IU hopes to avoid first-round upset in NCAA Tournament

ALBANY, New York (WISH) — The Indiana University men’s basketball is getting ready for its first round NCAA Tournament game against Kent State.

The 4th-seeded Hoosiers will play the 13th-seeded Golden Flashes at 9:55 p.m. Eastern Friday inside Albany’s MVP Arena.

“We’ve had a lot of time to prepare, and you’ve just got to take it one game at a time,” said IU senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. “Obviously it’s a win or go home, so we’ve just got to play as hard as we can each and every game.”

The Hoosiers are hoping to make the “round of 32” for the first time in the NCAA Tournament since 2016. 

But to do so, they’ll have to avoid getting upset by the Golden Flashes.

“They’re a good overall team, but at the end of the day, it’s about our principles, and if we stick to our principles, we think we’re going to be in a good spot,” said IU senior forward Miller Kopp. 

Kent State enters the matchup on a six-game winning streak, while the Hoosiers are hoping to get back on the winning track after their Big Ten Tournament semifinal loss to Penn State last weekend in Chicago.