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The Hoosiers are coming off an exciting yet gritty 81-79 win over Xavier this past Friday on the road. The win led to Indiana improving to the 3-0 on the year plus gaining their first true road win of the season.
Now, the Hoosiers will look to gain their second win on the road as they look to beat the Miami (OH) Redhawks in a neutral setting in Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Redhawks come into this game just 1-3 so far this under first season head coach Travis Steele who ironically comes from Xavier.
Here is a preview for Indiana's road matchup with Miami (OH).
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SEE ALSO:
Coach Q&A: Mike Woodson recaps 81-79 win over Xavier
Player Q&A: Trayce Jackson-Davis, Malik Reneau recap Xavier win
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Last Time They Played
The last time these two programs faced off was on December 10th during the 1994-95 season which saw Indiana win 92-77 behind former Indiana forward Alan Henderson's 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting. That game would see four Indiana players score in double-figures with Henderson's 32, Andrae Patterson's 16, Brian Evans' 16, and Steve Hart's 14.
Indiana leads the series 21-3 and are currently on a 5-game win streak versus the Miami (OH) RedHawks. Their first game versus Miami (OH) came during the 1925-26 season which saw the Hoosiers win 47-26.
Injury Updates
No reported injuries at this time.
Key Storylines to Watch
Back-to-back wins on the road?
While it many not be a 'true' road game tonight with it being in Indianapolis, the Hoosiers will play it's second consecutive game away from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Even though the win at Xavier was very important early for this Indiana team, it is no secret that Indiana has historically been a bad team on the road in recent years. However, this will be the first time Indiana has played in Gainbridge Fieldhouse since that miracle run they went on in the Big Ten tournament last season.
Miami (OH) will not provide the same type of problems Indiana faced on the road at Xavier, but it still is a different environment that playing at SSAH. Indiana has a legit chance to not only extend their winning streak to 4, but can hold a small winning streak on the road as well.
Bounce back game from Race Thompson and Miller Kopp?
The entire Indiana team was able to find a way to come together and get a much needed 'grind it out' win over Xavier and the trio of Xavier Johnson, Malik Reneau, and Trayce Jackson-Davis (Combined for 65 points on 25-of-33 shooting) were the main guys to help lead the Hoosiers to victory.
However, two player that really seemed to struggle were senior forwards Race Thompson and Miller Kopp, both who combined on just 4-of-15 made field goals including just 1-of-8 from behind the arc. Miller Kopp did perhaps hit the biggest shot of the game with that corner three late and Race Thompson did make some aggressive defensive plays in the second half as well.
From two senior starters, a poor offensive performance like that simply cannot happen on a consistent basis and honestly probably won't. This game versus Miami (OH) provides them an opportunity to shake off last game's cobwebs and get back on track.
Another big game from Xavier Johnson?
With how Johnson played on the road at Xavier (23 points on 7-of-8 from the field, 7-of-10 from the line), it was a glimpse of what he was like late last season. It was a rough start of the season for him with the first two games of the year with just 11 total points, but the game on Friday he seemingly woke up.
Now, it is all about him consistently playing at this high level moving forward because consistency is something Johnson has struggled with at time to time. The game versus Miami (OH) is not a game where Johnson will have to take over, but if he can make the smart decisions he did at Xavier, that would be just enough for them to easily get past the Redhawks.
You could see another big game from Xavier Johnson tonight but overall, he just needs to be consistent.
Quick Hitters
Who?: Miami (OH) (1-3, 0-0 in MAC) at #12 Indiana (3-0, 0-0 in B1G)
When?: Sunday, November 20th, 5:50 PM ET
Where?: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: BTN (Matt Schumacker, Stephen Bardo)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Radio Stream: Learfield Varsity app
Team Rankings: Indiana AP #12, KenPom 8# overall (9# adj. defense, 13# adj. offense). Miami (OH) is KenPom 287# overall (321# adj. defense, 235# adj, offense)
Spread: Indiana -27
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