BLOOMINGTON – Grace coach Jim Kessler doesn’t look at tonight’s men’s basketball exhibition game against Indiana as a meeting of David and Goliath.

"It’s more of a big dog-little dog, because in David-Goliath, David wins," Kessler said with a laugh during a phone interview Tuesday.

The Hoosiers have their first exhibition of the season against the NAIA team from Winona Lake.

"I think coach Kessler is a very good coach, that’s one of the reasons we scheduled it. And I know they lost a few players, but they really execute their offense," IU coach Tom Crean said during a news conference at Assembly Hall. "They space you very well. They’ll really challenge us with basket cuts and lots of split screens."

Crean said the Hoosiers will look to take care of the ball, work on free throws and increase the tempo on offense.

He also stressed that the starting lineup fans will see is not exactly the one for the upcoming season.

"We’re going out to win, find different units and like I said to (the players), ‘There will be a starting lineup, it’s by no stretch of the imagination where it could be,’ " Crean said. " ‘If you think you’ve won something, you’re wrong. If you think you are out of it, then maybe you’re right because then you’re not competing at a high enough level.’ "

Crean has ideas on a lineup but said nothing is set in stone.

"You can lose it at any point in time. Last year, we didn’t have that, we had positions by default," Crean said. "This year, we don’t want that to happen. I’d be lying to say I don’t think some people are going to win their positions because they are practicing at a high level.

"When you have a situation like we have, you are not as concerned about who’s starting but who has the ability to finish the games and who is really going to work their way in and be a strong part of the rotation."

IU will be without injured guards Devan Dumes (knee) and Brett Finkelmeier (ankle).

Grace’s Jacob Peattie and Blackhawk Christian graduate Dayton Merrell are both out with back injuries.

Kessler said his team is in the "development" stage.

"We’ll get to know some things we need to do to get better, and hopefully we can help Indiana get an idea of what it is to defend somebody different and have somebody different defend you," Kessler said.

"We’ll throw a couple of things at them and see if they are ready to do those things.

"We’re going to go down swinging."

Kessler said the exhibition has created a buzz throughout the school.

"You have a number of guys on the team whose parents are IU grads and they’ve grown up Indiana fans. To actually be at courtside at jump ball will be exciting for them. Assembly Hall is a shrine," Kessler said.

"At practice (Monday), I always give them the location and time of practice. I said ‘and (Tuesday), we are practicing at Assembly Hall.’ It kind of sunk in."

lpope@jg.net