Hoosiers bench flourishes & more Indiana basketball predictions vs. Elon

No. 18 Indiana basketball is currently on their first losing streak of the season coming into Tuesday’s matchup at Assembly Hall against Elon.

If there was a time when the Hoosiers needed a basically guaranteed win, it’s now. Coming off of a two-game losing streak and losers of three of the last four games, Indiana basketball has looked lost and uninspired against two top teams in the country.

Who will step up when the Hoosiers need a win? Does that bench get back on track? Can Trayce Jackson-Davis show why he was selected as Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year?

Here are my three bold predictions for No. 18 Indiana hoping to snap their two-game losing streak against Elon on Tuesday:

Three bold predictions for No. 18 Indiana basketball vs. Elon:

#3. Malik Reneau & the Hoosiers bench get back to work and combine for 40+ points

The only bench players over the last couple of games that have been consistent for Mike Woodson have been Trey Galloway and Tamar Bates, while Malik Reneau and Jordan Geronimo have been struggling mightily against these highly talented programs.

In the Hoosiers’ last five games, Indiana’s bench unit is averaging just 17.4 points per game and has lost three of those five games. In the six games prior, Indiana’s bench averaged 36.3 points per game and won all six of those games. Matter of fact, Indiana registered just one game under 25 bench points in their first six games but has not reached 25 bench points in each of the past five games.

Even with the downfall since the North Carolina game, Indiana basketball still ranks eighth among major conference teams in bench scoring, averaging 27.7 points, which ranks first in the Big Ten as well.