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Every weekday, a panel of our college hoops experts discusses the biggest issues, trends and themes in and around college basketball.
1. What does Indiana have to do to have any chance of scoring against Louisville's defense at the Jimmy V Classic?
Andy Katz: Make 3s. Indiana does have enough shooters to act as an equalizer. The Hoosiers can run with Louisville. But they can't match the intensity or efficiency on the defensive end. Keeping Montrezl Harrell off the backboard will be a chore in itself. But if the 3s are falling, the break is clicking and Louisville commits some unforced errors, then the Hoosiers have a real shot.
Jeff Goodman: Yogi Ferrell and the young Hoosiers guards have to be able to handle the press and then attack the basket or drill 3s in transition when and if they can get past the defensive pressure. The problem is that the Hoosiers don't really have great "finishers." They have shooters. However, guys like Ferrell, James Blackmon, Robert Johnson and Nick Zeisloft can all make shots -- so that'll likely be what they have to rely on. First things first, though. They have to take care of the ball, then get uncontested shots in transition and trade 3s for 2s to stay in this one. Oh yeah, and get Harrell in foul trouble.
Eamonn Brennan: They can't turn the ball over. This year's Hoosiers are vastly improved over last season's in the cough-up category; they're giving the ball away on just 17 percent of their possessions, a major decrease from 2013-14's 21.8 percent. But Louisville's defense is ruthless in this regard, and nothing will cripple IU's chances of hanging in the game more than easy turnovers and the easy points that result from them.
2. Defense will be on display in the other Jimmy V Classic game, too. Are there any cracks for Illinois to exploit in Villanova's defense?
Katz: Villanova's Jay Wright said on our podcast that the teams mirror each other. The Illini have the guard play to match the Wildcats. But will Illinois have the experience to handle late-game situations and make the necessary stops? They did to beat Baylor in Las Vegas. Wright anticipates this being a late-game possession game.
Goodman: It's not as though Nova's defense is impenetrable -- even though it is putting up impressive numbers thus far. But Jay Wright has veterans who play good team defense, from Ryan Arcidiacono to Darrun Hilliard to JayVaughn Pinkston. The Illini have an underrated star in Rayvonte Rice, but the key will be whether guys like Aaron Cosby and Kendrick Nunn are able to make shots from the perimeter. Nova's guards do a good job of getting out on 3-point shooters.
Brennan: If Illinois were a bigger, more physical team, you grasp for straws and say the offensive glass -- that's probably the worst factor in Villanova's defense. But "worst," in this instance, is a synonym for "slightly less awesome than everything else." It's really hard to find flaws in Jay Wright's defensive scheme thus far.
Katz: The Wolverines may not beat Arizona Saturday, but they will be ready offensively and pose a serious threat to the Wildcats. Arizona must figure out a way to be more consistent offensively, according to coach Sean Miller. Its defense is solid and will cause the Wolverines fits. But Michigan won't have a hard time getting up for the Wildcats in Tucson after the NJIT debacle.
Goodman: They'll get one against Eastern Michigan at home to get some of their swagger back, and I think they'll make it a game against Arizona. It's not as though the Wildcats are anywhere near a finished product -- and they won't run away from many teams right now because the offense is such a work in progress. The Wolverines need to give Caris LeVert more help. Derrick Walton Jr. will be fine, but Zak Irvin can't have unproductive days at this point because the big men (Mark Donnal and Ricky Doyle) are a complete question mark right now. I'd say Arizona wins in Tucson by a handful.
Brennan: They'll be fine. At least, I assume they'll be fine, because they're a good basketball team -- particularly on offense -- and when good basketball teams suffer upset losses, they come back and handle business the next time out. It's worth watching the Wolverines defensively, though: Tonight's game might tell us a good deal about whether that NJIT loss was a fluke or a sign of real defensive deficiencies.
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