For the sixth straight year, state of Indiana college basketball powerhouses Purdue, Notre Dame, Butler and Indiana will head to Indianapolis for the Crossroads Classic doubleheader at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Crossroads Classic 2016: Start times, TV schedule, live stream for Notre Dame vs. Purdue, Indiana vs. Butler
Once again, Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame and Butler will gather together in Indianapolis for a beautiful day of Hoosier hoops.
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The event is especially meaningful for Purdue, which enters the weekend with a top 15 national ranking, but an 0-5 all-time record in the Crossroads Classic. Butler owns the best overall record of any team in the event at 4-1, while Indiana and Notre Dame have both won three and lost two.
No. 21 Notre Dame (9-1) vs. No. 15 Purdue (8-2)
Sometimes the shots don’t fall and you get edged out. Three things: https://t.co/Oxk2xz4T7I
— CHRISTMAS QUARRY (@crimsonquarry) December 18, 2016
Date: Dec. 17
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse: Indianapolis, IN
TV: ESPN2
Stream: WatchESPN
The first game of the double-header features a great contrast in styles. On one side there’s Notre Dame with its quick guards, undersized front-court and up-tempo pace. On the other it’s Purdue and it’s massive frontline and halfcourt-minded attack.
Led by sophomore power forward Caleb Swanigan (15.9 points, 11.2 rebounds) and by 7'2 center Isaac Haas (14.8 points, 5.3 rebounds), the Boilermakers feel good about breaking their drought in Indianapolis. Matt Painter's team has tasted defeat just twice -- a 3-point loss to No. 1 Villanova and another single-digit loss to No. 11 Louisville -- and has won its last three games by an average of more than 30 points.
Notre Dame, on the other hand, will be back on the court for the first time since suffering its only defeat of the season. The Irish led for the majority of the afternoon last week against Villanova before ultimately falling, 74-66. Mike Brey’s tram features four double figure scorers, with Bonzie Colson and his 16.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game leading the way.
No. 18 Butler (9-1) vs. No. 9 Indiana (8-1)
2016 Crossroads Classic: Purdue 86, Notre Dame 81 @SBNationCBB https://t.co/JfngPEkhuV
— #PurduesOkayestBlog (@HammerAndRails) December 17, 2016
Date: Dec. 17
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse: Indianapolis, IN
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: BTN2Go
The second game of the Crossroads Classic features Indiana and Butler, who will be meeting for the third time in the event. In 2012, the Bulldogs stunned then-No. 1 IU with an 88-86 overtime upset. Two years later, the unranked Hoosiers returned the favor with an 82-73 toppling of the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs.
Like the opener, this contest will also feature a pair of teams with very different mindsets. Indiana currently leads the Big Ten in scoring at 87.6 points per game, while Butler has achieved its 9-1 record thanks mostly to a stifling defense that is surrendering just 62 points per game.
The Hoosier offensive attack figures to be bolstered by the return of sophomore forward OG Anunoby, who has missed IU’s last three games after suffering an ankle injury in the team’s win over North Carolina.
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