Hoosiers in elite company after 11-0 start

It might not even be two months into the regular season but this year’s IU basketball team shares something in common with the perfect 1975-1976 Hoosiers.

Thanks to 27 assists on 35 made field goals, No. 17 IU moved to 11-0 on the season for the first time since '75-76 with a 107-50 win Monday evening over Howard (3-9).

The 27 assists, compared to just eight turnovers, are the most IU has had since 2005.

“That’s one of the recipes of greatness is sharing the ball,” Jones said. “I think that’s a testament to our team this year, which has been different in the past, is that we get excited when other guys do well.”

The 11,111 in attendance at Assembly Hall watched the Hoosiers hit nine first half three-pointers and the 107 points scored is the most by an IU team since March 12, 1996.

Leading six IU players in double figures was junior guard Jordan Hulls and his 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range.

IU had seven players hit a three-pointer highlighted by a left-handed one by the right-handed Hulls as the shot clock was expiring late in the first half.

The off-balance three-pointer by Hulls brought a wry smile from the Bloomington native and something that impressed even his teammates.

“When we’re shooting around (in practice) he always does stuff like that and we are just like ‘what are you doing?’ Jones said. “But what you guys don’t know is he is practicing for games like this with trick shots.”

Hulls and Jones have both handled the point guard duties through the early part of the season and the two combined for 11 assists and three turnovers against the Bison. Beneficiaries of the two guards vision Monday night were Cody Zeller and Christian Watford, who combined for 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

“It’s one of the things that we’ve grown to have and having guys like that, it always helps big guys like me and Cody,” Watford said. “They put us in the right spots and all we have to do is convert the basket.”

Any chance for a second half let down was nowhere to be found as IU assisted on its first 10 field goals following intermission.

With the lead growing to 40 and 50 points in the second half, everyone got involved as all 16 players logged at least two minutes of playing time. The bench contributed 47 points on 15-of-20 shooting led by freshman Remy Abell’s nine points and five assists in 14 minutes.

“That’s impressive,” Crean said of the bench’s performance. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been around a team that was 15-of-20 off the bench.”

The Hoosiers will have one more non-conference game before Big Ten play with University Maryland, Baltimore County heading to Bloomington on Thursday for a 6 p.m. tip.

In the past three years, the Hoosiers have lost their final game before Christmas and while their minds remain focused on Thursday, even their coach reminisced about joining college basketball’s only undefeated team.

“They were ready to play, excited to play and they wanted to join some elite company, there’s no way around that,” Crean said. “When there’s only a few teams in this illustrious history of this program that have started 11-0, they wanted to join that and I’m proud of that.”