Column: Expect Hoosiers to roll Nicholls State

They lost to Auburn by 22. They lost to North Texas by 14. Troy by 15, Memphis by 39 and San Francisco by 29.

As thousands of IU students drive out of Bloomington for winter break, Nicholls State (3-5) comes into Assembly Hall for a bout with IU (8-3).

The Nicholls State Colonels have had a tough season, losing to several teams by double digits. This may be IU’s easiest game of the year.

Ken Pomeroy, a college basketball analyst, gives IU a 98 percent chance of winning, and predicts IU will win by 25 points.

Out of 351 college basketball teams, the Colonels are ranked 326 by Pomeroy. The only team worse on the IU schedule is Kennesaw State (338), who the Hoosiers play Sunday.

Colonels to Watch

Senior guard Dantrell Thomas (No. 1) plays the second-most minutes on the team and is used on many Colonel possessions.

Thomas is used on 25.9 percent of the possessions when he’s in the game.

That number is only topped by sophomore guard Amin Torries (No. 5).

Torres gets the majority of the shots when he’s on the floor. Even though he gets the eighth-most minutes of any Colonel, he jacks up the ball at an extreme rate.

He’s used on an astonishing 28.1 percent of the possessions when he’s in the game.

For comparison, IU freshman guard Stanford Robinson is used in 25.1 percent of the possessions when he’s in the game. His usage rate is the highest on the team.

Torres is what pundits call a ‘volume shooter,’ meaning he shoots a lot, but it doesn’t go in a lot. Torres is shooting a dreadful 35 percent from the field.

If Torres wants to shoot the ball, the Hoosiers should let him.

Shocking Statistic

Torres, sophomore forward Sam McBeath and freshman forward Luke Doyle shoot a combined 19 percent from three-point land.

All three average well over a three point attempt a game.

And yet they keep on shooting.

Area to Watch

Expect to see a disparity unlike any you’ve seen at the free throw line.

Not only does Nicholls State allow their opponents to get to the line at an incredible rate, they are horrible free throw shooters themselves.

Out of 351 teams, they rank dead last in opponents’ free throw rate. Also, 35.7 percent of their points given up come from the free throw line, the highest figure in the country.

This means they like to foul.

A lot.

Opponents have basically lived at the line this season.

The Colonels themselves shoot 57.7 as a team from the line, 347th in the country.

The free throw line is where the Colonels struggle this year, both on offense and defense. Expect to see IU, getting to the line at the 25th-best rate in the nation, to live at the charity stripe.

Prediction

Considering Nicholls State has one of the worst offenses and defenses in the country, IU shouldn’t have any trouble here.

A loss should cast legitimate fear in the hearts of Hoosier fans, but I don’t see that happening.

IU- 102, Nicholls State- 68