Pregame Preview: IU Indy (4-11, 0-4) at Northern Kentucky (10-5, 2-2)
IU Indy, formerly IUPUI, enters the matchup as the lone winless team in Horizon League play, and the outlook has been difficult. KenPom projects just one conference win the rest of the way, coming at home against Cleveland State, underscoring how steep the climb has been through the first half of league play.
This season also marks a major reset for the program. Ben Howlett took over as head coach after Paul Corsaro was dismissed following one season, with the university citing conduct that did not meet its standards regarding the treatment of student-athletes. Howlett arrived from Division II power West Liberty, where he went 217–37 over eight seasons, and brought four players with him in JP Dragas, Finley Woodward, Kyler D’Augustino, and Kameron Tinsley. Only one player returned from last year’s roster, Ajay Holubar, who logged just 53 minutes a season ago and has played 36 minutes so far this year.
The Jaguars are coming off a 99–86 road loss at Cleveland State on Monday. D’Augustino led the way with 27 points, while Woodward added a season-high 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting along with seven assists. Matt Compas provided a spark off the bench with 17 points and seven assists, and Jaxon Edwards chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds. IU Indy shot 46% from the floor but struggled badly from deep, finishing just 7-of-36 from three. Cleveland State shot 54% overall and held a significant edge at the foul line, outscoring the Jaguars 30–15.
Stylistically, IU Indy plays fast and leans heavily on its bench, which accounts for 35.6% of total minutes, 111th nationally. That depth is tied to an aggressive pressing approach, as the Jaguars apply full-court pressure on more than 44% of defensive possessions in an effort to create chaos and speed the game up. That approach has generated turnovers, with opponents coughing it up on 20.1% of possessions, a top-60 mark nationally. When teams take care of the ball, however, the Jaguars struggle. IU Indy is one of the weakest teams in the country defending both the three-point line and the paint, and clean possessions often turn into easy transition opportunities and high-scoring nights.
Offensively, the Jaguars average more than 88 points per game and rank among the national leaders in assists at 21.3 per game, steals at 10.5 per game, and turnover margin at plus-5.2 per game. Their frenetic pace shows up in the shot profile as well, as they lead the country in field goal attempts at 72.7 per game and rank sixth nationally in three-point attempts at 34.3 per game.
Historically, the matchup has favored Northern Kentucky Norse. NKU is 16–4 all time against IU Indy, has won nine of the last 11 meetings at home, and has taken the last seven head-to-head matchups overall. Gabe Stewart drew the start in the Jaguars’ last game but played just six minutes. With that context set, here’s how the rest of the IU Indy roster breaks down.
IU Indy Scouting Report
★ Denotes Starter of Previous Game
#00 Jaxon Edwards – Senior Guard, 6'5" 195 lbs – Indianapolis, IN / Cathedral
Previous School: St. Bonaventure
Season Averages: 18.2 MIN, 9.0 PTS, 4.3 REB, 2.0 AST, 1.6 STL, 0.8 BLK, 1.8 TO, 52.1 FG%, 66.7 FT%, 15.0 3PT%
Edwards opened the season as a starter in the first three games but has since settled into a bench role. His offensive value is built far more on downhill pressure than perimeter shooting. Despite attempting 20 threes on the season, he is not a consistent threat from deep and is at his best when attacking closeouts, driving to the rim, and cutting off the ball for finishes in the paint. He has found scoring rhythm recently, reaching double figures in four of his last six games.
At St. Bonaventure, Edwards appeared in five games before a season-ending injury, logging 36 total minutes off the bench. He totaled six points and 11 rebounds, highlighted by a four-point outing against Mansfield and a five-rebound performance at Canisius.
★ #7 Finley Woodward – Senior Forward, 6'7" 215 lbs – Bristol, England / Spire Academy
Previous School: West Liberty
Season Averages: 26.1 MIN, 8.5 PTS, 5.4 REB, 5.1 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.2 BLK, 1.9 TO, 52.4 FG%, 63.3 FT%, 0.0 3PT%
Woodward is coming off a season-high 18-point performance on 7-of-8 shooting against Cleveland State. He has not attempted a three this season and does most of his scoring in and around the paint. Woodward leads IU Indy in both rebounds and assists, averaging just over five boards per game and a team-high 5.1 assists. He has seven assists in each of his last two games, ranks second in the conference in total assists at 76, and sits fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Last year at West Liberty, Woodward started all 35 games and averaged 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while shooting 56.1% from the field. He earned Second Team All-MEC honors and posted 18 double-figure scoring games, including a career-high 22 points against Frostburg State.
