Indiana basketball enters its second game of the Battle 4 Atlantis set for an afternoon clash with Gonzaga at 2:30pm ET in The Bahamas.
The Hoosiers (4-1 overall, 0-0 in B1G play) come into the contest fresh off of an embarrassing 28-point loss at the hands of Louisville in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Bulldogs (5-1 overall, 0-0 in WCC play) enter the matchup 24 hours removed from an overtime loss at the hands West Virginia in the opening round of the tournament.
Before Thursday afternoon's clash in the second round of the Battle 4 Atlantis, preview the contest between No. 14 Indiana and No. 3 Gonzaga.
HEAD COACH PROFILE
Head Coach: Mark Few
Record: 720-144 in 26th year overall, same at Gonzaga
During his lengthy tenure at Gonzaga, Mark Few has established himself as one of the best head coaches in the entire country. Under Few, the Bulldogs have made the Final Four twice and the Elite Eight six times. Gonzaga has won the WCC regular season title 22 times under Few.
Gonzaga's head man has been named the Naismith National Coach of the Year twice, in 2017 and 2021, after leading the Bulldogs to a national championship appearance.
Few began his coaching career at the high school level, acting as an assistant coach at a pair of high schools in Oregon from 1986-1989. Few then spent a season as a graduate assistant with the Bulldogs during the 1990-91 season. From there, Few became an assistant coach at Gonzaga before being named the head coach in July of 1999.
THIS SEASON
Coming into the contest against Indiana, Gonzaga sits at 5-1 on the season.
Gonzaga kicked off the season with a dominant 101-63 victory of then-No. 8 Baylor. Since then, the Bulldogs have rattled off home wins over Arizona State, UMass Lowell and Long Beach State, as well as an impressive road victory over San Diego State. Gonzaga just lost its first game of the season on Wednesday, in overtime, against West Virginia, 86-78.
On the season, Gonzaga is averaging 90.7 points per game, while shooting 48.5% from the field and 35.9% from 3-point range. The Bulldogs are averaging just over 24 3-point attempts a game.
Defensively, Gonzaga is averaging 8.7 steals and 3.0 blocks a contest, while holding teams to 38.8% shooting from the floor. So far this year, Gonzaga's opponents have shot just 24.7% from behind the arc.
The Bulldogs rank fifth in the country in Kenpom, boasting the countries second-ranked offense and 27th-ranked defense.
KEY PLAYERS
- Guard Khalif Battle: Khalif Battle was one of the top available transfers in the country this past offseason after averaging 14.8 points per game a year ago at Arkansas. Battle is Gonzaga's leading scorer through the early part of the season, averaging 14.7 points a night on 46.6% shooting from the field and 45.2% from downtown. At 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, Battle is a matchup nightmare given his unique combination of size, strength, speed, ball handling and shooting.
- Guard Ryan Nembhard: The younger brother of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, Ryan is the engine to Gonzaga's top-ranked offense. The 6-foot senior is averaging 11.3 points per game, which is good enough for fifth on the team. Nembhard is converting at a 38.8% clip from the field and a 38.9% clip from 3-point range. Where Nembhard really proves his worth is in the playmaking department. Nembhard is averaging 9.8 assists per game and boasts over an 8-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the year.
- Center Graham Ike: A player Indiana fans may remember from his time at Wyoming -- the Hoosiers beat the Cowboys in a First Four matchup in the 2022 NCAA Tournament -- Graham Ike is an intimidating interior presence for Gonzaga. Standing 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, Ike is averaging 13.0 points a game this season. He's shooting the ball at a 50.0% clip from the floor to begin the year. The redshirt senior is also the Bulldogs' leading rebounder, averaging 5.8 rebounds a contest.
STORYLINES TO MONITOR
Can Indiana bounce back...
Indiana was blown out by 28 points by Louisville to open the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Hoosiers were dominated and embarrassed by the Cardinals in every facet of the game. Just over 24 hours removed from one of the worst losses and performances of the Mike Woodson tenure, the Hoosiers must bounce back. While it may be difficult to pull out a win against Gonzaga, Indiana has to at least play better on Thursday against the Bulldogs.
Will Indiana's guards show up...
One of the many issues the Hoosiers had on Wednesday against the Cardinals, was that their guards played poorly. Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle and Trey Galloway combined for three points on 1-of-15 shooting from the floor. Indiana's backcourt trio also turned the ball over nine times. It goes without saying, but the Hoosiers need much better play out of their backcourt if they want to have a chance to hang with one of the top teams in the country.
QUICK HITTERS
Who: No. 14 Indiana (4-1) vs. No. 3 Gonzaga (5-1)
Series History: The all-time series is tied at 2-2 (Last Meeting: Gonzaga won 70-54 on Dec. 6, 2008 in Indianapolis)
When: Nov. 28, 2024, 2:30 p.m. ET
Where: Imperial Ballroom, Paradise Islands, The Bahamas
TV: ESPN: Beth Mowins (Play-by-Play), Debbie Antonelli (Analyst)
Radio: IU Radio Network: Austin Render (Play-by-Play), Errek Suhr (Analyst), John Herrick
Vegas: Gonzaga -9.5, 154.5 over/under
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