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James Blackmon Jr. out indefinitely with ‘lower leg’ injury

Michigan State v Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, IN - JANUARY 21: James Blackmon Jr. #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers attempts a shot over Alvin Ellis III #3 of the Michigan State Spartans in the first half at Assembly Hall on January 21, 2017 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

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Indiana announced that they will be without James Blackmon Jr. in Sunday’s critical game at Northwestern on Sunday.

“Unfortunately, James Blackmon Jr. sustained a lower leg injury during our game at Michigan this past Thursday night and will be our for an indefinite period of time,” head coach Tom Crean said in a statement released by the program. “As much as this affects our basketball team - as with all of the other injuries this year - it hurts us much more for James. He has been playing at a very high level and this is unfortunate.”

Blackmon has been Indiana’s best player this season, averaging 17.6 points and shooting 43.4 percent from three. He was terrific in Indiana’s biggest wins of the season, over Kansas in Hawai’i, against North Carolina at home, at Penn State and against Michigan State last weekend.

He is the second Indiana star that has gone down with a knee injury. O.G. Anunoby underwent surgery on his right knee following an injury he suffered last week. The Hoosiers have been without Collin Hartman all season long, while Juwan Morgan has been in and out of the lineup with a series of different ailments.

The Hoosiers are 14-7 this season and just 4-4 in the Big Ten.