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My Two Cents: Handling Lofty Expectations Next Big Challenge For Woodson, Hoosiers

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My Two Cents: Handling Lofty Expectations Next Big Challenge For Woodson, Hoosiers


MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — There are Indiana basketball followers who’ve already booked lodge rooms in Houston for the Remaining 4 in April. That is how far — and how briskly — this runaway practice of expectations is rolling down the tracks already.

On paper, that is the most effective Indiana basketball workforce since 2016, a gaggle that surprisingly received a Huge Ten title for Tom Crean and acquired him one other 12 months at Indiana. 

This workforce is best. 

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Each the 2016 Hoosiers and the 2023 workforce have/had nice freshmen, each have/had a standout veteran level guard (Yogi Ferrell, Xavier Johnson), however this present workforce has the higher famous person in Trayce Jackson-Davis, and that is not even shut.

They have been picked to win the Huge Ten this 12 months, one thing that hasn’t occurred actually since 2013, these lofty preseason expectations. That was Indiana’s greatest workforce previously 30 years, going all the best way again to the nice groups in 1992 and 1993. There have been nationwide championship aspirations for that workforce, which included a number of weeks start ranked No. 1 within the nation with Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo and the gang.

That form of discuss is coming again. However right here in mid-October, lofty expectations are simply that. They’re simply discuss. 

However is not it beautiful, fantastic discuss to have? We have all missed it for a lot too lengthy. 

Indiana coach Mike Woodson, who can snort now that he isn’t a ”rookie coach” anymore regardless of 30 years of NBA expertise, is aware of all about lofty expectations. He can keep in mind again to his senior 12 months at Indiana in 1980, which was my senior 12 months, too. The Hoosiers have been preseason No. 1 in Sports activities Illustrated that season, and received the Huge Ten in dramatic vogue, however misplaced within the NCAA regional semifinals to, all all folks, Purdue. 

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So he is aware of all about expectations.

Nicely, it’s what it’s. It’s part of the sport,” Woodson mentioned Tuesday at Huge Ten Media Days in Minneapolis. “Once I was at school as a participant, I by no means purchased into the rankings, what the media would say about our ballclub. You continue to received to exit and play the sport.

“Hell, my senior 12 months we have been ranked No. 1 and we didn’t get it finished. So on the finish of the day I assume it’s form of good for our gamers who haven’t skilled that. Once more, you have to exit and play. You have to show it on the basketball flooring. That’s when it counts.”

Everyone knows that, after all. No NCAA or Huge Ten titles have ever been received in October. However for Indiana, mainly a university basketball non-factor for a dozen or so years now, this season is large. They have been the prohibitive favourite to win the Huge Ten within the preseason media ballot, garnering 19 of the 28 first-place votes.

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Preseason Huge Ten media ballot

(first-place votes in parenthesis)

  1. Indiana, 43 (19)
  2. Illinois, 81 (6)
  3. Michigan, 92 (1)
  4. Michigan State, 139
  5. Purdue, 141 (1)
  6. Ohio State, 167
  7. Iowa, 185 (1)
  8. Rutgers, 218
  9. Wisconsin, 229
  10. Maryland, 267
  11. Penn State, 304
  12. Minnesota, 334
  13. Northwestern, 362
  14. Nebraska, 378

That is an Indiana workforce, thoughts you, that went simply 21-14 a 12 months in the past and performed effectively late within the season to sneak into the NCAA Match. They received a play-in recreation, however then received thumped by 29 factors of their first full-bracket match recreation in six years. It is not like they received 30 video games or something.

However they’ve a ton of expertise coming again AND an awesome recruiting class coming in, which is a uncommon mixture in school basketball. Trayce Jackson-Davis determined to run it again for yet one more 12 months, and that modified the whole lot. He is an All-American candidate for positive, and he is surrounded by a number of veteran depth.

