The stage is set.
The undefeated Hoosiers will square off with No. 1 Kentucky at Assembly Hall next Saturday afternoon on CBS. The atmosphere is sure to be as raucous as ever with the bitter rival to the south coming into Bloomington looking to give IU its' first loss following a win over No. 5 North Carolina this afternoon.
Not so fast.
Before IU gets a shot at No. 1 Kentucky, it will have to take care of business against Stetson on Sunday afternoon. IU Assistant Coach Bennie Seltzer said the coaching staff hasn't even talked about Kentucky.
"This is the only game we're even mentioning," Seltzer said. "Whatever happens next week happens next week."
On top of Kentucky being around the corner, the 1987 IU National Championship will also be honored and in attendance on Sunday. Hoosier heroes like Steve Alford and Keith Smart are two of the headliners that will be on hand.
"That's going to be an overwhelming experience in itself, to have a national championship team back in here," IU sophomore guard Victor Oladipo said. "We've got to make sure we represent very well."
In order for the Hoosiers to do that, they'll need to defend a Stetson team that puts up an average of 22 three-point attempts per game.
Seltzer said Stetson is a team that is capable of sticking with IU if they are knocking down the deep ball.
"They're a team that shoots a lot of three-pointers," Seltzer said. "If they catch fire, they'll be a team that can really compete with us."
The Hoosiers are coming off a game in which they limited NC State to 30 percent from beyond the arc. On the season, IU is only allowing its' opponents to shoot 31.7 percent.
Oladipo said defending the three-ball with consistency has been a top priority.
"We've been working on it for the past two practices a lot," Oladipo said. "We've been stressing it a lot, not only for Stetson but for the rest of the season as well. We've just got to continue to build on our defense because that's the reason we won Wednesday night."
For an inexperienced team, Sunday afternoon would have the perfect formula for a sleeper game. A mid-major opponent is rolling in after a big road win, with the awe of a national championship in attendance and a No. 1 team with a historic rivalry up next.
Whether or not the Hoosiers will fall victim to distractions remains to be seen. Oladipo said the Hoosiers are ready to ignore them and take care of business.
"We're definitely mature enough now," Oladipo said. "Nothing is going to distract us because at the end of the day, if we lose, that's a real big loss for us"
