Indiana resumes Large Ten play Thursday night time in opposition to Rutgers at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor. The Scarlet Knights are 8-5 general and 1-1 in convention video games. Rutgers leads the all-time sequence 9-8.
Thursday’s recreation will tip at 8:30 p.m. ET on Peacock:
Two of the nation’s prime freshmen can be in Bloomington this week as convention play will get into full swing. Rutgers, ranked No. 75 in KenPom as of Wednesday, is led by the star duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
The Scarlet Knights have been up and down this season with wins in opposition to Penn State and Seton Corridor and 5 losses, together with Kennesaw State on the street and Princeton on a impartial courtroom.
Indiana, in the meantime, has been one of many greatest disappointments within the Large Ten. The Hoosiers have but to beat a group projected to make the NCAA match and have three losses by 16 or extra factors. Indiana is 9-0 at residence however has had closer-than-expected video games not too long ago in opposition to Chattanooga and Winthrop.
There are nonetheless loads of alternatives for Indiana to construct a match resume. Nonetheless, the margin for error is small after the Hoosiers failed to select up any noteworthy wins within the non-conference.
MEET THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Anticipate NBA scouts to be out in full drive at Meeting Corridor to see how Harper and Bailey fare in a difficult street setting.
Harper has been the most effective guards within the nation via the primary 13 video games. The 6-foot-6 lefty guard leads Rutgers in scoring, assists, minutes and is second in rebounding. Harper averages 22.8 factors, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 34.3 minutes per recreation.
The New Jersey native logged a triple-double in his most up-to-date recreation and is capturing 52.5 p.c from the sector, 37.3 p.c on 3s and 75 p.c from the road.
Bailey is a tantalizing NBA prospect due to his measurement and flexibility. The 6-foot-10 wing missed the season’s first two video games however has been within the beginning lineup ever since. He’s second on the group in scoring (18.2 ppg), first in rebounding (7.6 rpg), first in blocks (11) and second in minutes (33.6 mpg).
He takes and makes a variety of troublesome photographs however isn’t as environment friendly as Harper. Bailey is capturing 47.4 p.c from the sector, 32.6 p.c on 3s and 62.2 p.c from the free-throw line. Along with his measurement, athleticism and mobility, not many groups have a solution defensively for Bailey and Indiana will possible battle to sluggish him down.
It’s past Harper and Bailey the place the query marks begin for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers is considerably worse at heart after Clifford Omoruyi transferred to Alabama. Steve Pikiell is filling these minutes with Emmanuel Ogbole and Lathan Summerville.
Ogbole is a 6-foot-10, 270-pound junior averaging 4.3 factors and three.9 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per recreation. He’s capturing 64.5 p.c from the sector. Sommerville, a 6-foot-10, 275-pound freshman, comes off the bench and averages a strong 7.8 factors and 4 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per recreation. Neither participant is wherever close to the caliber of shot blocker that Omoruyi was.
Senior Jeremiah Williams, a 6-foot-4 guard who performed simply 12 video games final season for Rutgers, is the group’s third-leading scorer. Williams isn’t a fringe shooter (25 p.c) however is an environment friendly 53.6 p.c on 2s and makes 76 p.c of his free throws. He additionally has a team-high 17 steals.
Junior Jordan Derkack, a switch from Merrimack, is capturing simply 21.7 p.c on 3s and 37.5 p.c from the sector. The 6-foot-6 wing has scored in double figures simply twice this season. He’s began eight video games however has come off the bench within the final 4 contests.
One other switch, Zach Martini from Princeton, makes 40.7 p.c of his 3s and is a profession 35.5 p.c 3-point shooter. Martini began the season 7-for-14 on 3s however is simply 4-for-13 since.
Different rotation regulars embody sophomore guard Jamichael Davis, PJ Hayes, a switch from San Diego, and Tyson Acuff, a switch from Jap Michigan. Davis has began the final 4 video games and had 11 factors, seven assists, three rebounds and three steals on Monday in a win in opposition to Columbia.
Hayes, a 6-foot-6 wing, is a succesful 3-point shooter. He shot 39.5 p.c final season from distance at San Diego and is 14-for-35 (40 p.c) this season. Acuff was the go-to man at Jap Michigan however hasn’t performed greater than quarter-hour in a recreation since Nov. 27 in opposition to Alabama. The 6-foot-4 guard shoots 32.4 p.c from the sector and averages three factors in 11.7 minutes per recreation.
TEMPO-FREE PREVIEW
The Rutgers protection has gone from being one of the best within the Large Ten final season to being the worst this season.
Based on KenPom, the Scarlet Knights completed final season with the fifth-best adjusted defensive effectivity. By way of 13 video games this season, Rutgers ranks 97th in adjusted defensive effectivity, under Iowa (95) and Minnesota (91).
Offensively, Rutgers takes care of the ball and does a superb job attending to the road. The Scarlet Knights rank forty third nationally in turnover share (14.9) and 63rd in free throw price (FTA/FGA) at 38.7 p.c.
Rutgers can also be enjoying at its quickest tempo below Pikiell, rating 57th in adjusted tempo, per KenPom. The Scarlet Knights have by no means had an adjusted tempo increased than 154th in 9 seasons below Pikiell. After lacking the NCAA match the final two seasons, expectations had been excessive for Rutgers to get again to March Insanity this season. By way of 13 video games, Rutgers, like IU, isn’t on monitor to be an NCAA match group.
WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO
The KenPom projection is Indiana by 5 with a 69 p.c probability of a Hoosier victory. Bart Torvik’s projection is IU by six with a 73 p.c probability of a Hoosier win.
Indiana is unbeaten at residence however has seemed shaky in its final two outings in opposition to inferior competitors. If Indiana goes to compete for a March Insanity bid, this can be a recreation the Hoosiers have to win.
Rutgers could have the 2 most gifted gamers on the ground, Harper and Bailey, however IU could have a bonus within the frontcourt with Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo, assuming he’s again and out there to play. Rutgers isn’t a terrific rebounding group, so the Hoosiers have to win that battle to prevail. Neither group takes or makes a excessive quantity of 3-pointers, so the free-throw line may even loom giant.
Filed to: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
