4 Bellarmine Knights (12-1, 4-0) at 3 UIndy Greyhounds (13-0, 5-0)
Thursday, Jan. 15, 7:45 pm ET, Nicoson Hall
live stats  |  video  |  audio  | game notes
TV: HTSN | Radio: 88.7 FM

Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles (10-2, 3-1)* at 3 UIndy Greyhounds (13-0, 5-0)
Saturday, Jan. 17, 3:15 pm ET, Nicoson Hall
live stats  |  video  |  audio  | game notes
Radio: 88.7 FM
_{* as of Jan. 14}

ON TAP
UIndy kicks off a four-game homestand with a top-five showdown Thursday as the undefeated and third-ranked Greyhounds welcome the No. 4 Bellarmine Knights to Nicoson Hall at 7:45 p.m.

The weekend brings another tough match-up when perennial-power Southern Indiana, who was recently receiving votes in the latest coaches poll, comes calling Saturday afternoon at 3:15 p.m.

THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED
Thursday's game featuring two of the top-four ranked teams in Division II will air live on HomeTown Sports & News (HTSN).  HTSN can be seen over-the-air on channel 6.2, and it is available on numerous cable systems in central and southern Indiana.  To find HTSN on your cable or satellite provider, click here.

In additon, the game will be streamed online at theindychannel.com/live-video and on the RTV6 apps for Android, iPhone and iPad. Find the apps here: theindychannel.com/mobile.

ABOUT BELLARMINE
The Knights (12-1, 4-0) enter the week with just one loss on the season - a 101-96 overtime defeat to then-third-ranked Florida Southern Dec. 13.  Since then, Bellarmine has ran off five straight wins, capped by a 62-58 victory at defending-region-champ Drury last Saturday.  All  other wins during the streak were by 17 points or more.

Though the Bellarmine roster sports five double-digit scorers, senior Jake Thelen is Knights' go-to option.  The Edgewood, Ky., native averages a double-double on the season at 17.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest, with the latter number good for tops in the GLVC and 11th in D-II.

Under the leadership of head coach Scott Davenport, Bellarmine has qualified for the NCAA Tournament each of the previous six seasons.  Prior to a first-round exit last year (more on that below), BU advanced to the regional final in 2013 and the Final Four in '12 after winning the national championship in 2011.

GREYHOUNDS vs. KNIGHTS
UIndy versus Bellarmine has become one of the biggest rivalries in college basketball in recent years.  The two have met seven times in the last two seasons, including a whooping four times last year.

Each team defeated a top-five opponent on its home court last season before going on to split neutral-court meetings in the postseason.  Bellarmine knocked off UIndy, 90-74, in the GLVC Tournament quarterfinals Mar. 7, and eight days later, the Hounds bounced the Knights from the Midwest Regional, 80-75, in the opening round.

UIndy and Bellarmine have faced off in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four seasons.

Located just 115 miles from Indianapolis, Bellarmine is the second-most-frequent opponent for UIndy among current GLVC teams, as only Saint Joseph's (100 games) has faced the Hounds more often. Bellarmine holds a 50-43 (.538) edge in the all-time series.

ABOUT SOUTHERN INDIANA
Prior to Thursday's game at Saint Joseph's, the Screaming Eagles (10-2, 3-1) endured just their second loss of the season last Saturday - an 80-59 defeat at Drury.  Their only other blemish came in Bellarmine's Knights Hall Dec. 12 with a neutral-court loss to then-No.3 Florida Southern, 91-80.

USI, the defending GLVC Tournament champ, is averaging 83.0 points per game heading into the week, trailing only UIndy (87.1) and Bellarmine (85.8) in the conference.  The Eagles lead the league in free throw percentage (.760) and rank second in offensive rebounds per night (13.8).

Individually, USI is led in scoring by senior guard Gavin Schumann.  An All-GLVC Defensive Team honoree form last season, Schumann averages 19.1 points per game, good for fourth in the GLVC.

George Edwards is the team's best rebounder (8.6 rpg) and TeNale Roland is the top playmaker (3.7 apg).

GREYHOUNDS vs. SCREAMING EAGLES
USI owns a commanding 53-19 (.746) advantage all-time versus the Greyhounds. The gap is much closer in Indianapolis, however, as USI is 19-15 (.559) on the Nicoson Hall hardwood.

Though USI has won four of the last five meetings, the Hounds managed a 92-67 blowout of the 20th-ranked Eagles in the final match-up last season.  The 25-point margin of victory was the Hounds' largest in the series since 1979, and largest versus any ranked team since a 77-45 rout of No. 20 Saint Joseph's Nov. 26, 2001.  See page 16 for a box score and recap.

