Indiana is again in motion Sunday afternoon when it hosts Jap Illinois at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor. The Panthers are 1-1 with a 112-67 loss at Illinois and a win at residence in opposition to Division III Earlham Faculty.
Sunday’s sport suggestions at midday ET on B1G+:
Indiana’s favorable early non-conference continues this weekend in Bloomington. For the second straight sport, the Hoosiers will face an opponent exterior the highest 300 in KenPom.
After an up-and-down efficiency in Wednesday’s season-opener in opposition to SIU Edwardsville, Indiana wants to indicate progress in its remaining tuneup forward of the South Carolina sport subsequent weekend.
MEET THE PANTHERS
Sunday’s assembly between Indiana and Jap Illinois would be the third all-time between the applications. The Hoosiers beat Jap Illinois 94-55 within the 1992 NCAA match in Boise, Idaho and 88-49 in Bloomington in November 2015.
Marty Simmons coaches the Panthers. Simmons performed two seasons at Indiana from 1983 by means of 1985 earlier than finishing his profession at Evansville. The Lawrenceville, Illinois native has received over 300 video games as a head coach, with the majority of his profession coming at Evansville.
Jap Illinois was picked to complete sixth within the preseason OVC ballot.
The Panthers have began three guards of their first two video games with Naykel Shelton, Artese Stapleton and Zion Fruster. The 6-foot-3 Shelton was one of many workforce’s main scorers a season in the past when he averaged 11 factors, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27 minutes. Shelton made a team-high 38 triples final season and shot 33.9 p.c on 3s.
Stapleton, a 6-foot-3 graduate pupil from Chicago, beforehand performed at Lewis College, Radford and UMKC. He scored 11 factors and was 5-for-13 from the sector within the loss to Illinois to open the season.
Fruster, a Division II switch, averaged 18 factors, 4.6 rebounds and three.6 assists final season in 17 video games at Virginia Smart. He additionally hit double figures within the loss at Illinois (10 factors) and logged 34 minutes.
Silver Creek product Kooper Jacobi is again within the frontcourt for the Panthers for his senior season. The 6-foot-7 ahead began his profession at Toledo and averaged 10.5 factors and seven.7 rebounds in practically half-hour final season. In a current win in opposition to Earlham Faculty, Jacobi had 16 factors and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes.
Rodolfo Rufino Bolis has taken on a extra vital position within the Jap Illinois frontcourt in his senior season. He performed simply 11.4 minutes per sport final season however is now a starter. The 6-foot-8 Rufino Bolis had 4 factors and 5 rebounds earlier than fouling out in 17 minutes in opposition to Illinois.
A key reserve identify to know is Obadiah Curtis, a 6-foot-5 junior from Fresno, California. He got here off the bench in opposition to Illinois and scored 10 factors and grabbed 5 rebounds in 18 minutes. He adopted that up with 13 factors in opposition to Earlham.
6-foot guard Isaiah Griffin can even determine into the rotation. He had 4 factors in 11 minutes at Illinois after which had 10 factors in 14 minutes in opposition to Earlham.
KEYS TO THE GAME
• Handle the ball: Indiana was sloppy with the ball in opposition to SIU Edwardsville. The Hoosiers dedicated 16 turnovers for a turnover proportion of 21.9. Specifically, IU wants a greater efficiency from Myles Rice, who was excellent within the exhibition win at Tennessee however struggled in opposition to SIU Edwardsville. Rice dedicated 5 turnovers within the season-opener however has an opportunity to place that poor efficiency within the rearview in opposition to Jap Illinois.
• Clear up the defensive glass: Defensive rebounding was additionally a problem within the season opener, and Mike Woodson was not happy in his postgame feedback following the win. Towards a workforce the dimensions of Jap Illinois, the Hoosiers ought to restrict possessions to at least one shot and push the tempo in transition after missed pictures. Rebounding was an issue final season for IU and in opposition to SIU Edwardsville and must be corrected rapidly.
• Benefit from the dimensions discrepancy: The Panthers begin a 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8 ahead, which supplies the Hoosiers a transparent benefit within the put up. As soon as Indiana can set up dominance within the frontcourt, it ought to open issues up on the perimeter for in-rhythm seems.
WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO
The KenPom projection is Indiana by 25 with a 99 p.c likelihood of victory. The projection in opposition to SIU Edwardsville was related, however the Hoosiers solely received by 19.
That is Indiana’s final sport in opposition to an opponent at present ranked exterior the highest 175 in KenPom, so the exams will grow to be more difficult from right here. If Indiana corrects a number of the fundamental errors it made within the opener, it ought to cruise to a 2-0 file forward of subsequent weekend’s matchup in opposition to South Carolina.
Filed to: Jap Illinois Panthers
