Indiana Basketball vs Troy: Know your opponent, preview, and prediction

Indiana Basketball hits the hardwood again this Saturday to take on the Troy Trojans in Assembly Hall.

The Indiana basketball program will be seeking to move to 4-0 on the year after beating North Alabama 91-65 on Tuesday, and welcoming in Troy on Saturday. Indiana struggled in the first half against the Lions, but surged in the second half and showed a good bit of its potential.

The Troy Trojans come into Assembly Hall after finishing12-18 last season, and firing its coach at the conclusion of the year. New coach Scott Cross was previously the head coach of the Sun Belt Conference’s Texas-Arlington, and led them to 20+ win seasons during the last three years of his tenure there. Troy has started out 0-2 this season though, losing to the University of Alabama-Birmingham by one and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga by six.

The Trojans are led by 6-foot-3 guard Darian Adams (16.0 ppg) and 6-foot-8 forward Zay Williams (13.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg). Although Adams and Williams are taking the forefront this year, neither of them had a very big role last season, as Adams only averaged 7.9 points per game and Williams averaged 3.1 points per game. Although they have only played two games this season, Troy is shooting the ball well from deep, at 41 percent, which could once again provide problems for Indiana.

Although Adams and Williams are the two players that stick out the most, Troy’s scoring has been very even across the board.

Guards Jitaurious Gordon and KJ Simpson are averaging 12.5 points per game each. Gordon provides a spark off a bench in a rotation that only goes about eight players deep.

The Trojans have a pretty small team, especially in the backcourt, which could provide a pretty hefty advantage for the Hoosiers.

Key storylines

Indiana:

For being a team whose defense is supposedly its identity, Indiana has been lackluster on that end so far.  They made North Alabama, who is not a very good offensive team, look like marksmen from the three-point line. Lack of effort on closeouts and miscommunications were rampant in an ugly first half. Will they look sluggish again, or will they come out with the fire that Archie Miller is looking for? Miller will once again get the chance to experiment with different lineups in a game Indiana should likely win by a great deal. Rob Phinisee stood out last game with his activity on defense, ability to score, and ability to pass the ball. Don’t be surprised if Miller tries to find more ways to involve him.

Troy:

The Trojans are a good three-point shooting team, which has become the bane of Indiana’s existence. It has become somewhat of a running, depressing, joke that poor shooting teams can come into Assembly Hall and reign down fire from beyond the arc. Troy is by no means a poor shooting team, so this could spell serious trouble for the Hoosiers if not contained properly. Will the size differential in the backcourt be an issue for Troy?

Key Players

Indiana:

Al Durham (16.7 ppg, 46% 3pt), Justin Smith (14.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Trayce Jackson-Davis (13.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg), Rob Phinisee (11.3 ppg, 5.3 apg)

Troy:

Darian Adams (16.0 ppg, 57% 3pt), Zay Williams (13.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Jitaurious Gordon (12.5 ppg, 6.0 apg, 50% 3pt), KJ Simon (12.5 ppg, 40% 3pt)

Prediction: Indiana 91, Troy 79