Basketball is back! Indiana returns to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Monday night against Eastern Illinois. This game is only available on TV with a BIG+ subscription, which actually costs more than a ticket to the game right now. If you want to attend a game in Bloomington this year, this might be your best bet. Besides the ticket prices, here is what I am watching for in Indiana’s first real action of the season.

Rebounds

This was a point of emphasis all offseason, and Indiana needs to continue this trend throughout the regular season. With the tremendous size advantage that the Hoosiers will have in this matchup, this should be no issue.

Metrics

Bart Torvik currently has Indiana as a 33.4 point favorite in this game. In order for Indiana to move up in the metrics, they need to win by 34 points or more. This may seem trivial, but these rankings start out fluid, and get more solid as more data become available. If Indiana can raise their metrics early, it could help them in March.

Half Court Offense

In a game in which Indiana should be able to do whatever they want in transition, I want to see how the offense looks when the game slows down a bit. Being able to dominate lesser competition is important, but seeing how the actual offense runs will be something to look forward to during this game.

Enjoy this one Hoosier fans! Indiana basketball is back, and with football rolling, there has never been a better time to be a Hoosier. College basketball is the best time of the year, and even in buy games like this, it is a reminder to us all about how much we love this sport.