Indiana Meets Syracuse in Indianapolis Showdown

Indiana and Syracuse, each 2-0, will play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on November 9. The neutral-site game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET and will air on FS1. It is Indiana’s first matchup this season against a power-conference opponent after wins over Eastern Illinois and Bellarmine.

The Hoosiers finished last season 18-14, including a 9-2 mark in nonconference games, and averaged 78.2 points per game. Syracuse went 15-17 overall and 9-4 in nonconference play, averaging 75 points per game.

Indiana’s perimeter offense faces a tougher early test. Darren Harris scored a career-best 23 points, making five three-pointers, in the team’s second game. Bryce Lindsay and first-year player Trevor Manhertz have contributed bench scoring as well. Syracuse’s Gavin Doty posts averages of 16 points and nine rebounds per game, while Kiyan Anthony is scoring 15.5 points per game.

Indiana has shown some defensive strength, but Bellarmine found openings with player movement and cuts. Syracuse offers a chance to see how the Hoosiers respond against more experienced opposition.

Indiana won the teams’ first meeting, 74-73, in the 1987 national championship game. Syracuse has taken the next six, including a 112-110 double-overtime victory on November 30, 2021. Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis had 31 points and 16 rebounds in that loss.