No. 9 an ominous sign

Most fans want their team to be ranked high in The Associated Press Top 25 poll. A high ranking brings a certain prestige to the program – a certain satisfaction that comes with validation. It also brings inflated expectations and inspired play from opponents. In short, being ranked can be something of a Catch-22.\nIU began this season ranked No. 9 by the AP primarily based on hype surrounding unproven players. Through the season’s first months, the Hoosiers have risen as high as No. 8 and fallen as low as No. 15. Heading into today’s game at Minnesota, the Hoosiers once again carry the title of ninth-best team in the country, and, although they’ve proven themselves to be a talented group of players, a lot of hype still seems to keep that ranking afloat.\nAgainst Illinois on Sunday, the Hoosiers learned exactly what it means to be a top dog in a power conference. Illinois stepped on the court hungry, focused and gunning for the upset. The Illini seemed to catch IU off guard in the first half, building a quick lead in the opening minutes. If not for a couple favorable bounces, the Hoosiers could have easily lost. Tonight, against the Miss Congeniality of the Big Ten, IU cannot afford the defensive lapses and offensive lulls that nearly cost the team its last game.\nEveryone knew this Gopher team would improve under Tubby Smith. The question was how much would it improve? Through 15 games last season, Minnesota was 7-8. This year, the team is 12-3 and has increased its scoring average by 14.8 points. The Gophers lead the Big Ten in steals (10.87 per game) and 3-point shooting percentage (38.4 percent). This is a team that only won three Big Ten games last year! The Gophers could equal that number in the third week of conference play with a win over the Hoosiers.\nTubby hasn’t reinvented the wheel with this team. The pieces were already in place in the form of All-Big Ten players Dan Coleman and Lawrence McKenzie, and lumberjack center Spencer Tollackson. Smith has, however, done what predecessor Dan Munson could not: get these guys to play together.\n“They’ve made the adjustments,” said Smith of his senior cast during his weekly teleconference. “Some of them have had to make the sacrifices.”\nPart of the Gopher’s improvement can also be attributed to the strong bench play of freshmen Al Nolan and Blake Hoffarber. Both played instrumental roles in Minnesota’s comeback road win against Penn State last weekend. Nolan leads the conference in steals, while Hoffarber leads the conference in 3-point shooting percentage. But in case you haven’t heard, IU has some talented freshmen of its own.\n“Indiana is a much better team than any team we’ve been beaten by,” Smith said. “I know they’ll come ready to play. We better play together, we better execute the fundamentals, we better bring the energy or we’re going to have a tough time.” \nSame goes for the Hoosiers.\nHistory and circumstance seem to be against Kelvin Sampson’s squad as it makes the trek north. IU has only won two of its last 10 games in Williams Arena, the last coming in 2004 when “Braceyball” was part of the Hoosier lexicon. IU did not play at Minnesota last season. Smith will be coaching for the 400th win of his career, a commendable milestone in a commendable career. Minnesota is also coming off its best win of the season and looking to join the conversation as a legitimate Big Ten contender.\nAnd then there’s the ranking thing.\nThe last time the Gophers defeated a team ranked in the AP Top 10 was eight years ago ... against the No. 9 Hoosiers.