The No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers (1-0) and No. 15 Stanford Cardinal (1-0) are competing in top conferences and have started the season right by both winning their first games. They’ll face their first big test when they play one another on Sunday, with Stanford hosting at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.
With Indiana ranked ninth in the nation, do they have the upper hand even though they’ll be on the road? What must Stanford do to pull off the upset and protect home court? Let’s break down the matchup.
What’s at stake for Indiana?
Indiana is entering this game right where they want to be. They just dominated Eastern Illinois, winning 96-43. The Hoosiers had four players in double digits, including their star big Mackenzie Holmes, who led the team with 19 points and six rebounds. The balanced pairing of a dominant big and effective guard play helped Indiana dominate the Big Ten last season and they’ll be using the same recipe this year to replicate that success.
Getting tested this early on the road can have its setbacks and advantages. A win will undoubtedly keep them in the top 10 and have them just under No. 3 Iowa in the Big Ten hierarchy, but a loss could make some think they were overrated during the preseason.
How Stanford can get the win
There’s a new sheriff in town…
