The IU men's basketball team is in the middle of a four-game losing streak, including defeats at the hands of fellow Big Ten bottom feeders Northwestern and Iowa. But all could be forgiven around Bloomington if the Hoosiers take down the rival No. 8 Purdue Boilermakers at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in Assembly Hall. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network (Gus Johnson on the call).
History
IU has lost the last four matchups with Purdue, with three of the defeats coming in West Lafayette. The last time the two teams met in Bloomington, the Hoosiers were one half-court prayer away from forcing overtime against a top-10 Boilermakers team last season.
Purdue leads the all-time series 111-84
Player to watch - IU: Christian Watford, sophomore forward
In their last meeting with the Boilermakers, the Hoosiers were burned by Purdue's ability to penetrate the lane and get to the line. A large free throw discrepancy in the second half drew the ire of IU coach Tom Crean. But he refused at the time to discuss how the absence of Watford might have skewed those numbers.
In his pregame press conference Tuesday, Crean left no doubt: the team missed its leading-scorer and most prominent big man in West Lafayette, and having him for this game allows the Hoosiers to do more than it could last time.
Watford is at his best offensively when he's attacking, both because his free throw numbers - which lead the team - are so great, and because it forces defenses to respect the drive, leaving him room to pull up for a jumper. Simply having him will no doubt improve an IU offense that was stagnant more than a few times at Purdue.
If he can combine that with a solid effort defensively against the likes of JaJuan Johnson, the Hoosiers' chances at an upset will skyrocket.
Player to watch - Purdue: Lewis Jackson, junior guard
Expecting somebody else?
Lost in the All-American performances of seniors Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, Jackson has developed as a sort of third banana with the Boilermakers. Crean lauded Jackson for his ability to work with big men like Johnson on the pick and roll, while finding shooters like Moore while driving.
That style of game has led to Jackson having only 7.6 points per game, but it has also led to a team-high 3.7 assists per game. Last time against IU, he took on the role of scorer, going 4-of-6 from the field for 13 points with no assists.
It will be tough to stop both Moore and Johnson, but if they take away their distributor, the Hoosiers might at least be able to slow them down.
Numbers game: 5
Combined total rebounds in the past two games for Watford. Crean said one of the biggest things he is expecting from his big man is a tenacity on the boards against Purdue.
What they're saying: Senior guard Jeremiah Rivers on if he understood IU-Purdue rivalry before arriving in Bloomington.
"I didn't even know Purdue was in Indiana"
