Indiana Basketball vs Penn State: Know your opponent, preview and prediction

Indiana basketball is back at Assembly Hall on Sunday looking for another ranked win as No. 9 Penn State travels to Bloomington.

It is the Big Ten which means there is another big opportunity to come up with a big win. For Indiana basketball, that means welcoming No. 9 Penn State to Assembly Hall with the Nittany Lions looking to avoid back-to-back losses this week.

For the Hoosiers, it has been a year of many highs and lows. With a big road victory over Minnesota earlier in the week, IU has a chance to avoid taking another step back this Sunday.

Penn State comes in a bit hobbled as Myreon Jones has missed the last three games with an illness and will be a gametime decision. While he did travel with the team to Indiana, head coach Pat Chambers did say ‘we’re still evaluating him’ and with the Nittany Lions on their way to the NCAA Tournament, they want to make sure he is as healthy as possible.

Again, it starts and ends with Lamar Stevens, even more if there is no Jones in the lineup. With just four 20+ point games before the IU game, Stevens has had three such games in the six outings since.

Someone who has stepped up in the absence of Jones has been Myles Dread. Averaging 10.0 points per game since the last IU matchup, Dread has really taken on more of a scoring role and aggressive mindset in the offense.

While neither team played great in the first matchup, both teams shooting below 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from three, this game could be different. Indiana is coming off of a terrific offensive performance on the road, will be playing at home and is welcoming a top-10 team into Assembly Hall. For Penn State, five of the last six games have seen the Nittany Lions put up at least 75 points.

Key Storylines

Indiana

Can Indiana keep its momentum from a big road win? With four ranked wins, IU could move to second in the country with five, with a win against PSU. Trayce Jackson-Davis was a major point of emphasis against Minnesota, will he remain that involved in the offense? Race Thompson continues to be a factor; will he continue his stellar play? Can the Hoosiers keep the turnovers down? They had 17 against Penn State in the first matchup. IU’s guards were 3-of-26 against PSU last time around, look for that to change.

Penn State

Penn Sate is looking to avoid back-to-back losses after winning eight straight. Lamar Stevens looks to improve on a 7-of-21 night in the first matchup. Curtis Jones provided a great lift (12 points) off of the bench, but has averaged just 3.3 points per game in the last six games. Can Myreon Jones bounce back from missing the last three games? He is traveling to Bloomington and will be a gametime decision.

Key Players

Indiana

Trayce Jackson-Davis (14.1 ppg,  8.0 rpg, 1.9 bpg), Justin Smith (10.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Devonte Green (10.7 ppg, 38.5 3pt%), Al Durham (9.7 ppg, 2.6 apg)

Penn State

Lamar Stevens (17.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Myreon Jones (14.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 41.3 3pt%), Mike Watkins (9.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg), Myles Dread (8.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

Prediction: Indiana 70, Penn State 64