Two historic programs that are off to strong starts this season will clash for only the second time ever Sunday afternoon as Indiana meets Harvard at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Indiana (4-1) has been idle since beating Louisville 74-66 in the Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 20. The day before in that event, the Hoosiers took their only loss, 77-57, to No. 5 UConn.
The Hoosiers finished the Louisville game on a dominant 21-6 run after switching to zone defense.
“It was the zone that got us back,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said in a post-game radio interview. “I’ve never been a big zone guy. (The assistant coaches) mentioned it in the huddle. I said, ‘Why not?’ and it changed the whole game.”
Xavier Johnson helped pace that effort, scoring 14 points (including 9-of-12 from the free throw line), five assists, four rebounds and one steal.
Johnson (12.0 points per game) is the third of three Hoosiers averaging in double digits in scoring.
“He’s a senior. He’s supposed to do that,” Woodson said of Johnson. “I just gotta get him to understand it’s OK to lead.”
Kel’el Ware and Malik Reneau lead the team with 15.6 and 15.0 points per game, respectively. Reneau scored a career-high 18 in the 77-57 loss to UConn.
Harvard (5-1) has banked three of its wins in true road environments, including Wednesday’s 76-70 win over a Colgate team that has made four straight NCAA tournament appearances.
Sunday marks the last of four straight road games for the Crimson, who have also won at Rice and UMass.
Two-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week Malik Mack, whose 20.2 points per game lead the nation’s freshmen, scored 16 points and added eight assists against Colgate.
“It’s amazing watching him come in as a freshman with such confidence, being able to score the ball at will, but also being a point guard at heart, he just loves to get others involved, always making sure we get guys in the right spot,” sophomore Chandler Pigge told The Harvard Crimson.
Chisom Okpara led the Crimson with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting and added six rebounds at Colgate. It was his second straight 20-point performance.
Indiana won its only other game against Harvard, 97-76, in Bloomington, Ind., in December 1973.
–Field Level Media