USA Today
Indiana, Arizona Finalizing Matchup in Las Vegas on Dec. 10
Indiana's non-conference schedule received a major boost, as Jon Rothstein reported that Indiana and Arizona are finalizing an agreement to play at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday Dec. 10, 2022.
Mike Woodson is entering his second season as head coach for the Hoosiers, and he is coming off a 21-14 campaign that featured Indiana's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016. Tommy Lloyd was the AP National Coach of the Year in 2022 after a 33-4 record in his first season at Arizona. The Wildcats lost to Houston in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Once finalized, this will be the first ever meeting between Indiana and Arizona, who rank 10th and 11th on college basketball's all-time wins list, respectively. As the rosters currently stand, Rothstein has Arizona as his preseason No. 16 team and Indiana at No. 17.
Additional roster shuffling will undoubtedly take place for both schools through the transfer portal and NBA Draft, but Trayce Jackson-Davis is already contributing to the hype surrounding this matchup. Jackson-Davis tweeted "wow." and tagged Arizona's Dalen Terry. Jackson-Davis and Terry both declared for the NBA Draft while maintaining their college eligibility, and would surely add intrigue to this game if they decide to return.
Jackson-Davis was a second-team All-Big Ten player for the Hoosiers last season, averaging 18.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. Terry was an All-PAC-12 honorable mention, made the PAC-12 All-Defensive team, started every game as a sophomore and averaged eight points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 50 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3.
After scheduling a home-and-home series with the Kansas Jayhawks that will begin in Lawrence on Dec. 17, it is clear that Woodson wants to put Indiana on a national spotlight during non-conference play.
Related stories to Indiana basketball:
- DEXTER DENNIS CONSIDERING INDIANA: Wichita State guard Dexter Dennis announced his top six transfer locations on Wednesday. Indiana made the list for the 6-foot-5 guard, alongside Georgia Tech, Clemson, Kansas State, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. CLICK HERE
- FINAL GRADE FOR TJD: Indiana went from 12 wins to 21 in the 2021-22 season and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years. Junior center Trayce Jackson-Davis was a big reason why, leading the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots again. Here is our first report card, breaking down his season and doling out a final grade. CLICK HERE
- OG ANUNOBY SHINES: No team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit in NBA playoffs history. The Toronto Raptors lost the first three games of their series with the Philadelphia 76ers, but now can even the series Thursday night on their home court. Former Indiana star OG Anunoby has played an integral role in the Raptors' comeback. CLICK HERE
