Game Day Essentials:
Indiana (0-0) vs. Eastern Illinois (0-0)
- Tip Time: 7 p.m. Eastern, Monday
- Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222), Bloomington, Ind.
- Television: BTN Plus — Ian Plaskoff (PxP), Ryan LaPedis (Analyst), Kelsea Wilson (Sideline)
- Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
- Stream: BTN Plus
- Point Spread: Indiana is around a 34.5-point favorite
- KenPom Projected Score: Indiana 87 Eastern Illinois 57
- History: Indiana leads, 3-0.
- Last Meeting: IU 90 EIU 55 on Nov. 10, 2024 in Bloomington
- Tickets (via our StubHub affiliate link)
Eastern Illinois Roster
Marty Simmons Returns to Bloomington
Eastern Illinois head coach Marty Simmons began his collegiate playing career at Indiana under head coach Bob Knight. Simmons played in 54 games with 35 starts during the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons and scored 375 points. He transferred and finished at Evansville where he scored 1,265 points for the Purple Aces.
Simmons is 53-105 in five years at EIU, and 336-352 overall as a head coach.
Eastern Illinois Notes
Eastern Illinois had two players named on the Ohio Valley Conference preseason players to watch list with returning sophomore guard Markus Blackwell and senior transfer Jaden Miller. Blackwell is the Panthers leading returning scorer from last season with four double figure games to his credit. He earned OVC Freshman of the Week honors one time during the season. Miller is a transfer into the EIU program after spending three seasons at East Central University. Last season Miller led the NCAA Division II ranks in assists per game averaging 8.3 per contest with 11 games with double figure assists, including a high of 14 against Oklahoma Baptist.
The Panthers return just four members from last year’s roster. Markus Blackwell and Andrew Austin both played just over 20 games for EIU last season with additional returners JT Elder and Shane Sims limited due to injury. Elder played in just one game against Kentucky last season while Sims missed the entire season. EIU has rebuilt its roster with five transfers from NAIA and NCAA Division II schools along with two junior college products and four high school players.
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