Indiana Basketball vs Western Illinois: Know your opponent, preview, prediction
By Alec Lasley
Indiana basketball returns to Assembly Hall on Tuesday in its season opener against Western Illinois, looking to start the 2019-20 season off in style.
College basketball is back and the Indiana basketball program is ready to get the season going after having a sour taste in its mouth with how last season ended.
The Hoosiers, while returning most of their rotation from last year, have almost everyone expecting to play a different role during the 2019-20 season.
With no more Juwan Morgan and Romeo Langford in the Indiana basketball program, Archie Miller turns to senior guard Devonte Green and junior guard Al Durham as the two leaders of the team, both being named co-captains by their teammates.
While Green won’t be ready for the season opener, as he has missed a majority of the practices this fall with a hamstring injury, Durham will suit up on Tuesday after missing the exhibition against Gannon.
As for sophomore point guard Rob Phinisee, even though he played 14 minutes in last week’s exhibition, he remains questionable for Tuesday’s opener.
For Western Illinois, led by head coach Billy Wright, the Leathernecks are in a new season, looking to build from a 10-win 2018-19 season and they will lean on an Indianapolis native, Kobe Webster, to provide a spark this year. The Park Tudor grad averaged 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, leading the team in all three categories last season. The 6-foot junior guard can light it up and showed it last year with a 24-point outing against Creighton, and has 18 20+ point outings in his career.
C.J. Duff, scoring 10.8 points per game last season, makes up the other part of the duo for Western Illinois.
With their top big man graduating after last season, it will be up to sophomore Ben Pyle. At just 6-foot-7, Pyle is able to stretch the defense with his ability to shoot the three, at 36.7 percent last year.
Redshirt junior James Claar and junior college addition Kyle Arrington will both try to step in and provide additional help in the front court for Billy Wright and the Leathernecks.
Heading into this season, Western Illinois is projected to finish seventh in the Summit League Conference.
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Key Storylines
Indiana: How will the new roster additions step up in their first true game in Bloomington? With Green unable to go, who will be that go-to scorer to set the tone? Will the Hoosiers settle for jumpers despite having a clear advantage in the paint? Armaan Franklin has been the man in the exhibitions this preseason. What will his role in the rotation look like? How many different lineups will Archie Miller role out, especially in the front court?
Western Illinois: How will the Fighting Leathernecks respond to playing in Assembly Hall? It’s a homecoming for Kobe Webster, look for him to try to get going early and often. The team shot 38.5 percent from three last season, with over 20 attempts per game. With a lack of size, look for them to rely on the three-ball to try to keep this game closer than expected throughout the night.
Key Players
Indiana: Rob Phinisee (6.8 ppg, 2.9 apg), Al Durham (8.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg), Joey Brunk (7.6 peg, 3.6 rpg), Trayce Jackson-Davis (HS: 22.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg)
Western Illinois: Kobe Webster (17.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg), C.J. Duff (10.8 ppg, 42.2 percent 3-pt), Ben Pyle (8.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Zion Young (6.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg)
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