Photo courtesy of IU Athletics -
On Saturday, the No. 18-ranked – yes, ranked – Indiana Hoosiers (9-0) will look to keep rolling along when they take on Notre Dame (7-4) at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in the inaugural Crossroads Classic.
In a weekend keen on reviving tradition, nostalgia will be floating around those in attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse, as the Hoosiers will take on the Irish for the 69th time, the most of any non-conference opponent.
With the Irish being just their second opponent in two week, the Hoosiers are ripe for a letdown game, especially coming off a buzzer-beating victory over No. 1 Kentucky, becoming ranked for the first time since 2008 and oh yeah, finals week.
With Tim Abromaitis – preseason all-Big East selection – out for the season with a torn ACL, Notre Dame is not as formidable as in years past. The Irish have lost badly to the two ranked teams they have faced this season (Missouri by 29 and Gonzaga by 20).
Despite the teams newfound confidence – and ranking - a traditional Big East contender is not quite yet a write-off for the Hoosiers, and has a few weapons IU must take care of to improve to 10-0, the programs best start in 22 years.
Players To Watch:
Notre Dame | Eric Atkins
Atkins is without a doubt the biggest threat to derailing the Hoosiers attempt at a 10-0 start. The sophomore guard has great penetration capabilities and loves to score off the dribble drive, exposed last week by Marcus Teague as an obvious weakness in the Hoosier defense.
While not being near the talent that Marcus Teague is, Atkins still has the style of play to hurt Indiana where they are vulnerable.
Last year, Atkins served as more of a facilitator – finishing his freshman year with a flashy assist-to-turnover ratio of 2. 6-to-1 – but has now been asked to take on the scoring duties of Ben Hansborough, who carried Notre Dame to their best record since the Digger Phelps era.
Averaging 14 points a game, Atkins best game of the season came last week against the University of Maine, scoring a career high 26 points while dishing out six assists. However, two days later Atkins was shutout, scoring zero points on 0-8 shooting.
With a scarce amount of scoring options in the lineup, if the Hoosiers key in and contain Atkins – preventing him from getting into the paint to create for others – they shouldn’t have a problem holding onto a second half lead.
Honorable Mention | Jack Cooley
The 6-9 junior and Illinois native poses the biggest post threat to the Hoosiers. Without Abromaitis, Cooley represents the Irish’s most experienced option.
Cooley is a physical post player who will try to bang around with Cody Zeller down low.
Despite averaging just 3.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 10.3 minutes last year, Cooley has shown flashes of potential that have been on display as of late, scoring 22 points in each of Notre Dame’s last two games.
Indiana | Cody Zeller
It’s becoming redundant, but if you can’t stop Cody Zeller, you likely can’t stop the Hoosiers.
Zeller has not disappointed, and may be exceeding expectations, as he is leading IU in scoring (15.0), rebounds (7.4) and steals (2.4).
Contain what you can on the offensive end, but it won’t take Zeller out of his game, because it’s all around.
When Zeller becomes an after-thought in the Hoosier offense– how this is possible is still a mystery to most – he becomes more effective on the defensive end. While being held to just 11 points against Kentucky, Zeller had a demonstrative affect on Kentucky’s offense, intimidating the Wildcat guards – these are future NBA players – into hesitating on open shots and missing layups.
At 6-11 Zeller will once again be the biggest player on the court and likely the most talented. If Mike Brey can’t scheme something impressive up, expect Zeller to top the box score once again.
Honorable Mention | Victor Oladipo
Expect Oladipo to rebound from a subpar shooting performance (4-12) against Kentucky. Although being defended by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – clearly the best player on the floor last Saturday and a future NBA lottery pick – Oladipo’s confidence never wavered.
Except for a forced shot late in the game, IU’s high-flyer impressively played within himself on the big stage and held his own with a superior athletic team.
With no athleticism to match in the Notre Dame lineup, look for Oladipo to flourish at Conseco Fieldhouse, a court he may find himself playing on more often if he keeps improving at this rate.
Advance Scouting Report | Notre Dame will win if…
Notre Dame has had difficulty stopping opponents on the defensive end this year and has taken a big step back on the offense, usually the area they hang their hats on.
During Brey’s tenure as head coach, the Irish have been one of the most efficient offensive teams, usually killing their opponents from beyond the arc.
In each of the last six seasons, Notre Dame has ranked in the top 25 in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive efficiency. Through the first quarter of its schedule against largely soft defenses, Notre Dame is currently 59th.
If Notre Dame is to have a chance against the Hoosiers, they are going to have to bank on the intangibles coming into play.
How will IU come out after its biggest win during the Crean era? None of IU’s current players have ever beat a team of Kentucky’s caliber, let alone been ranked.
Playing only its second game in as many weeks, will IU be as crisp on offense – the Hoosiers 45.8 percent shooting from behind the arc is good for #2 nationally – as they’ve proven to be all year?
If the Irish can keep it close, can the Hoosiers survive another nail biter? Only the Butler, NC State and Kentucky games were in question during the second half.
How will the jumbled practice schedule due to finals this week affect IU’s focus?
If IU fails to answer any of these questions, Notre Dame may find themselves with an opportunity to steal one from the Hoosiers and spoil a 10-0 start.
Advanced Scouting Report | Indiana will win if…
If the Hoosiers can control the aforementioned x-factors, they should be able to defeat the Irish with relative ease. Like many of their early season opponents, the Hoosiers will have an advantage at every position, whether it is size, experience or talent.
If IU basketball has turned the corner and is in fact back, these are the type of games – neutral site, weaker opponent, national spotlight – in which they need to take control early, not let up and take care of business.
The Hoosiers have a clear frontcourt advantage (ND doesn’t have the size or athleticism to matchup with Watford or Zeller) and between Oladipo, Sheehey and Jones, are clearly the more athletic team.
If IU exploits the advantage down low, a Hulls and Zeller inside/outside game could lead to a barrage of three’s, and if that’s the case, it could be Chattanooga or Stetson all over again.
If the Hoosiers practice what they preach, and that has been one game at a time, expect a victory and possibly a top 15 ranking come Monday.
