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Last year Florida Gulf Coast went to USC early in the season and won by 13 points; they are a talented guard-led team that is picked to finish second in the ASun this season. The Hoosiers enter this season with a lot of questions as they transition from the Trace Jackson Davis era. They are loaded with athletic, talented players, but how quickly will they jell?
Indiana finished last season with a 23-12 record and committed 17.1 personal fouls per contest while shooting 71.1% from the charity stripe. They dished out assists 15.2 times per contest (42nd among college basketball) and turned over 11.5 times per game. Indiana scored 2,616 points over their 24-game schedule (74.7 per contest) while averaging 35.7 rebounds per game and shooting 48.6% from the field for an offense rating 13th among college basketball.
Indiana gave up 33.4% on three-point shots (263 of 787) and 70.4% of foul shots to opponents, giving up 11.7 dimes per contest and 34.3 boards, ranking them 102nd and 192nd, respectively in college hoops. Their defense ranked 138th for points given up per game with 68.7; forcing 11.2 TO’s per game while allowing opponents to shoot 40.9% from the field (41/75th in college hoops).
This Hoosiers team is more athletic, and half-court perimeter defense will be key in this game and this season. The frontcourt should give the Hoosiers a big advantage in this game.
Florida Gulf Coast enters this contest having posted a 17-15 win-loss record last season, scoring an average of 71.3 points per contest (185th in Division 1) while shooting 43.7% from the field and 37.1% on 3-point attempts (295 out of 832). As a group, Florida Gulf Coast grabbed 34.6 boards per contest. It passed out 409 dimes, which placed them 222nd overall in D-1 passing rankings, losing possession via turnover 11.4 times per game while, as a team, committing an average of 15.5 personal fouls per game.
On defense, the Eagles forced 11.8 turnovers per game while drawing 15.5 fouls per night and surrendered 33.4% on 3-pointers while ranking 155th among Division-1 schools in opponents PPG (69.4). They allowed an opponent shooting percentage of 43.5% (804 of 1,848) with 35.2 rebounds conceded per contest and were ranked 158th nationally for giving out assists – 409 total were handed over during last season alone!
Florida Gulf Coast will have to hit the three-point shot at above 40 per cent to have a shot in this game. I look for the Hoosiers to control the tempo and the glass and slowly pull away to cover this spread!
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