LAST TIME OUT
The Hounds recently completed a successful four-game run through the GLVC West, capped by an 88-49 rout at Rockhurst last Saturday.  UIndy raced out to a 20-6 early lead versus the Hawks and did not look back.  Rockhurst's point total was the lowest for a Greyhound opponent this year, while the UIndy's 39-point margin of victory marked a season-high.  See page 11 for a box score and recap.

GLVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lucas Barker was voted the Great Lakes Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week Monday.  The junior point guard recorded a double-double in both road wins last week.  A native of Cranbourne, Australia, Barker averaged 11.5 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds while shooting an even 50 percent from the floor, including 4 for 6 (.667) from downtown.

Thursday night at Jewell, Barker stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block.  He helped the Hounds score the game's first 14 points on the way to an ultimately insurmountable 28-point halftime advantage.
 
Saturday, the 6-foot guard came two boards shy of a triple-double, compiling 12 points, a career-high 13 assists and eight rebounds at Rockhurst.  He also drained three triples and committed just two turnovers, while his 13 dimes - more than the Hawks' entire team total - were the most by a GLVC player this season.

Barker is the third different Greyhound to garner the weekly honor from the league.  No other school has more than one different honoree, though Bellarmine's Jake Thelen is the only two-time winner this season.  Meanwhile, seven of the eight winners hail from the East Division.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Barker wasn't the only Greyhound to record a double-double last week, as senior Brennan McElroy racked up 12 points and 16 rebounds at Rockhurst Saturday.  It marked the third time this year that at least two Hounds turned the trick in the same game.

On the season, three Greyhounds have combined for a GLVC-high 13 double-doubles (McElroy 6, Barker 4, Lawson 3).  Missouri-St. Louis is next with 10 DDs, with nine coming from conference-leader Aareon Smith.  Southern Indiana (7 DDs) and Illinois Springfield (6) are the only other GLVC teams with three players recording double-doubles.

PULLING RANK
Thursday presents UIndy with its third ranked opponent of the season and second top-10 foe.  The Hounds are 2-0 in such match-ups, knocking off ninth-ranked Barry, 78-73, on the road Dec. 16 before dispatching then-No.-19 Drury, 74-57, in Nicoson Hall Jan. 2.

The Barry game represented the only contest to date in which the Hounds have trailed in the second half.  Down 12 points with 16-and-a-half minutes to play, UIndy slowly but surely went to work on the Buccaneer lead.  The Hounds finally took the lead with 3:39 to go when a Jordan Loyd 3-pointer made it 71-69.  The Greyhounds hit 7 of 8 free throw attempts from that point to hold off the host Bucs, including a perfect 6 for 6 effort from Loyd down the stretch.

POLL POSITION
UIndy moved up to No. 3 in the latest NABC/Division II men's basketball rankings, released Tuesday.  Up two spots from last week, the Greyhounds attained their highest position in the weekly coaches poll since earning the No. 3 spot in the final poll of the 1996-97 season.
 
The Hounds climbed up from the fifth spot after former unbeatens Colorado-Colorado Springs and Tarleton State fell last week.  UIndy is now one of only four teams in D-II still with a perfect record this season.  Overall, the Greyhounds have been ranked in the top 10 in 10 of the last 16 NABC polls dating back to last season.  UIndy topped out at No. 4 last year, while its highest-ever ranking came when it spent seven days at No. 1 starting Jan. 28, 1997.

PLAYING THE FIELD
Two of the most accurate shooters in college basketball will be on the same floor Thursday night.  Sporting a .701 career field goal percentage, fifth-year senior Brennan McElroy not only owns the UIndy record in the category, but also leads all active NCAA players (all divisions) in the stat.  Meanwhile, Bellarmine Jake Thelen ranks third on that list with a career mark of .688.

ONE-TWO PUNCH
McElroy and Thelen are key contributors to UIndy and Bellarmine ranking first and second, respectively, in the GLVC in field goal percentage.  The East Division rivals also rank one and two in the conference in field goal percentage defense and assists per game.   Both teams rank in the top three in free throw percentage, while both appear in the top five in steals and blocks.

ASSISTED LIVING
Barker continues to lead all Division II players in assists.  The UIndy point guard and Kentucky Wesleyan transfer averages 8.8 dimes per game, helping the Greyhounds rank second in D-II as a team at 21.6 assists per.

START YOUR ENGINES
UIndy's current 13-0 record is among one of the hottest starts in program history and best since 1996-97.  The previous best start for a Stan Gouard-led team was 12-0 in 2012-13, while the school record for wins to start a season is 18 by the aforementioned 1996-97 club.  Below is a list of the Greyhounds' all-time best starts:
 

RECORD	YEAR
18-0	1996-97
16-0	1941-42
14-0	1933-34
13-0	2014-15
12-0	1937-38
12-0	2003-04
12-0	2012-13
10-0	1932-33
9-0	2013-14