon League's best in assists (3.7 apg) and assist-to-turnover (2.36 a/to) ratio.
IUPUI has struggled with Wright State, going 3-15 all-time against the Raiders, including having lost the last five games in the all-time series. WSU (9-4, 7-3 HL) won seven-in-a-row earlier this season and features a balanced attack. Tanner Holden (17.1 ppg), Loudon Love (14.6 ppg, 10.4 rpg), Grant Basile (12.4 ppg) and Tim Finke (10.2 ppg) all average in double-digits as Wright State ranks among the Horizon League leaders in both scoring offense (79.2 ppg) and scoring defense (64.8 ppg). WSU bullies opponents on the glass, outrebounding their opponents by more than nine rebounds per contest.
OPENING TIPS (notes about this week's series with WSU / click here to read the full game notes)
IUPUI is coming off an impressive week in which it posted back-to-back road wins at Northern Kentucky last Friday (74-69) and Saturday (65-63). IUPUI , which had never won in Highland Heights, edged past the Norse on both nights, as NKU entered the week 5-1 this season at home. Senior Marcus Burk made a compelling case for #HLMBB Player of the Week, averaging 25.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor and 69 percent (9-of-13) from three-point range. Burk had a season-high 27 points (10-21 FG, 6-7 3's) in the Friday night win and followed with 23 points (9-15 FG, 3-6 3's), six rebounds and a career-high six steals on Saturday.
Senior Jaylen Minnett is rounding into form, averaging 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in the Jaguars two wins at NKU. Minnett shot 43 percent from the field and connected on four treys in the two wins.
Sophomore Nathan McClure moved into the starting lineup at NKU and made an immediate impact. In addition to scoring the Jags first bucket in both games, McClure averaged 5.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in the two wins. McClure shot 50 percent from the floor and played 18.5 minutes per contest.
IUPUI is 8-3 under head coach Byron Rimm when holding opponents to 69 points or fewer. The Jags are currently third in the Horizon League in scoring defense (69.6 ppg) and force a league-high 17 turnovers per game, ranking No. 25 nationally in that category.
After leading the Horizon League in rebounding last season, senior Elyjah Goss is seemingly up for an encore as he ranks third in the Horizon and No. 20 natoinally in the category this year at 10.1/game. The ultimate possession finisher, Goss ranks No. 14 nationally and tops in the league at 7.6 defensive rebounds per game. He has grabbed double-digit boards in four of the Jaguars' seven contests, including a season-high 16 in the opener against Tennessee State. For his career, Goss has moved to No. 2 on IUPUI's all-time list, having grabbed 742 career boards. Goss already owns IUPUI's single-game (21) and single-season (369) rebounding records.
SWEET SWEEP
The Jaguars are coming off a two-game sweep at Northern Kentucky, which was remarkable on a number of levels. IUPUI was 0-6 all-time at NKU entering the week and NKU was 5-1 this season inside BB&T Arena.
Friday's win marked the first time under head coach Byron Rimm that the Jaguars overcame a halftime deficit and it also marked the first time in the past two years the Jags won, despite allowing the opposition to shoot 50 percent or better from the field.
Senior Marcus Burk averaged 25 points and shot 69 percent from three-point range in the sweep and Jaylen Minnett averaged 18 points per game in the two-game set.
Both games were incredibly tight throughout as neither side led by more than six points in either of the two contests.
WHAT WERE THE KEYS...
There were some clearcut keys to the Jaguars' success at NKU and Coach Rimm is hopeful that they'll become recurring keys to his team's success going forward.
THREE-POINT SHOOTING: IUPUI made 20 threes in the two-game set and connected at a 41.7 percent clip. Burk (9-of-13) from the primary marksman, but far from a solo actor. Jaylen Minnett (4-of-17), Bobby Harvey (3-of-7) and Azariah Seay (2-of-5) also made key shots during the wins. The Jaguars entered the week shooting just 29.1 percent from three-point range and making just 6.8 threes per game.
SECOND CHANCE POINTS: IUPUI scored just 32 second chance points in the season's first five games (6.4 ppg), but tallied 34 second chance points in the NKU series. Amazingly, IUPUI scored the 34 points on the strength of 23 rebounds.
FAST BREAK POINTS: While IUPUI ranks among the nation's elite in terms of forcing turnovers (17.0 to/gm), the Jags did a better job of getting out and converting the turnovers last week. IUPUI outscored NKU 31-4 in fast break points in the two games combined, including a 14-0 margin in the Friday night victory.
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 8-3 (.727) and 2-26 (.071) 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 currently leads the Horizon League and ranks No. 7 in the country with 2.71 steals per game and has routinely drawn the assignment of guarding the opposition's best wing players.
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. Burk averaged 21.3 points per game last year and drained 93 3's in his first year with the program.
Burk scored in double-digits in 29 of his 32 games last season, including hitting for 20-or-more 19 times. He topped 30 points on four different occasions, highlighted by a career-high 39 points in an overtime win at Oakland last season.
With Burk returning, it marks the first time IUPUI's top scorer from a season ago returned since Darell Combs returned in 2016-17 after leading the Jags in scoring at 16.3 points per game in 2015-16. Combs upped his output to 16.8 points per game as a senior in 2016-17.
Including his two years at Campbell before coming to IUPUI, Burk has totaled 1,583 points (No 21 among active D1 players) and 268 threes made (No. 8 among active D1 players) in his collegiate career.
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.
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 1,221 career points, ranking No. 14 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. Given his track record, he should move into the top 10 in career points midway through this unusual season. Below is a snippet of the program's all-time leading scorers and where Minnett sits.
10.) 1,373 Ron Angevine 1979-83
11.) 1,340 Don Carlisle 1997-01
12.) 1,319 Brandon Cole 2002-06
13.) 1,247 Eric McKay 1982-85
14.) 1,221 Jaylen Minnett 2017-pr. 15.) 1,182 Charles Price 1997-02
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 257 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.) active streak 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
CENTURY CLUB
Last Friday's game at Northern Kentucky was the 100th career game for Jaylen Minnett while Saturday's game was the 100th career appearance for Elyjah Goss.
TWO-HEADED MONSTER
The Jaguars' point guard duo of Mike DePersia (4.0 ppg, 3.7 apg) and Bakari LaStrap (3.4 ppg, 2.0 apg) have been formidable to start the season, having combined to deliver 40 assists against just 19 turnovers (2.11 a/to ratio). The pair combines to play 38.4 minutes per game while averaging 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game - all-conference caliber lead guard numbers.
DePersia ranks third in the Horizon League in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.36 (26/11).
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. 21 in all of college basketball with 1,583 career points (807 in an IUPUI uniform). Burk also ranks eighth among active D1 players, having made 268 three-point field goals (110 in an IUPUI uniform).
Senior Jaylen Minnett ranks 12th among Division I players by having made 257 three-point field goals in his IUPUI career.
Senior Elyjah Goss ranks No. 17 among all active Division I players by having grabbed 742 career rebounds.
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