Battle 4 Atlantis: 3 things to watch for Indiana basketball

Indiana basketball set for their most crucial stretch of their non-conference slate with the Hoosiers travel to The Bahamas for the annual Battle 4 Atlantis tournament start on Wednesday.

Indiana basketball will be facing the Louisville Cardinals and depending on that outcome, the Hoosiers will face either Gonzaga or West Virginia on the second day.

It has been no secret that Indiana’s non-conference slate is not as strong as it needed to be with multiple ‘bye’ games scheduled at home before the Big Ten play starts. Other than the Battle 4 Atlantis, Indiana’s only power conference opponent was South Carolina, who they handled without much struggle.

HoosierIllustrated.com will be in attendance to cover all three of Indiana basketball’s games but before we get to the tournament, let’s look at three things to watch for the Hoosiers at Battle 4 Atlantis.

Podcast: Talkin’ Bout The Hoosiers Ep. 34 – Indiana Basketball Battle 4 Atlantis Preview

The first game is the most crucial game

At noon on Wednesday, Indiana will have it’s most crucial game of the non-conference when they start off the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament with a first round matchup against the Louisville Cardinals, a team that they are very familiar with with their matchups in past. Indiana even faced them in a MIT last season when they beat Louisville at Madison Square Garden a season ago.

For this game, I think it is safe to say that both of these teams are way different than they were a season ago. Indiana basketball completely reshaped their team and Louisville brought in a new head coach in Pat Kelsey to lead their program.

If Indiana wants to be considered as a serious team nationally, they have to find a way to beat Louisville and advance to the second round. Louisville, much so like Indiana basketball, is still trying to find theirselves as a team. With that, the Hoosiers have much more talent and size so a loss her to the Cardinals would be a little head-scratching.

One thing to watch for is how the Hoosiers will manage to defend the high volume shooting that Louisville now plays with under Pat Kelsey. The Cardinals can get out and run and have athleticism to make things interesting in the first round.

This game comes down to if Indiana basketball is locked in enough to handle business and take this stretch serious from the opening tip.

Will the front court step up?

Under Mike Woodson’s leadership, the front court of Indiana basketball has always been the strongest point of the roster. While Indiana basketball improved at the perimeter, it will still thought that the front court of Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau were going to be strength this season.

Through four games so far in this young season, the starting front court has not exactly been the force that most thought they would be. The pairing of both Ballo and Reneau are only averaging just 25.5 points and 16.3 rebounds a game. Their motors at times have been low and their willingness to crash the glass has been called out plenty of times.

In order for the Hoosiers to have success in Paradise Island, that front court is going to have to carry them in multiple areas of the floor. Whether it’s together or if Indiana basketball goes small ball at times, both Ballo and Reneau need to step up and contribute.

Indiana basketball will have the front court size advantage vs every team they play this week. We have to see Ballo and Reneau playing at the level they are capable of if the Hoosiers want to show out in The Bahamas.

Have to find a way to come at least 2 wins

The Battle 4 Atlantis is the Hoosiers entire non-conference. Period. They laid out a weaker schedule than most of their fellow power conference teams knowing that they had to play three game in three days against tougher opponents.

Indiana basketball has to take this week much more serious than they have in some of the games they have already played so far this year. For about one-and-half games, you can say that Indiana’s energy level on the floor has not what it needs to be with as much talent they have on this year’s roster. Right now, the Hoosiers desperately lack a killer mindset and will play down or up to any opponent that is put in front of them.

The South Carolina win was the most complete that we have sees the Hoosiers this year. They have to have that mindset this week and more if they want to prove that they belong with top teams. It would be great if Indiana can make it to championship game on Friday, but in these type of events if you are able to win at least 2 games, that is still a solid outing.

Survive and advance but if you don’t, you better come out with at minimum two wins.

SEE ALSO: Indiana basketball played ‘selfish’ in its lethargic win and has ‘a lot to clean up’ with stiffest test of season on the horizon

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