Five-star Lyle headlines visitors at IU game

Five-star 2014 guard JaQuan Lyle headlined the list of recruiting targets at Assembly Hall Tuesday night as top-ranked Indiana rolled No. 14 North Carolina 83-59.

The 6-foot-4 guard from Evansville (IN) Bosse was making his second trip to IU this season. Ranked 16th in the 2014 class, Lyle also was on hand for Indiana's Hoosier Hysteria.

Lyle was joined by another top-50 2014 prospect in Park Tudor small forward Trevon Bluiett. Bluiett's Park Tudor teammate 6-foot-8 freshman (2016) Joey Brunk was also at the game. Lyle and Bluiett play on the same AAU team, Spiece Indy Heat.

Bronson Kessinger, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Corydon (IN), was on hand. It is at least Kessinger's fourth unofficial visit to IU. He also attended Hoosier Hysteria.

Indiana 2013 signee Devin Davis was at the game. Davis and Warren Central open their high school Friday against fellow IU recruit Collin Hartman and Cathedral.

FUTURE SCHEDULING

With Indiana expected to be on the road next year for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, IU coach Tom Crean said he'd like to add a marquee non-conference home game.

Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich this fall proposed home-and-home series with Indiana in all sports. Louisville coach Rick Pitino, whose team was in Portland the same as IU in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, said he would like to play Indiana.

That could become a moot point as far as basketball is related if Louisville ends up in the ACC and a part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Another potential opponent that has been mentioned several places is Kansas.

Crean was asked if there's a chance the IU-Kentucky series could resume next season.

"I think that ship has sailed," Crean said. He added that IU is willing to play Kentucky under the condition of its final proposal, which was a combination of neutral site games - which UK prefers - and home and home - with is IU's choice.

HONORED

Crean opened his postgame press conference by mentioning Bill Buher, a long-time scorer's table worker at IU who died recently of cancer.

Buher missed IU's second game of the season, was back for the third game against Sam Houston State, but wasn't at Assembly Hall Sunday against Ball State.

"When he was back for the Sam Houston State game, I said, 'Man, we missed you," Crean said. "He said, 'Yeah, this is where I need to be.' Then he wasn't there for the Ball State game. … We were making plans this morning to honor him as an honorary captain, either before the next game or the game after, and he never got to tonight. … It doesn't matter if he's never scored a basket at Indiana, he's a part of Indiana."

MOVING ON

Former IU standout Chris Reynolds was honored in a pregame ceremony. Reynolds, co-captain of the 1992-93 Big Ten championship squad and a key member of the 1992 Final Four squad, is in his ninth season as an IU administrator.

After serving as a senior associate athletic director, Reynolds is taking a position as deputy AD at Northwestern.

"Chris has been a fixture at Indiana for a long time," Crean said. "I knew him from Michigan State when I was at Michigan State and he was at Michigan State. He has been in the foxhole with us since the first day we got here, and it was not easy. We're going to miss him, and that's why we honored him tonight."

BIG DAY FOR THE ZELLERS

Tuesday was a big day for the Zeller family.

Their two oldest sons, Luke and Tyler, played in the same NBA game, and Cody Zeller scored a game-high 20 points in marquee matchup in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, leading IU past Tyler's former team, North Carolina.

Tyler Zeller had two points and two rebounds for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who fell 91-78 to the Phoenix Suns. Luke Zeller had one rebound for the Suns.

Steve and Lorri Zeller were in attendance at the IU-UNC game.

NOTES

Crean said IU has started using a stopwatch in practice to see how quickly it gets a shot on a fast break. … Students camped out Monday night to be first in line for the IU-UNC game. … Indiana shot only 12 free throws against UNC, the Hoosiers fewest since shooting the same number Jan. 4, 2011 in a 67-63 loss to Minnesota. Only three IU players went to the line. Zeller was 4-for-6, Victor Oladipo 3-for-4, and Yogi Ferrell 2-for-2.