Indiana Basketball Game Preview: Louisville – key storylines, injury report, how to watch

After quick turnaround, Indiana basketball returns to the floor to face the Louisville Cardinals in the second day of the 2023 Empire Classic. The Hoosiers are coming off of a 77-57 loss to No. 5 UConn in yesterday’s first round contest.

The Cardinals come into this game having lost to Texas in the first round of the Empire Classic.

Below is the full preview of Indiana basketball vs Louisville.

Key Storylines

Malik Reneau and Xavier Johnson: Gotta stay on the floor, fellas

One of the major issues that Indiana basketball had in the huge loss to UConn yesterday was the facto that Xavier Johnson and Malik Reneau were not on the floor in critical moments. Xavier Johnson missed nearly the first 18 minutes of action due to foul trouble while Reneau fouled out with around 7 minuets to go.

While Indiana was able to maintain a fight with the No. 5 ranked team while Xavier Johnson was on the bench, the Hoosiers could have really used his defense and playmaking during that stretch. Malik Reneau on the other hand, was the best player for the Hoosiers in this loss and was the real reason they we even in the game at times.

“That’s hard, leaving your team out there 10 minutes to go, it’s just hard to deal with that,” Reneau said about being in foul trouble. “Understanding that my team is not there without me, and I know they need me on the court, so dealing with dumb fouls or dumb situations like that, I gotta stop.”

“My foul situation has been critical since freshman year, so I gotta deal with that,” Reneau said about where he could improve. “At the end of the day, I just got to understand that teams are going to double me now and I got to make the right read out of the double team.”

As far as important pieces for Indiana, those two are in the top tier. If both are off the floor for an extended period of time, Indiana will struggle.

Mackenzie Mgbako: Indiana basketball needs more from you

Mackenzie Mgbako has been almost a complete non-factor for the Hoosiers on offense and is currently a liability for them on the defensive end.

In a game where Indiana needed him, in his hometown no less, Mgbako laid a fat egg on the offense only taking 3 shots and only scoring his two points from the FT line. Defensively, he was getting beat multiple times, back-doored, and would give up on plays especially if he got caught up in a screen situation.

The high school to college transition has not been easy for Mgbako, he almost seems like he is lost on the floor. However, the effort factor is something that has no excuse. If the offense isn’t clicking for him, he can make up for it being locked in on defense and crashing the boards.

Indiana needs more from Mgbako right now more than ever. If this trend continues, Mike Woodson is going to have to make a change up in the starting unit.

CJ Gunn: Just keep making strides 

The loss against UConn was one of the more aggressive games we have seen out of CJ Gunn this season thus far. He finished with seven points and was one of the best defenders for the Hoosiers.

While he did not connect on offense like most were hoping he was, he taking much more shots that what he has done in the first three games. He went 2-7 from the field, however the shots were not poorly taken shots, they just didn’t fall. He was also aggressive about attacking the lane which landed him two trips at the line.

On the defensive end, Gunn was arguably the best defender this game. There were multiple spurts in which he was locked in and causing issues for the on-ball guard. He still had trouble with over helping, but the effort was there. That effort rewarded him with 4 steals.

Gunn’s progress is slowly coming along. As long as he keeps making strides, Indiana will be in good hands with him. Just needs to keep shooting, defending, and good things will come.

Watch: HoosierIllustrated Postgame Wrap-Up: Kyler and Drew discuss Indiana basketball’s loss against UConn

Series History

Indiana basketball leads the all-time series 11-9 however, Louisville has won the last 4 of the 5 meeting between the Hoosiers and Cardinals. The teams first met in 1921 and the last meeting came in 2018, a 68-67 victory for the Hoosiers.

Read: Malik Reneau shines against UConn despite the tough offensive performance for Indiana Basketball

Injury Updates

Indiana

Jakai Newton: Newton had a lower body surgical procedure done this past offseason to help fix a previous injury he sustained during high school. He is still recovering and is not expected to play awhile at this point.

More: ‘We got out toughed and I don’t like that’: Indiana basketball shows glaring holes with lack of toughness, effort in loss to UConn

Quick Hitters

Who?: Indiana (3-1) vs Louisville (2-2)

When?: Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 • 4:30 PM ET

Where?: Madison Square Garden (19,5000) • New York, N.Y.

TV: ESPNU (Karl Ravech | Jay Williams | Myron Medcalf)

Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)

Betting Lines: Indiana basketball is listed at a 7-point favorite per DraftKings Sportsbook

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