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He is additionally surrounded by Indiana’s greatest recruiting class in years, led by five-star guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, guard C.J. Gunn and ahead Malik Reneau and Kaleb Banks. All 4 of them have been very spectacular all summer time, and can make Indiana higher instantly.

We’ll be taught lots about these expectations in November and December in a much-tougher nonconference schedule that features true street video games at Xavier (Nov. 18) and Kansas (Dec. 17), a house assembly on Nov. 30 with North Carolina within the Huge Ten/ACC Problem and a Las Vegas get-together with Arizona on Dec. 10

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That is a lofty problem.

“Once more, I feel competitors is nice, man. I imply, it’s good on your program,” Woodson mentioned. “I assumed final season we made a serious step. My complete workforce, that was the primary time they skilled the Huge Dance. I keep in mind again within the day we used to at all times expertise the Huge Dance. So I used to be very excited for our ballclub.

“We thought coming into this season, not even understanding if we have been going to get Trayce again, Race had dedicated to return again, we had already put our schedule in play with North Carolina and Kansas and Arizona. Which I feel is nice. It offers us the chance to play among the greatest groups within the nation, simply see the place you might be as a ballclub.”

With expectations comes stress as effectively. For a fan base ravenous for fulfillment, that is the 12 months Woodson and his workforce can ship on that. It is the subsequent step.

However it’s additionally a really large step.

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“Nicely, once more, it’s me and my workers, we have got a giant activity forward of us,” Woodson mentioned. “That’s what I signed up for, which is OK. I be ok with what I do as a coach.

“However on the finish of the day, we have got to get 17 gamers taking part in at a excessive degree as a way to win the Huge Ten or a nationwide title. The Huge Ten is nice, man. You have received a number of nice coaches, a number of nice groups. Then our schedule early may be very aggressive. We have a number of work to do that season, man. However you possibly can’t run from it or be petrified of competitors. That is what school basketball is about. I got here right here, I signed up for this, so I’m trying to push these guys to the max and see what occurs.”

Jackson-Davis, who has scored 1,588 factors at Indiana and is already ranked No. 15 all-time in scoring, firmly embraces the preseason hype, too. He desires it, as a result of being a middle-of-the-pack man is not his factor.

He desires to win. That is why he got here again. And it isn’t simply to win video games. He desires some trophies.

“You have simply received to deal with it with a grain of salt. We have to return to follow on daily basis and compete,” Jackson-Davis mentioned whereas sporting his new candy-striped blazer at Media Days. “We now have to take it recreation by recreation. It is nice to have aspirations and it is nice to see the media speaking like to us, nevertheless it places a goal on our again. We have to play with a chip on our shoulder.”

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He is actually wanting ahead to all these preseason assessments. North Carolina will most likely be preseason No. 1, Kansas, the defending nationwide champions, are a top-5 workforce and Arizona, like Indiana, is a top-15 workforce for positive.

“It was nice for me, as a result of Coach Woodson at all times tells me that competitors is wholesome,” he mentioned. “Getting into there, I feel it is actually going to get us prepared for March, taking part in on this large video games and never having them at house, touring somewhat bit. I feel it will be a number of enjoyable.”

“We had Hoosier Hysteria final week and that was the most individuals I’ve seen there in a very long time. Simply being on the market and compete in entrance of them goes to be a number of enjoyable.”

