IU will be forced to begin its conference season against Rutgers without one of its best players, James Blackmon Jr.
The sophomore guard injured his knee in practice this week, IU announced Wednesday. Blackmon Jr. averaged 15.8 points a game so far this season. He is undergoing further evaluation to determine the extent of the injury.
Junior forward Collin Hartman will start in place of Blackmon Jr, according to IU Coach Tom Crean's pregame radio show. This will be Hartman's fifth time starting this season.
Blackmon Jr. has started 12 of 13 games this season for the Hoosiers, the one exception being against St. Johns during the Maui Invitational when IU Coach Tom Crean also benched junior forward Troy Williams.
The Hoosiers tip off at 1 p.m. today against Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Michael Hughes
