Indiana is again in motion Sunday afternoon when it hosts Japanese Illinois at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor. The Panthers are 1-1 with a 112-67 loss at Illinois and a win at house towards Division III Earlham Faculty.
Sunday’s recreation ideas at midday ET on B1G+:
Indiana’s favorable early non-conference continues this weekend in Bloomington. For the second straight recreation, the Hoosiers will face an opponent exterior the highest 300 in KenPom.
After an up-and-down efficiency in Wednesday’s season-opener towards SIU Edwardsville, Indiana wants to point out progress in its ultimate tuneup forward of the South Carolina recreation subsequent weekend.
MEET THE PANTHERS
Sunday’s assembly between Indiana and Japanese Illinois would be the third all-time between the packages. The Hoosiers beat Japanese Illinois 94-55 within the 1992 NCAA event in Boise, Idaho and 88-49 in Bloomington in November 2015.
Marty Simmons coaches the Panthers. Simmons performed two seasons at Indiana from 1983 by way of 1985 earlier than finishing his profession at Evansville. The Lawrenceville, Illinois native has gained over 300 video games as a head coach, with the majority of his profession coming at Evansville.
Japanese Illinois was picked to complete sixth within the preseason OVC ballot.
The Panthers have began three guards of their first two video games with Naykel Shelton, Artese Stapleton and Zion Fruster. The 6-foot-3 Shelton was one of many workforce’s main scorers a season in the past when he averaged 11 factors, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27 minutes. Shelton made a team-high 38 triples final season and shot 33.9 p.c on 3s.
Stapleton, a 6-foot-3 graduate scholar from Chicago, beforehand performed at Lewis College, Radford and UMKC. He scored 11 factors and was 5-for-13 from the sector within the loss to Illinois to open the season.
Fruster, a Division II switch, averaged 18 factors, 4.6 rebounds and three.6 assists final season in 17 video games at Virginia Clever. He additionally hit double figures within the loss at Illinois (10 factors) and logged 34 minutes.
Silver Creek product Kooper Jacobi is again within the frontcourt for the Panthers for his senior season. The 6-foot-7 ahead began his profession at Toledo and averaged 10.5 factors and seven.7 rebounds in almost half-hour final season. In a latest win towards Earlham Faculty, Jacobi had 16 factors and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes.
Rodolfo Rufino Bolis has taken on a extra important position within the Japanese Illinois frontcourt in his senior season. He performed simply 11.4 minutes per recreation final season however is now a starter. The 6-foot-8 Rufino Bolis had 4 factors and 5 rebounds earlier than fouling out in 17 minutes towards Illinois.
A key reserve title to know is Obadiah Curtis, a 6-foot-5 junior from Fresno, California. He got here off the bench towards Illinois and scored 10 factors and grabbed 5 rebounds in 18 minutes. He adopted that up with 13 factors towards Earlham.
6-foot guard Isaiah Griffin will even determine into the rotation. He had 4 factors in 11 minutes at Illinois after which had 10 factors in 14 minutes towards Earlham.
KEYS TO THE GAME
• Deal with the ball: Indiana was sloppy with the ball towards SIU Edwardsville. The Hoosiers dedicated 16 turnovers for a turnover proportion of 21.9. Specifically, IU wants a greater efficiency from Myles Rice, who was excellent within the exhibition win at Tennessee however struggled towards SIU Edwardsville. Rice dedicated 5 turnovers within the season-opener however has an opportunity to place that poor efficiency within the rearview towards Japanese Illinois.
• Clear up the defensive glass: Defensive rebounding was additionally a difficulty within the season opener, and Mike Woodson was not happy in his postgame feedback following the win. In opposition to a workforce the scale of Japanese Illinois, the Hoosiers ought to restrict possessions to 1 shot and push the tempo in transition after missed pictures. Rebounding was an issue final season for IU and towards SIU Edwardsville and must be corrected rapidly.
• Reap the benefits of the scale discrepancy: The Panthers begin a 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8 ahead, which supplies the Hoosiers a transparent benefit within the put up. As soon as Indiana can set up dominance within the frontcourt, it ought to open issues up on the perimeter for in-rhythm appears.
WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO
The KenPom projection is Indiana by 25 with a 99 p.c likelihood of victory. The projection towards SIU Edwardsville was comparable, however the Hoosiers solely gained by 19.
That is Indiana’s final recreation towards an opponent at the moment ranked exterior the highest 175 in KenPom, so the checks will develop into tougher from right here. If Indiana corrects among the fundamental errors it made within the opener, it ought to cruise to a 2-0 document forward of subsequent weekend’s matchup towards South Carolina.
Filed to: Japanese Illinois Panthers
