The IU men's basketball team looks to win consecutive Big Ten games for just the second time in Tom Crean's tenure when it takes on No. 17 Wisconsin at 9 p.m. Thursday in the Kohl Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
History
IU has dropped six straight against Wisconsin and hasn't won at the Kohl Center since it was opened in 1998. The Badgers thumped the Hoosiers in both meetings last year, 83-55 and 78-46. IU leads the all-time series 94-61.
Player to watch - IU: Jordan Hulls, sophomore guard
Still ranked as one of the best shooters in the Big Ten, Hulls has drawn only one criticism from Crean in recent games: He hasn't shot enough.
Hulls is third in the conference in 3-point shooting percentage, fourth in field goal percentage and sixth in assist/turnover ratio. But when the shot is there, Hulls has been reluctant to take it.
Crean said Hulls passed up a shot on the first offensive play, opting to kick it back to the top and reset the offense in the Hoosiers' victory against Michigan on Saturday. Then it was Hulls' 3-pointers taken with confidence - even with a hand or two in his face - that helped them pull away as the game worn down.
Going against the Big Ten's best defensive team, the Hoosiers will need the latter version of Hulls, both in quality and quantity.
Player to watch - Wisconsin: Jon Leuer, senior forward
Leuer is averaging 19 points and seven rebounds per game and has earned a reputation as one of the Big Ten's most dangerous player. But if the Hoosiers didn't have film on him, they wouldn't know it.
Last season, Leuer missed the first meeting with IU and shot 6-of-14 from the field for 13 points in the second. In his sophomore year, he scored just 16 points in two games against the Hoosiers combined.
The Hoosiers can't expect the same mediocre numbers from the Badgers' star forward. In a season where experienced big men and deadly 3-point shooters have hurt the Hoosiers, Leuer comes in boasting both attributes (he is shooting 46 percent from the 3-point line).
Numbers game - 10
The number of losses to Wisconsin suffered by Crean, as opposed to three victories. That is tied for the most losses to any team in his career, as he has gone 8-10 against Louisville.
What they're saying: IU coach Tom Crean
"As much as I'd like to be home tomorrow night, this is going to be a great test for those guys to see if they can carry over that mindset that they've been practicing with and what they played Saturday night with to a road venue"
