Derek Elston News

Indiana University won a basketball game Monday night at Assembly Hall but lost its best player for the season.

Verdell Jones III has been on the floor for the tipoff in 36 of the 39 basketball games he has played at Indiana University.

They have been touted as saviors, they have been called the next great generation, and they are expected to foster the brightest of basketball futures.

I understand what Tom Crean tried to say on his radio show and in his postgame comments about how everyone in the program wants to see this Indiana team turn things around in the worst way.

Prior to Saturday's night game with North Carolina Central, Tom Pritchard had heard his named announced in the starting lineup every game of his Indiana basketball career.

Maurice Creek found the shooting zone -- again. He bombed in three-pointers. Contested, uncontested, tip it to himself, it didn't matter.

Indiana University's last three men's basketball games were against Maryland, Pittsburgh and Kentucky.

INDIANA vs. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL Saturday, Dec. 19 * 8:30 p.m. ET Bloomington, Ind.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Maurice Creek made the most of his first Indiana-Kentucky game Saturday.

A year ago, Kentucky opened the game against Indiana with a 14-0 lead and the annual Border War never even amounted to a fist fight.

Eric Bledsoe scored 23 points and Patrick Patterson had 19 points and 11 rebounds, leading No.

Fourth-ranked Kentucky used an 18-0 run in the second half to break open a close game as they defeated Indiana, 90-73, in front of a sold out Assembly Hall crowd of 17,316. "We are making progress," said IU Coach Tom Crean .

LEXINGTON, Ky. - John Wall was asked on Friday if he was aware that the University of Kentucky's basketball rivalry with Indiana University is among the Wildcats' most heated.

Madison Square Garden isn't so friendly to Pitt anymore. The Panthers fell to Indiana, 74-64, on Tuesday night in the 15th annual Jimmy V Classic for a rare setback in the world's most famous arena.

Greivis Vasquez scored 23 points and Landon Milbourne had 19 points, leading Maryland to an 80-68 victory over Indiana Tuesday night.

Christian Watford and Maurice Creek scored 17 points each Saturday to lead Indiana past Northwestern State 90-72. Jeremiah Rivers dished out 10 assists, and reserves Derek Elston and Devan Dumes also contributed for the Hoosiers , who never trailed in the contest.

After graduating four starters, including Indiana All-Star Derek Elston, it would be easy to assume the Tipton boys basketball team would struggle to adjust.

It's time for a reality check. A year ago, Indiana won its first two games and headed to Maui for three games.

Christian Watford and Tom Crean are on the same page. This is good. Neither are satisfied with his double-double season average of 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Doc Rivers, center, attended Indiana's win against USC-Upstate on Monday. That, in and of itself, is not much of a surprise.