Will the Kansas Jayhawks beat fellow hoops blueblood Indiana Saturday in Bloomington?
The No. 2-ranked University of Kansas men’s basketball team will play fellow hoops blueblood Indiana on Saturday at Assembly Hall.
The Jayhawks (9-1) defeated Missouri last Saturday, while the Hoosiers lost badly to Auburn.
KU has a 7-8 all-time record vs. IU.
Below is a scouting report and prediction of the game.
No. 2 Kansas vs. Indiana
When/where: 11:30 a.m., Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
TV/streaming: CBS
Opponent’s record: 7-2
KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) Ranking: 78
Betting line: Kansas is a 5.5-point favorite.
All statistics are from KenPom.com, Hoop-Math.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats only include Division I competition.
Indiana Team Strengths
Free-throw creators: The Hoosiers rank No. 7 overall in free-throw rate (48%). In comparison, Kansas ranks No. 129 in the same category.
Efficient inside the arc: IU is shooting 56.4% on two-point shots, which ranks No. 29 in the nation.
Erasers: The Hoosiers are excellent at blocking shots, ranking No.34 overall in block percentage (6.3).
Indiana Team Weaknesses
Few 3-point attempts: Like Kansas, IU doesn’t attempt a lot of 3-pointers. The Hoosiers rank No. 359 in 3-point rate (23.7%). Meanwhile, KU ranks No. 320 (30.4)
Poor shooting: Unlike Kansas, which shoots 40.3% from deep, the Hoosiers have struggled from 3-point range when they do put one up. IU is shooting an abysmal 27.2% — No. 332 overall.
Lack of experience: Indiana ranks No. 262 in Division I experience (1.72 years).
Indiana Name to Know
Sophomore 7-foot center Kel‘el Ware (No. 1)
+ Leading scorer (16.7 ppg)
+ Five straight games with 12+ points
+ At least one block in last four games
+ Great rebounder (9.2 rebounds per game)
- Poor free-throw shooter (70.8%)
- Doesn’t get a ton of steals (.8 steals per game)
Tale of the Tape
The Jayhawks have their work cut out for them in defending Ware, shown here hitting a tough turnaround jumper over an Auburn defender.
They must push Ware to the perimeter and can’t let him post up. Ware is hitting just 51.2% on his two-point jumpers, so if he does shoot the ball, KU should get in his face with a hand up.
This IU team loves to run up and down the floor, especially in transition. Ware quickly ran up the floor, received the dump-off pass and dunked the ball.
The Hoosiers are shooting 55.2% on transition attempts at the rim, so KU must protect the rim on any transition opportunities. This long, athletic and speedy Indiana team is hard to stop in transition — especially if Ware is running to the basket.
KU will need to form a wall around him in hopes of contesting without fouling.
Game Prediction
Boy, this should be a fun one.
This game is KU’s first real road test of the year. The environment of Assembly Hall will make things difficult.
That said, the Hoosiers haven’t exactly been great this season. Kansas needs to focus on shutting off the paint, limiting offensive rebounds and forcing the Hoosiers to shoot 3-pointers.
If the Jayhawks do at least two of those things, they should win.
Kansas 73, Indiana 60
Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: Kansas (-5.5)
Shreyas’ season record: 6-2
Shreyas’ record against the spread: 7-1
KU Player to watch: KJ Adams
KJ Adams is currently going through one of the best offensive stretches of his career.
He’s had three straight games with 15+ points. Coach Bill Self called him the Jayhawks’ best player in their last three games.
Adams missed practice Thursday due to an illness, but if he can play, he will be pivotal on both ends for the Jayhawks. KU needs his scoring to help alleviate the pressure on Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar. And defensively, Adams will be key to KU’s hopes of limiting the athletic Hoosiers from getting to the rim.
This story was originally published December 16, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
