Time: 5:00 Eastern
TV: Big Ten Network
Line: Indiana -15
The Mocs head to Bloomington, Indiana, to take on the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers have already played one game, a 30 point blowout over Stony Brook on Friday night.
One of the big questions in this game is how the Hoosiers will respond having less than 48 hours between the two games. Will the quick turnaround hurt the Hoosiers? Or will they be better prepared since they already have one game under their belts and the Mocs do not?
It's an interesting question for the Mocs. Will they be ready to play? Will they be the fresher team? How will that compensate for playing a talented Hoosiers team?
Indiana shot 65.4% against Stony Brook, which is good for first in the country to this point. They also outrebounded them, 31-23, while forcing 16 turnovers and only committing 14. They shot 50% from three point range, and nearly 88% from the free throw line.
In other words, Indiana was nearly perfect in their opening game win over the Seawolves.
Freshman Cody Zeller is the new BMOC. He is listed at 6-11, 220 pounds. He is a load for anyone to handle. He scored 16 points and had 10 rebounds in the opener. He has already become Indiana's best player, and he is the one that the Hoosiers are pinning their championship hopes on.
Christian Watford only scored in single digits three times last year. He also was a big time rebounder for the Hoosiers. But in the opener, he went 2 for 7 from the floor, had seven points, and just two rebounds. His 6-9, 230 frame will be tough for the Mocs interior to deal with, but there is a chance that he feels a little underappreciated with all the attention being paid to Zeller. Was he pouting in the first game? Or was it just a bad game? He is coming back from an injury, so maybe that played a role.
Verdell Jones III had seven assists to lead the team. Jordan Hulls had six assists. Victor Oladipo, who shot nearly 55% from the floor last year, scored 16 in the opener, matching Zeller for the team high. He was also second to Zeller in rebounds, with six.
Coach Shulman has been fairly close to the vest and a little mystic about who the starters would be. The other day, he was quoted as saying that Ricky Taylor and Chris Early did not like being on the second team, behind Lance Stokes and Rico White. If that is indeed true, then there could be a big surprise early in the game for Moc fans. Given that everyone has assumed for the last twelve months pretty much that the starting lineup opening night this year would be Keegan Bell, Omar Wattad, Taylor, Early, and Drazen Zlovaric. Everyone but Zlovaric is a returning starter and a senior. If Stokes and White have cracked the starting lineup, that is impressive.
White and Stokes are two of the freshman that need to produce. Combine those two with the starting five and Burroughs coming off the bench, and already the team looks fairly solid for the Mocs.
Zlovaric (the Georgia transer) is 6-9, 225. His ability to control Zeller or Watford will be key. The second key will be that if that happens, that someone is able to defend the other one. Burroughs was a decent defender last year and looked good against Tennessee Wesleyan in the exhibition. Early has never been known as a great defender, but has been receiving praise for his willingness to get more physical this preseason. Can Early hold his own defensively against Watford or Zeller? That will be a big match-up.
Last year, the Mocs started off ice cold shooting from the floor. Wattad couldn't hit anything in his first couple of games, before turning into a very good shooter. Bell has failed to show up against some of the better teams on the schedule in the past. Bell will need to play under control, which he struggled with at times last year. If Wattad shoots well, that would be big for the Mocs. He did not play in the exhibition due to his injured back, but he should b fine healthwise in this game.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. The Mocs need to hold their own on the boards. If you read this blog last year, you know that I always think this is a key. If you listen to Shulman, you know that he thinks this is one of the most important things as well.
--How will Bell perform? He is a very good point guard- probably one of the better ones on any mid-major team. He needs to play his game. He has to keep the Mocs calm and be a calming influence on the court.
--White had a huge exhibition game. Can he carry it over into a real game against a Big Ten team?
--How do the Mocs match up with Zeller and Watford? Can they control their offense?
--Can Early create a mismatch by playing more outside in than they are used to guarding?
--How will the Mocs respond to adversity? It is certainly true that in the past, the Mocs have lost some control in games, and let a game really get away from them. Will they respond like a senior-laden team should to a little adversity?
--Turnovers. Can't have 25 turnovers and expect to win this game.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Indiana fans will come away impressed by Bell and Wattad.
--Zeller and Watford will combine for 40 points and 20 rebounds.
--White will struggle in his freshman debut.
--The Mocs will hang tough for the entire first half, having the Bloomington crowd muttering at halftime.
--Indiana 82, Mocs 68.
GO MOCS!
No comments:
Post a Comment