Indiana returns to action at the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thanksgiving against Gonzaga.
Game Day Essentials:
No. 3/4 Gonzaga (5-1) vs. No. 14/15 Indiana (4-1)
- Tip Time: Thursday, approximately 2:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Imperial Ballroom • Paradise Islands, The Bahamas
- Television: ESPN2 (Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli)
- Radio: IU Radio Network
- Stream: Watch ESPN
- Point Spread: Gonzaga is a 9.5 point favorite
- KenPom Projected Score: No. 5 Gonzaga 84, No. 60 Indiana 73
- History: The series is tied, 2-2.
- Last Meeting: Gonzaga won 70-54 on Dec. 6, 2008.
The Bulldogs enter the game with a record of 5-1 under Hall of Fame head coach Mark Few. They lost their Battle 4 Atlantis opener to West Virginia in overtime, 86-78.
Redshirt sophomore forward Braden Huff (14.8 points per game), sixth-year senior guard Khalif Battle (14.7), and fifth-year senior forward Graham Ike (13.0) all produce at least 13.0 points per game. In total five players average in double figures.
Senior guard Ryan Nembhard has dished out 59 assists to just seven turnovers through six games.
Gonzaga ranks as the No. 2 overall most efficient offense, and the No. 27 defense in the nation, according to KenPom.
Louisville Report Card
Because of the quick turnaround, below is an abbreviated version of the report card for yesterday’s game against Louisville:
COACHING (F) Considering his team was ranked, Louisville was unranked, and the Hoosiers were expected to win — this 28-point loss was probably the worst game of the Mike Woodson era. And it was probably the win he needed the most. Indiana was woefully inadequate on both ends of the floor. Louisville led by 38 points, 38 points, with 7:08 left in the game. Indiana did not look prepared for what Louisville had coming their way schematically, they didn’t seem to mark shooters like Reyne Smith, and the Hoosiers were beat up-and-down the floor. Indiana’s staff had no answers for Louisville’s ball pressure, or how to get their guards involved in the game.
OFFENSE (F) At .85 points per possession, Indiana was at its low mark of the season. Their 38.9% effective field goal rate was also a season low, as the Hoosiers made a staggering 32.6% of their shots from 2-point range despite a major size advantage. Indiana’s 31.9% turnover rate was, you guessed it, a season low too. The only thing IU had going for them was their 47.8% offensive rebounding rate, but that just led to more bad offense.
DEFENSE (F) The season highs came on this end of the floor as well. IU allowed 1.23 points per possession, and a 64.6% effective field goal rate. The previous highs this year were .99 and 44.4%, respectively. Louisville’s offensive rebounding rate (37.9%) was also a season high allowed. The one thing Indiana did well was not foul. Maybe they should have.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Malik Reneau. This one wasn’t too hard to figure out. Reneau played hard and didn’t foul. He poured in 21 points, made two threes, and was 5-of-6 from the line. He added seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block to go with his three turnovers.
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