:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62325665/usa_today_11459339.0.jpg)
Game Info / How to Watch
Who? Indiana Hoosiers (2-0, #27 KenPom) vs. #24 Marquette Golden Eagles (2-0, #28 KenPom)
When? , Wednesday, 11/14/18 8:30 PM, Bloomington, IN
Channel? FS1
Vegas? Indiana -5.5
KenPom Projection? Indiana 77-73, 64% chance of Indiana victory
Before I get into things, let’s just all acknowledge that this already great matchup would be 10x better if Crean were still here. And yes I still miss him
Alright cool, let’s move on.
Indiana finally has a game on their schedule very much worth their while as Marquette is the first of three crucial November games the Hoosiers have with the other notable games being at Arkansas on Sunday and, uh, probably at No. 1 ranked Duke for the B1G/ACC Challenge on the 27th.
However those are to be dealt with another day and the Golden Eagles are to be dealt with today, so let’s take a look at how MILWAUKEE’S BIG EAST team is faring so far.
Four Factors
| - | eFG% | TO% | Off. Reb % | FT Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | eFG% | TO% | Off. Reb % | FT Rate |
| INDIANA (#27 adj. offense) | 61.5 (27th) | 17.7 (124th) | 34.8 (82nd) | 41.3 (104th) |
| MARQUETTE (#44 adj. defense) | 29.4 (2nd) | 19.0 (163rd) | 27.7 (145th) | 26.0 (70th) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| MARQUETTE (#16 adj. offense) | 54.7 (88th) | 22.4 (259th) | 31.3 (132nd) | 32.5 (195th) |
| INDIANA (#23 adj. defense) | 32.2 (4th) | 29.5 (10th) | 25.3 (102nd) | 27.0 (83rd) |
The Opponent
Marquette has had a very similar first two games to Indiana so far. Marquette is at 2-0 with wins against UMBC (who by the way, was the first team to ever beat a 1 seed as a 16 seed if you haven’t heard) and Bethune Cookman. Both Schools were sub-200 and were beat by an average of 29 points.
That’s not to say though that Marquette isn’t good.
The main player to obviously watch for is 5’11 Markus Howard, who currently sits in third place in the nation for KenPom’s national player of the year. Alongside Howard are the Hauser bros Sam and Joey who provide talent for Marquette in the post.
Things To Watch
No Green Light, McRobbed - Both Zach McRoberts and Devonte Green have been listed as Game Time Decisions for tonight’s game. While both players don’t have the largest impact on the floor (heck, Green has had an abysmal 36.7 FG% and 1-of-8 3-PT start to the year), their veteran presence could be a crucial miss for a young Hoosier squad still trying to mesh.
D-D-D-D-DEFENSE (AIR HORN SOUNDS) - While both teams have shown how capable they are at scoring this year, both have also done a spectacular job defending as both teams rank in the top 5 nationally for defensive eFG%.
Internships, Cover Letters, Resumes - With Marquette coming off an unusual NIT-level season and the Hoosiers looking for their first NCAA tournament season under Archie Miller, both teams could look back on this game in March as “The one that got away” so while there’s plenty of time to right the wrongs from this game over the course of the season, it still serves as a crucial resume win for both squads.