Indiana returns to motion Thursday night time at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor in opposition to UNC Greensboro. The Hoosiers lead the all-time collection in opposition to Greensboro 2-0.
The non-conference matchup will tip at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1:
Indiana is off to a strong begin to the 2024-25 season. The Hoosiers have received every of their three video games by a minimum of 16 factors and, in consequence, have moved up within the pc scores.
Indiana heads to the Bahamas subsequent week for Battle 4 Atlantis, however the Hoosiers should first deal with enterprise in Bloomington in opposition to UNC Greensboro. The Spartans are 2-1, having received in opposition to Florida Gulf Coast and NC Wesleyan, a Division III program. Greensboro misplaced its first highway recreation, 81-68, at SMU on Nov. 11.
The 2 applications final met on Nov. 28, 2014, in Bloomington. Indiana received 87-79.
MEET THE SPARTANS
The Spartans are led by coach Mike Jones, who’s in his fourth season in Greensboro. This will likely be Jones’s first season teaching this system with out the Langley twins, who graduated final spring. Greensboro additionally misplaced its main scorer, Mikael Brown-Jones, to Ole Miss through the switch portal.
Regardless of the losses, Greensboro will likely be aggressive within the Southern Convention. Within the preseason, the Spartans have been picked to complete second within the league they usually’re at present comfortably inside the highest 200 on KenPom. Early within the season, the Spartans are one hundred and seventy fifth nationally in adjusted offensive effectivity, per KenPom and 179th in adjusted defensive effectivity. Final season, Greensboro had the 118th-best offense and the 202nd-ranked protection, in accordance with KenPom.
By way of three video games, Greensboro has three gamers averaging in double figures. All three are guards or wings and two are switch portal additions.
Kenyon Giles, an addition from Radford, is averaging a team-best 16.3 factors and is capturing 50 % from the sector. The 5-foot-11 junior guard is 10-for-20 on 3s in 25.7 minutes per recreation. Giles additionally has a team-high seven steals in three video games. Final season, he averaged 14.3 factors, 2.8 assists, two rebounds and a steal at Radford.
George Mason switch Ronald Well mannered, a 6-foot-2 senior, is averaging 10.3 factors in 23.7 minutes per recreation. Well mannered does a strong job of attending to the road and is 10-for-13 from the stripe up to now.
Donovan Atwell, a 6-foot-5 junior, had a superb sophomore season. Atwell averaged 11.2 factors, shot 42 % from 3 and 94.7 % from the road final season. He’s the group’s second-leading scorer this season by three video games. Atwell averages 12.3 factors and is 7-for-18 on 3s (38.9 %).
Greensboro is beginning Miles Jones, the son of coach Mike Jones, and Jalen Breath within the frontcourt.
Though the 6-foot-6 Jones isn’t a lot of a scoring menace, he has a team-best 26 rebounds by three video games. Breath, a 6-foot-8 junior, performs the 5 and is averaging 9.7 factors and 7 rebounds in 22.3 minutes. He’ll be undersized in opposition to Oumar Ballo however has been an environment friendly 11-for-17 (64.7 %) in three video games.
The main scorer off the Greensboro bench by three video games is Akrum Ahemed, a 6-foot-3 sixth-year guard. He’s an ideal 5-for-5 on 3s, however three of these got here within the win in opposition to NC Wesleyan. Ahemed is averaging eight factors in 13.3 minutes.
Two different rotation regulars to know are Joryam Saizonou and Demetrius Davis. The 6-foot-3 Saizonou began the season opener however shoots simply 28.6 % by three video games. He averages 3.7 factors and a couple of.3 rebounds. Davis, a 6-foot-8 senior switch from Chattanooga, is simply 4-for-17 from the sector however is third on the group with 5.3 rebounds per recreation.
KEYS TO THE GAME
• Dominate inside: Whereas Indiana’s 3-point quantity will proceed to be scrutinized till the Hoosiers try extra triples, it is a matchup the place the clear benefit is within the paint. The Spartans don’t have a terrific matchup for Ballo or Malik Reneau. In opposition to two Division I opponents, Greensboro is permitting opponents to shoot 51.5 % on 2s. Indiana ought to take its open perimeter seems to be however shouldn’t settle in opposition to an opponent overmatched within the submit.
• Maintain Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle going: The Hoosiers seemed like an distinctive group at instances in Saturday’s win in opposition to South Carolina. That was partly as a result of Rice and Carlyle have been each enjoying effectively. Each gamers can impression the sport in numerous methods, and the Hoosiers want each to proceed to turn out to be extra comfy of their new environment.
• Keep strong defensively deep into possessions: Greensboro performs a deliberate tempo, requiring Indiana to defend deep into possessions. Final season, Greensboro performed the 320th quickest tempo nationally. This season, Greensboro is 289th by two video games in opposition to Division I competitors. Avoiding lapses late in possessions and forcing powerful photographs ought to yield favorable outcomes for the Hoosiers.
WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO
The KenPom projection is Indiana by 17 with a 94 % probability of a Hoosier victory. This can be a recreation IU can’t afford to look previous, with subsequent week’s Battle 4 Atlantis to observe.
Greensboro is a step up in competitors from early season video games in opposition to SIU Edwardsville and Japanese Illinois. Nonetheless, it is a matchup the place the Hoosiers once more have a determined expertise benefit and may have the ability to dominate the paint.
Greensboro’s probabilities to be aggressive will hinge closely on the 3-pointer. The Spartans are getting 36.2 % of their factors on 3s of their video games in opposition to Florida Gulf Coast and SMU. Greensboro is capturing simply 42.6 % on 2s, so Indiana needs to be sharp with its closeouts and a spotlight on the perimeter to win comfortably.
Filed to: UNC Greensboro Spartans
