Candy Stripe Scoop: And So It Begins for Indiana (Week One)
TJ Inman
Host · Writer
What: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers
Where: Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
When: Monday, November 2 at 7:00
How to Watch: BTN+
Opponent Glance: The head coach for Eastern Illinois is a man that most IU fans will be very familiar with. Marty Simmons returns to Assembly Hall. This is far from the first time he’s been back after beginning his career as a player for Bob Knight before transferring to Evansville. Several Panthers hail from Indiana and will feature in tonight’s contest: Shane Sims, Gavin Welch and freshman Ethan Hillsman. The main force for the Panthers will be Jaden Miller. The 6’1” point guard transferred from Division II after averaging 8.3 assists per game and getting several triple-doubles a season ago. He’s the straw that stirs the drink for EIU and the Hoosiers will need to overwhelm him with ball pressure and make it impossible for him to get comfortable in this contest.
In general, Eastern Illinois does not project to be a strong offensive unit. They don’t have any proven Division 1 scoring threats and Simmons typically doesn’t field great offensive squads. The other side of the ball could be a more interesting challenge for IU. Eastern Illinois typically forces a lot of turnovers and Indiana struggled in that area throughout the exhibition season. The Panthers are undersized and this should be an early opportunity for Indiana to dominate on the glass and show off their newfound interior size. Getting point guard Markus Burton into a groove should be an early emphasis for the coaching staff after the Notre Dame transfer’s struggles thus far.
Why It Matters: Sports often imitate life. As is the case in life, it’s important to get off on the right foot in basketball and Darian DeVries’ Indiana Hoosiers begin the first step towards a necessary return to the NCAA Tournament this evening at Assembly Hall. Indiana is 34.5-point favorite in this matchup and in “buy games” like this, it is critical for the Hoosiers to avoid setting a poor baseline by letting the EIU Panthers hang around. Tonight is about establishing a standard of play for this talented team and taking steps towards consistency.
Game Two
What: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Bellarmine Knights
Where: Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
When: Thursday, November 5 at 6:00 pm
How to Watch: Peacock/NBCSN
Opponent Glance: The Bellarmine Knights are projected to finish in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic Sun (a conference projected to be won by Queens) and they project to be led by Kenyon Goodin (6’3”) and Tyler Doyle (6’5”). Those two form the starting backcourt and they could offer a good early challenge for an area of concern for Indiana: defending good guards without fouling. Jack Karasinski (Northwestern now) was one of the better mid-major players in the country last season and his departure is a major blow for the Knights but they were a very solid team a season ago. Despite the change in personnel, the playing style should remain the same. Bellarmine is slow and methodical in the half-court with a ton of cutting and movement that results in spot-up shots off of passes.
The Knights have finished 1st or 2nd in the country each of the past five seasons in rate of plays finished with a spot-up shot. Indiana’s defense will have to be sharp because Bellarmine has the potential to really frustrate opponents when they have the ball. The same cannot be said of their defense. By nearly advanced metric, Bellarmine was among the (if not the single worst) worst defensive teams in the country last season. They typically play a very soft and compact zone that allows teams to shred them from the perimeter but they somehow combine that with poor defensive rebounding numbers as they give up a high rate of second-choice points. Head coach Doug Davenport recruits shooting and offensive skill and it shows on the defensive end. IU should be able to score at will if they are at all motivated for this game.
