LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A legion of legends have sat on the Indiana University bench at Assembly Hall. One of those seats will now be occupied by a Bellarmine University men's basketball icon.

Former All-American Jake Thelen, who two seasons ago led the Knights to the DII NCAA Tournament Final Four, is now a graduate assistant at Indiana under Head Coach Tom Crean and will help coach the Hoosiers when they welcome Bellarmine for an exhibition game at 7 p.m. (ET) on Saturday.

Thelen began his tenure as a graduate assistant at IU in early May after head coaching the junior varsity squad and assisting the varsity at St. Xavier (Ky.) High School, the latter of which won a district championship.

"It has been an unbelievable experience thus far," Thelen said of learning under Crean at the storied program. "I could not think of a better person and coach to work for. His attention to detail is unmatched, and he is always willing to lend a helping hand if need be. Both his preparation in film and on the court and the development of players is something that is truly amazing to watch."

Thelen, who is pursuing a master's degree in sports administration, is responsible for breaking down video, contributing to scouting reports, assisting with individual player workouts, helping in recruiting and doing "whatever else needs to be done." It's as immersive as it sounds.

"It is very hard balancing both basketball and academics, but I have done that all my life, so once I get into a rhythm it is easy for me to keep up with both," Thelen said. "Having a social life is more difficult, but it is worth it being able to work for Coach Crean and be at such an amazing place like Indiana. It is different from being an athlete because there are more things that I am responsible for behind the scenes of the basketball program."

Thelen was front and center at Bellarmine. As a senior in 2014-15, the forward was a consensus All-American and the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year. The native of Edgewood, Kentucky, helped lead the Knights a 31-4 record, a Midwest Regional title and an appearance in the Final Four. He finished his career 16th on the all-time scoring list.

While Thelen said it will be unusual facing off against Bellarmine, he knows he wears the crimson now and not the scarlet.

"I am a competitor and always want to win the game," he said, "but I would also not be here without the help of (Bellarmine) Coach (Scott) Davenport, so I am excited to see them and be fortunate enough to coach against them."

No. 3 Bellarmine opened its three-game exhibition slate Wednesday at Cincinnati. Led by senior guard Rusty Troutman's game-high 20 points, sophomore forward Adam Eberhard's 14 and a highly encouraging 32-26 rebounding edge, the Knights pushed the Bearcats to the final buzzer before falling 64-55.

Indiana played the first of its two exhibitions on Tuesday and defeated Hope College 98-65 at Assembly Hall. Devonte Green led five Hoosiers in double figures with 17 points as the team shot 58.6 percent and sank a dozen 3-pointers. Thelen got a feel for the excitement surrounding No. 11 and five-time national champion IU at the season-opening festivities.

"The fan base is incredible," he said. "For Hoosier Hysteria, there were fans waiting outside all night in line for the event, and we had almost 17,000 people here just to watch a scrimmage."

Bellarmine and Indiana met in an exhibition last season at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers secured a 73-62 victory, but the Knights did outscore them 42-38 in the second half. Thelen would have a point of emphasis for the IU players.

"The main thing would be ball and player movement," he said. "Our heads always have to be watching both the ball and your man because if you turn your head for a second they will get a back cut for a layup."

Thelen continues to maintain relationships with individuals at Bellarmine.

"It is hard to stay in touch a lot because of both mine and the guys' busy schedules," he said, "but we keep in touch every once in a while, and I always wish them nothing but the best."

The Knights hope that's what they'll deliver Saturday against the Hoosiers.

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