Indiana basketball returns to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall during its 124th season of competition in men’s basketball for a primetime showdown against Ohio State on Jan. 6. The Hoosiers currently sit at 2-1 in the conference coming off of a 86-70 loss to Nebraska earlier this week.
The Buckeyes (12-2, 2-1) are led by 17.4 points and 4.3 assists per game from sophomore guard Bruce Thornton. Minnesota transfer Jamison Battle and sophomore guard Roddy Gayle Jr. each score 14.9 points per outing. The OSU trio has made 87-of-212 (41.0%) from the 3-point line.
Seventh-year head coach Chris Holtmann enters the game with conference wins over Minnesota and Rutgers at home. The Buckeyes also hold victories over Alabama, UCLA, and West Virginia on neutral courts.
Tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
Below is the full preview of Indiana basketball vs Ohio State.
Key Storylines
The sloppiness with the ball just needs to stop
Self inflicted wounds is what led to Indiana getting embarrassed at Nebraska on Wednesday night and while we will get to the defensive side of the floor issues, on offense however, sloppiness with the ball was the frustrating part.
Turnovers have been one of the main issues with this Indiana team this season coming into last night averaging 12.3 per game. Last night, we saw a season high 19 turnovers from the Hoosiers which resulted in 27-points for Nebraska. The Hoosiers lost 86-70 so 16 of those points where because of carelessness with the ball. Xavier Johnson — who reutrned from injury — played 15 minutes, scored ZERO points, and contributed to 4 of those turnovers with both Malik Reneau and Kel’el Ware adding the same amount. Trey Galloway had the second most turnovers with 3 total.
Any Big Ten game, especially on the road, if you are sloppy with the offensive positions you have, you won’t win many games, if any. Nebraska was a smart enough team to take advantage of those turnovers by Indiana basketball and Ohio State will do the same.
“I think a lot of times we were trying to create things that weren’t there,” Woodson said about the turnover issues last game. “They put two on the ball and that’s been pretty good for us. When teams put two on the ball we are able to pull it and get rid of the ball and that pass leads to something good. Tonight we tried to fight the two on the ball and we were throwing it away. We had some unforced turnovers that were just unacceptable, but we gotta go back and fix that because you’re not going to beat anyone in the Big Ten doing that.”
The sloppiness with the ball just needs to stop….it has to stop if Indiana basketball wants to win games.
Stop overhelping!
This is beating the same drum and the same dead horse, but I guess it is worth repeating,…..stop overhelping on defense!
To be fair, this has been a problem for the past three years but is getting more exposed this season each passing game. Straight-line drives that lead to kick-outs are absolutely killing Indiana basketball this season and teams seem to be licking their chops when they go at the Indiana defense just because of how easy it is to get a look.
There is no reason — whatsoever — that Indiana’s guards and wings should be collapsing down as much as they do to help out the front court of Indiana. The ‘big fellas’ down low can contest shots and make it hard for anyone to score around the rim. With as much as the guards and wings are helping, they leave wide-open chances for the opposing team nearly every possession.
It is just mind-blowing how this has not been fixed since the start of the season.
“This team is not as good as we were defensively the last two years and a lot of it is because we do have new faces, but we gotta overcome that,” Woodson said about the defensive struggles. “I gotta get them over the hump when it comes to defending and rebounding.”
At some point in time, Mike Woodson is not the blame. We have seen Indiana’s defense be the backbone of the team many times in the last two season. At this point in time, the players have to be held accountable when it comes to defending. Just be smarter with the way you defend.
Need to find a way to win…period
While the loss to Nebraska was extremely difficult to watch, the good news whether you believe it or not, it is not the end of the Indiana basketball season. There are still so many games left.
A chance for the Hoosiers to bounce back starts tonight with Ohio State at home where Indiana has played their *best* basketball at this season. The Buckeyes have been playing very good basketball this season so this is another chance for the Hoosiers to get a good, quality win.
Look, the issues that we have mentioned with are frustrating, but in reality, are very fixable at the end of the day. You also have to consider that Indiana has gotten better in some areas, especially when it comes to the offense.
When it comes to Big Ten play, you have to protect home floor and figure out ways to win. Be competitive for 40 minutes, limit the turnovers, be smarter on the defensive end, and just figure out a way to win.
A win, even though it is hard to believe, gets Indiana to 3-1 in the Big Ten. Figure out a way to get it done.
Related: ‘We were awful’: No way around it. Perimeter play for Indiana basketball fell flat in loss as it continues to lower ceiling for Hoosiers
Series History
Indiana has defeated Ohio State 110 times in the 198-game series between the conference rivals, the third-most wins against any program. IU has defeated Northwestern 120 times and Michigan on 111 occasions.
The Hoosiers have topped the Buckeyes three-straight times in Bloomington, including an 86-70 result on Jan. 28, 2023. Malik Reneau posted 15 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 23 minutes off the bench.
Indiana head coach Mike Woodson averaged 20.3 points in his eight career contests against the Buckeyes. He scored 21 against Ohio State on March 2, 1980, to secure his first Big Ten title on the final day of the regular season of his senior year.
Watch: Mike Woodson previews Indiana basketball matchup with Ohio State
Injury Updates
Indiana
Xavier Johnson: The senior guar finally returned to the floor last game at Nebraska after missing six-straight. While he was pretty much a non-factor, it is a good sign that the captain of the team is back in action. Hopefully the rust is shaken off sooner than later.
Payton Sparks: Sparks was listed as ‘questionable’ last game and did not see the floor. His status this game is TBD.
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 for the rest of the season.
Indiana Women’s Basketball: Indiana women’s basketball accomplishes feat not done in D1 basketball since 1999
Quick Hitters
Who?: Indiana (10-4) (2-1 Big Ten) vs Ohio State (12-2) (2-1)
When?: Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 • 8:00 PM ET
Where?: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV: FOX (Gus Johnson, Jim Jackson, Allison Williams)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Betting Lines: Indiana basketball is listed as a 1-point underdog via DraftKings Sportsbook
Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated, part of the Full Ride Network, on Twitter @Indiana_FRN, Facebook and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. You can also listen to the Talking’ Bout the Hoosiers podcast on Spotify.
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