GAME INFO / HOW TO WATCH:

Who? #3/5 Indiana Hoosiers (3-1, #19 KenPom) vs. Mississippi Valley St. (0-7, #348 KenPom)

When? Sunday, November 27th, 4pm, ESPN3/WatchESPN

Where? Assembly Hall

Vegas? N/A

Pomeroy? IU by 31, 99.8% chance to win

Back in the saddle

No one has to be reminded of how much last week’s loss to IPFW sucked. But it was a loss that should (hopefully) do some good for the Hoosiers and came at a time when they could afford a loss.

Indiana will be able to look back at their mistakes, unleash havoc on the Delta Devils (great name, btw) and hopefully be ready for another showdown when they host UNC on Wednesday.

HERE WOULD YOU LIKE SOME FACTORS?

Today's Opponent Doesn't Matter

If you can't tell, Mississippi Valley State is really bad. There are three teams worse than the Delta Devils. They can't score, they can't defend and there isn't a more perfect IU opponent right now. The Hoosiers have a lot of issues to work out.

Offensively, the Hoosiers are a dang mess. Their turnover rate of 23.9 percent puts them behind the likes of Tennessee Martin and UMass Lowell and equal with Idaho State. It's a problem that reared it's ugly head down the stretch against IPFW and one that cost them the game (among other factors).

The Hoosiers struggled down the stretch execute anything resembling an offense. We talked following the Kansas game that IU had some offensive issues to work out, but I don't think anyone predicted it to come back and bite them this quickly.

Sure, having OG Anunoby out hurt, but this IU team is talented enough that Anunoby should not have mattered against the Mastadons.

Against Mississippi Valley State, they will get a chance to iron out the wrinkles. Mississippi Valley State has met many of the same foes that Indiana has, losing to UMass Lowell by five (76-71), Liberty by 15 (70-55) and IPFW by 25 (79-54). Interestingly, they played IPFW on Saturday and will meet the Hoosiers in a back-to-back on Sunday, even more reason to believe this game will be a cakewalk.

What To Watch For

• Execute an offense: There's a difference between running an offense and executing an offense. Last week, especially late, the Hoosiers were running an offense but weren't executing. They resorted to dump downs to Thomas Bryant or asking James Blackmon Jr. to take his defender 1-on-1, neither of which has good success rates. Last season, albeit under a four-year point guard, the Hoosiers were great at executing their offense to a point where anyone could get an open shot anywhere on the court. While I don't expect something as smooth as last season's offense, there's a middle ground between that and what we saw last week.
• Hang on to the ball: We touched on this and we'll likely continue to touch on this, but the Hoosiers' embarrassingly bad turnover numbers have to fix, and quickly. With a UNC team that excels on the defensive end just around the corner, the Hoosiers can not be coughing up the ball. It's not rocket science. Take care of the ball and don't hand away possessions.
• How will IU respond: A lot of what this team will be going forward can be determined in how they come out and take on the Delta Devils. If this team comes out angry and focused, it's a great sign. If they come out lethargic and sloppy, it's not a great sign. The sign of a great team is learning from your mistakes and being determined not to make them again. The Hoosiers made lots of mistakes last Tuesday. Are they going to continue to make those mistakes?