The brand new look 2024-25 Indiana Hoosiers take the ground for the primary time Sunday afternoon in opposition to Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Enviornment in Knoxville.
The charity exhibition will tip at 3 p.m. ET on SECN+. Particulars on tips on how to watch the sport can be found right here.
The Vols are ranked No. 12 within the preseason Related Press high 25 ballot and are No. 13 in KenPom’s preseason scores. Final season, Tennessee received the SEC common season title and superior to the Elite Eight.
Whereas the sport doesn’t depend, it will likely be performed with the depth of an everyday season recreation and ought to be an early measuring stick for an IU workforce with vital expectations.
Right here’s what to observe for in Sunday’s exhibition:
The debut of IU’s revamped backcourt
Indiana’s switch portal haul included the addition of Washington State’s Myles Rice and Stanford’s Kanaan Carlyle.
The Hoosiers have been underwhelming within the backcourt final season, however they hope guard play will probably be a energy in Mike Woodson’s fourth season.
Sunday will probably be our first prolonged take a look at Rice and Carlyle. It’s going to come in opposition to one of many nation’s greatest backcourts. The Vols return SEC defensive participant of the 12 months Zakai Zeigler. The 5-foot-9 guard additionally led the SEC in assists the final two seasons.
Tennessee additionally added North Florida switch Chaz Lanier, a 6-foot-4 guard who averaged 19.7 factors and shot 44 % on 3s final season. Lanier additionally made 3.4 3s per recreation and is anticipated to be one of many high incoming transfers within the SEC.
Rice and Carlyle have already confirmed themselves on the highest degree of faculty basketball. Nonetheless, we’ll be taught extra on Sunday about how they navigate a difficult highway scenario in opposition to two relentless opponents: Zeigler and Lanier.
How will Indiana deal with Tennessee’s protection?
The Vols have constructed one of many nation’s greatest defenses beneath Rick Barnes.
In accordance with KenPom, Tennessee has completed within the high 5 nationally in adjusted defensive effectivity during the last 5 seasons.
The gamers on the roster change, however Tennessee’s protection stays elite season after season. Tennessee misplaced 4 starters from final season, however has restocked from the portal with the expectation of competing for an SEC title. The Vols are deep, athletic and play with an depth few groups can match.
Each faculty basketball workforce is a piece in progress this time of 12 months. The Vols, nonetheless, have performed in a high-level exhibition the earlier three seasons and will probably be seeking to make an announcement on Sunday. Indiana should match their depth to compete, notably on the highway in a tricky surroundings.
As a lot as Indiana has been criticized for its non-conference schedule this season, this exhibition was good scheduling. The Hoosiers get a possibility to play an elite opponent on their residence ground, offering the workers with loads of movie to establish areas of enchancment forward of the common season’s begin in lower than two weeks.
Will there be indicators of a extra perimeter-oriented offense?
One of many largest questions surrounding Indiana this season: will the offense change to be extra perimeter-oriented?
Woodson has said within the preseason it is going to and he believes Indiana has the taking pictures it wants to try and make extra 3-pointers.
However Indiana isn’t going to desert its stellar submit play. The Hoosiers return Malik Reneau, among the best post-scorers within the Huge Ten. This system additionally added All-Pac-12 first-team performer Oumar Ballo, a double-double machine final season at Arizona.
Woodson and the teaching workers should discover a stability. Sunday will probably be our first glimpse at how this might play out.
After a season the place it typically put gamers on the ground frequently that couldn’t rating, that received’t be the case this winter. That in itself is progress. However the Hoosiers even have to emphasise creating high quality seems from the perimeter and knocking them down persistently.
Testing the protection in opposition to an elite opponent
Indiana’s protection has taken a step again within the final two seasons.
The Hoosiers had a high 25 protection nationally in Woodson’s first season, slid to No. 45 in 12 months two and fell once more to No. 84 final season.
This season, Indiana should reverse the pattern to compete for a Huge Ten title.
Will the Hoosiers include the Vols off the dribble and in ball screens? Will Indiana clear up the defensive glass? And might the Hoosiers defend higher with out fouling?
Whereas Sunday is simply an exhibition, it’ll present our first glimpse of this Indiana workforce in opposition to a legit opponent.
How deep will the rotation go?
Sunday’s recreation is anticipated to be intense, like a regular-season contest. Each groups will play to win, however the consequence won’t have an effect on their win-loss file.
Rotations will probably be tighter than in a typical exhibition recreation, so this recreation ought to present a glimpse of whom the teaching workers intends to play when the meat of the non-conference schedule begins.
Indiana could possibly be restricted when it comes to guards obtainable relying on the standing of Trey Galloway and Jakai Newton. Each gamers have been held out of Hoosier Hysteria.
Sunday will present our first take a look at Indiana’s beginning lineup for the season. At Hysteria, the primary workforce featured Rice, Carlyle, Mackenzie Mgbako, Reneau and Ballo.
Past that, we’ll be taught who the primary few gamers are off the bench, which will even inform us who has earned that chance primarily based on their efficiency in observe so far.
Filed to: Tennessee Volunteers
