Indiana returns to action tonight against Miami (OH) at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The RedHawks are 5-2 and have won three straight.

The game will air at 7:00 p.m. ET on BTN:

Indiana will look to build on Tuesday’s 97-71 loss to Sam Houston State when it hosts Miami (OH) tonight. It will be the 26th meeting between the two programs and the Hoosiers lead the series 22-3.

Indiana and Miami last played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in 2022 and the Hoosiers earned an 86-56 victory.

Under Travis Steele, the RedHawks are on an upward trajectory and were picked to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference.

LEARN THE REDHAWKS

Miami is led by two transfer players, 6-foot-10 winger Peter Suder and 6-foot-10 winger Kam Craft.

Suder, a Carmel product, spent the first two seasons of his college career at Bellarmine University in Louisville. He is Miami’s leading scorer in seven games – all starts – and scored 42 points in 38 minutes in his last game against Air Force.

Suder is shooting 58.8 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from three-pointers and 81.8 percent from the free throw line.

Craft began his career at Xavier and scored in double figures six times. He ranks second on the list with 14.1 points per game and is shooting 39.2 percent on three-pointers (51 attempts).

Cincinnati native Eian Elmer is Miami’s third starter, averaging double figures at 14 points per game. He is also a good 3-point shooter, knocking down 15 of his 36 attempts from distance (41.7 percent). The 6-foot-6 sophomore is Miami’s second-leading rebounder (5.6 per game) and has a team-high 14 steals.

Point guard Mekhi Cooper is a 6-foot-1 sophomore who is limited on offense but is a solid defender and free throw shooter. Cooper shoots just 39.4 percent on 2-pointers and 27.9 percent on 3-pointers in his career, but shoots 79 percent from the stripe. He also has 23 assists, a team-high.

Rutgers transfer Antwone Woolfolk starts at five for the RedHawks and the Cleveland native brings real size to the team. Woolfolk stands 6-foot-1, 220 pounds and averages 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game.

Coming off the bench, freshman guard Luke Skaljac is 6-foot-7 from 3 and 13-for-17 overall from the field in seven games. The 6-foot-2 guard is fifth on the team in scoring at 5.1 points per game.

Other rotation names to know include 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Evan Ipsaro, 6-foot-1 freshman forward Brant Byers and 7-foot-1 Reece Potter.

Ipsaro provides point guard depth and has dished out just under two assists per game in limited minutes (13.4). Byers is just 8 of 28 (28.6 percent) from the field in seven games. And Potter isn’t much of a scoring threat with 15 points in five games, but his size could give him a chance against Indiana’s imposing front line.

SPEED-FREE PREVIEW

Like most IU opponents, Miami makes and makes more 3-point shots than the Hoosiers. The RedHawks score 35.9 percent of their points on 3s, which ranks them 83rd nationally. The Hoosiers only score 23.7 percent of their points from the perimeter (333). With Suder, Craft and Elmer all capable from distance, the Hoosiers will need to be sharp in defensive rotations and closeouts.

The RedHawks don’t generate much offense at the free throw line, scoring just 12.4 percent of their points from the line (356). Miami is very efficient – 57 percent – on twos and is ranked in the top 65 in effective field goal percentage through seven games.

Defensively, Miami allows its opponents to shoot 56.6 percent on 2s and relies on forcing turnovers to be successful. The RedHawks rank 37th nationally in defensive turnovers (22). The RedHawks are also outstanding on defense, as their opponents only make 27.1 percent of their misses.

Both teams like to play with tempo, as Miami ranks 131st in adjusted tempo and the Hoosiers rank 49th.

What matters

The KenPom prediction is Indiana at 15, with a 91 percent chance of a Hoosier win. Bart Torvik predicts a 20-point win for the Hoosiers and a 94 percent chance of winning.

Miami has already played two real away games and split those chances. The RedHawks defeated Appalachian State 77-63 to open the season on November 4th, but lost to Michigan 94-67 on November 18th at the Crisler Center.

Indiana’s bench provided a much-needed spark in Tuesday’s win over Sam Houston State, and the Hoosiers need to find a way to get similar energy from the starting lineup. With Big Ten play quickly approaching, Indiana’s defense will need to improve quickly as its second-half performance against Sam Houston State falls short against most conference opponents.

The key to an Indiana win: Limit turnovers, better communication on defense and getting the ball up court cleanly, which should lead to layups, opportunities at the line or kick-outs for open three-pointers.

Submitted to: Miami Ohio Redhawks