  • HOOSIER HYSTERIA VIDEO: Nothing is extra essential than household, not even Indiana basketball. Try two candy movies of guard Tamar Bates and his child lady Leilani and assistant coach Kenya Hunter dancing together with his daughter Kendall at Hoosier Hysteria 2022. CLICK HERE
  • SNOOP DOGG SHOUTOUT TO HOOSIERS: What higher method to kick off the 2022-23 males’s and ladies’s basketball seasons than with a shout out from Snoop Dogg himself? Discover the video contained in the story. CLICK HERE
  • JACKSON-DAVIS. WOODSON ON FOX’S BIG NOON KICKOFF: Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson and ahead Trayce Jackson-Davis have been company on FOX’s Huge Midday Kickoff present forward of Hoosier soccer’s homecoming matchup versus the Wolverines. Jackson-Davis received somewhat spirited and even smashed a Michigan piñata. CLICK HERE
  • INDIANA BASKETBALL SCHEDULE: The 2022-2023 Indiana Hoosiers males’s basketball scheduled is now finalized with recreation time and TV info for each matchup. All video games could be seen on BTN, BTN+, CBS, ESPN/ESPN2, FS1 and FOX. CLICK HERE



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Jack’s Take: Battle 4 Atlantis a Chance to Learn About Indiana, Pick Up Much-Needed Wins

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Jack’s Take: Battle 4 Atlantis a Chance to Learn About Indiana, Pick Up Much-Needed Wins


PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas – The slate of marquee nonconference games surrounding Thanksgiving has become known as Feast Week.

Tournaments in Maui, the Bahamas, Las Vegas and elsewhere generate top-25 matchups on a daily basis. Monday, Memphis upset back-to-back national champion No. 2 UConn. No. 4 Auburn erased a 16-point halftime deficit to take down No. 5 Iowa State. And No. 12 North Carolina came back from 21 points down to defeat Dayton.

That was just the start of a week that makes November feel a bit like March. No. 14 Indiana will compete in the eight-team Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, along with No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 24 Arizona, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Providence and Davidson.

Indiana is off to a 4-0 start and rose two spots in the latest AP Top 25 poll. Three wins have come against mid-major foes Southern Illlinois-Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois and UNC Greensboro. Indiana also handled South Carolina in a 16-point win, but the Gamecocks have taken a step back from last year’s second-place SEC finish.

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And with a nonconference slate that features just one high-major opponent outside its three opportunities in the Bahamas, the Hoosiers must eat up all the opportunities Feast Week offers. 

That starts with a matchup against Louisville, a team Indiana defeated 74-66 last year in the Empire Classic. But the new-look Cardinals are a completely different unit now, led by former College of Charleston head coach Pat Kelsey, 13 new transfers and one freshman. Louisville failed its biggest test of the season so far, a 77-55 home loss to Tennessee, but it’s shaping up to be a far more competitive team than those that went 12-52 in two years under former head coach Kenny Payne.

Analytics site Bart Torvik favors the Hoosiers by 3.6 points and ranks them 30th nationally, compared to the No. 57 Cardinals. With a win, Indiana would likely advance to face Gonzaga, which moved up to No. 3 in the latest AP Top 25 poll and is ranked No. 4 by Torvik.

That’s when the big challenge could come, one that Indiana vitally needs to meet as it builds an NCAA Tournament resume. Its best win so far is South Carolina, currently a bubble team at best. The Hoosiers may end up with wins against mid-major teams that reach the NCAA Tournament, but none that they can hang their hats on come Selection Sunday. 

And once they return to Bloomington, they won’t get another chance to pick up a quality win until Big Ten play. That’s part of the risk that came with Indiana scheduling lighter than normal in the nonconference and relying so much on what it can gain in the Bahamas.

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The other factor is that beyond Louisville, Indiana doesn’t know exactly who it’ll play this week. Upsets happen in college basketball all the time, and Indiana could end up facing a lighter slate this week by no fault of its own. Or it could lose to a capable Louisville team Wednesday and head to the loser’s bracket, where wins over certain opponents may not significantly strengthen its profile. 

This Indiana team has enough talent that reaching the NCAA Tournament shouldn’t be in question, but its schedule lacks frequent opportunities at resume-boosting wins. 

The other question going into the Battle 4 Atlantis is, how much do we really know about the Hoosiers so far? In terms of its Big Ten and national title aspirations, almost nothing. We can speculate how Indiana might fare against premier programs, but this tournament in the Bahamas represents the first time we’ll actually see it.

