Three Things to Watch: No. 4 Seed Indiana vs. No. 5 Seed Miami in NCAA Tournament

No. 4 seed Indiana battles No. 5 seed Miami in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on Sunday night in Albany, N.Y. Here are three things to watch in this game.

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Indiana and Miami avoided upsets in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Round of 32 in the Midwest region.

The No. 4 seed Hoosiers controlled the game against Kent State and rode a 24-point performance from Trayce Jackson-Davis to a 71-60 victory. Drake gave No. 5 seed Miami all it could handle, but the Hurricanes ended the game on a 10-0 run to secure a 63-56 win.

Here are three things to watch when Indiana faces Miami on Sunday at 8:40 p.m. ET.

1. Indiana defending a small-ball lineup

Indiana has struggled against teams built like Miami this year. While there are some differences in style of play, Miami is probably most similar to Big Ten opponents Iowa and Penn State. Indiana went 0-4 in those games, primarily due to defensive miscues on the perimeter that led to a 3-point barrage.

Miami is similar to Iowa and Penn State in that it thrives on 3-point shooting, leading the ACC at 36.7 percent as a team. Miami has five 3-point shooters above 35 percent this season, and will play a lineup with at least four capable shooters in every minute of Sunday's game. Indiana will need to be sharp in its defensive communication and rotations on the perimeter so it doesn't leave open shooters.

2. Size advantage for Jackson-Davis, Thompson

Indiana had a major height advantage in the paint against Kent State, and that will continue to be true against Miami on Sunday. Miami starts four guards and one forward, Norchad Omier, a 6-foot-7, 248-pound sophomore who averages 13.6 points and 9.7 rebounds. Jackson-Davis said Omier plays bigger than his size, bringing plenty of energy and activity. Mike Woodson called him a workhorse.

But outside of Omier, 6-foot-9 junior Anthony Walker is the only other forward in Miami's rotation. Walker averages 10.2 minutes per game, and he scored one point in seven minutes of action against Drake. When Omier was injured against Duke in the ACC Tournament, Walker scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in 24 minutes. Miami has some good size at the guard position with 6-foot-7 Jordan Miller, 6-foot-6 Harlond Beverly and 6-foot-5 Wooga Poplar, but Indiana should be able to find easy points in the paint on Sunday.

3. Controlling the pace

Jim Larrañaga said Saturday that Miami's best offense is in transition. The Hurricanes will try to run and create easy baskets on fast breaks throughout the game, and that could be a dangerous trend for Indiana. The Hoosiers will push the pace when the opportunity presents itself, but they don't want to get into a high-scoring affair. Look for Indiana to try to slow Miami down, forcing the Hurricanes into the kind of half-court game they don't prefer to play.

“Games in the 60s for us is a lot better than games in the 70s and 80s," Jackson-Davis said. "That’s what we’re going to try to do, and we’ve got to stick to our game plan.”

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• HOW TO WATCH: No. 4 seed Indiana plays No. 5 seed Miami on Friday in the 2023 NCAA Tournament Round of 32. Here's how to watch, with game time and TV information, the latest on the point spread, the coaching matchup, series history, stats, rankings and more. CLICK HERE
• GAME STORY: Race Thompson doesn't have much of a postseason resume for Indiana, but he rewrote it on Friday night, scoring 20 points to lead Indiana to a 71-60 victory over Kent State in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament. CLICK HERE
• HEADBAND HILARITY: Indiana forward Miller Kopp has played in more than 150 college games and he's never worn a headband — until Friday night. He rocked the gear during the Hoosiers' NCAA Tournament win over Kent State and said it's here to stay now, and will probably wind up in his NIL store soon. CLICK HERE
• PHOTO GALLERY: Here are the best pictures from Indiana's game with Kent State on Friday night. CLICK HERE
• WATCH JACKSON-DAVIS' BLOCK: Indiana gained some momentum heading into halftime against Kent State with a huge block from Trayce Jackson-Davis off the backboard. CLICK HERE
• WATCH HOOD-SCHIFINO'S DUNK: Indiana freshman point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino was too quick for the Kent State defense on this play, darting his way through the lane for an easy dunk. CLICK HERE
• WATCH JACKSON-DAVIS' VICIOUS DUNK: After a slick bounce pass from Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trayce Jackson-Davis slammed home a huge dunk against Kent State in the NCAA Tournament. CLICK HERE