Indiana basketball is back on U.S soil for an evening matchup with Sam Houston State on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers (5-2 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten play) enter their first game back from the Battle 4 Atlantis following a 1-2 week in The Bahamas. The Bearkats (4-4 overall, 0-0 in Conference USA) visit Bloomington after a 1-2 trip to Wilmington, North Carolina at the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic.
Before Tuesday night's matchup, preview the matchup between Indiana and Sam Houston State.
HEAD COACH PROFILE
Head Coach: Chris Mudge
Record: 25-16 in 2nd year overall, same at Sam Houston State
Sam Houston State became the 20th head coach in Sam Houston State history on April 4, 2023. Mudge was an internal hire for the Bearkats, after he spent the past nine seasons directing the recruiting efforts for the program.
Prior to joining the staff at Sam Houston State in 2010, Mudge served as an assistant coach at Midland College for two years.
Mudge earned his bachelor's degree in 2006 at the University of Texas, where he spend time as the head basketball manager under head coach Rick Barnes.
THIS SEASON
Entering Tuesday's clash with Indiana, Sam Houston State sits at 4-4 on the year.
Sam Houston State holds wins over Tarleton, Lamar, Trinity (TX) and Colgate, while losing to Nevada, Baylor, Appalachian State and UNC Wilmington.
This past week at the Live Oak Bank Holiday Classic, the Bearkats lost their two games by a combined score of 12 points, while beating Colgate 82-78 for Sam Houston State's first win of the early season tournament.
As a team, the Bearkats are averaging 78.5 points a contest, while giving up 77.5 points per game. Sam Houston State has been prolific from 3-point range to begin the year, connecting on 40.3% of its 3-point attempts to start the season. The Bearkats are making an average of 9.1 triples a game.
On the other side of the ball, Sam Houston State's opponents are shooting 47.0% from the field and 37.1% from distance. The Bearkats are forcing an average of 14.9 turnovers a game.
Sam Houston State currently ranks 128th in the country in Kenpom, and 159th in the NET, which was released on Monday.
KEY PLAYERS
- Guard Lamar Wilkerson: 6-foot-5 guard Lamar Wilkerson is the Bearkats' leading scorer so far this season. He's averaging 19.6 points per game on the year. Wilkerson, a senior out of Ashdown, Arkansas, is shooting 47.5% from the field and 45.3% from 3-point range. Wilkerson is not afraid to pull from all over the perimeter. He's averaging eight 3-point attempts a game on the year.
- Guard Dorian Finister: Averaging 11.4 points and on the season, guard Dorian Finister is the team's second-leading scorer. Despite standing at 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, Finister is the Bearkats' leading rebounder on the year, pulling down 7.0 boards a night. Finister, a junior out of New Orleans, has also started the year hot from deep. He's hit 10 of his first 23 long balls of the season, a 43.5% clip.
- Forward Cameron Huefner: The third and final Bearkat averaging double-digit points on the season is 6-foot-8 forward Cameron Huefner. Huefner is averaging 10. 5 points and 3. 5 rebounds per game. A native of Adelaide, Australia, Huefner is shooting 40.9% from the field to begin the year.
STORYLINES TO MONITOR
How will Indiana respond after a disappointing trip to The Bahamas...
Indiana's start to the Battle 4 Atlantis was disastrous, there's no other way to put it. The loss to Louisville was bad, and the loss to Gonzaga, while expected, was disappointing with how the Hoosiers played. Indiana managed to close the tournament with a win over Providence, but the Hoosiers can't afford a step back against the Bearkats. Anything other than a wire-to-wire beatdown against Sam Houston State would continue to result in questions being asked of the team and coaching staff.
Will Indiana get pre-Battle 4 Atlantis Myles Rice back...
In Indiana's final two games before leaving for The Bahamas, Myles Rice recorded back-to-back 20-point performances. Rice had 23 against South Carolina and 20 versus UNC Greensboro. However, Rice was not good during the Battle 4 Atlantis. Rice scored a total of 11 points throughout the week, tallying just as many personal fouls as he did points across Indiana's three games in The Bahamas. For the Hoosiers, Rice holds the keys to how successful Indiana can be. Indiana's front court has been relatively consistent this season, the same can't be said for the guards up to this point in the year.
QUICK HITTERS
Who: (RV) Indiana (5-2) vs. Sam Houston State (4-4)
Series History: Indiana leads the all-time series 1-0 (Last Meeting: Indiana won 99-45 on Nov. 15, 2012 at Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
When: Dec. 3, 2024, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network: Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Brian Butch (analyst)
Radio: IU Radio Network: Don Fischer (Play-by-Play), Errek Suhr (Analyst), John Herrick
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