Indiana’s 4-0 start has mostly provided optimism, as the Hoosiers have defeated each team by 11 points or more. But there have been several moments of concern, or ones that at least reveal a team with six transfers and one freshman still getting to know each other. That was expected going into the season, but Indiana can’t afford it to last much longer.

The clear difference between the 2024-25 Hoosiers and last year’s group that missed the NCAA Tournament is guard play. Point guard Myles Rice is averaging 14.8 points and shooting 46.2% from 3-point range so far, a dynamic Indiana simply didn’t have last season. Sophomore wing Mackenzie Mgbako appears to have taken another step in his game, leading Indiana with 18.8 points per game and connecting on 8-of-15 3-point attempts. 

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Woodson also has much more capable depth to work with, with veterans like Trey Galloway and Luke Goode, along with budding freshman Bryson Tucker, coming off the bench. That’s all said without mentioning Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo, who could comprise the Big Ten’s best front court.

So where does the hesitation come from? Woodson has been unhappy with several aspects of the Hoosiers’ play this season. After a 90-55 win over Eastern Illinois, which featured a 37-36 halftime deficit, Woodson called out his team’s readiness. 

“I thought we were still home in bed asleep,” Woodson said. “It was awful.”

Indiana jumped out to a 21-5 win over UNC Greensboro, only to be tied 40-40 with 15:57 left in the second half. Indiana shot just 41.7% from the field and 26.3% from 3-point range, allowed 13 offensive rebounds and committed 13 turnovers in the win. That left a lot to be desired from Woodson, and some of the frustration stems from knowing how much talent he has on this team.

“As a team we had 16 assists. That’s awful. I mean, it’s awful. With this team, we should average between 20 and 30 assists. So the play tonight, the way we played offensively tonight was selfish as hell to me,” Woodson said.

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“That’s something that just can’t be because we have enough guys on this team that can make basketball plays,” Woodson continued. “We’ve just got to be unselfish and sacrifice the ball for the sake of the team and good things will happen.”

Woodson and the Hoosiers have a chance to ease those concerns and pick up several quality wins. Good, bad or somewhere in between, this week will reveal a lot about this Indiana team, which needs to return to Bloomington with something to show for this trip.



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Purdue vs Indiana Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, QB Matchup, Betting Trends and Stats

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Purdue vs Indiana Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, QB Matchup, Betting Trends and Stats


Indiana is coming off its first loss of the season and welcomes Purdue to town for Senior Day.

The Indiana Hoosiers are 10-1 with its first loss of the season coming at Ohio State (38-15). Indiana dropped to No. 10 in the AP Poll and will likely be on the backend of the teams in for the latest College Football Playoff rankings, but a convincing win here would help. Indiana has been one of the best against-the-spread (ATS) teams in the country and as a -29 point home favorite, all signs point to Curt Cignetti and company rolling.

Not much has gone right for the 1-10 Purdue Boilermakers. After the 49-0 win over FCS Indiana State, Purdue has lost 10 straight games with seven out of 10 losses coming by 17 or more points. Purdue lost to Michigan State 24-17 last week and has two OT losses this year, but this road game seems out of reach for the Boilermakers.

NBC Sports has all the latest info and analysis you need, including how to tune in for kickoff, odds from BetMGM, player news and updates, and of course our predictions and best bets for the game from our staff of experts.

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Listen to the B1G Talk podcast with Todd Blackledge and Noah Eagle for the most compelling storylines across all ofcollege football, with the biggest teams on the rise and the latest rankings!

Game Details and How to watch Purdue @ Indiana

  • Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
  • Time: 7:00 PM EST
  • Site: Indiana University Memorial Stadium
  • City: Bloomington, IN
  • TV/Streaming: Fox Sports 1

Want to check out the other games on the College Football schedule this week? We’ve got you covered right here on NBC Sports with all the matchup, venue, game-time and TV/streaming info so you won’t miss any of the action!

