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Last updated on Friday, December 14, 2012
(Indianapolis, IN) - Four of Indiana’s most visible programs will be featured tomorrow during the second-annual Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The undefeated Indiana Hoosiers will play the Butler Bulldogs in the first game of the afternoon double-header, and the twenty-second ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish will battle the Purdue Boilermakers in game number two.
The Hoosiers have maintained their preseason number-one ranking by winning all nine of their games by ten points or more and have given opponents a matchup nightmare with seven-foot post player Cody Zeller.
One of the nation's most coveted prospects two years ago, Zeller is averaging just over fifteen points and nine rebounds in his Sophomore season.
The Hoosiers also deploy a number of sharpshooters, in which underdog Butler will try and counter with Arkansas transfer Rotnei Clark and freshman Kellen Dunham.
Clark is averaging 17 points-per-game for the 7-2 Bulldogs and both players made large contributions to an 82-71 win over then ranked number-nine North Carolina in the Maui Invitational.
The two teams met in Bloomington last year, with Indiana topping the Bulldogs 75-59 at Assembly Hall. Tipoff tomorrow is at 2:00.
The Fighting Irish resurfaced in the top-25 after compiling a six game winning streak, including an emphatic 64-50 win over then-ranked number eight Kentucky two weeks ago.
Jack Cooley has done well for 8-1 Notre Dame in controlling the paint and is eighth in the nation in rebounds in averaging 11 boards a game. Purdue has stumbled to a 4-5 record but are also strong on the boards, ranking in the top-25 nationally in all major rebounding categories.
D-J Byrd has been inconsistent in filling the scoring void left by E'Twaun Moore at the guard position and has netted just four points in his last three games combined.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2004 and only the second meeting for the in-state rivals since 1966. Tipoff is at 4:00.
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