The Assembly Call Blog

This is the third in our series of posts that “preview” notable NCAA Tournament games in Indiana’s storied history. These are companion posts for our live rewatch series that we are doing in place of the cancelled 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Today, we will preview the Sweet 16 matchup of the 1993 NCAA Tournament: Indiana, the #1 seed in the Midwest Region, against Louisville, the #4 seed in the Midwest Region.

The live rewatch and postgame show for the IU-Louisville game takes place on Friday, March 27th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. (Click here to access the YouTube replay of the game.)

Breaking down the matchup:

Indiana (30-3) vs. Louisville (22-8)

Coaches:

• Indiana: Bob Knight (22nd season)
• :Louisville: Denny Crum (20th season)

Last matchup: 

Indiana defeated the Cardinals 72-52 on December 1, 1990 as part of the “Big Four Classic” held at the Hoosier Dome.

Indiana probable starters:

• G. Chris Reynolds (Sr.)
• G. Greg Graham (Sr.)
• G. Damon Bailey (Jr)
• F. Calbert Cheaney (Sr.)
• F. Matt Nover (Sr.)

Louisville probable starters:

• G. James Brewer (Sr.)
• G. Greg Minor (Jr.)
• F. Troy Smith (Sr.)
• F. Dwayne Morton (Jr.)
• C. Clifford Rozier (Soph.)

Indiana game notes: 

The Hoosiers enter the game at 30-3 overall. Indiana went through Big Ten conference play nearly unscathed with a 17-1 record overall, losing only at Ohio State on February 23rd. IU’s 1993 Big Ten conference record is the best overall conference mark since Indiana’s 1976 squad went a perfect 18-0.

The Hoosiers were dealt a major blow on February 19th as starting center Alan Henderson went down with a season-ending knee injury. Whether or not Indiana can sustain a deep run in the NCAA Tournament without Henderson is the major question.

In their first and second round matchups, the top-ranked of the Midwest Region defeated the likes of Wright State (97-54) and Xavier (73-70).

Louisville game notes: 

The Cardinals enter the game at 22-8 overall. Their 11-1 Metro Conference record clinched regular season title honors, and Louisville would go on to win their conference tournament as well. Louisville defeated Delaware (76-70) in their NCAA Tournament opening round matchup, then went on to beat Oklahoma State 78-63 in the Round of 32.

What to expect — Indiana:

The veteran cast features four starting seniors led by All-American and National POY candidate Calbert Cheaney. If the shots are falling for Cheaney, this could be a long night for Louisville.

Not to be overlooked are guards Greg Graham and Damon Bailey who have the ability to light it up from outside. Matt Nover, Indiana’s starting big man, must stay out of foul trouble if the Hoosiers are hoping to move on to the Elite Eight.

What to expect — Louisville: 

The Cardinals bring a balanced scoring attack to the contest with Dwayne Morton and big man Clifford Rozier leading the way. If Rozier can get plenty of touches early and attack Indiana’s interior defense, Louisville may have a shot at the top-ranked Hoosiers. Containing a scoring threat like Indiana’s Calbert Cheaney will be difficult. Look for Dwayne Morton to be tabbed with the defensive assignment on Cheaney.

Result

If you want to know the result of the game and see the box score, click here.