Game odds for Purdue @ Indiana

The latest odds as of Tuesday afternoon:

o Moneyline: Indiana (-6500), Purdue (+2000)

o Spread: Indiana -29 (-110)

o Total: 56.5 points

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*odds courtesy of BetMGM

The spread opened at Indiana -25.5, so heavy money is pouring in on the Hoosiers. That is no surprise since Indiana is on the cusp of a College Football Playoff. The total has no movement.

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) has the following best bets between Purdue and Indiana:

“The Indiana Hoosiers suffered the first loss of the season last week at Ohio State (38-15) and need to bounce back dominantly to secure a College Football Playoff berth.

Indiana’s First Half Team Total is 23.5, which might seem mighty lofty, but it’s certainly within range and so is a 50-point game for the Hoosiers. At home, Indiana has scored 17, 17, 14, 31, and 21 first-half points versus DI opponents this season for 20.0 first-half points per game.

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Purdue’s defense hasn’t taken any steps forward this season. In the last seven games, the Boilermakers have allowed 24, 21, 21, 17, 21, 24, and 21 first-half points, so this number is nothing Indiana cannot do.”

BetMGM College Football Insights: National Championship

Line movement (Last Week to Now)

  • Ohio State +320 to +275
  • Georgia +500 to +400
  • Texas +500 to +450

Highest Ticket%

  • Ohio State 13.4%
  • Texas 11.1%
  • Georgia 10.5%

Highest Handle%

  • Ohio State 15.9%
  • Georgia 14.9%
  • Alabama 12.1%

Biggest Liabilities

  • Colorado
  • Ohio State
  • Alabama

College Football talk is taking over Bet the Edge every Thursday throughout the season. Bet the EDGE is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Vaughn Dalzell, Eric Froton, and Brad Thomas’ insights Thursdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

Quarterback matchup for Boilermakers @ Hoosiers

  • Purdue: Hudson Card threw for a season-high 342 passing yards against Michigan State last week on 26-of-47. Card has nine touchdowns to six interceptions on the year and 1,606 passing yards.
  • Indiana: Kurtis Rourke has had a phenomenal season that has begun to be derailed slightly by injury. Rourke has 274 combined passing yards in the past two games and had zero touchdowns to zero interceptions last week. On the season, Rourke has 21 touchdowns to four interceptions for 2,478 passing yards and a 69.6 completion percentage.

Boilermakers @ Hoosiers player news & recent stats

  • Purdue is 3-8 ATS this season, ranking tied for fifth-worst.
  • Indiana is 8-3 ATS this season, ranking tied for seventh-best.
  • Indiana is 8-3 to the Over this season, ranking third-best.
  • Indiana is 5-2 ATS this year at home and 4-3 to the Over.
  • Purdue is 2-3 ATS this season as the road team and 3-2 to the Over.
  • Kurtis Rouke threw for zero touchdowns and zero interceptions last week.
  • Hudson Card threw a season-high 342 passing yards last week.

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Eric Froton (@CFFroton)





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IU trip to Bahamas will reveal a lot about Hoosiers, who can’t come home empty-handed

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IU trip to Bahamas will reveal a lot about Hoosiers, who can’t come home empty-handed


BLOOMINGTON – Indiana heads to The Bahamas this week with plenty to gain — and plenty to prove.

The Hoosiers placed virtually all their nonconference emphasis on their first-ever trip to Battle 4 Atlantis, and they cannot afford to come home without some quality wins pocketed from a Thanksgiving spent on Paradise Island.

What makes this a successful holiday tournament trip? Five thoughts …

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Greater consistency

Through four wins in four games, we’ve seen the idea of Indiana burst through the clouds. Stretches when the Hoosiers’ array of talent and experience makes them virtually unplayable at both ends of the floor, when even a high-major opponent like South Carolina looked simply overwhelmed.

