http://www.bigskyfans.com/2007/11/13/psu-vs-iupui-preview
IUPUI-pronounced ‘ooey pooey’ is a subsidiary of Indiana University and Purdue University in Carmel, a northern suburb of Indianapolis. They play in the Summit League, formerly known as the Mid-Continent.
IUPUI was created in 1969 as a partnership by and between Indiana and Purdue Universities, with IU as the managing partner. With over 29,000 students, IUPUI is the second-largest campus in the Indiana University state wide system.
The Jaguars should come in to the Top of the World Classic with a lot of confidence. On the 10th they played Marquette very close in Milwaukee, and beat up IU-South Bend by 35 yesterday. They were picked as the favorites to win the Summit League, and boast preseason player of the year George Hill.
Coming off a tough loss against UCLA, the Vikings will look to get rid of the goose egg in the win column for the 2007-08 season. If they can exploit some of the mismatches, it might happen. However, the Jaguars won’t be pushovers.
Matchups
Big Men
IUPUI: Billy Pettiford PSU: Scott Morrison
IUPUI has one player over 6′8″ on their roster, and he doesn’t play much (when he does he’s not very good on offense, and picks up lots of fouls on defense). Due to this, I’ll compare the guys who should see significant PT. Pettiford is a solid all-around player who can score, rebound, and pass the ball. Morrison should be able to slow him down significantly with the threat of the shot block against the 6′7″ forward. If he has a good game passing, look for PSU to go with a smaller lineup. However, at only 220 pounds, he may be unable to keep Morrison away from within 4 feet of the hoop where Scotty actually has an offensive game.
Advantage: PSU (Slight)
Forward #2
IUPUI: Jon Avery PSU: Tyrell Mara
This appears to be a good match up for both guys. Tyrell is a strong physical player, and Avery likes to play inside. On the flip side, Tyrell’s three-point shooting ability will force Avery away from his comfort zone. I look for a lot of fouls here, and not very many points.
Advantage: Push
Guard/Forward
IUPUI: Austin Montgomery PSU: Deonte Huff
Two players who do a little bit of everything. They can both score, defend, and rebound. I look for Huff to be a bit more physical than Montgomery is used to. If Huff can use his athletic superiority, he might score 15+.
Advantage: PSU (Slight)
Off Guard
IUPUI: George Hill PSU: Dupree Lucas
Hill is another exceedingly tough match up for Lucas after Shipp last week. This one may be another huge gap. It seems that Lucas is a lot more productive when he doesn’t have to exert himself on the defensive end. Add to that, he seems to be a slow starter. However, PSU doesn’t need 30 from Dupree in this game. If he can get 10-15, I’m sure coach Bone would be happy.
Advantage: IUPUI
Point Guard
IUPUI: Gary Patterson PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
After a great debut against UCLA, JD will look to continue his success. Patterson is also a smaller guard, so that should be a better match up. On the other hand, he did score 15 points against Dominic James, so this should be a good challenge.
Advantage: Push
Bench
PSU should have a huge advantage here if Bone can afford to have them in. The Vikings have more quality players on their bench than the Jaguars do, and certainly more scoring ability. Look for the Viking bench to dominate if the Jaguars want to rest some of their starters.
Prediction: This game is one that could easily go either way. I’m going to pick the Vikings because they have a shorter trip, and the more physical team. Because the Jaguars will probably be a bit slowed down in their first game, the size should give them fits.
Score: PSU 67-62
