Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin was named the Jap Convention Rookie of the Month for video games performed within the months of October and November. As a result of the NBA season started midway by October, the months are mixed for award functions.
Mathurin was terrific to open the season for Indiana. Within the video games he performed throughout October and November, the sixth total decide averaged 19.2 factors in addition to 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per sport. The Pacers went 12-9 in that span and have been fourth within the Jap Convention standings when the month ended. Mathurin’s play was a giant issue within the group’s success.
The 20-year outdated guard is the present chief within the Rookie of the 12 months race and sits on prime of the NBA’s rookie ladder. He has been particular to begin the season, and he might even be within the combine for the league’s Sixth Man of the 12 months award as properly if he retains up his present output for an entire season.
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Mathurin had a number of enormous outings throughout the month-and-a-half interval, together with a 32-point evening in Brooklyn, two video games with over 25 factors in his first three appearances, and a 30-point outburst — together with 18 in simply the second quarter — towards the Denver Nuggets. He can already rating at a excessive degree.
“He is a strong-willed man who’s a nasty competitor that may actually rating. And he is getting higher and higher,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle mentioned of Mathruin this week.
Fittingly, Pacers reserve rookie Andrew Nembhard was a nominee for the award as properly. He was the one second-round decide to be nominated in both convention.
Past the award for Rookie of the Month, the Pacers obtained recognition for his or her sturdy begin elsewhere. Carlisle, for example, was a nominee for the Jap Convention Coach of the Month after guiding his group to a top-four report within the East to start the marketing campaign. Boston’s Joe Mazzulla gained the award whereas the opposite two coaches close to the highest of the convention, Cleveland’s J.B. Bickerstaff and Milwaukee’s Mike Budenholzer, have been additionally nominated.
On the participant entrance, it is no shock that the NBA’s present chief within the MVP ladder, Jayson Tatum, gained Jap Convention Participant of the Month. The Celtics went 18-4 and he averaged almost 32 factors per sport. The Pacers had two nominees for the award in Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner.
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Turner had maybe the most effective month of his profession in November. He averaged 18.1 factors, 8.6 rebounds, and a couple of.4 blocks per sport throughout the month, and the Pacers went 9-4. He was dominant and a giant a part of Indiana’s success, and he was nominated for the Convention Participant of the Week award 3 times throughout the month.
“I really like his consistency,” Carlisle mentioned of Turner earlier this season.
Haliburton, in the meantime, truly gained a Participant of the Week award in November and is off to a wonderful begin this season. He averaged 19.3 factors and a league-leading 11.2 assists per sport within the opening portion of the season, which led to him being nominated for Participant of the Month. The Pacers offense is almost three factors per 100 possessions higher with Haliburton on the courtroom than off this season.
Indiana at present sits at 12-10 and is in the course of a seven-game highway journey. They subsequent tackle the Portland Path Blazers on Sunday evening.
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After more than a week since its last game, Indiana returns to action Sunday against Winthrop at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
This marks the Hoosiers’ last of 11 nonconference games before resuming Big Ten play on Jan. 2 for the remainder of the regular season. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
Indiana most recently defeated Chattanooga 74-65 on Dec. 21 in Bloomington, where Mackenzie Mgbako and Malik Reneau scored a team-high 14 points apiece. Following the win, coach Mike Woodson said the team would have a few days off before resuming practice on Thursday evening. Indiana enters Sunday’s game with a 9-3 record and a desire to clean up recent defensive shortcomings.
“Definitely the defensive side is the side we need to focus on the most and keep working at that and getting better,” Reneau said after the Chattanooga game. “But I feel like this break will help us out and clear our minds and we’ll come back ready to work and get ready for Big Ten play.”
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Here’s a full breakdown of the Winthrop Eagles.
Key players
Winthrop Eagles forward Kelton Talford (4) drives against South Carolina Gamecocks guard Myles Stute (10) at Colonial Life Arena. / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Key departures
2024-25 schedule (10-4)
Head coach: Mark Prosser
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Prosser has a 65-45 overall record and a 32-18 record in Big South play in his fourth season at Winthrop. In Prosser’s first season, the Eagles won the Big South south division title with a 14-2 conference record, but they finished in fourth place the following two seasons. Before his head coaching stint at Winthrop, Prosser coached Western Carolina for three seasons, going 37-53 overall and 18-35 in the Southern Conference. He was also an assistant coach at Winthrop from 2012-18, following one season as Brevard College’s head coach. Previous jobs include assistant coaching positions at Wofford and Bucknell. He played at Marist from 1998-99, then became a student assistant after an injury. Prosser, 46, was born in Wheeling, W.V.
Strengths
Winthrop has benefited from continuity, which has become rare in today’s era of college basketball. Its four leading scorers from last year returned, and they’re leading the Eagles in scoring again this season, averaging double-digit points. All four are seniors in at least their second seasons at Winthrop under Prosser.
