Hoo's Next: UCONN

In the championship game of the 2k Sports Classic, the Indiana Hoosiers will square off against 18^th ranked UCONN Huskies, who just came off a two point win over Boston College.

Led by the talented backcourt of Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright, UCONN will easily be Indiana’s toughest test to date.

Napier, who ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla dubbed the second best point guard in the nation, leads the Huskies in scoring, rebounding, and assists per game. His counterpart Boatright is second in each category. Altogether, the combo averages 26.3 ppg, 13.3 rpg, and 12.1 apg. Napier is shooting a stellar 85.7% from three, while Boatright is shooting 53.8%. Simply put, there aren’t many guard combos better than Napier and Boatright, and the Hoosiers will need their size advantage to hold the two in check.

As will likely be the case all year, Indiana should dominate the glass. UCONN, who is 156^th in the nation in rebounding, averages 38 per game - a far cry from IU’s 52.3 per game. The Huskies distribute the ball much better than the Hoosiers, however, averaging 16.3 per game to IU’s 9.3. While UCONN has a higher shooting percentage than Indiana, the Huskies average eight points less per game, and have only scored more than 80 just once. The Hoosiers, on the other hand, have scored less than 90 just once.

Other than 7-foot freshmen center Amida Brimah, the Huskies don’t feature a real defensive presence down low. Noah Vonleh, who is averaging 14.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, should have a field day on offense and defense against the guard reliant Huskies. For the Hoosiers to come out with a win, however, sophomore Yogi Ferrell needs to slow down Napier, while also leading the young Hoosier offense.

UCONN is ranked 9^th in the KenPom rankings, 22 spots ahead of Indiana. The Huskies are 8^th in adjusted offense, and the Hoosiers are 45^th. Coming in just six spots behind UCONN on adjusted defense, the Hoosiers are currently 35^th.

Bright lights and the big stage may distract these young Hoosiers, but Tom Crean has routinely showcased his knack for getting the best from his underdog squads. If the Huskies make this game a track meet, the Hoosiers can win and assert themselves as a team to be reckoned with. To win this game, Indiana will need to control the glass, push the pace, and knock down their free throws.

The Indiana Hoosiers have a great opportunity to grow up in New York. Will they seize it?

Score Prediction: Hoosiers 83, Huskies 76

*Stats and rankings accurate as of Thursday night