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

Indiana basketball is coming off their biggest of the young season thus far having beaten the South Carolina Gamecocks over the weekend to improve to 3-0 this year. They have one more game before they travel to The Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis. Tonight, they host UNC Greensboro.

The Spartans enter the game with a record of 2-1. Junior guard Kenyon Giles paces the scoring attack with 16.3 points per game on 18-of-36 (50.0%) shooting from the floor and 10-of-20 (50.0%) shooting from the 3-point line. Junior guard Donovan Atwell (12.3 points per game) and fifth-year guard Ronald Polite III (10.3) contribute double figures for head coach Mike Jones.

Tipoff is set for 6:30 PM ET and will be on FS1.

Below is the full preview of Indiana basketball vs UNC Greensboro.

More: Indiana basketball stays at No. 16 in latest AP Top 25 Poll

Key Indiana basketball Storylines

Don’t overlook UNCG 

The most important stretch of the non-conference slate for Indiana basketball is right around the corner with the Battle 4 Atlantis kicking off next week. Indiana will be facing Louisville in the first round and will either play Gonzaga or West Virginia the following day.

With the Battle 4 Atlantis on the horizon, it would be easy for the Hoosiers to overlook UNCG tonight. However, Indiana basketball cannot do that.

The Hoosiers, while that are lightyears more talented that the Spartans, are still a work in progress and need more reps on the floor together. Coming off a big win vs South Carolina and looking ahead to Battle 4 Atlantis can easily result in a ‘letdown’ game if the Hoosiers are not careful.

Do I expect Indiana basketball to look ahead? No, Mike Woodson will not let them do that. They just need to focus on this game and then get ready for The Bahamas.

Keep shooting, Luke Goode 

Safe to say, there has been a lot of pressure placed on senior wing Luke Goode, who was brought in to improve Indiana’s outside shooting this season. Through three games, it has not been the best of start for Goode who is only averaging 2.0 points per game which includes only converting 2-of-10 from behind the arc.

So, should we be worried about the early season slump from this sniper? Absolutely not as of yet.

Besides Mackenzie Mgbako, Goode is the most pure shooter on this Indiana basketball roster. Slumps happen to pure shooters all the time and can happen at any point in the season. It is almost better that Goode go through this slump at this point in the season than later on.

Goode just needs a game where he knocks down 3 or 4 outside jumpers to get back in rhythm. Indiana basketball fans should not be worried about Goode’s slump in the slightest right now.

The balance of Indiana basketball is so dangerous

In the 16-point win over South Carolina, you saw just exactly how balanced Indiana basketball is in nearly all phases of the game.

The backcourt was electric, the front court continued to own in the paint, defended, knocked down outside shots, converted at the line, and battled for boards. There really was not hardly anything that the Hoosiers struggled with.

We saw in that game just how dangerous Indiana basketball can be using all of their weapons so now it will just be about consistently doing it game-in and game-out.

Tonight, If Indiana basketball can do what they did vs South Carolina, they may win by 40+ points.

Read: ‘Everything just kind of came within a rhythm’: Kanaan Carlyle steps up big time, pushing Indiana basketball to a true test win over South Carolina, 87-71

Series History

The Hoosiers have claimed victory in the two previous meetings between the two programs. The series opened with a 71-64 result on Nov. 21, 2003. Starting guards Bracey Wright and Marshall Strickland combined to score for 40 points, nine rebounds, and five steals in the win.

Indiana also won the rematch by a score of 87-79 on Nov. 28, 2014. James Blackmon Jr. led the Hoosiers with 24 points and nine rebounds. All five Hoosier starters hit double figures in the scoring column.

Indiana basketball leads the series 2-0.

More:

Indiana basketball Injury Updates

Anthony Leal: Leal missed the last three games with a lower body injury he sustained vs Tennessee. He is questionable.

Jakai Newton: Woodson stated that Newton “tweaked his hamstring” last week which forced him to miss last game. He is questionable

Gabe Cupps: Cupps was questionable ahead of the South Carolina game, however he did go through warmups. He did not get into the game but it is unclear if that was a coaches decision or not. He is questionable ahead of tonight’s game.

Story: Indiana basketball flipped the script from years past with its perimeter play on Saturday. How? By having ‘three different guards that can do everything’

Quick Hitters

Who?: Indiana (3-0) vs UNCG (2-1)

When?: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 • 6:30 p.m. ET

Where?: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.

TV: FS1 (Connor Onion, Robbie Hummel)

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

Betting Lines: Indiana basketball is listed as a 17.5-point favorite according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

SEE ALSO: ‘Playing within the offense’ and ‘what the team gives me’ are two ways IU basketball is reaping benefits of Mackenzie Mgbako development

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