That core includes a pair of 6-foot-7 forwards, Kelton Talford and K.J. Doucet. Both are efficient scorers, shooting over 55% from the field. Talford is the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading shot blocker. He leads the Big South with 52 offensive rebounds and 101 free throw attempts. Indiana will have to keep him off the glass and foul line. Doucet can stretch the floor at 41.7% from 3-point range, creating a dynamic one-two punch in the front court.
Guards Kasen Harrison and Nick Johnson round out Winthrop’s veteran quartet. Harrison does the vast majority of scoring from 2-point range, and he’s the team’s assist leader at 3.3 per game. Johnson is fourth on the team in scoring, but he’s plenty capable at 11 points per game. He led the Eagles with 22 points on 7-for-11 shooting in their most recent win over Mercer.
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As a team, Winthrop ranks 17th nationally at 87.2 points per game and plays at the nation’s fifth-fastest tempo. The Eagles lead the nation with 32.1 free throw attempts per game. nationally. Indiana has struggled to rebound the ball in a few games this year, and it faces a formidable challenge in that area Sunday against a Winthrop team that ranks 17th nationally with 41.9 rebounds per game. Winthrop also averages 8.9 steals and has an opponent turnover percentage of 21.7%, 33rd in the country, placing an emphasis on Indiana taking care of the ball.
Winthrop Eagles guard Nick Johnson (10) dribbles against Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Weaknesses
Indiana’s significant height advantage could offset the effectiveness of the 6-foot-7 duo of Talford and Doucet. Both players are having good seasons, but they haven’t faced a front court trio quite like Indiana’s 7-foot center Oumar Ballo and 6-foot-9 forwards Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako. Winthrop’s leading shot blocker is 6-foot-10 center Tai Hamilton, but he plays just 9.9 minutes per game. Lacking height and shot blockers inside, Winthrop may have to play Hamilton more than usual.
Though Winthrop is among the nation’s top-20 in scoring average, it has not been efficient. The Eagles shoot just 30.9% from 3-point range, which ranks 297th nationally. They get to the free throw line more than anyone, but they haven’t taken advantage of that as they shoot just 66.8% from the line, 302nd nationally. Baker and Jones lead the team with 30 and 25 3-pointers made, respectively, but both shoot below 35% from beyond the arc.
Winthrop Eagles head coach Mark Prosser speaks with guard Kasen Harrison (11) at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati. / Carter Skaggs/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Season and game outlook
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Winthrop was picked to finish second in the preseason Big South poll and received one first-place vote. The Eagles rank 184th overall on KenPom, ninth-best out of Indiana’s 13th opponents this season. They should be in the mix for a Big South title in Prosser’s fourth.
Indiana is predicted to win Sunday’s game 89-74 and is given a 92% chance of victory by KenPom. The Hoosiers’ defense has struggled in several games this season, and they’ll have to be sharp to slow down a fast-paced, high-scoring – though not particularly efficient – Winthrop offense. It’s a game Indiana should win comfortably in its final tune-up before facing Big Ten opponents the rest of the way.
Wisconsin Badgers (10-2, 1-0 Big Ten) at Indiana Hoosiers (9-3, 1-0 Big Ten)
Bloomington, Indiana; Saturday, 2 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Indiana takes on Wisconsin after Shay Ciezki scored 20 points in Indiana’s 90-55 victory over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
The Hoosiers have gone 6-1 in home games. Indiana averages 72.0 points and has outscored opponents by 10.2 points per game.
The Badgers are 1-0 against Big Ten opponents. Wisconsin is 2-0 in one-possession games.
Indiana scores 72.0 points, 10.6 more per game than the 61.4 Wisconsin gives up. Wisconsin scores 8.0 more points per game (69.8) than Indiana allows to opponents (61.8).
The Hoosiers and Badgers match up Saturday for the first time in conference play this season.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Yarden Garzon is shooting 41.4% and averaging 14.2 points for the Hoosiers.
Serah Williams is scoring 20.0 points per game and averaging 12.3 rebounds for the Badgers.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hoosiers: 8-2, averaging 71.4 points, 30.8 rebounds, 16.7 assists, 6.2 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 61.0 points per game.
Badgers: 8-2, averaging 66.4 points, 33.6 rebounds, 15.3 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 60.8 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A northern Indiana couple found a million-dollar Powerball ticket on Christmas Day in between the seats of their car.
The couple on Thursday drove from their home in Kendallville to the downtown Indianapolis Hoosier Lottery office to claim their prize five hours before their ticket expired.
“It was an emotional day for the both of us,” the couple told the Hoosier Lottery in a press release, which did not identify the pair.
The couple purchased the ticket at the Kendallville Finish Line convenience store located at 620 Professional Way in Kendallville.
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The lottery says, after the couple learned the million dollars was unclaimed, they began their search.
The ticket matched all five numbers from the June 29 drawing.
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