Progressive Legends Classic breakdown

ROUND 1
WHO:Georgia Bulldogs (1-2)
WHAT: Progressive Legends Classic
WHEN :5:30 p.m Nov. 19
WHERE: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
HOW TO WATCH: Watch ESPNU or listen to WIUX 99.1 FM or online at www.wiux.org

Head coach
Mark Fox – fourth year at Georgia (50-46 entering this season), ninth season as head coach (173-89 career record).

Last season’s leading scorer
Georgia lost guard Gerald Robinson to graduation after he averaged 14.2 points per game last season. After Robinson, sophomore guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the Bulldogs’ second leading scorer with 13.2 ppg. Caldwell-Pope drained 65-of-214 threes from behind the arc as a freshman while playing the most minutes (32.1 per game) of any of the Bulldogs.

Last season’s leading rebounder
Caldwell-Pope led Georgia with 5.2 rebounds per game last season and is playing at a faster pace this season. So far, the sophomore from Greenville, Ga. has collected six rebounds per game. His average is best on the team.

How last year ended
After achieving a 21-12 record during the 2010-2011 season, the Bulldogs finished below .500 with a disappointing 15-17 record. After losing to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament, Georgia failed to make the NCAA tournament.

What needs work
The Bulldogs are way too reliant on Caldwell-Pope to score. Only one other player, Nemanja Djurisic, has cracked double-digits in the point column for Georgia. Djurisic scored 14 points in the team’s first game of the season and 12 points against Southern Mississippi. If the Bulldogs want to compete against the Hoosiers, they will need more scoring from the rest of the roster or IU could run the Bulldogs into the ground.

My Take
On paper, the Hoosiers look to have a major advantage against the relatively inexperienced team (nine Bulldogs are freshmen or sophomores). If the Hoosiers can shut down the Bulldogs’ supporting cast and force Georgia to become one-dimensional through Caldwell-Pope, IU should have success in its first contest away from Assembly Hall. Expect sophomore center Cody Zeller, freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell and senior forward Christian Watford to have big games on the big stage. These three plus the Hoosiers’ supporting cast are going to run and gun all game. IU wins 82-60.

ROUND 2
WHO: Georgetown or UCLA (depending on first-round results)
WHAT: Progressive Legends Classic
WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 20 (7:30 p.m. or 10 p.m.)
WHERE: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
HOW TO WATCH: Watch on ESPN or Listen to WIUX 99.1 FM or www.wiux.org

Head coaches
Georgetown: John Thompson III; UCLA: Ben Howland

My Take
After beating Georgia, the Hoosiers will enter a primetime matchup against either Georgetown or UCLA. While I think the Hoyas and Bruins will play a close game against each other, whomever the Hoosiers get will give IU its biggest challenge early this season.
Georgetown brings a well-rounded attack to the court as four players are averaging double figures in points. Led by D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (15.0 points per game) and Greg Whittington (13.0 ppg), the Hoyas like to slow the game down, wear a team out on the offensive end and then play tough defense. Whittington leads the Hoyas with 12.0 rebounds per game, and the team is averaging 33.5 rebounds per game, so controlling the glass will be crucial for IU if they get Georgetown.
If IU takes on UCLA, the Hoosiers will have their hands full with 6-foot-5 freshman guard Jordan Adams. Adams is a physical player who likes to drive to the basket to score. As of Nov. 15, he averages 23.5 ppg and is 21-of-22 from the free-throw line.
 
Predictions:
In my opinion, I see UCLA defeating Georgetown because UCLA has too much offensive firepower for the Hoyas to stop.
UCLA-IU: Hoosiers win 83-74
Georgetown-IU: Hoosiers win 68-61

­— mdnorman@indiana.edu