St. John’s got a good ole fashioned butt kicking yesterday against a very talented Vanderbilt team. Today could be a lot of the same as the Red Storm take on the No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers.
The Hoosiers dropped a tough game against Wake Forest yesterday which should only fuel their sense of urgency today. The Hoosiers share some similarities with Vanderbilt in the fact they have a stockpile of talented sophomores and experienced talent.
Senior Yogi Ferrell is the most recognizable name on the Hoosiers roster (seems like he’s been in college for 8 years) but he isn’t the only name you should watch out for. James Blackmon Jr. and Robert Johnson are two very talented sophomores and junior forward Troy Williams is always a threat to finish at the rim.
Freshman center Thomas Bryant is a bit of a wildcard at this point but you can’t underestimate his potential impact.
Game Info
Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Location: Lahaina Civic Center, Honolulu, HI
Time: 2:00 PM EST
TV: ESPN2, Watch ESPN App
Radio: 970 WYNM, TuneIn app
Key Matchup
Chris Mullin vs Tom Crean
There are no real 1 on 1 match-ups in this game that are the key to this game for St. John’s. Indiana is superior at every position on the floor. It will be interesting to see how Mullin (drinks Perrier on sideline) will attack and try to slow down Tom Crean (drinks Diet Coke on sideline).
Keys to Victory
- Eliminate bad shots- Too often yesterday St. John’s heaved the ball at the rim in desperation. St. John’s needs to show patience and move the ball around to get higher percentage looks. Taking bad shots is just as bad as committing a turnover.
- Pack it in- Make Indiana beat you from the outside and force them to make shots. Ferrell, Blackmon, and Johnson can all attack off the bounce which allows them to kick for open shots on perimeter. Keep these guys on the perimeter and deny anything inside especially easy dump offs to Williams and Bryant.
- Win the board battle- The Hoosiers don’t have an intimidating front line but they have big physical guards. You can’t let these guards out hustle on the glass especially on the offensive end. They are too good to allow them to have multiple looks on same possession.
- Attack the post- St. John’s showed the willingness to go into the post yesterday despite that being the strength of Vanderbilt’s defense. Indiana on the other hand is permeable in the paint. Thomas Bryant has been stellar for the Hoosiers so far but Bryant isn’t the most disciplined defender. He is very liable to foul when challenged repeatedly. Troy Williams and Max Bielfeldt are both weak post defenders who can be out muscled by Christian Jones.
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