Gimpy or not, Gordon's Enough

Eric Gordon’s bum is still bruised.\nKelvin Sampson told the media that his prolific freshman will play when the Hoosiers welcome Kentucky to Assembly Hall Saturday for the first time since 1990. But beware, Gordon may not be able to play at the cosmic level we’ve all come to expect. No worries, though. Even playing half-assed, Gordon can still claw the Wildcats to death with his shooting ability alone.\nPoor shooting sunk the Hoosiers in last year’s IU-UK contest. The Hoosiers missed 50 shots at Rupp Arena, including a combined 0-for-11 performance from starters Lance Stemler and Armon Bassett. IU could have constructed an academic building in West Lafayette with the amount of bricks that caromed off the rim that day. The Hoosiers still had a chance to win in the game’s final minutes, but eventually lost 59-54. \nNew year, new team, new venue.\nWith four guards once again in the mix for the Hoosiers and a home crowd behind them, the Wildcats should succumb to the Hoosiers with little more resistance than a student organization fighting the athletics department.\nKentucky boasts a pair of capable forwards. They feature a temperamental Joe Crawford, brother of IU guard Jordan Crawford, and the booger-eater Patrick Patterson.\nThe matchup between Patterson and D.J. White should be especially entertaining to watch. White has really turned it on against teams that lack anyone capable of matching his combination of size and athleticism. Patterson, however, is built in the same mold as White.\n“I like his motor,” Sampson said of Patterson at a press conference Thursday. “Big kids with motors like Patrick Patterson are unique.”\nWhite, however, is no slouch himself. The Pride of Tuscaloosa enters Saturday’s game averaging 14.8 points and 8.6 rebounds compared to Patterson’s 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds.\nEarlier in the week, the Hoosiers seemed to take a step backward in their team development against Tennessee State after an encouraging win at Southern Illinois the weekend before. Playing their seventh game in 15 days and with only two experienced point guards on hand in the second half, IU made the Tiger’s press look harder to crack than the Hope Diamond. It’s difficult to compare that game to the Hoosiers’ past performances for two reasons: Gordon sat out most of the game and, more importantly, it was Tennessee State. \nKentucky should be a good gauge on how this team will stack up come Big Ten season. \nEven with a gimpy Gordon.