The IU men’s basketball team is going through a unique part of the schedule where they alternate difficult matchups with easy victories.
It started with what was supposed to be a good game against Pittsburgh in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. A Savannah State blowout and tough contest with Louisville followed.
Now the Hoosiers have an early Christmas present of a matchup against Grand Canyon on the horizon, followed by Butler, New Orleans and Georgetown.
After Tuesday’s loss to Louisville, IU will have to get wins against Butler and Georgetown if they hope to have a respectable non-conference schedule.
Going into the conference season with notable wins against only SMU and Pittsburgh, two teams that are fading fast from national relevancy, would cause trouble come tournament selection time.
That’s obviously looking well into the future, but it’s something the Hoosiers should keep in the back of their minds constantly, even with Saturday’s matchup against Grand Canyon next on the slate.
The Antelopes are just 4-5 this year with no notable wins. Their only significant opponent so far was Kentucky, to whom they lost by 40. Kenpom.com ranks Grand Canyon as the 286th best team in the country.
Frankly, Grand Canyon reminds me of Savannah State, a team IU blew out by 46 points.
The Antelopes lack any dangerous offensive player who can take over a game. Their leading scorer is senior guard Royce Woolridge, a transfer from Washington State, who fills it up for 12.3 points per game.
They also don’t have anyone who can rebound, whatsoever. Their leader in that category is Ryan Majerle, a redshirt junior guard with just 4.3 per game, who stands at only 6-foot 3-inches . This is nothing that will frighten the Hoosiers.
IU should have no trouble in this game and will handily walk away with the win.
One thing to look out for though, will be how IU’s sophomore guard Stanford Robinson responds after his poor showing against No. 4 Louisville. Robinson played only nine minutes and shot one of three from the field for three points and no assists.
In the previous game against Savannah State, Robinson looked like he’d turned his season around. In a mature-looking 13 minutes, Robinson dished out five quality assists and shot three of five on field goals for seven points.
Robinson has been criticized in the past for playing too fast and turning the ball over too much. At times, he’s shown an ability to get to the rim and finish unlike any other Hoosier.
But against Louisville, he struggled, like he had for most of the season. With a Butler matchup on the horizon, it will be important for Robinson to gain some confidence against this cupcake of a matchup.
IU will run away with this game within the first 10 minutes and I expect them to shoot more like they did in the first half against Louisville than the second.
My prediction: IU 85 – Grand Canyon 56
Casey Krajewski is 3-0 in his predictions this season
crkrajew@indiana.edu
