As much as Indiana fans can’t keep their mouths shut about the upcoming game, they are anticipating a monster upset on Saturday. And some of the sports analysts seem to think so too. Not only in Bloomington, but in Bristol (ESPN) as well. The Cats are a young team and this is their first true road game of the season. With a hostile crowd, and a freshman-lead team, the Cats top ranking doesn’t seem to matter much to anyone outside of Lexington.
In Bloomington, some seem to think that the key to an upset lies with Cody Zeller in the post. Zeller is a more “experienced” post player, despite the fact that both he and Anthony Davis are freshmen, and Davis certainly has more potential to grow as a player. This is from Indiana site The Crimson Quarry and why they think that the younger Zeller has a chance of pulling off the upset. Zeller grew up playing the post and even I underestimated his abilities coming into the season. In turn, Anthony Davis has been a post player for all of about 2 years. He’s spent the majority of his career as a guard and at the NBA level will not be a big man. In turn, Davis is a post player like Kevin Durant is a post player. Freak athleticism and great outside-in game make him a potential superstar at the next level, but he’ll be asked to play the post on Saturday and most of this season. Zeller will have the experience and skill advantage as a post player come Saturday, so Indiana must expose that strength.
Over at ESPN on this week’s College Basketball roundtable, three of their seven writers also believe that the major upset this weekend will happen in Bloomington. Factors such as Zeller, the home crowd, and Indiana’s 8-0 record have lead them to believe that the Cats will meet their first loss of the season. 4. What’s going to be the next big upset?
Brennan: Hey, why not — I’ll go with Harvard-Connecticut, Thursday night’s big game. Sure, the chances seem slim, especially in Storrs. But the newly ranked Crimson are playing very well, the Huskies are still figuring things out … if a few things go Harvard’s way, well, you never know.
Gasaway: Court, prepare to be stormed: Indiana stuns Kentucky. Sure, the top-ranked Wildcats are the superior team. But the Hoosiers will be playing at home, the crowd has waited for a game like this for three years, and Tom Crean’s team will sink enough 3s to win a close one.
Katz: Don’t be shocked if Murray State upsets Memphis at the FedExForum on Sunday. The Tigers had a solid win at Miami on Tuesday, but the Racers are cruising at 9-0 after winning the Great Alaska Shootout and crushing Dayton. Murray has the confidence and the experience to hang with the Tigers, even on the road.
King: It wouldn’t be a huge upset, but I won’t be shocked if Mississippi State beats Baylor in Dallas on Dec. 28. The Bulldogs are one of the few teams with a frontcourt that can match up with the Bears’ trio of Perry Jones, Quincy Miller and Quincy Acy.
Leung: Indiana could very well surprise No. 1 Kentucky on Saturday. The Hoosiers are undefeated behind a strong start from freshman Cody Zeller and the crowd is sure to be a factor against the rival Wildcats.
Medcalf: Indiana over Kentucky. Tom Crean’s Hoosiers are due for a huge win. Assembly Hall will be buzzing like Times Square on New Year’s Eve for this matchup. That atmosphere will fuel an emerging IU’s upset over the Cats.
O’Neil: Washington beats Duke in New York on Saturday. The Huskies have lost two heartbreakers in the past week — a last-bucket loss to Marquette and an OT loss to Nevada. So they’re due. And while I’m sure Mike Krzyzewski has turned the Ohio State game film into a Zapruder tape, breaking down every missed assignment and miscue, there’s no doubt that dose of humility is playing on the Blue Devils’ minds.
If the Hoosiers are to have a chance this weekend, they have a ton of work to do. Defensively, they must stop the Cats in transition, as UK is a fast team and they love to score off turnovers. Offensively, they have to shoot lights out from beyond the arc like UNC did. Despite playing on the road, this will be a great test for both teams, especially the Cats to see how they handle the road environment. But I believe that the number one ranking says it all for UK, and they will prove too much for Indiana to handle.