What to Expect: Indiana vs. Miami (OH)
Indiana returns to action tonight at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall against Miami (OH). The RedHawks are 5-2 and have won three straight.
The game will tip at 7 p.m. ET on BTN:
Indiana will look to build on Tuesday’s 97-71 rout against Sam Houston State when it hosts Miami (OH) tonight. It will be the 26th meeting between the two programs and the Hoosiers lead the series 22-3.
Indiana and Miami last played in 2022 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and the Hoosiers cruised to an 86-56 victory.
Under Travis Steele, the RedHawks are on an upward trajectory and were picked to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference.
MEET THE REDHAWKS
Miami is led by a pair of transfers, 6-foot-5 wing Peter Suder and 6-foot-6 wing Kam Craft.
Suder, a Carmel product, spent the first two seasons of his college career at Bellarmine University in Louisville. He’s Miami’s leading scorer through seven games — all starts — and scored 42 points in 38 minutes in his last game against Air Force.
Suder is shooting 58.8 percent from the field, 34.5 percent on 3s and 81.8 percent from the free throw line.
Craft began his career at Xavier and has scored in double figures six times. His 14.1 points per game rank second on the roster and he shoots 39.2 percent on 3s (51 attempts).
Cincinnati native Eian Elmer is Miami’s third starter averaging in double figures at 14 points per game. He’s also a capable 3-point shooter, knocking down 15 of his 36 attempts from distance (41.7 percent). The 6-foot-6 sophomore is Miami’s second-leading rebounder (5.6 per game) and has a team-high 14 steals.
Point guard Mekhi Cooper is a 6-foot-1 sophomore who is limited offensively but is a solid defender and free-throw shooter. Cooper is shooting just 39.4 percent on 2s for his career and 27.9 percent on 3s but converts at a 79 percent clip from the stripe. He also has a team-high 23 assists.
Rutgers transfer Antwone Woolfolk starts at the five for the RedHawks and the Cleveland native brings legitimate size in the paint. Woolfolk is 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds and is averaging 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game.
Freshman guard Luke Skaljac comes off the bench and is 6-foot-7 on 3s and 13-for-17 overall from the field in seven games. The 6-foot-2 guard is fifth on the team in scoring at 5.1 points per game.
Other rotation names to know are 6-foot sophomore guard Evan Ipsaro, 6-foot-8 freshman forward Brant Byers and 7-foot-1 sophomore Reece Potter.
Ipsaro provides point guard depth and has dished out just under two assists per game in limited minutes (13.4). Byers is just 8-for-28 (28.6 percent) from the field in seven games. And Potter isn’t much of a scoring threat – 15 points in five games – but his size could put him in line for an opportunity against Indiana’s imposing frontline.
TEMPO-FREE PREVIEW
Like most of IU’s opponents, Miami takes and makes more 3-pointers than the Hoosiers. The RedHawks generate 35.9 percent of their points off of 3s, which ranks 83rd nationally. The Hoosiers score just 23.7 percent of their points from the perimeter (333rd). With Suder, Craft and Elmer all capable from the perimeter, the Hoosiers must be sharp on defensive rotations and closeouts.
The RedHawks don’t generate much offense from the free throw line and are scoring just 12.4 percent of their points from the line (356th). Miami is very efficient – 57 percent – on 2s and ranks in the top 65 in effective field goal percentage through seven games.
Defensively, Miami allows its opponents to shoot 56.6 percent on 2s and is dependent on forcing turnovers to succeed. The RedHawks rank 37th in the country in defensive turnover percentage (22). The RedHawks are also stellar on the defensive glass as their opponents only grab 27.1 percent of their missed shots.
Both teams like to play with pace as Miami ranks 131st in adjusted tempo and the Hoosiers are 49th.
WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO
The KenPom projection is Indiana by 15 with a 91 percent chance of a Hoosier victory. Bart Torvik projects a 20-point win for the Hoosiers and a 94 percent chance of victory.
Miami has already played two true road games and split those opportunities. On Nov. 4, the RedHawks beat Appalachian State 77-63 to open the season, but they fell 94-67 to Michigan at the Crisler Center on Nov. 18.
Indiana’s bench provided a much-needed spark in Tuesday’s win against Sam Houston State and the Hoosiers need to find a way to get similar energy from the starting lineup. With Big Ten play quickly approaching, Indiana’s defense must get better in a hurry as the second half performance against Sam Houston State won’t get it done against most conference foes.
The keys for an Indiana win: limiting turnovers, better communication on defense and getting the ball cleanly into the paint, which should produce layups, opportunities at the line or kick outs for open 3s.
Filed to: Miami Ohio Redhawks