When IU men's basketball Coach Archie Miller was introduced as head coach in April 2017, he assured fans that his team would have a strong nonconference schedule.
True to his word, Miller’s crew has already played three KenPom top-50 teams through its first nine games. Saturday the Hoosiers welcome a fourth to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Chris Mack’s Louisville team already boasts wins over No. 10 Michigan State and Seton Hall University in the early nonconference slate. A close call against Marquette University and a solid showing against No. 7 Tennessee also mark strong results thus far.
"Louisville is a really good team," Miller said Friday. "Chris has done a good job taking over. You can really tell the identity over the last three, four games how they've improved with the competition level they've went at. They're playing very confident right now."
In its two losses this year, IU has struggled defending the post. That weakness should be exacerbated once more Saturday.
Sophomore forward Jordan Nwora has been far and away Louisville’s best player. With a solid mix of inside-out range, Nwora is a nightmare matchup most nights.
The 6-foot-8-inch, Buffalo, New York, native is averaging 17 points and seven rebounds per contest, while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from three. He’s also already tallied four 20-point games.
"I don't think it'll be like so simple as putting one guy on him and making sure that guy stops," senior forward Juwan Morgan said. "And I think just being in gaps, making every catch, every shot, every pass tough for him."
Outside of Nwora, Louisville is a staunch mix of solid role players. Seven Cardinals are averaging between 5.2 and 9.9 points per game.
Junior guard Ryan McMahon is Louisville’s closest thing to a three-point threat. He leads the team in shooting percentage beyond the arc, converting at a 38.9 percent clip.
By the numbers, the Cardinals are rather average on the defensive end. Opponents are shooting 45.6 percent on two-point shots and 33.1 percent from three. These numbers rank 63rd and 185th nationally.
As for the Hoosiers, Saturday is another shot at a marquee win.
Some combination of forwards Justin Smith and Juwan Morgan should be tasked with slowing Nwora. Forward Clifton Moore and Jake Forrester could figure into the rotation as well, given Archie Miller’s comments after the win against Penn State on Saturday.
On the scoring front, guard Romeo Langford continues to light up the stat sheet. He’s upped his scoring output to 17.9 per game while averaging 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
But for as good as Langford has been, the Hoosiers have struggled mightily outside of him and Morgan. Senior forward Evan Fitzner and freshman guard Rob Phinisee have proven capable in spurts. Sophomore guard Al Durham has been the most consistent candidate for the added scoring role, given he’s the team’s third-leading scorer at 9.4 points per night.
"He's worked really hard on his game," Miller said of Durham. "He loves the game, so he's a self-made kind of guy. He works at it hard, and we're kind of pleased where he's at with us right now, and hopefully he has some more big moments."
Saturday’s game is the opener in a five-game stretch of important games for the Hoosiers. Next Saturday, IU heads to Indianapolis for a date with Butler in the Crossroads Classic. The week after brings the University of Central Arkansas and Jacksonville University to town. Then the main component of the Big Ten slate begins with a home game against Illinois followed by road matchups with No. 5 Michigan and No. 23 Maryland.
IU needs a win Saturday to jumpstart the main block of its season, but Mack’s team will be a tough out come game time.
"We always know at the end of November through December for most of our season in particular, all of the Big Ten teams, it's about a five-game gauntlet where every team in our league is going through a serious stretch of games that mean a lot," Miller said. "And for us Louisville is a very important game because it's the next one up.
Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Assembly Hall.
