IU Insider: A closer look from Louisville beat writer Jeff Greer

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Advancing tonight's game against No. 4 Louisville, I reached out to Jeff Greer, my counterpart at the Louisville Courier-Journal, for a little bit more on the Cardinals. We traded a series of questions, to better educate both sides about one another.

(I also asked Jeff to weigh in for my story on Montrezl Harrell, but because of timing issues, I wasn't able to include his candor. I've therefore copied and pasted it into the bottom of this post.)

Here are Jeff's answers to some questions I sent him earlier in the week:

THE STAR: What first jumps out about this team statistically are the defensive numbers, especially given the fact that IU is an point-scoring bunch. What makes the Cardinals so good defensively, and how do you see that overlaying what Indiana wants to do on offense?

Jeff Greer: Louisville wants to make teams panic and rush. They do that with a frenetic press that traps and allows speedy wings and bigs to shoot gaps and get steals and deflections. The guards, especially Chris Jones and Terry Rozier, are very good on-ball defenders, too. That's really the centerpiece of their match-up zone. Out front, they overwhelm people. As far as IU, it'll be interesting to see how Yogi (Ferrell) handles the pressure. Shannon Scott really had a hard time with it, but Yogi, I think, is a better point guard. He'll need help from his bigs to break the press, and then IU has to beat guys off the dribble to get open looks for others.

THE STAR: From the surface, it makes sense to look at Montrezl Harrell with this bunch. But what does an apparently solid group of guards/wings bring to this team? How do guys like Blackshear, Jones and Rozier find their points?

JG: The perimeter guys each bring different skills to the table. Jones, in my opinion, has to be one of the best on-ball defenders in the country. He's tenacious and clever, and he gets little taps and pokes that lead to runouts. That fuels his offense. He's at his best when he's attacking the rim, though he's settled for jumpers a lot so far this season. Rozier is a really smooth player. I'm not saying he's Dwyane Wade at all, but he looks like him when he plays. He's primarily a paint attacker. And then Blackshear is a guy who's frustrated Louisville's fan base to no end because he's built like a stat-sheet stuffer but he's been inconsistent and timid in seasons past. So far this season, he looks like the Blackshear who was a McDonald's All-American out of high school, attacking the paint, dunking and getting out on breaks.

THE STAR: Indiana fans might be more well-acquainted with Ohio State, in terms of common opponents. What allowed the Cardinals to build such a big lead in that game, on one hand, and then what let the Buckeyes climb back in it a little bit?

JG: They completely overwhelmed Ohio State's handlers with their press. The Buckeyes made erratic decisions and started possessions late because of Louisville's pesky guards. But once they solved that, they really did a good job of driving and passing. Louisville gets beat two ways with its style: Against a team with good handlers who blow by defenders or against a team that can really hit the offensive glass and get Harrell in foul trouble.

THE STAR: If there's a chink in Louisville's armor that's applicable to what Indiana does well, what is it? Does such a thing exist?

JG: I should've read the questions through before submitting my answers. Right now, the best way to beat Louisville is keeping them off the offensive glass and limiting their trips to the foul line, and then breaking the press and beating defenders off the bounce. They've really struggled shooting the ball, but they make up for it with second chances, free throws and turnover creation on defense.

THE STAR: Simple question: How do you see Tuesday playing out, given the match-ups, the stage, etc.?

JG: I think Louisville wins in a similar way to the Minnesota and Ohio State wins. This has to be one of the top two defensive teams in the country -- Kentucky being the other -- because of the way they get after it on their press. I love Yogi, but I don't know that he alone can beat Louisville. So I'll guess it'll be around a 10-point Louisville win but entertaining for stretches.

Here are his answers to the questions about Harrell:

THE STAR: What's different about Harrell this year versus last year? It seems like he's seeing more of the ball, and maybe having to deal with more attention?

JG: I'd say a few things are different. First of all, he seems to be even more vocal than he was last season. He's certainly the team's leader. As far as actual basketball, he added range and handle. He can hit shots from 15 feet and out. It's made his game a bit more diversified than the power game he brought to college, but it's going to be a season-long balancing act for him to still rebound and bang around inside but show off his enhanced perimeter skills.

THE STAR: Just about all of his stats have increased year over year. Is that him getting better or is it him becoming a bigger part of what Louisville's doing?

JG: It's a combination of both. Whenever you have Russ Smith on your team, your offensive role is going to shrink. Smith was so dominant on the ball the past two seasons that Harrell was more of an offensive rebounder and dunker. But he's evolved a lot, and his usage will be high this season. Very high.

THE STAR: What works for Harrell? When he's on, why? And when he's off, why?

I think it's a mentality thing for him. I've had a few conversations with him over the past 14 months that have stuck out. He's super intense and very workmanlike in his approach to the game. That shows in his preparation, too, according to his coaches and teammates. On the court, when he's really on, he's hitting elbow jumpers, crashing the offensive glass and thundering in dunks.

Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.