The IU men’s basketball team will briefly return to take a bite of the cupcake portion of its preseason schedule when it plays Savannah State on Saturday. Before previewing the Tigers, let’s look back at IU’s performance against Pittsburgh.
Before the Pittsburgh game, I wrote that IU needed to limit turnovers and shoot well from deep. It accomplished both of these tasks, committing just nine turnovers and making seven of 17 3-pointers (41.2 percent).
That recipe led to a comfortable Hoosier victory and the best performance of the season for this young Hoosier squad.
This Saturday shouldn’t require as much for IU’s way to achieve a victory against Savannah State, kenpom.com ’s 308th-ranked team.
If IU plays like it did Tuesday, it should have no trouble with the Tigers. But one of the easiest ways to keep a less-talented team close is to let it have offensive rebounds.
That was the biggest knock on IU against Pitt. The Hoosiers allowed an astounding 25 offensive rebounds to the Panthers. That was really the only thing that kept Pitt in the game.
In IU’s loss to Eastern Washington, the Eagles snatched 15 offensive rebounds, eight of them by junior Venky Jois. Eastern Washington was a smaller team that was able to outrebound IU — that was really what gave it the 88-86 victory.
The Hoosiers shouldn’t face this issue against Savannah State, a team that isn’t overwhelming on the offensive glass. The Tigers grab 11.4 offensive rebounds per game, good for 153rd place.
But IU isn’t particularly good at defensive rebounding either. After IU ranked as one of the best rebounding teams in the country last year, thanks in large part to Noah Vonleh, the Hoosiers have dropped off in that category so far. They’re 139th in the country in defensive rebounds per game.
IU doesn’t have a lot to worry about in this game, and I can see it becoming a blowout early. Savannah State only has one player averaging in double figures in scoring, senior guard Terel Hall, and he’s just barely reached that threshold. Hall averages exactly 10 points per game. This is a team that has reached 60 points in just two of seven games this year.
That coupled with the explosive Hoosier offense that has only been held to less than 80 points once should be enough to secure a comfortable IU victory.
The only thing to worry about is that the Hoosiers will, as they so often do, play to their competition. They keep pace with the best in the country, and they let bad teams back into the game.
That being said, IU is so much more talented than Savannah State. I know coaches always take the schedule one game at a time, and it pains me to say this, but if there is a game on the schedule IU Coach Tom Crean can overlook, it’s this one.
Coming off a surprisingly comfortable win in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge against Pitt and with a huge game against fifth-ranked Louisville in the Jimmy V Classic just three days after, the Savannah State game should be easy enough to skate through.
Get ahead early, box out on the defensive glass and then rest the starters. Easy win.
My prediction: IU 92, Savannah State 56
