Chase Swaringen

Just two days after dropping a close one to the #3 team in the nation, the Indiana Hoosiers are back on the road tonight against the #17 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Despite their 12-10 record (5-5 in Big Ten action), the Hoosiers have been playing with inspiring energy that critics weren’t expecting. They have to face the Big Ten’s most surprising team in Ohio State (9-1 in conference play), who won eight straight before losing to Penn State by a desperation heave.

So, fast forward to tonight and the Hoosiers are rightfully underdogs. They have a hill to climb if they want to go into Columbus and upset the Buckeyes, but we’ve seen much crazier things in college basketball. Here are two game notes to keep in mind before tip-off at 7:00 EST.

Difference of Rest

Star this, circle this, underline this. Write a formal complaint to the head of the Big Ten for making this change this year. If you haven’t heard, the Big Ten moved its conference tournament a week earlier so it can be held at Madison Square Garden. Whether you agree with this or not, it affects every Big Ten team at some point in the season. For the Hoosiers, it is squeezing its schedule together like never before. IU is in the midst of a 7 game, 17 day stretch, which included a game two days ago. On the other hand, Ohio State had the full weekend open to clear its mind from the loss on Thursday and to prepare for this game. Long story short: major advantage OSU.

Two New Coaches

Archie Miller and Chris Holtmann have come into their respective program’s steaming expectations so far. Many Hoosier fans liked Miller but thought he needed time to recruit, yet he already has his team playing to their potential. They are not the most talented bunch, but they compete by being active and aggressive. In Big Ten play, their turnover margin (+2.8) and  steals per game (6.8) rank second in the conference. On the other side, Holtmann is a frontrunner for Big Ten Coach of the Year. The way he has a perfect mix of guardplay and an effective frontcourt makes that award fitting. These two join Chris Collins, Brad Underwood, and (hopefully cleaner than his father) Richard Pitino as the best young coaches in the league.

Prediction

On the road, Indiana will come out flat after the short preparation time. The Hoosiers will be down by double-digits at half, but come out with more energy in the 2nd. Ohio State will let them get back in the game, but eventually finish the game with a win. Final score: 70-65 OSU.