4 Things to Watch in Indiana Basketball's Second Puerto Rico Exhibition Game

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Indiana basketball is poised for a better litmus test in its second Puerto Rico exhibition game, which tips off at 7 p.m.

Saturday inside Coliseo Roberto Clemente.

The Hoosiers, who defeated Puerto Rico college team Universidad de Bayamon 98-47 on Wednesday night, will face Serbian professional team Mega Superbet for its final two exhibition contests.

Mega Superbet has several players with high-major college basketball talent.

Indiana played Mega Superbet on a foreign tour in 2021, and the Hoosiers won the two games by a combined 24 points.

Both contests were single-digit margins at halftime.

Here's what Indiana Hoosiers On SI will be monitoring in Saturday night's clash ...

How will Indiana fair without a size advantage? The Hoosiers outclassed UDB with size, length and athleticism, leading to 64 points and an efficient 32-for-46 shooting in the paint.

Two of Indiana's three big men senior Sam Alexis and sophomore Josh Harris had double-doubles, and senior forward Reed Bailey wasn't far behind with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Indiana had its way on dribble-drives and found success getting to and finishing at the rim.

The Hoosiers had a significant edge in physical characteristics against UDB.

Mega Superbet poses a much bigger challenge.

Can Indiana still find success inside? Will the Hoosiers run any two-big lineups? Will floor spacing differ? Will coach Darian DeVries run any plays through the post? The next two games will offer preliminary answers, though reservation is still advised for any firm stances.

Has the light bulb turned on for the Hoosiers' defense? Following Indiana's open-to-media practice July 30, DeVries said Indiana's offense was ahead of its defense, referencing issues with communication and understanding defensive positioning.

The Hoosiers were stout defensively against UDB, allowing 23 points in the first half and 24 points in the second.

UDB shot only 16 of 63, or 25.4%, from the field and just 5 of 33 from distance.

Indiana forced 18 turnovers and secured 42 of 50 possible defensive rebounds while nabbing 18 offensive boards on the other end.

Indiana's aforementioned physical advantages over UDB certainly played a key role, but the Hoosiers also looked more synchronized defensive, and their intensity, quick hands and on-ball pressure were impressive.

With Mega Superbet's size, Indiana's rim protection will be stressed more than it has at any point this summer, and it'll face a stiffer test with Mega's lane penetration and ball movement.

Has the Hoosiers defense taken a noticeable leap? Saturday and Monday will be good tests.

Will Indiana's tempo, transition offense and 3-point shooting frequency remain high? After the Hoosiers' first-game victory, DeVries was most delighted by Indiana's ball movement and selflessness, which illuminated itself in the Hoosiers' rapid pace of play, easy looks in transition and quality 3-point opportunities.

Indiana scored 31 fast break points, 15 of which came off turnovers.

The Hoosiers routinely turned defense into offense and grew so comfortable doing so that senior guard Tayton Conerway attempted an off-the-backboard pass to Alexis.

Facing better ball handlers and more potent scorers, Indiana's transition opportunities may be limited.

Whether the Hoosiers capitalize could prove critical to the final outcome.

Indiana struggled shooting from distance against UDB, going 9 of 33 for a 27.3% clip.

Tucker DeVries and senior guard Lamar Wilkerson, perhaps the Hoosiers' two best shooters, were a combined 5 of 20 beyond the arc.

The Hoosiers don't lack shooters, and they certainly don't lack the confidence to let it fly.

Eventually, DeVries expects that to show on the court preferably as early as Saturday.

What can Sisley do for an encore? Freshman forward Trent Sisley had a strong summer at practice and parlayed it into a terrific college debut, leading all scorers with 21 points on 9-for-12 shooting.

He was 3 of 3 from beyond the arc and added three rebounds and two assists.

In a joking manner, DeVries said afterwards Sisley has set a high bar.

He'll face heightened competition against Mega Superbet, but if he's able to replicate or come close to his debut performance, the Santa Claus, Ind., native will return home with a significant wave of momentum.

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STATS, OBSERVATIONS FROM IU'S PUERTO RICO OPENER: From leading scorer Trent Sisley to walk-on Ian Stephens, here are the stats and player takeaways from Indiana's first exhibition game in Puerto Rico..

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