What to Expect: Indiana vs. SIU Edwardsville

  • Nov 6, 2024 7:48 am in

Indiana tips off the 2024-25 season Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET against SIU Edwardsville at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

It’s the third all-time meeting between the two programs. Indiana beat SIU Edwardsville 88-54 on Dec. 17, 2010 in Bloomington and 83-60 on Dec. 2, 2016 in Bloomington. Wednesday’s game will air on BTN.

After a pair of exhibition wins against Tennessee and Marian University, Indiana begins the 2024-25 season tonight in Bloomington.

The Hoosiers will host SIU Edwardsville, which was picked to finish third in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Cougars are coached by Brian Barone, who once worked at Indiana under Tom Crean. SIU Edwardsville won its season opener 95-42 against Division III Westminster College.

SIUE will begin the season ranked 321st nationally by KenPom and Bart Torvik.

MEET THE COUGARS

SIUE is led by its upperclassmen guards.

Ray’Sean Taylor, a 6-foot-1 guard from Collinsville, Illinois, is the leading returning scorer for the Cougars. Now in his fifth college season, Taylor has amassed 1,314 points at SIUE and averaged 13.6 points last season. He scored in double figures 24 times last season and also averaged 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 30.7 minutes per game.

While he shot only 38.4 percent from the field, Taylor did connect on 36.7 percent of his triples and was an 80.5 percent free throw shooter. In the season opener Monday night, Taylor finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals in 18 minutes.

Brian Taylor II, a 6-foot-4 guard, joined Ray’Sean Taylor in the starting lineup against Westminster. The junior from St. Louis went 5-for-8 from the field and scored 15 points on Monday.

Desmond Polk, a fifth-year guard, is also in the starting backcourt. Polk is using his extra season of eligibility granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He averaged 4.2 points last season and started four times. On Monday, he started and played 13 minutes in SIU Edwardsville’s lopsided win.

Due to roster attrition, SIUE dipped into the junior college ranks to find production for the wing and the frontcourt. The Cougars added teammates from Barton Community College in Ring Malith and Myles Thompson.

Malith is a 6-foot-9 forward who is originally from South Sudan. He averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals last season at Barton. Mality had seven points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes Monday night.

The 6-foot-7 Thompson averaged 14 points, 6.7 rebounds and an assist at Barton. Taylor had eight rebounds in 13 minutes in the opener.

Up front, the Cougars added Bradley transfer Kyle Thomas to play the five. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound big man began his career at Eastern Illinois so he’s familiar with the OVC. Thomas averaged 2.1 points last season for the Braves. He did not play in Monday’s season opener.

Another junior college transfer, Jordan Hamilton, should be a part of the SIUE rotation. The 6-foot-6 junior averaged 8.5 points and 4.1 rebounds last season at South Idaho.

The Cougars also added Jo Valrie, a 6-foot-5 junior who averaged 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds last season at Point Park, an NAIA program.

KEYS TO THE GAME

• Dominate the glass: It’s no secret Indiana was a poor rebounding team last season. The Hoosiers ranked 254th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage and 211th in defensive rebounding percentage. Indiana has talked a lot about rebounding the ball better on both ends in the preseason. Tonight is the first opportunity to establish a different mindset and better results on the boards.

• Create separation early: After struggling against inferior competition to begin last season, Indiana can’t afford another sluggish start in Mike Woodson’s first season. Last season, the Hoosiers squeaked past Florida Gulf Coast and Army in their first two home games. Both wins adversely impacted IU’s computer numbers because of how close the games were. With an opponent ranked outside the top 300 in KenPom to tip off the season, Indiana’s mindset should be to dominate early and pull away quickly.

• Play inside-out: SIU Edwardsville will have no answer for the Hoosiers in the paint. Oumar Ballo and Malik Reneau should be able to get plenty of easy looks at the basket, and once IU goes inside, it should open up kick-outs to the perimeter for in-rhythm 3-point looks.

WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO

The KenPom projection is Indiana by 24 with a 99 percent chance of a Hoosier victory.

Given Indiana’s talent level and the fact that this group has already traveled to Tennessee and emerged with a victory, there’s no reason Wednesday’s game should be competitive. However, according to KenPom, SIU Edwardsville isn’t projected to beat a Division I opponent until Jan. 4 against Lindenwood.

This is one of two “buy games” to open the season – Sunday against Eastern Illinois is the second – before Indiana hosts South Carolina in Bloomington on Nov. 16.

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