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BLOOMINGTON – Indiana basketball’s turn through Big Ten media days in suburban Chicago earlier this month left the distinct impression the conference expects the Hoosiers to have a say in its title race.
Even against an unbalanced schedule, and having to navigate a difficult road stretch midway through, Mike Woodson’s team ought to be among the league’s most talented this winter. They’ll need to make the most of a modest nonconference first, though, to set themselves up adequately for Selection Sunday.
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Let’s break the schedule down by month, highlighting potential swing games and pivot points on which a Big Ten championship push could rest:
November
Nov. 1: Marian (exhibition)
Marian will be a homecoming of sorts, as Pat Knight brings his team to Bloomington for the first time in his tenure.
Nov. 6: SIU-Edwardsville
Nov. 10: Eastern Illinois
Nov. 16: South Carolina
Nov. 21: UNC Greensboro
This has to be a 4-0 run, and probably one with some style points added. Part of what undercut IU’s efficiency numbers last season was the tonnage of too-close wins against poorer teams early in the schedule. South Carolina made the NCAA tournament last season, but roster churn has dampened expectations this winter. The Gamecocks rank 13th out of 16 teams in Bart Torvik’s preseason SEC projections.
Nov. 27: Louisville (at Battle 4 Atlantis)
Nov. 28,:TBA (at Battle 4 Atlantis)
Nov. 29: TBA (at Battle 4 Atlantis)
In one sense, IU got the best possible opportunity here. The catch therein is the Hoosiers have to seize it, or else risk getting virtually nothing of value from their nonconference schedule.
First, they must beat a much-improved Louisville team. Then they’ll want to get Gonzaga, not West Virginia, in their second game, and finally they will almost certainly want Arizona of the four teams in the opposite side of the bracket.
As…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/iu-basketball-2024-25-season-083035900.html
Author : Indianapolis Star
Publish date : 2024-10-29 08:30:00
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