Breaking down Indiana vs. Wichita State

Hoosier health watch

Indiana is a small team, at least by Big Ten standards, even with 6-foot-9 center Hanner Mosquera-Perea playing. Without him, the Hoosiers are tiny.

Mosquera-Perea missed Indiana’s loss to Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament after he injured his right knee in a win over Northwestern. He dislocated the knee earlier in the season and missed almost a month. He ran and jumped during Thursday’s open practice, although he worked often with the second team.

“It’s gotten better every day, much like we hoped it would,” Hoosiers coach Tom Crean said. “There is no reason to believe that he’s not going to be available to play. That will not truly be substantiated until probably tonight and (Friday), depending on how he continues to respond to the treatment and to the practice.”

Mosquera-Perea averages 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds. He started 22 games and leads the team with 33 blocks. He told The Indianapolis Star that he wants to play, but is waiting on clearance from the trainers.

“We have not really had him in an all-out scrimmage, up-and-down-the-court situation,” Crean said. “But he looks good. His attitude is great. His energy is really good.”

I remember you

Indiana guard Nick Zeisloft knows Wichita State defensive ace Tekele Cotton more than most. He redshirted one season at Illinois State played the previous two before transferring.

“He’s one of the toughest players in the country,” Zeisloft said. “He’s one of the best defenders I’ve seen and we’re going to have to do a great job of putting him in areas that we can attack him on.”

Cotton and the Shockers face a lineup full of good shooters. Guard Yogi Ferrell makes the offense go with his leadership, shooting and ball-handling. Freshman James Blackmon is a fearsome catch-and-shoot threat. Robert Johnson is another good shooter and his off-the-dribble game is growing. Zeisloft comes off the bench to make 45.3 percent of his threes.

Crean appreciates the way Cotton excels, yet also plays his role in WSU’s scheme.

“He’s not a guy that needs a lot of help when he guards the ball, so we’ve got to do a great job of moving him and screening him and keeping him moving constantly,” Crean said. “I don’t look at them and see that there is a whole lot of weaknesses defensively. That was the first thing that that just pops out at you when you’re watching them on top is how strong they are, how physically strong they are. No matter what their size is, they’re just strong.”

Watch these rookies

Indiana freshman Emmitt Holt responded to more playing time with two solid efforts in the Big Ten Tournament. With Mosquera-Perea injured, he played 15 minutes against Northwestern and a season-high 25 against Maryland. He scored six points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the 75-69 loss to Maryland.

If Mosquera-Perea is limited by his bad knee, Holt (6-7, 225 pounds) becomes Indiana’s best inside scorer. He averaged 3.8 points in 29 games, all as a reserve, and made 39 of 59 shots (66.1 percent).

Holt came to Indiana in late August, detouring from his planned year at a prep school.

“He’s gaining confidence,” Crean said. “He’s been thrown into the rigors of high-level college basketball. He’s understanding the game more, he’s understanding the speed of the game more.”

Wichita State will counter with freshman center Shaq Morris, on call for 15 minutes or more depending on the effectiveness of senior Darius Carter. Morris redshirted last season and sat on the bench during the NCAA Tournament, so he got an introduction to the hype and new routines.

“Between the lines you’ve got to stay focused on the team and the moment,” Morris said. “We’ve got seniors on this team, and they really want to make a big impact. That makes us want to go harder, not only for the team, but also for them. Send them out on a good note.”

It’s a big show

While WSU’s starters are NCAA veterans, its bench is new to the experience. Morris and guard Ria’n Holland redshirted last season. Players such as Zach Brown, Bush Wamukota and Rashard Kelly are seeing the celebration for the first time inside the ropes.

“You want them to have fun and enjoy it,” junior Fred VanVleet said. “At the same time, I would just take that and be as aggressive as you can with it. That was my mindset as a freshman, just be as aggressive as possible and at the end of the day have no regrets.”

Paul Suellentrop

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 8:17 PM with the headline "Breaking down Indiana vs. Wichita State."