Indiana Hoosiers v. UMBC Retrievers: you thought the last one was ugly? (preview).

UMBC Retrievers
Current record: 1-9
Current RPI: 342 (IU is #36)
Current Sagarin: 339 (IU is #2)
Current Pomeroy: 331 (IU is #7)
2010-11 record: 5-25 in (4-12 America East)
2010-11 RPI: 322
2010-11 Sagarin: 331
2010-11 Pomeroy: 336
Pomeroy scouting report
Series: first meeting
TV: 6 p.m., ESPN3

Three days after beating Howard by 57, one of the largest victory margins in school history, IU plays the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, a team that may be quite a bit worse than the Bisons. UMBC is 1-9, and its lone win came over #343 Towson (Pomeroy ranks). The best team that UMBC has played is #133 Rutgers, and the Scarlet Knights, who are projected to finish 5-13 in the Big East, won by 38. St. John's, also projected to finish 5-13 in the Big East, beat the Retrievers by 33. I'm sure that if Tom Crean and the IU staff had known how much progress the Hoosiers would make between this season and last, the schedule would be a bit different. Perhaps there would be a couple more mid-majors and fewer sub-300 cannon fodder opponents. Perhaps there would be one or two more high end games. Regardless, at this point in the program's development it made more sense to underschedule than to overschedule. I'm fine with it.

As would be expected of a team that is near the bottom of Division I, the Retrievers are pretty ugly statistically, but UMBC few points of competence will make them an interesting matchup, maybe. First, UMBC rebounds well, particularly on the offensive end, where they grab 39 percent of their opportunities, but also on defense, where they hold opponents to 32 percent. Also, they hold opponents to 31 percent from behind the arc, although they make up for it by giving up 53 percent from two point range. Besides that, it's all pretty grim.

What is there to say, really? Pomeroy projects a 36 point win. IU will be without Derek Elston, who had surgery on a broken nose this week, and between his absence and the opponent, my guess is that we will see another deep rotation. Hopefully the Hoosiers can put this one away early, savor the 12-0 record for a day or two, and then begin getting ready for Michigan State.