Indiana Slips to 47th in KenPom Despite Syracuse Win

Indiana moved from No. 46 to No. 47 in KenPom after defeating Syracuse, which is ranked No. 75 in the metric. The Hoosiers’ offense improved from No. 37 to No. 27, but their defensive ranking fell from No. 55 to No. 70. The win gave Indiana its first high-major victory of the season and a 3-0 record.

Indiana made 41.9% of its field-goal attempts, including 9 of 25 three-pointers, and converted 22 of 26 free throws. The Hoosiers also collected 14 offensive rebounds. Those extra possessions helped them attempt seven more shots from the field and six more free throws than Syracuse, despite the Orange shooting 50.9% overall.

Syracuse made 8 of 19 three-point attempts, a 42.1% rate. Indiana’s defensive numbers took a hit, though the team’s shots were described as contested and Syracuse used much of the shot clock on its possessions. Ryan Moesch and Kiyan Anthony made shots for the Orange.

Indiana’s frontcourt was described as sturdy defensively, with Jaeden Mustaf singled out and Darren Harris and Markus Burton also noted. The assessment is that the defense can improve over the rest of the season, while the team’s size and coach Darian DeVries’ track record are expected to help. No specific next game or schedule detail was provided.