IU coach Tom Crean said Friday he wanted to play teams that mirror something they're going to see late in the season: physical, ball-distributing teams.
He'll get that when the Hoosiers (1-0) play host to Wright State (0-0) on Sunday at Assembly Hall.
"They are a very physical, contact-oriented team, and we've got to play through that," Crean said. "And that scares me with this team right now. We've got to play through the physical nature of the game."
The Raiders, led by guard Vaughn Duggins' 14.2 points per game, finished 20-12 last year to finish second in the Horizon League behind Butler. Crean said he thinks WSU mirrors Butler in a lot of ways, which will be a good test for his team.
"It will be a good fight for us," Crean said. "That's what we need, because we've got to develop more mental toughness, more physical toughness on the court and a better level of concentration with how we play."
Sunday will mark the debut of WSU coach Billy Donlon, as former coach Brad Brownell left to coach Clemson after last season. His team returns four seniors but takes on seven newcomers, including six freshmen.
With a victory, IU would have its fourth consecutive 2-0 start. To get there, the Hoosiers will lean on sophomore forward Christian Watford. He scored a career-high 24 points and dished out a career-high four assists in an 88-60 victory to open the season against Florida Gulf Coast.
"We're asking a lot of him, but he's going to be a really, really good player," Crean said of Watford. "So that's what you do with good players"
