Hoosiers seek quality win in Crossroads Classic
By COLLIN O’CONNOR
ISL Correspondent
Coming into the third season of this popular Crossroads Classic event taking place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Hoosiers are looking for what will be their most impressive win to this point over a Notre Dame team that, despite recent struggles, is expected to be a top-tier team in the ACC this season.
Last season’s game was perhaps one of the more memorable ones of the year when the No. 1-ranked Hoosiers fell in an overtime blood-battle against an underrated Butler team. This season, though, expectations are completely different.
The young Indiana roster has shown plenty of flashes of potential, but has yet to secure a win in one of its big games against Connecticut or Syracuse. Saturday presents that chance.
Notre Dame comes into this game 7-3, but also is coming off of a loss to North Dakota State just this week. This team definitely is full of talent, though, especially with its guards.
Jerian Grant leads the team in scoring in the backcourt along with fellow guards Pat Connaughton and Eric Atkins. Those three have combined for 55.3 percent of the team’s total scoring this season and have been the main catalysts in keeping the Irish on a national stage despite the struggling start.
The question now becomes, how does Indiana defend against the four-guard lineup and shooters that the Irish will bring to Indianapolis. The Hoosiers can go to a small lineup to be able to match the quickness and be able to close-out quickly along the 3-point line, but it’s also important for the Hoosiers to maintain their advantage on the inside.
The matchups here point to a big game from Noah Vonleh. As it should for most games this season, the offense on Saturday should be run through the freshman center down low. Notre Dame likes to go with Garrick Sherman as its lone big man at times and pitting him against Vonleh early and often would be something to get the offense rolling and could get him in foul trouble.
The biggest strength for Indiana thus far has been its ability to crash the offensive glass with its size and athleticism. In order to put the pressure on an undersized (compared to Indiana) frontline, the Hoosiers must continue to attack the glass and capatilize on second chances.
Overall, this is a winnable game for Indiana and a very important one. Looking back in March, Indiana will need a good win in nonconference play, which it just does not have at this point. It’s time to start building the tournament resume and no better time to start than on Saturday.
