5 IU questions with beat writer Zach Osterman

Indiana and Louisville meet for the first time since 2003 on Tuesday night, and we're here in New York City for the event. The 9 p.m. tip-off -- more like 10, probably -- is the second of this year's Jimmy V Classic doubleheader at Madison Square Garden.

So not only is it a cool event, but it's also a cool bringing-back-together of two programs that are two hours apart and somehow don't play every year. But I digress.

(What if they did a four-team tournament every year, rotating between sites, and included IU, U of L, UK and, say, Cincinnati or Notre Dame? That would be awesome.)

The game preview:Rozier, teammates pumped for game in New York

Watching the game:TV info, story lines, projected starters

For a better, more in-depth look at Indiana, I traded emails with my buddy Zach Osterman, the IU beat writer for the Indianapolis Star. Here are my responses to his questions about U of L and Montrezl Harrell.

And here are his responses to my questions about Indiana:

Given the preseason tumult that consumed Indiana, how have they managed to keep it together?

Zach Osterman: Well, I think a few things. First of all, there's definitely been a feeling of rallying together in light of all that's happened. Devin Davis' family has been a huge part of that, being persistent in their support of the team, attending games, etc. And second, frankly, I think there was a little bit of a hit-the-bottom feeling, whether that was internal or not. I don't know if people within the program felt it, but everything bad kind of happened at once, allowing IU to confront everything and move on all at once.

Is there any sense that Tom Crean feels the outside pressure to win this season?

Osterman: Well, I'm not sure if he'd say it publicly. But that pressure definitely exists. It's a combination of last year's disappointing record and everything that's happened off the court in the last few months.

It's hard for me to adequately characterize where he's at right now in terms of job security. It's definitely a win-now time for him, but I also don't think it's clear exactly what constitutes success and failure this season yet. Honestly, this month – Louisville, Butler, Georgetown – ought to bring that a little bit more into focus.

Himmelsbach:On U of L playing at MSG

What does Indiana do on offense so well that it's one of the most efficient offenses in the nation?

Osterman: Shoot. It's more complex than that, but not terribly. Yogi Ferrell is playing some of the best basketball of his career early in the season, and unlike last year, he's got backcourt help. Indiana therefore looks about like we thought it would – guard-heavy, dynamic in the backcourt, able to spread the floor and hit shots from all over the perimeter. Comparing this year's team to last year's offensively-challenged bunch, it's remarkable what a little shooting help can do.

How do the Hoosiers generally do against uptempo, pressing opponents?

Osterman: They haven't seen much of it, but Savannah State was kind enough to break its press out on Saturday, so at least it's fresh in the mind. Against the Tigers' press, Indiana struggled at first, but once the Hoosiers found a rhythm against it, they broke it pretty easily the rest of the way. Ferrell, predictably, was key to that, keeping IU's young guards calm and consistently moving the ball where it needed to go.

Savannah State, though, is in so many ways not Louisville. I wouldn't count on the Hoosiers handling U of L's press so simply.

Related:Remembering the 2003 IU-U of L meeting

What's ailing Indiana's defense right now? The defensive rebounding rate seems low, and opponent field-goal percentage seems high.

Osterman: It's pretty simple: personnel. The Hoosiers don't have a natural rim protector like Cody Zeller or Noah Vonleh. And their inexperience means that, physically and mentally, they're going to be limited in terms of team defense. Not having that dissuasive presence inside doesn't make it any easier on young guards having to cover the perimeter, and some weak opponents have found it far too easy to get into the lane against the Hoosiers.

That said, Pitt struggled to break IU down for most of the Hoosiers' 12-point ACC/Big Ten Challenge win, so there have been moments good and bad. And if you told me this young team is prone to playing to the level of its competition, I'd agree with you.