Indiana basketball returns home to face Sam Houston after finishing 1-2 at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.
While it was a disappointing week, the Hoosiers won their final game of the tournament against Providence and will look to build on that win against Sam Houston.
Sam Houston comes into this game with a 4-4 record and is led by second-year head coach Chris Mudge. Senior Lamar Wilkinson leads the Bearkats in scoring as he averages 19.4 points per game. Dorian Finister and Cameron Huefner also average double-figures for Sam Houston. Finister averages 11.4 points and 7.0 rebounds, while Huefner adds 10.4 points a game.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and will be on BTN.
Below is the full preview of Indiana basketball vs Sam Houston.
More: Indiana basketball outside of top 70 in first NET rankings
Key Indiana basketball Storylines
Can Myles Rice get back on track?
After playing his best two games of the season, Myles Rice struggled in all three games last week. Rice shot just 16.0% from the field (4-25) and averaged just 2.7 assists per game while turning the ball over 2.0 times per game.
Mike Woodson and Indiana basketball rely a ton on Rice to help lead the offense, especially on the perimeter, and he struggled in a big way.
Despite his struggles, Woodson was not concerned after the Providence game.
“I’m not concerned. Myles is a tough kid. We’ll get him back. We’ll go home and regroup, and we’ll get him back going because he’s a major, major piece to the puzzle,” Woodson said.
While it was a tough performance for Rice in a big spot, it was only three days.
Rice isn’t the first and won’t be the last player to struggle in a multi-team event like Battle 4 Atlantis, but getting him back on track will be crucial for Indiana basketball.
Which version of the Hoosiers offense do we see
In three games in the Bahamas, we saw two versions of Indiana basketball.
One version was careless with the basketball and struggled to move it. The other took care of the basketball and was able to consistently get the ball touching both sides of the court regularly.
The first version was seen during blowout losses to Louisville and Gonzaga where the Hoosiers averaged just 14.5 assists and turned the ball over 17.5 times per game.
During their 16-point win against Providence, Indiana basketball got the ball moving and it led to 20 assists while only turning the ball over 10 times.
“It shows how good we are when we move the ball and touch both sides of the floor,” Mackenzie Mgbako said postgame.
Indiana basketball has the talent to compete with any team in the country, but when the ball starts to stick they get themselves in trouble. Keeping the ball moving and forcing opposing defenses to rotate will help open up the floor and create space for their talented scorers.
Can Indiana basketball do a better job on the boards
Over the last two seasons, Indiana basketball has struggled to rebound the basketball. Despite having size advantages over many of their opponents there is a clear disconnect on the defensive glass.
Indiana allowed 13.7 offensive rebounds a game which led to 15.7 second-chance points per game during the tournament last week and it was a big part of their losses to Gonzaga and Louisville.
“It’s been a major concern. This dates back to last season, where we were a pretty big team last season and gave up a bunch of rebounds. We gotta get that fixed. I mean, that’s major moving forward,” Woodson said after the Providence game.
“It’s not like we don’t talk about it. It’s not like we don’t do block-out drills and things of that nature. After a while, it comes down to heart and just guts and getting in there and making sure you secure the ball after you’ve gotten a good defensive stop. And we’re not doing that. We’re giving up too many second-chance buckets. We gotta eliminate that and get better.”
With one of the bigger lineups in college basketball, there is no reason this should be a problem.
Indiana needs to be more aggressive on the boards because the issue will only worsen once Big Ten play begins.
Podcast: In Touch with Indiana Sports Ep.55 — Indiana football solidifies 11-1 regular season, Indiana basketball back in action tomorrow, a look at the CFB coaching carousel, and more
Series History
The Hoosiers won the only matchup between the two schools 99-45 on Nov. 15, 2012, in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Christian Watford led the way with 23 points in that game while Jordan Hulls added 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the victory.
Read: Indiana basketball looking to regroup after ‘learning lesson’ in Bahamas
Indiana basketball Injury Updates
Jakai Newton: Newton has not played for Indiana basketball this week and his status is uncertain for tonight’s game.
Kanaan Carlyle: Carlyle missed Indiana’s game against Providence on Friday and will not play tonight.
Related: Kanaan Carlyle to miss time for Indiana basketball with injury
Quick Hitters
Who?: Indiana (5-2) vs Sam Houston (4-4)
When?: Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024 • 7:30 p.m. ET
Where?: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV: BTN (Jeff Levering, Brian Butch)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Betting Lines: Indiana is listed as a 13.5-point favorite
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.
Looking for a place to get more Indiana content? Hoosier Illustrated has partnered with Tom Brady’s company ‘Autograph’ to streamline our coverage, so you can continue to do what you do best – follow IU sports. Use the CODE: Indianafr to get started today. For more info, you can start here.
FOOTBALL3 days ago
FOOTBALL4 days ago
BASKETBALL5 days ago
BASKETBALL5 days ago
BASKETBALL2 days ago
FOOTBALL14 hours ago
FOOTBALL3 days ago
BASKETBALL16 hours ago