‘Never Easy’ -- Hoosiers Face Key Early Test at Xavier

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The blowout run is over. Now, for the Indiana Hoosiers, it gets competition tough, road tough, hostile crowd tough.

The No. 12 Hoosiers (2-0) head to a sold-out Cintas Center Friday night. It's home to 3-0 Xavier, a team on the cusp of a top-25 ranking seeking to make an early statement in Year 1 of the Sean Miller coaching era.

Junior guard Trey Galloway is well aware of what's coming in this Gavitt Games matchup, just as he's confident the Hoosiers are ready for it.

"It's never easy winning on the road," he says. "It will always be a challenge. We have to take that challenge and use it."

With 10,000-plus intense fans, the Cintas Center will provide an early feel of a Big Ten road environment. This will be big for all the Hoosiers, especially freshmen Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau, who have major roles.

Veterans such as Galloway, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Race Thompson, Xavier Johnson and Miller Kopp will provide key leadership.

"We have guys who have been through it, veterans who can win on the road and bring those freshmen along," Galloway says. "They haven't had that road experience yet.

"It will be fun. It's always fun to go on the road and compete. It's about having our focus locked in on Xavier."

Road fun didn't come often to IU last season. It went 3-8 with a pair of overtime defeats, plus some cliffhangers it was a play or two away from winning.

Road success, coach Mike Woodson says, means "handling your business" and doing "all the necessary things." That includes limiting turnovers and grabbing key rebounds.

"When you go into these arenas," he says, "they feel good about themselves. You have to make them uncomfortable.

"I'm anxious to see where we are. We have to be a good road team to get where we want to go."

Adds Galloway: It's a mentality thing. You can't focus on the fans and everything. Focus on the same things you do every game -- discipline, following the scout report, doing the little things on defense, making the right play on offense. Everything that goes into playing well. Knowing we can win is the thing we have to have this year."

Xavier is coming off a come-from-behind home victory over Fairfield. All five starters average in double figures, led by 7-foot forward Jack Nunge, who averages 18.0 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 64.35 from the field.

Zach Freemantle, a 6-9 forward, is coming off the fifth triple-double in school history against Fairfield. He had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. He averages 15.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.

Preseason all-Big East guard Colby Jones missed the Fairfield game with an ankle injury. His status for Friday is uncertain. He averages 13.5 points, 7.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds.

Also averaging in double figures are guards Souley Boum (13.7) and Adam Kunkel (11.0).

Former Hoosier Jerome Hunter plays for Xavier. He averages 3.7 points in 11.1 minutes.

"The last big we played a big that can make shots out of the floor was Michigan's big (7-1 Hunter Dickinson in last March's Big Ten tourney)," Woodson says. "Big Jack Nunge can make shots out on the floor.

"In transition, we can't get so sucked into the point where he's trailing and he just trails right into 3-point shots. He made a couple of those the other night, so we have to be alert to that.

"The other big fellow, Zach, he does a lot of things out on the floor, but he mainly does a lot of his damage around the bucket.

"We've got our hands filled with their two bigs. We've got to match their energy with our bigs' energy and see what happens."

Beyond that, he adds, "Xavier has great guard play. They play to them. We'll have individual matchups all around the floor. Nobody will have a night off."

Friday night's game starts a challenging run that also includes No. 1 North Carolina (3-0), No. 6 Kansas (3-0) and No. 14 Arizona (2-0), plus a Sunday game against Miami of Ohio (1-3) at Indianapolis' Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Hoosiers, Woodson says, who haven't played since routing Bethune-Cookman 101-49 last Thursday, needed the break because, "We were a little banged up, and got a chance to put in a few things in to prepare for Xavier and Miami.

"Games start to come quickly now. It's important our guys get proper rest and get their mental approach on target. We have to be mentally and physically ready."

Galloway says IU is "excited" for this stretch of games.

"You want to play the best of the best. Being able to play these types of teams will be good for us. It will prepare us for March."

IU left a big impression on Bethune-Cookman coach Reggie Theus.

"(Woodson has) got a hell of a team. It's gonna make his job a lot easier."

Theus has known Woodson since the early 1980s, when they both played for the Sacramento Kings.

"I've been in a lot of wars with Woody. We've been in the trenches a long time. He's an extremely accomplished coach who, in a lot of ways, doesn't get the dues he deserves. This is a dream come true for him."

A Hoosier key, Theus adds, will be the play of Hood-Schifino.

"He can get to the rim. He takes it off the dribble. He's got some toughness to him.

"He's going to have some big nights. For them to win like they can, he has to have big nights."

A Friday night victory will require big nights from multiple Hoosiers.

"Everybody has to be ready," Woodson says. "You hope to lean on your veterans. They've been around, and have been on the road. It can be nerve-wracking for these young guys. I'm interested to see who's ready."

‘Never Easy’ -- Hoosiers Face Key Early Test at Xavier

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Players Mentioned

Trey Galloway

Jerome Hunter

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Race Thompson