Candy Stripe Scoop – Week Six
What: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Where: Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
When: Tuesday, December 9 at 8:30 pm
How to Watch: FS1
Opponent Glance: The Penn State Nittany Lions enter this game at 8-1 and winners of three-straight contests. Freshman guard Kayden Mingo is the only freshman in the country averaging 15 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals per game and he leads Mike Rhoades’ crew. Fellow freshman Melih Tunca is third on the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game and PSU is 81st in the NET and 92nd in KenPom (as of Monday, December 8).
The Nittany Lions have beaten up on lower-level opponents with wins over schools like Fairfield, New Haven, Navy, La Salle, Boston University and Campbell but they lost their only matchup against a power conference foe when they fell to Providence 65-77. For a young squad led by young guards, the Nittany Lions have taken really good care of the ball and they lead the country in fewest turnovers per game (8.2). They are plus-5.9 turnovers per game, the 8th best margin in the nation.
Freddie Dillone V was the only returning starter from the 2024-2025 squad and he’s second on the team with 13.2 points per game as a steady veteran providing spark off the bench. Penn State checks in at 166th in the country per KenPom’s defensive efficiency rating and Providence (their lone high-major opponent) scored 45 points in the second half to pull away for a comfortable victory. The Friars scored 77 points despite connecting on only 6 of 33 three-pointers and this is a team IU should find some success against on offense.
Why it Mattered: After starting 7-0, the Indiana Hoosiers hit some adversity last week as they fell on the road at Minnesota and then dug a 16-0 hole against Louisville that they were never quite able to recover from. The Hoosiers have slipped from #11 in the opening NET rankings to #28 and Darian DeVries and his team really need to seize momentum again.
More important than the general tenor of the fan base and the direction of the season, this game is critical for Indiana’s metrics. With a likely Quad 3 defeat already on the resume and facing a brutally difficult Big Ten gauntlet still to come, this is simply a game Indiana cannot afford to lose. IU needs a positive performance and a resounding win on Tuesday night.
UPDATE: Mission accomplished! Indiana got a record-setting performance from Lamar Wilkerson as he lit up Assembly Hall with 44 points and 10 made three-pointers. Indiana was ahead by 49 points at one point in the second half and cruised to a 41-point victory as Darian DeVries secured his first Big Ten victory.
GAME #2
What: Indiana Hoosiers at Kentucky Wildcats
Where: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
When: Saturday, December 13 at 7:30
How to Watch: ESPN
Opponent Glance: As of Monday, the Kentucky Wildcats are 5-4 and they have dropped to #20 in KenPom. Despite having as expensive of a roster as any in the country, the Wildcats have struggled thus far and pressure on head coach Mark Pope is intensifying. UK lost 96-88 to the Louisville Cardinals, 83-66 to Michigan State in Madison Square Garden, 67-64 to North Carolina in Rupp Arena and got blown out in Nashville by Gonzaga (94-59). The Wildcats play North Carolina Central on Tuesday night but that game won’t do anything to change the feelings of Big Blue Nation.
The veterans on the team, particularly Otega Oweh, have been called out for a lack of leadership and poor effort and they have shot the ball poorly from the perimeter against major conference opponents. Former Auburn coach and current television analyst Bruce Pearl spoke about the issues after Friday night’s game: “It’s time to have some one-on-one meetings with these players about who they’re playing for. The name on the front of the jersey, Kentucky, has to mean something. It’s got to mean more than the name on the back of the jersey.”
Can the Indiana Hoosiers handle the athleticism and speed they’ll be presented with against Kentucky? Can they handle a hostile road environment much, much better than they did at Minnesota?
Why it Matters: The Indiana Hoosiers improved to 8-2 with a confidence-boosting romp over Penn State on Tuesday night. While Lamar Wilkerson was putting up 44 points, Kentucky was rolling over North Carolina Central. UK has had no problem beating up low-major cannon fodder, but they have struggled against high-major competition. Saturday night’s game represents a matchup against a rival and a road game in a hostile environment. This will be a Quad One opportunity for the Hoosiers and a win over Kentucky in Rupp Arena would go a very long way towards grabbing the hearts of a scarred and hesitant IU basketball fan base.