Indiana’s guards lead Hoosiers into NCAA Tournament

Indiana coach Tom Crean can benefit from first-hand experience when he prepares his scouting report for Wichita State.

Guard Nick Zeisloft transferred to Indiana from Illinois State, where he spent a redshirt year and played two seasons facing the Shockers in the Missouri Valley Conference.

“They play tough, and a big thing of theirs is ‘Play angry,’” Zeisloft told reporters at a news conference Sunday. “They definitely do that game in and game out. Well-coached, very tough, physically and mentally.”

Crean could tell that after a quick video introduction to the seventh-seeded Shockers (28-4) following Sunday’s NCAA selection show. WSU’s rebounding, screening and ballhandling make the Shockers a formidable opponent.

“What stands out is how physical they are, and they’re very, very thick,” he said at Monday’s news conference. “It’s eye-popping when you watch them on the screen right now with how strong and physical they are.”

While Indiana generally plays at a faster tempo and scores more points than Wichita State, Crean doesn’t slot the Shockers as a slow-down team.

“This is one of the most balanced team we will have faced for the ability to shoot threes, play at the rim and get to the free‐throw line,” he said. “This is where hopefully the schedule that we’ve played, the league that we’ve played in helps prepare you for that. I think the one thing that to me that stands out about them that they don’t get a lot of credit for is how fast they are. I think they can play a lot of different styles.”

Zeisloft can tell Crean about WSU junior guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet.

“VanVleet is very smart, and Baker, he can do a lot of things that most people can’t,” Ziesloft said. “But then again, I’ve got some of the best guards here to my side, too, so I’m excited to go to war with them.”

Friday’s NCAA Tournament game will match teams who rely on their backcourts and three-point shooting. Tenth-seeded Indiana (20-13) makes 9.3 threes a game, No. 9 nationally, and makes 40.3 percent, tops in the Big Ten and eighth nationally.

Guard Yogi Ferrell averages 16.1 points and earned All-Big Ten honors. Freshman guard James Blackmon Jr. averages 15.8 points and earn honorable mention All-Big Ten.

“They’re dynamic athletes,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “They can shoot it. They can drive it. And they’ve got other guys besides them.”

The Hoosiers remind Marshall of some Missouri Valley Conference teams with their style of play and size. Indiana will try to spread the court with good outside shooters. The Hoosiers often play four guards with 6-foot-7 forwards Troy Williams or Collin Hartman.

“They’ve got 6-7 guys that are like swing-men that are playing in the post,” Marshall said. “It’s a difficult thing to prepare for because of the sheer talent and ability that these guys have. You’re talking high-level players that are faking you out and driving it and putting you in a bind.”

Hanner Mosquera-Perea, a 6-9 junior, started 22 games and averaged 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds. He did not play in Friday’s Big Ten Tournament loss to Maryland after injuring his right knee in Thursday’s win over Northwestern. He missed seven games earlier this season with an injury to that kneecap.

Crean said he expects him to play against WSU.

“He’s shooting and has been warming up and rehabbing, moving pretty well,” Crean said.

This story was originally published March 16, 2015 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Indiana’s guards lead Hoosiers into NCAA Tournament."