IU goes back out on the road on Wednesday for a Big Ten contest against Minnesota.
The Hoosiers are just 1-6 in true road games this year, and have been outscored by nearly 16 points per game in those losses.
Minnesota limps into the game after losing four of their last five. If Indiana is going to pick up another road win this season, the Gophers might represent their best chance to get that done. But Indiana has lost five of six themselves. The NCAA Tournament hopes of the loser of this one are going to take a big blow.
GAME DAY ESSENTIALS
Indiana (16-9, 6-8) at Minnesota (12-12, 6-8)
- Tip time: Wednesday / 9 p.m. ET
- Location: Williams Arena (14,624), Minneapolis, Minn.
- Television: BTN (Stream) / Cory Provus and Stephen Bardo
- Series: Indiana leads 101-69 (Last meeting: Minnesota won 84-63 on Feb. 16, 2019)
- Point Spread: Vegas likes Minnesota by around 6 points. KenPom also likes Minnesota by 6.
- Tickets (Seat Geek affiliate link)
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Minnesota Statistical Leaders
POINTS
- Daniel Oturu (C) 19.9 ppg
- Marcus Carr (G) 15.4 ppg
- Gabe Kalscheur (G) 11.7 ppg
REBOUNDS
- Daniel Oturu (C) 11.3 rpg
- Marcus Carr (G) 5.9 rpg
ASSISTS
- Marcus Carr (G) 6.7 apg
STEALS
- Gabe Kalscheur (G) 1.1 spg
BLOCKS
- Daniel Oturu (C) 2.7 bpg
See also:
- Archie Miller out of options?
- Seniors Green and Davis seeking consistency
- Minnesota’s Pitino previews the game
A look at KenPom No. 32 Minnesota’s noteworthy metrics
A sub-par profile. Coming in at No. 11 in adjusted offensive efficiency in Big Ten games, and No. 10 in adjusted defensive efficiency, the Gophers are in the bottom half of the league on both ends of the floor. It is a profile not unlike Indiana, who sits at No. 10 and 11, respectively.
Struggling from the field. IU’s futility from behind the arc is no match for Minnesota. In league games the Gophers are converting at just a 28.5 percent clip from long range which places them dead last in the conference.
Things don’t get much better from two-point range. Overall, Minnesota is No. 13 in league games with an effective field goal percentage of 45.4 percent. The guard trio of Carr, Kalscheur and Payton Willis are all below 40 percent from the field for the season.
Not an impactful defense. Minnesota is forcing turnovers on just 15 percent of possessions in league play, and generating steals on 6.3 percent. Those marks are No. 10 and 12 in Big Ten play, respectively.
Take your shot. Minnesota allows a lot of three-point attempts and Big Ten opponents are making 34.8 percent against them, placing the Gophers at No. 12 in the league at three-point percentage defense. 31.7 percent of all field goal attempts against the Gophers are three-pointers. That’s the second highest mark in league play.
Oturu elite in many categories. Gopher big man Daniel Oturu is going to be a handful. IU head coach Archie Miller referred to him as the most improved player in the Big Ten. The 6-foot-10, 240 pound Oturu is No. 56 nationally with a 7.7 block percentage, No. 79 with a 59.5 percent effective field goal percentage, and No. 95 with a 12.1 offensive rebounding percentage.
In addition to being a force on the block, Oturu, a sophomore, can create off the dribble and he converts at a 30 percent clip from three-point range.
Carr an elite facilitator. Point guard Marcus Carr is the engine that makes the Gophers go, but more than anything, he creates. The 6-foot-2 Carr is No. 20 nationally with a 36.8 percent assist rate.
Gabe Kalscheur can change the game. The Minnesota sharpshooter hasn’t been great from long range (33.5 percent), but he has ten games with at least three makes from behind the arc including three games with five or more. If the 6-foot-4 Kalscheur is on, Minnesota is difficult to stop.
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