We haven’t seen it often enough, though.

In a way, that’s fine. No basketball team should be fully formed in November. Anyone playing their best right now is in big trouble come March.

But IU needs it this week. A reasonable path through this tournament will see games against top-50 competition at least once, probably multiple times. That means opportunity, but it also means the hot-and-cold performances thus far need to be smoothed over a little more. Those windows into what Indiana can be need to open a little wider this week.

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Point guard play

Myles Rice has been outstanding through these first four games. Trey Galloway has had moments, as he continues his steady progress back to full fitness following offseason knee surgery. Indiana will need their best this week.

In settings like these, players with their creativity and experience, are crucial. Sightlines are weird. The whole environment can make shooting difficult. The teams that can force the ball to the rim and either finish or draw fouls (or both) have an added advantage.

The axiom in basketball that guards win games generally always applies. But in neutral venues, when certain elements of a team’s offense might be stunted, the ability to force action and either score or create moving downhill — something both Galloway and Rice have shown proficiency in doing — becomes invaluable. Both players must deliver in The Bahamas.

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Rebound the ball

It was too often a problem last season, and it’s been too often a problem this season.

Yes, Indiana is playing smaller. And yes, games like UNC Greensboro can go a little sideways in this department when an overmatched opponent chucks and chases because it knows there’s little point in trying to attack the rim.

But a team with IU’s size and athleticism cannot be a sub-200 team in opponent offensive rebound rate. The Hoosiers cannot afford to be so poor in closing out possessions. This team will undermine its offensive improvement and its athletic advantages if it continues to be so poor on the glass.

Indiana doesn’t need to be (and probably won’t ever be) dominant here. That’s not how the Hoosiers are constructed. But they are and must be better than they’ve been so far in this area, and three games in three days against demanding competition will require immediate improvement.

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Mackenzie Mgbako’s continued growth

Indiana’s leading scorer had his quietest game of the season Thursday, scoring just nine points on 2-of-11 shooting and seeing his second-half playing time eaten into by Bryson Tucker’s bench performance. Everyone’s allowed a bad day at the office.

But Mgbako would do well to ensure he leaves those at home this week. IU’s most dynamic offensive player early in the season, Mgbako has flashed three-level scoring potential the likes of which few players with his size and athleticism can claim.

Few teams, even good ones, have adequate cover for a 6-8 wing who can shoot from multiple levels and finish around the rim the way Mgbako does. Couple that to improved rebounding and defense, and when he’s on, Mgbako is perhaps this team’s biggest individual game changer.

A microcosm of his team’s task this time of year, Mgbako needs to strive for consistency in those areas. Make the off nights few and far between. Find ways to impact games in multiple ways, and shift the way he scores to suit what his opponent struggles against.

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This week is a good test for Indiana, and it’s certainly a good test for Mackenzie Mgbako. Both will get a better look at their ceiling in Atlantis.

Quality wins

It’s the simplest and most important storyline following Indiana to the islands.

The Hoosiers put all their faith in this tournament, in terms of being able to add quality to their NCAA tournament in nonconference play. Barring a surprise breakout from South Carolina, IU isn’t likely to beat anyone of meaning from a NET perspective anywhere but in Atlantis.

That represents a calculated gamble for Mike Woodson, whose program learned the hard way how far behind the eight ball an empty-calorie nonconference resume can set a team from an NCAA tournament perspective. The Hoosiers cannot repeat that this year.

Which means they need to make hay in the sunshine in Atlantis. Louisville might stand up as a decent win, somewhere between Quads 1 and 2. Gonzaga and/or Arizona would be worthwhile scalps. Oklahoma, Providence and West Virginia all might be in time.

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Whatever its performances, Indiana needs to leave The Bahamas with some wins, or it will leave itself with a lot to do in conference play to ensure Selection Sunday isn’t a stressful experience.

Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.



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