★ #12 Kyler D’Augustino – Junior Guard, 6'1" 195 lbs – Albany, OH / Alexander
Previous School: West Liberty
Season Averages: 29.1 MIN, 16.9 PTS, 3.1 REB, 2.9 AST, 1.2 STL, 0.1 BLK, 1.9 TO, 56.5 FG%, 76.7 FT%, 40.4 3PT%
D’Augustino is IU Indy’s leading scorer and best all-around player. He is coming off a 27-point performance in which he attempted a season-high 10 threes, knocking down four, and was recently named Horizon League Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after scoring 24 points with five rebounds in a 91–78 road loss at Grand Canyon on Dec. 22. A left-handed guard, he heavily favors driving left, doing so roughly 67% of the time, and is most comfortable as a spot-up shooter who can also score off cuts, in transition, and out of ball screen actions. Defensively, opponents are shooting just 27.8% when he is the primary defender. NKU will need to force him to his right and make him uncomfortable early.
Last season at West Liberty, D’Augustino earned First Team All-MEC and D2CCA All-Atlantic Region honors while helping the Hilltoppers to a 30–5 record and an Elite Eight appearance. He started all 35 games, led the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game, and scored in double figures 32 times, highlighted by a season-high 31-point outing against Charleston (W.Va.).
★ #13 Maguire Mitchell – Freshman Guard, 6'5" 185 lbs – Zionsville, IN / Zionsville
Season Averages: 23.7 MIN, 10.2 PTS, 1.8 REB, 1.3 AST, 1.8 STL, 0.5 BLK, 1.1 TO, 36.4 FG%, 76.5 FT%, 30.3 3PT%
Mitchell has started 14 of 15 games this season and has been a steady minute-earner in the backcourt. His offensive impact is almost entirely perimeter-based, with 119 of his 143 shot attempts coming from three-point range, and went 1-of-10 from three in the loss to Cleveland State. He prefers shooting from either wing and has struggled in the corners, hitting just 23% from both spots. Defensively, opponents are shooting over 43% against him, though his activity shows up in the passing lanes. He leads the team in steals and has eight over his last four games.
Coming out of Zionsville High School, Mitchell was one of the top prospects in Indiana. He earned IBCA All-State honors, was the inaugural Hoosier Crossroads Conference Player of the Year, and averaged over 20 points per game in both his junior and senior seasons while playing AAU basketball with Indiana Elite.
#15 Matt Compas – 5th Year Guard, 6'4" 170 lbs – Blue Bell, PA / Wissahickon
Previous School: Dalton State
Season Averages: 18.2 MIN, 11.5 PTS, 1.5 REB, 2.1 AST, 1.4 STL, 0.5 BLK, 1.1 TO, 53.6 FG%, 70.4 FT%, 22.2 3PT%
Compas’ minutes and scoring have dipped over the last seven games after a strong start to the season. Over the first eight games, he averaged nearly 15 points per game with five starts mixed in, but that number has dropped to just under eight points per game during the recent stretch. Most of his scoring comes in transition, where he has totaled 18 points over his last three games. A left-handed shooter with a slow, unconventional release, Compas is coming off his most productive outing in weeks after posting 17 points and a season-high seven assists at Cleveland State.
Last season at Dalton State, Compas was a Third Team NAIA All-American and First Team All-SSAC selection. He started all 31 games, led the team in scoring at 18.5 points per game, and helped Dalton State to a 24–7 record while scoring in double figures in 29 games.
★ #20 Kameron Tinsley – Sophomore Forward, 6'6" 180 lbs – Roanoke, VA / Cave Spring
Previous School: West Liberty
Season Averages: 18.5 MIN, 9.4 PTS, 2.5 REB, 1.3 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.6 BLK, 0.9 TO, 38.1 FG%, 87.5 FT%, 32.9 3PT%
Another lefty in the form of Kameron Tinsley, and he has started each of the last four games and is primarily a perimeter-based scorer. Seventy-nine of his 105 shot attempts this season have come from three, with most of his offense generated as a catch-and-shoot option or in transition. Defensively, he has struggled to stay out of foul trouble, and opponents are shooting 46.3% against him on the season.
Last season at West Liberty, Tinsley appeared in 34 games and averaged 11.0 points and 4.6 rebounds as a true freshman on a 30–5 team. He shot 44.7% from three, scored in double figures 20 times, and had multiple 22-point performances, including one against West Virginia State.
#23 Aiden Miller – Sophomore Forward, 6'8" 210 lbs – Austin, TX / Prestige Prep
Previous School: Point Park
Season Averages: 12.5 MIN, 4.9 PTS, 3.6 REB, 0.9 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.2 BLK, 0.8 TO, 35.8 FG%, 73.3 FT%, 32.6 3PT%
Miller is an inconsistent bench scorer whose production is heavily dependent on his three-point shooting. Forty-six of his 53 shot attempts this season have come from beyond the arc, and he operates best as a quick-release, catch-and-shoot option. When kept in that role, he is converting over 44.8% of his threes, but he struggles when forced to put the ball on the floor. Defensively, he has been a liability at times, with opponents shooting 53.8% against him.
Last season at Point Park, Miller played in 28 games with 21 starts as a true freshman and averaged 9.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. He posted eight double-doubles, including a career-high 23-point, 13-rebound performance against Fairmont State, and narrowly missed a triple-double with 13 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists against Penn State–New Kensington.
