Hoosiers face tall tasks on the road

Fans know well the low expectations for the IU men’s basketball team in the Big Ten; most experts predict them to finish toward or at the bottom of the conference.

But before their first conference game Jan. 3, the Hoosiers first face a grueling non-conference schedule, with several tough games away from Assembly Hall.

After two season-opening games at home, IU travels to the annual Maui Invitational in Hawaii during Thanksgiving Break. Joining the Hoosiers in the bracket, among others, is consensus national champion-favorite North Carolina. IU would only play the Tar Heels in the championship game, an unlikely destination for the Hoosiers. Up first for IU is Notre Dame, which also is ranked in the top 10.

Although no one on IU’s active roster has competed against the Fighting Irish, junior transfer Jeremiah Rivers played against them twice last season while at Georgetown and hopes to pass wisdom to his teammates.

“I know them from top to bottom,” Rivers said. “We’ll be ready for (Luke) Harangody and (Kyle) McAlarney and (Troy) Jackson. We’ll be ready for them. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

After Notre Dame comes either Texas or St. Joseph’s. From there, the final game will be determined by other winners and losers.

For a team as young as the Hoosiers, having to travel so far and face such stiff competition early could be overwhelming. But IU coach Tom Crean said the opportunity to play in Hawaii is one opportunity that simply could not be passed up.

“You can never say no to Maui,” Crean said. “It could be the only time some of these guys ever get there in their life.

“We’re spoiled, my family and our coaching staff, because we were there last year for this. But it’s fantastic competition, it really is. There’s a huge downside to it, but we’re not going to look at it that way.”

After Maui and another home game, the Hoosiers must travel to nationally ranked Wake Forest in the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

The Demon Deacons boast one of the most highly regarded freshman classes, and since the ACC/Big Ten Challenge’s inception, Wake Forest has gone 7-1 in the competition.

Ten days after taking on Wake Forest, IU will make the short trip south to rival Kentucky. The Wildcats are one of just two teams that can claim more national championships – seven – than IU’s five.

So while the grind of the Big Ten waits, the Hoosiers will have had plenty of gut-checks away from Assembly Hall. But IU isn’t looking past Maui.

Crean took Marquette there last season and knows firsthand the quality of teams that are in the tournament.

“We’re going to look at it that it’s a chance to go in there and play a top-five-to-10 team right off the bat,” Crean said. “No matter how you view it, there’s going to be great basketball teams in that thing every day, and let’s see what we take from it.”

Crean offered no predictions about how IU will fare in Maui, other than to say his young team will leave Hawaii having learned a thing or two. 

“I don’t now how it’s going to turn out,” Crean said. “There will be a lot of learning from it. Let’s compete and see where we go.”