Indiana - Arkansas Preview

East- Round One
Indiana Hoosiers (8) Vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (9)
Friday, March 21 @ 9:40 pm

This season, the 24th ranked Indiana Hoosiers (14- 4 Big 10, 25- 7) weathered the resignation of coach Kelvin Sampson. Sampson resigned on February 22 as allegations concerning major NCAA violations surfaced. Interim coach Dan Dakich took over and since that time the Hoosiers have played sporadically.

Indiana shoots a lot from the perimeter, while utilizing big inside man D.J. White (17.3 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 0.8 SPG), a senior, to grab rebounds and hit from the post. White is an accurate shooter, hitting 60% from the field. Guard Armon Bassett (11.1 PPG, 3.2 APG) hits 83% from the charity stripe, while guard Eric Gordon (21.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.5 APG), the team’s leading scorer, sinks 85% of his frees.

The Razorbacks from Arkansas (9- 7 SEC, 22- 11 overall) finished fifth in the SEC. The athletic team offers versatility with a squad that features five players averaging nine points or better per game. Senior forward Sonny Weems (14.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG) is the team’s leading scorer, while guard Patrick Beverley (12.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG) is a fine three-point shooter. Point guard Gary Ervin (9.6 PPG, 3.7 APG), a senior, is a sound passer and shooter. Senior forward/center Darian Townes (11.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 BPG) is the club’s best shooter from the floor, sinking 60% of his attempts.

Indiana enters the tournament having lost three of its last four games. They’ll be meeting a tough Razobacks team. The Hoosiers can put points on the board but aren’t the best defensive team. Arkansas averaged 7.0 SPG and 5.3 BPG. They have a seasoned squad of seniors, while two freshmen, a sophomore, a junior and one senior start for Indy. Watch for Arkansas to get in Indiana’s face.