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Hoosier Gameday: Indiana Vs. USI

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IU basketball opens the 2018-19 season with an exhibition against Southern Indiana tonight in Assembly Hall.

TheHoosier.com has quick facts and gameday links posted below.

IU forward Justin Smith and the Hoosiers host Southern Indiana tonight for an exhibition.
IU forward Justin Smith and the Hoosiers host Southern Indiana tonight for an exhibition. (Jordan Wells/TheHoosier.com)
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Quick Facts

Tipoff: 7:00 p.m. ET

Location: Bloomington

Television: BTN+

Radio: IU Radio Network

Gameday Links

Stu Jackson, TheHoosier.com: Southern Indiana Preview

Three Things To Watch

1) Lineup combinations: IU head coach Archie Miller indicated there may be some unusual lineups on the floor as a result of injuries, so it will be interesting to see what sort of experimentation that leads to against Southern Indiana Thursday night. Junior guard Devonte Green (bruised thigh) and redshirt freshman forward Race Thompson (groin) won't play.

2) On-court chemistry: Depending on how frequently Miller rotates players, I'll be watching closely to see if certain lineup combinations work better than others. While USI is a Division II school, Thursday could still offer some hints on the rotation heading into next week's season-opener vs. Chicago State.

3) Davis' productivity: No, I'm not expecting a double-double out of De'Ron Davis, but I am curious to see how he looks in the limited action he's expected to receive Thursday night. Miller said the goal is to play Davis 12-15 minutes, and that should give us a decent idea where his conditioning is to this point.

Chad Lindskog, Evansville Courier & Press: USI basketball excited for opportunities to play against Indiana, Butler

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Rodney Watson hopes the University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team soaks in every bit of the atmosphere at Assembly Hall for Thursday’s exhibition against Indiana University.

Well, not literally.

The Eagles better not already be dripping sweat when they retreat to the locker room for the final time before tipoff.

“If our guys are coming in drenched, phew,” Watson said from the desk inside his office Tuesday afternoon. “Not enough left in our tank.”

The crowd inside the 17,222-seat arena likely will be the biggest USI plays in front of all season. Plus, IU fans will be fired up to see their first glimpse of a promising Hoosiers team, not to mention freshman phenom Romeo Langford’s college debut. The building will be buzzing during pregame warmups.

Watson simply doesn’t want USI to be overwhelmed before the ball goes into the air for the 6 p.m. CT tipoff.

“We have to go in there careful to eliminate being emotionally drunk,” he said. “You really can get a euphoria in these things. I mean literally.”

Mike Miller, HSR: Hoosiers’ 1st shot comes in lone exhibition

The gold practice jersey goes to Indiana’s best player behind the scenes. During the past week, that was freshman wing Jerome Hunter.

Hunter didn’t earn the jersey merely from his athleticism. He didn’t earn it from his defense or rebounding. No, Hunter earned it through a different avenue, one that will be much-needed as this IU offense rounds into shape and seeks to unlock its potential.

“He made a lot of shots,” coach Archie Miller said.

And IU needs a lot more of that.

Indiana was a poor shooting team, especially from distance, during Miller’s first campaign last season. With a potent freshman class and a graduate transfer in Evan Fitzner who specializes in perimeter shooting, the Hoosiers should improve in that area during the year to come.

Entering Thursday’s 7 o’clock exhibition game against Southern Indiana, the Hoosiers’ offense is understandably a work in progress. As the regular season nears and the early portion of the schedule unfolds, IU is trying to identify the quality shots that will complement the offense Miller wants to see in Bloomington.

Gentry Estes, Courier-Journal: Romeo Langford brings hope to Indiana in Archie Miller's second season

On Tuesday evening, Archie Miller invited students into Assembly Hall to watch his Indiana basketball team practice.

They responded by singing “Happy Birthday” to him.

Miller turned 40 on Tuesday, one week before his Hoosiers open the 2018-19 season against Chicago State. A former point guard at NC State and head coach at Dayton, Miller has described a different feel as he enters his second season at Indiana, and it’s easy to see why.

Recruiting has gifted Indiana with an “influx of talent,” in Miller’s words, including New Albany High School’s celebrated former star Romeo Langford, who chose Indiana earlier this year to cap one of the most high-profile basketball recruitments the area has seen in years.

For Miller, the new players have coincided with more comfortability after last season, which finished 16-15, losing to Rutgers in its first game of the Big Ten Tournament.

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