Indiana Basketball vs. Arkansas: Know your opponent, preview, prediction
Indiana basketball is back in Assembly Hall this Sunday to take on a talented 10-1 Arkansas Razorbacks squad.
The Hoosiers had the week off for the holiday season after defeating Notre Dame 62-60 in a Crossroads Classic thriller. They played a stellar first half against the Fighting Irish, but withered in the second half, nearly throwing the game away. They get a chance to redeem themselves against a formidable foe in Arkansas.
Arkansas made the move to fire head coach Mike Anderson at the end of last season and replaced him with former Nevada coach Eric Musselman.
Indiana fans may recall the two games played against Arkansas last season, one coming in early season non-conference play and the other in the NIT Tournament.
Indiana lost the first of those games in large part to former Arkansas center Daniel Gafford having a monster game, but they were able to win the rematch in the NIT. Gafford elected to sit out the tournament in order to prepare for the NBA draft, and now the Hoosiers don’t have to worry about him because he plays for the Chicago Bulls.
However, there is still a great deal of firepower leftover on the roster that Archie Miller and company still need to fear. The Razorbacks sneakily boast one of the best backcourt duos in all of college basketball in junior Mason Jones (19.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and sophomore Isaiah Joe (16.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg). They are also joined by SMU transfer Jimmy Whitt, who chips in 14.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
This three-headed monster boasts good size with Jones and Joe both standing at 6’5” and Whitt at 6’3”. However, the team as a whole, and especially the frontcourt, is extremely small for Arkansas. Senior Adrio Bailey is the tallest guy who plays over 20 minutes for the Razorbacks, and he’s only 6’6.” They also have 6’8” Reggie Chaney, who plays around 15 minutes per game and averages 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds so far this season.
It is important to note that the level of competition Arkansas has played so far this season hasn’t been stellar, with Georgia Tech being the only Power Five team they’ve played. Arkansas won that game in overtime.
Arkansas doesn’t excel at a lot on offense despite their solid record, but they have put up impressive defensive numbers. They hold opponents to an average of 60 points per game, including a dismal 38% from the field, and an NCAA best 22% from three. As a consequence of allowing few threes, they allow a pretty good amount of close-range shots, which could play to Indiana’s favor.
Key Storylines
Indiana
Can the Hoosiers do a good job of containing Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe? Although he’s only shooting threes at a 35% clip this season, Joe set the Arkansas single-season record for threes made with 113 last season as only a freshman, shooting eight per game hitting 41% of them. He is still scoring the ball well despite being more inaccurate from three, and the last thing Indiana needs to do is let him find his rhythm. Jones is a good shooter as well, and the two of them could be ready to uncork from deep. The Hoosiers must make sure this doesn’t happen.
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Arkansas
Can Arkansas hold their own in the battle down low? Arkansas is an extremely small team, with the biggest players in their rotation being just 6’8” and 6’6.” Obviously, this means that Indiana has a huge advantage, considering much of their offense comes from Trayce Jackson-Davis and Joey Brunk down low. For the Hoosiers, the plan should be simple: exploit that glaring weakness. Arkansas will surely try to double team them, and finding the open man on the perimeter will be key.
Key players
Indiana
Trayce Jackson-Davis (15.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg), Justin Smith (12.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Al Durham (12.2 ppg, 3.0 apg), Devonte Green (12.3 ppg, 2.6 apg)
Arkansas
Mason Jones (19.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg), Isaiah Joe (16.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg), Jimmy Whitt (14.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Desi Sills (9.7 ppg)