Maybe it seems like every writer covering IU men’s basketball is obsessed with talking about size lately.
Maybe that’s annoying for you. But the fact is, this has been the theme of the last three weeks for this ?Hoosier team.
Since junior forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea injured his right knee in practice before the Penn State game, every game IU has played has been determined by how well their opposition capitalized on their size ?advantage.
Penn State tried to exploit IU’s frontcourt, but the Nittany Lions don’t have much skill down low anyway. Illinois and Maryland tried to beat the Hoosiers at their own game — play fast and shoot a lot — which resulted in losses for both.
Then Ohio State exposed IU’s deficiency, Purdue exploited it and Wisconsin abused it. There was a Rutgers game in there too, but even with a size advantage, Rutgers just isn’t very good.
But now, after a very long two weeks since Ohio State, IU finally has a matchup ?they like.
Michigan is just as undersized as IU. The average height of their starters in their last game against Michigan State was under 6-foot-5. This has contributed to the Wolverines’ struggles in rebounding this season, ranking them last in the conference in rebounding margin. For reference, IU is a surprisingly high fourth.
To go with that, Michigan, like IU, is hobbled. Junior guard Caris LeVert, the Wolverines’ best player, is out for the season with a foot injury. At 6-foot-7 with guard skills, Zak Irvin was a mismatch for every team he faced.
But since LeVert went down, Michigan plays a much less intimidating ?lineup.
Not that Michigan was doing anything special before LeVert’s injury. They still don’t have any wins that a selection committee would call “impressive,” and pair that with lots of disappointing losses.
So this definitely isn’t the Michigan team that has fought for Big Ten titles in recent years. And I mentioned earlier that IU matches up well with the Wolverines. Despite increased pessimism in “Hoosier nation” in recent weeks, I actually like the Hoosiers’ chances ?Sunday.
The height and post-defense issues that IU has struggled with in recent weeks should be somewhat neutralized Sunday. Both teams are reeling in the frontcourt and have plenty to flaunt in the backcourt, so we should see a game of guards. That’s good news for the Hoosiers.
Also, the game is at Assembly Hall, where the Hoosiers’ only loss was a fluke to Eastern Washington. The last time Michigan won in Bloomington was the 2008-2009 season. Up-and-coming Hoosier freshman Tom Pritchard scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds in that game — just to give some perspective.
I’m not calling this a must-win game for the Hoosiers, but they’re going to start flirting with that phrase if they don’t stop losing. They’re drifting closer and closer to the bubble, and they will want at least five more wins this season to feel good about making the NCAA Tournament.
The first of these should come Sunday. IU is just a different team at home — especially when the crowd is into it. And I anticipate a good crowd on Sunday. IU fans love beating Michigan.
My Prediction: IU 80, Michigan 76
Casey Krajewski is 11-2 in his predictions this season.
crkrajew@indiana.edu
