Indiana basketball will play Notre Dame this Saturday in a battle of state schools. Can the Hoosiers pull off the upset?
TV schedule: Saturday, Dec. 16, 2:00 p.m. ET. Fox
Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
Notre Dame (8-2) hasn’t looked the greatest since winning the Maui Invitational over a top 10 Wichita State team. The Fighting Irish has split the next four games with the last game coming a week ago in the 92-61 win at Delaware.
It was what happened beforehand that that was the problem with Mike Brey and the Irish inexplicably losing at home to Ball State. That loss ranks early as one of the more confusing performances of the season. The offense wasn’t the issue in that game, as the team is currently ranked in the top 10 in offensive rating. Bonzie Colson is the offensive leader, barely missing out on a 20 and 10 average in the first ten games.
Matt Farrell has expanded his game offensively and sophomore TJ Gibbs has become the third scorer for the team, a much-appreciated development for the team’s long-term hopes. But the Irish can’t afford another loss to a bad team.
The Indiana Hoosiers 5-5 (1-1) aren’t necessarily a bad team, but, right now, it’s hard to describe them as good either. After splitting the opening conference games, the Hoosiers traveled to Louisville where, after playing well the first half, they struggled the score in the latter half, losing to the Cardinals. The biggest reason was Robert Johnson’s goose egg, scoring zero points in 35 minutes.
Junior Juwan Morgan was both the leading scoring in the Louisville game (17 points) and for the season (14.1 ppg). The roster is filled with upperclassmen, including Pitt transfer Josh Newkirk. The starting point guard for the Hoosiers averages just 2.8 apg, which is less than ideal for a winning team.
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The annual Crossroads Classic is a big deal in the state of Indiana, considered to be the state with the most hardcore and purist basketball fans. These kind of games are hard to predict, but Notre Dame should win. However, this is a perfect opportunity for first-year head coach Archie Miller to put his stamp on the program, even in a rebuilding year. Expect this to be a close one.
Prediction: Notre Dame 80 – Indiana 76