Homestretch starts with 'U'

With a 12-10 overall record and a 6-5 in the Big Ten, many around Hoosier nation have begun to wonder if IU can make its 19th-straight NCAA appearance. \nBut since the Big Ten went to a 16-game format in the 1997-98 season, every team with at least 10 conference wins has made the Tournament with the exception of ineligible Michigan last year.\nIU has five games remaining -- four of those at home. \nThe first of those home games is at 8 p.m., tonight against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-14, 1-9 Big Ten).\nDespite their poor record, the Hoosiers know this is a dangerous team.\n"They're competing in every game. Even when they lose, they're losing at the end of the game," senior forward A.J. Moye said. "They're giving it all that they got ... We can't look at them like that -- they're Minnesota, they're struggling. That's a pretty good team."\nIU coach Mike Davis said he has heard the Big Ten is weak this year, but said show him a conference that is not struggling. He said the Hoosiers got in the NCAAs last year with an 8-8 conference record.\n"So if you're going to talk about taking three or four teams from the Big Ten, who's saying that?" Davis said. "It's not the NCAA committee. It's commentators. I don't want my guys to get caught up in 'we've got to win every game.' We need 10 wins in the Big Ten to be 10-6. And if you're 10-6, that's a lot better than we were last year."\nWhen the Hoosiers met the Gophers in Minneapolis Jan. 24, IU jumped out to an big lead early, but Minnesota's press and zone hampered the Hoosiers. IU was able to pull it out in overtime, 86-81.\nSophomore guard Bracey Wright said the team just needs to watch tape to see what worked and what didn't against the zone. Davis said Minnesota has gotten better since the meeting.\n"Since we've played them, we have taken a step backward, and they've gotten better," Davis said. "They've played some tough games on the road. If I'm us, I'm not overlooking Minnesota at all. I'm coming in playing with every drop of energy that I have to win that basketball game."\nLeading IU in the Minnesota win was sophomore forward Sean Kline who scored all 13 of his points in the second half. But the Hoosiers will be without Kline who is out for the season with a knee injury.\nWith the media and even some fans down on the Hoosiers and their tournament hopes, Moye said it's important to not let the media disrupt them.\n"The most important thing for us is to stay a unit," Moye said. "Staff and player wise, don't listen to the media, and don't listen to even family sometimes. Don't listen to so-called friends, associates. If you listen to the media, they have your head hanging. They spilt teams up. They try to get you to say stuff about teammates. It's important that we stay together, stay positive in the press and most importantly, stay positive in the private."\nWith its tournament hopes all but gone, Minnesota may look to play the spoiler role against the rest of their Big Ten foes. Wright said it's tough to play a team like that, but in many ways, IU is in a similar situation.\n"A lot of teams are thinking that we're out of it right now," Wright said. "The Purdues, the Iowas, they tied with us, and really, they don't think that we're not going to have a chance. So if we can put together this winning streak, we're going to end a lot of hopes for other teams."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.