Indiana men’s basketball vs. Florida Gulf Coast: Game notes, how to watch, and more

Indiana gets its season officially underway today with an early evening matchup against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.

As we wrote in our non-conference preview, this is a dangerous FGCU team to open the season with. Indiana will be double digit favorites, but if it comes out sluggish, things could get hairy.

This will be the first test for an Indiana team with lots of new pieces and a mixed bag of expectations entering the season, likely a reflection of the high ceiling and low floor that this group could have.

When is the game and how can I watch?

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, November 7th, 6:30 P.M. E.T.

Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana

TV: BTN

Radio: WHCC 105.1 / WIUX 99.1

DraftKings Sportsbook Line: Indiana -12.5, O/U 144

Indiana (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) The reality of what Indiana lost last season didn’t hit me until I opened my CBS Sports App and saw Trey Galloway listed as Indiana’s leading returning scorer. There’s a lot to like about the pieces Mike Woodson brought in to replace the production he’s losing, but the fact remains that there’s a lack of proven experience on this roster.

So long as Indiana takes care of business, we should see Woodson get to the bench early and get some more minutes for guys like Kaleb Banks, Gabe Cupps, and C.J. Gunn who look to carve out roles from the bench. Getting them confident and seasoned early will only raise the floor for this team as it moves towards the tougher non-con games.

Florida Gulf Coast (0-0, 0-0 ASUN) In year two under head coach Pat Chambers, FGCU is returning a lot of experience and former power-five players. The Eagles’ leading scorer last year, Isaiah Thompson, returns for another season at FGCU after three seasons at Purdue.

Six of its seven leading scorers from last year return, making this a group that probably has fewer kinks to work out than Indiana. Thompson will share the backcourt with Chase Johnston, another transfer in his second season with the Eagles.

Indiana will need to come out ready to play against a group that already has experience knocking off a high-major team in the early days of the season. Last year’s win against USC was the highlight of the year for FGCU, but look for them to take a step forward in year two under Pat Chambers.