The Hoosiers take on Arkansas in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Saturday in the second round of the NIT.
Tipoff is set for 12:00 p.m. ET and will be aired on ESPN.
TheHoosier.com has gathered previews and predictions for the game below.
1. Arkansas' pressure defense -- Arkansas likes to play aggressive on defense early under Mike Anderson, which means it's possible Indiana sees full-court pressure right off the bat. Freshman guard Robert Phinisee has made significant progress dealing with it, as evidenced in IU's win at Illinois in the final week of the regular season.
2. What the Razorbacks look like without Daniel Gafford -- They went to the former Rivals100 prospect often, and he also dominated the glass, in the first meeting between the two teams. Sitting out the NIT after declaring for the draft and hiring an agent, this will be a different-looking Razorbacks squad, though one clearly capable of advancing after dispatching Providence 84-72 without its star player.
3. Paint production -- Simply put: Can Indiana take advance of a more even matchup at the five and the frontcourt as a whole?
The two major stories from the first meeting between Indiana and Arkansas was Gafford and the inability to take care of the ball by the Hoosiers.
Gafford won’t be a problem on Saturday, but Arkansas will still roll out its signature ball pressure. The Razorbacks forced Indiana into 18 turnovers back in November for a turnover percentage of 23.7.
Freshman guard Isaiah Joe is second on the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game and scored 13 points against IU in November, but shot just 3-for-11 on 3s.
Sophomore Mason Jones has fallen out of the starting lineup over the last seven games, but he’s still a huge key to the success of Arkansas. The Oklahoma native scored a team-high 18 points in the NIT opener at Providence and hit four of his six 3-point attempts. Jones is shooting 37 percent on 3s this season and is capable of getting hot at anytime.
Who do you envision being something of an x-factor for Indiana in the game?
JS: Junior guard Devonte Green is the easy answer here. Green, the younger brother of current Toronto Raptor Danny Green, takes over the Indiana offense when Langford isn’t on the floor. He’s a good creator in the pick and roll and is even more effective when his shot is on and he’s hitting from deep.
The problem is, he forces the issue when he’s off and can make some very poor decisions in simple situations. If Green is on his game, Indiana is much better, if he’s off, he’s almost unplayable.
Predictions and Probabilities
TheHoosier.com Staff Predictions
Jon Sauber: Indiana 78, Arkansas 71
Stu Jackson: Indiana 82, Arkansas 74
KenPom
Indiana 73, Arkansas 68 (68 percent chance Indiana wins)
Thrill Score: 58.6 (Eighth among Saturday's games)
ESPN
Indiana 77.3 percent
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