Old habits die hard, or so the saying goes.

For Indiana, the adage is a reflection of what's hindered the team's chemistry development at times through head coach Archie Miller's first three games. With three days to prepare for Sunday's 6 p.m. ET home contest for South Florida, they hope to use the time to continue to get in sync.

"(The underclassmen) don't have to change," Miller said. "They're learning everything for the first time. They don't have to reprogram themselves any other way. These guys, they have to reprogram themselves from what they've been taught in some cases three and a half years, in some cases a year or two."

More specifically, Miller during his weekly radio show Thursday night zeroed in on two areas where the Hoosiers have old, bad habits that have been challenging to break.

So far, he's taken issue with Indiana's high-risk, high-reward plays on offense and positioning on defense.

"Right now, we’re high-risk more than we are high-reward," Miller said Thursday night. "Take less chances with the ball in your hand, let’s make sure you get a good possession and capitalize with numbers, rather than when you’re on the break or you have the opportunity to make a simple play. It’s more or less don’t try the home run. Hit the singles rather than the home runs right now. That’s who we’ve got to be. We’ve got to take care of the ball.

"The other end of the floor, the biggest thing defensively for us right now is our positioning. You have to work in the post, you have to work on the ball, but our biggest breakdowns right now are off the ball. Where we’re supposed to be and when we’re supposed to be there. That takes time."

Part of the reason for those struggles has been both rookie and veteran Hoosiers having to learn a new system all over again. While underclassmen like freshman guard Al Durham and freshman forward Justin Smith are able to play more freely, upperclassmen like guards Josh Newkirk and Robert Johnson are still trying to deprogram those old habits.

"Coming in trying to learn a new system, new defense and having everybody on the same playing field, it's been difficult," Smith said. "Usually as a freshman you can look up to and use the other upperclassmen, but I don't have that luxury because they're also learning at the same time. We're all in this together and we're going to keep fighting together."

South Florida is also dealing with a little bit of unfamiliarity of its own.

Brian Gregory is in his first year as the Bulls' head coach after spending last season on Michigan State's staff. Prior to that, he served as Georgia Tech's head coach from 2011-2016. He also preceded Miller as Dayton's head coach from 2003-2011.

Gregory, like Miller, is dealing with a new roster of his own. But Miller expects another tough challenge nonetheless.

"Expect a very hard-fought game, expect it to be a physical game," Miller said. "I think this going to be an opponent that gives us some trouble in and around the basket, so we're going to have to be really, really cognizant of how we play, share the ball and being sure with it in terms of turnovers. That's the one thing that's been really hurting us, being able to take care of (the ball). It'll be a good opponent."

Heading into Sunday's matchup, Miller believes the Hoosiers' mistakes are correctable as they work to get on the same page.

Eventually, he wants to see the Hoosiers' execution get better. While the improvements will come from focusing on the little details which may not be noticeable to the fans, Miller said they'll know the progress when they see it.

"A lot of unforced turnovers, a lot of things we can control in terms of our execution," Miller said. "Those are the things we've been dealing with post-Seton Hall, so hopefully we improve as we head into Sunday."

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