The No.5-seeded Indiana Hoosiers challenge the No.12-seeded Chattanooga Mocs in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. The game gets underway at 7:10 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 17 and will air on CBS.
The Hoosiers are expecting a better outcome after their 72-69 loss to Michigan in the 3 of the Big Ten tournament. Yogi Ferrell put together a strong game for the Hoosiers, recording 14 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. The Mocs, meanwhile, are coming off a 73-67 win over East Tennessee State in the 4 of the Southern tournament. Greg Pryor shot 3-for-10 and led in scoring with 13 points.
This showdown pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Indiana currently ranks second in the nation in offensive efficiency and Chattanooga is 25th in defensive efficiency. Moreover, the Mocs are among the nation’s elite on the offensive backboards, ranking 29th in OR% at 32.7%. But the Hoosiers rank 35th at corralling defensive rebounds with a DR% of 71.3%.
The Hoosiers enter the game with records of 25-7 Straight Up (SU) and 17-15 Against The Spread (ATS).
In the other locker room, the Mocs head into the game with records of 17-13 ATS and 29-5 SU. The Mocs convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 48th in the nation at .733.
Predictions: SU Winner – Chat, ATS Winner – Chat
Notes
“Indiana is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Indiana is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana’s last 6 games “.
The Chattanooga Mocs rank 55th for their offensive rating of 111.9. The Indiana Hoosiers have a defensive rating of 100.7 (ranked 45th).
The Indiana Hoosiers have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking third in the nation with a FG% of 50.1%. The Chattanooga Mocs have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have a similar or higher FG%.
The Indiana Hoosiers average 23.0 three point attempts per game, and the Chattanooga Mocs attempt 20.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Indiana is 19-4 and Chattanooga is 16-4.
Chattanooga, the 39th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.8 per game. Indiana does worse, ranked 108th with 4.0.
On average, Indiana makes 6.9 steals per game. Chattanooga has an exceptional 14-4 record when it gives up at least 6 steals.
