Three Things To Watch When Indiana Basketball Plays Louisville in Empire Classic

Following a 77-57 loss to UConn on Sunday, Indiana wraps up the Empire Classic on Monday against Louisville. Here are three things to watch in that game.

NEW YORK – Indiana plays Louisville in the consolation game of the Empire Classic on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

The Hoosiers lost 77-57 on Sunday against UConn, shooting just 37.8% from the field. In the second game, Louisville covered an 18.5-point spread against Texas, which snuck away with an 81-80 win thanks to a fadeaway jumper from Max Abmas just before the buzzer. 

Tipoff between Indiana and Louisville is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. Here are three things to watch. 

Offensive rebounding

This was also a key to yesterday's game, and it went poorly for Indiana. UConn held a 44-22 rebounding advantage, including 15 offensive rebounds. This has been an especially concerning development for Indiana, which starts three players at 6-foot-8 or taller. Woodson has called out Indiana's guards for needing to rebound more, and said the team must be tougher moving forward.

That challenge continues Monday against Louisville, which ranks 16th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage, per KenPom. Indiana is 332nd out of 362 teams in this category, as well as 311th in opponent offensive rebounding percentage. If an upset is in store for Louisville, keep an eye on its second-chance points. 

Anything from Mgbako?

Five-star freshman Mackenzie Mgbako was expected to be one of Indiana's leading scorers this season, but he's fallen well short of expectations. The 6-foot-8 small forward is averaging just 5.3 points on 30% shooting, and 13 of his 21 total points came against Wright State. 

Mgbako was a no-show against UConn, going 0-for-3 from the field with one rebound and one assist. To reach its full potential this season, Indiana depends on Mgbako making major strides offensively and becoming a reliable 3-point shooter. But Woodson hasn't played him more than 23 minutes in any game so far due to offensive and defensive struggles.

Skyy Clark's 3-point shooting

One of Louisville's most important roster additions this offseason was point guard transfer Skyy Clark. The former top-35 recruit left Illinois after 13 games last season, but coach Kenny Payne is expecting him to play a major role this season. He's coming off his best game as Cardinal on Sunday.

Clark scored 20 points with five rebounds and four assists against Texas, and the most noticeable improvement came from the 3-point line. After missing his first eight attempts across three games, Clark made 4-of-6 3-point shots on Sunday and tied for the team lead in scoring. Indiana ranks 280th in opponent 3-point shooting (36.7%), and Clark is a player who could burn the Hoosiers from distance.

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