After a little over a week off, Indiana basketball returns to action on Saturday afternoon inside of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, as visiting Chattanooga pulls into Bloomington for a 12:00 p.m. ET tip.
The Hoosiers (8-3 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten play) enter their penultimate non-conference game of the season following a bitter road loss to Nebraska over a week ago. The Mocs (8-4 overall, 0-0 in Southern Conference play) come in riding a three game winning streak, including back-to-back wins by an average of 34.5 points.
Before Saturday's afternoon showdown, preview the matchup between Indiana and Chattanooga.
HEAD COACH PROFILE
Head Coach: Dan Earl
Record: 120-172 in 10th year overall, 47-33 in 3rd year at Chattanooga
Back in his playing days, Early was a three-time captain and a 1996 All-Big Ten honoree at Penn State. After college, Earl played professionally in the Continental Basketball Association and the NBA Development League.
At the conclusion of his days as a player, Early served as an assistant at his alma mater from 2006-11, before spending four seasons as an associate head coach at Navy.
Earl began his head coaching career back in 2015 at the Virginia Military Institue. There, he spent seven seasons, coaching the Keydets to a 73-139 record.
Then, prior to the start of the 2022-23 season, Earl was named the head coach at Chattanooga, leading the mocs to an 18-17 record and a SoCon Tournament runner-up finish in his first season with the program.
THIS SEASON
Entering Saturday's matchup with Indiana, Chattanooga sits at 8-4 on the season.
Chattanooga began the season with three consecutive losses on the road against Division 1 opponents. The Mocs then rattled off five straight wins, including a 14-point victory over Morehead State and two wins in the Coke Classic. Since then, Chattanooga has won three straight following a loss to Lipscomb.
As a group, Chattanooga is averaging 75.9 points per game, while shooting 45.2% from the floor and 31.3% from 3-point range--on 29.3 attempts a night, which ranks 31st in the country. So far this year, the Mocs are turning it over just 10.7 times a game.
On the other side of the ball, Chattanooga's surrendering 70.2 points a game this season. The Mocs' opponents are shooting 43.6% from the field and 33.6% from downtown throughout the early stages of the 2024 season.
According to Kenpom, Chattanooga ranks as the No. 183 team in the country. The Mocs possess the nation's 123rd-ranked offense and the 270th-ranked defense. Chattanooga also ranks 213th in the NET.
KEY PLAYERS
- Trey Bonham: Standing at 6-foot and 175 pounds, Bonham is the Mocs' leading scorer on the season. The Mobile, Alabama native is averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Bonham is shooting 45.2% from the field and 32.9% from 3-point range this season. A former Florida transfer, Bonham was first team All-Southern Conference honoree a season ago.
- Honor Huff: Averaging 12.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest, Huff is the primary creator for the Mocs, leading the team in assists. Undersized at just 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds, Huff is shooting just 36.8% from the field and 33.3.% from downtown to begin his junior season. Last year, as a sophomore, Huff was named second team All-Southern Conference.
- Bash Wieland: A Bellarmine transfer, Wieland stands 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds. The Graduate Student, who hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, is averaging 11.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season. He's shooting at a 50.0% clip from the field this year and a 32.3% clip from downtown.
STORYLINES TO MONITOR
How will Indiana respond after a disappointing defeat to Nebraska...
Indiana went into Lincoln over a week ago with hopes of improving to 2-0 in Big Ten play. However, those hopes were dashed by a late second half surge by the Cornhuskers that saw the Hoosiers fall by double-figures once against to Nebraska. Indiana has over a week since that loss to get back into the gym and get ready for a Chattanooga team that the Hoosiers should have no problem handling.
Will Mackenzie Mgbako find his groove...
After such a strong start to the season, sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako has been in a slump ever since returning from The Bahamas. In Indiana's last three games, Mgbako has scored in single-digits twice, a 4-point effort against Miami (OH) and a 2-point effort at Nebraska where he played just 33 seconds in the first half due to foul trouble. For Indiana to be at its best, the Hoosiers need Mgbako to find his rhythm on the offensive end of the floor. For Mgbako that may start with honing in on the defensive side of the ball first.
Can Indiana figure it out defensively...
Throughout his time as the head coach of his alma mater, Mike Woodson's calling card has been on the defensive end of the floor. However, this season, the Hoosiers haven't been a great defensive team. There's been a couple of impressive defensive performances this season, like the second half against Eastern Illinois and Miami (OH). However, in the Hoosiers' three losses this season, to Louisville, Gonzaga and Nebraska, Indiana has given up an average of 87.7 points per game in those contests. It may not be a cause for concern against the Mocs, but the Hoosiers must improve on the defensive end of the floor to compete in the Big Ten.
QUICK HITTERS
Who: (RV) Indiana (8-3, 1-1) vs. Chattanooga (8-4, 0-0)
Series History: Indiana leads the all-time series 3-0 (Last Meeting: Indiana won 99-74 on March. 17, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa
When: Dec. 21, 2024, 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network: Wayne Randazzo (play-by-play), Stephen Bardo (analyst)
Radio: IU Radio Network: Don Fischer (Play-by-Play), Errek Suhr (Analyst), John Herrick
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