James Blackmon only played 13 games as a sophomore. Indiana was 10-3 in those games and unranked when the 6-foot-4 guard went down. So when the Hoosiers subsequently became awesome and won the Big Ten title outright, some folks suggested Blackmon's injury might've been a so-called blessing in disguise.
I'm not here to argue whether that's true or false.
I'm just here to note that Blackmon has been great this season.
The in-state product has led Indiana in scoring all three games and is averaging 23.0 points. He's shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 51.9 percent from 3-point range. And that's among the reasons why Indiana is undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the CBS Sports Top 25 (and one).
The complete Top 25 (and one) is below.
Biggest Movers
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Malik Monk made seven 3-pointers and finished with 23 points in Tuesday's win over Michigan State. The Wildcats have won their three games by an average of 26.7 points. | -- | 23-10 |
| 2 |  | Josh Hart scored 30 points on 14 shots in Friday's win over Wake Forest. He's shooting 47.4 percent from 3-point range. | -- | 18-16 |
| 3 |  | James Blackmon finished with 20 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's win over Liberty. He's shooting 51.9 percent from 3-point range. | -- | 19-14 |
| 4 |  | Frank Mason's 18 points Friday led Kansas past Siena. He's averaging 23.0 points, 5.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds. | -- | 23-11 |
| 5 |  | Amile Jefferson got 16 points and 16 rebounds in Saturday's win over Penn State. Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden still haven't played for the Blue Devils. | -- | 27-9 |
| 6 |  | J.P. Macura finished with 28 points in Friday's win over Clemson. He's averaging a team-high 19.5 points and 4.3 assists. | -- | 16-18 |
| 7 |  | Kennedy Meeks got 13 points and seven rebounds in Friday's win over Hawaii. He's averaging a double-double of 12.8 points and 10.0 rebounds. | -- | 29-8 |
| 8 |  | The Cavaliers dismissed Austin Nichols from the program Friday night. His Virginia career lasted one game. | -- | 23-11 |
| 9 |  | Lonzo Ball is averaging 15.0 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds for the undefeated Bruins. He was one of six UCLA players to reach double-figures in Thursday's win over San Diego. | -- | 16-17 |
| 10 |  | Jock Landale made six of the eight shots he took and finished with 15 points in Saturday's win at Dayton. The junior center is averaging 20.3 points per game. | -- | 26-8 |
| 11 |  | Missouri transfer Johnathan Williams got 20 points on nine shots in Friday's win over Bryant. He's averaging 10.0 points and 6.7 rebounds. | -- | 27-8 |
| 12 |  | Jaylen Johnson scored 14 points in 18 minutes in Thursday's win over Long Beach State. He's averaging 15.3 points this season. | -- | 8-24 |
| 13 |  | The Longhorns made 11 3-pointers in Thursday's win over Eastern Washington. Sophomore Tevin Mack had a team-high 19 points. | -- | 21-13 |
| 14 |  | Lauri Markkanen got a team-high 22 points in Friday's win over Sacred Heart. The freshman forward is averaging 20.3 points and 6.7 rebounds. | -- | 27-9 |
| 15 |  | Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster made four 3-pointers in Friday's win over Washington State. He's averaging 16.7 points and shooting 57.9 percent from beyond the arc. Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster led all scorers with 19 points in Friday's win over UMKC. Maurice Watson added 17 points and nine assists. | -- | 25-10 |
| 16 |  | Nigel Hayes missed seven of the eight shots he took in Thursday's win over Chicago State. The Badgers won easily despite shooting just 26.3 percent from beyond the arc. | -- | 22-14 |
| 17 |  | Miami transfer Manu Lecomte's 19 points and four assists Friday pushed Baylor past Florida Gulf Coast. He's averaging 16.7 points and 7.0 assists. | -- | 24-11 |
| 18 |  | Chris Boucher got 25 points in Thursday's win over Valpo. The Ducks are still waiting on the season-debut of Dillon Brooks. | -- | 24-12 |
| 19 |  | Freshman Miles Bridges finished with 24 points in Friday's win over Mississippi Valley State. He's averaging a team-high 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds. | -- | 20-15 |
| 20 |  | Kuran Iverson finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's win over Cincinnati. The Rams won despite the loss of Jarvis Garrett to injury in the first half. | -- | 12-20 |
| 21 |  | Caleb Swanigan's 19 points and 11 rebounds Friday led Purdue past Georgia State. He's averaging 20.7 points and 13.0 rebounds. | -- | 34-5 |
| 22 |  | Nebraska transfer Andrew White got 18 points in Friday's win over Monmouth. Taurean Thompson added 12 points off of the bench. | -- | 20-12 |
| 23 |  | Former Memphis signee Charlie Moore scored 38 points in Wednesday's win over UC Irvine. Ivan Rabb did not play in the game. | -- | 13-19 |
| 24 |  | Deonte Burton finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds in Monday's win over Mount St. Mary's. Monte Morris added 18 points and three assists. | -- | 29-8 |
| 25 |  | The Mountaineers forced Mississippi Valley State into 26 turnovers Monday. Five different West Virginia players reached double-figures in points in the 41-point win. | -- | 9-23 |
| 26 |  | Markus McDuffie got 18 points on nine shots in Wednesday's win over Tulsa. Darral Willis added 16 points and seven rebounds. | -- | 15-19 |
