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(02/26/13 4:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU goes on the road tonight to face a team that was among the country’s hottest to start the year before hitting a recent slide.Sound familiar? It should.Like Minnesota tonight, Illinois was mired in a slump several weeks ago before pulling off a home upset of IU to jump-start its way back into the postseason discussion.With no plans of a repeat of that fiasco, when IU takes on Minnesota at 7 p.m. today in Minneapolis, it expects to see the Golden Gopher team that cracked the top 10 early in the conference season, not the one that failed to garner a single vote in this week’s polls.“The one that ranked in the top 10, that’s what we’re looking at,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “We know we’re going to get their best effort. They’ve had time off, and I’m sure they’ve healed up and had time to work on things. That’s what we’re looking at.”In the teams’ first meeting this season, IU roared to a 52-29 halftime lead before its shooting went cold and Minnesota clawed back on the strength of Andre Hollins’ 25 points and a flummoxing press defense.“Every situation you go through just gives you a better understanding of how to deal with the next one,” Crean said. “That’s what experience really is. We’ve just got to be really good at meeting our passes, dealing with pressure, attacking the press the way we want to attack the press, not letting them get us back on our heel. I told these guys I fully believe we’ll have to beat the zone at some point tomorrow night to win the game.”The Hoosiers and Gophers are statistically the conference’s top two teams in rebounding margin, and players and coaches alike pointed to that as a key tonight. IU had a narrow 38-36 edge in the category in the first meeting.“You go into every game the same, trying to take away their strengths and capitalize on their weaknesses,” junior forward Will Sheehey said. “We’re going to try to do the same thing. They’re a really good offensive rebounding team, so we’re going to bring it.”IU has not played since a Feb. 19 road win at then-No. 4 Michigan State that gave the team sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. “It’s not really a week off,” Sheehey said. “We’ve practiced every day, and we’ve watched film and worked on our stuff. Really, the week off is just a week of preparation to do the next thing. I’m sure every team in the Big Ten has the same approach. It’s not like they just kick back and watch TV for a week. They get after it, and they do what they’ve got to do.”Whatever one wants to call it, perhaps no one benefitted more from the gap in games than junior guard Victor Oladipo. He sprained his left ankle Feb. 16 against Purdue and played hobbled against MSU, even if his team-leading 19 points did not show it.He said his ankle is now essentially fine after the past week.Even without playing, IU had distanced itself from the pack in the conference standings. MSU’s Sunday loss to Ohio State boosted IU’s lead to 1.5 games. Two more wins earns IU at least a share of the conference crown, but Sheehey is not dwelling on that heading into tonight.“It’s very important, but we’re focusing on each game because we’ve got a tough stretch ahead of us,” he said. “We’re going to focus on every game and put the same amount of energy that we put in previous games in these. The outcome should just be a correlation of what we put in, and if we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll be OK.”
(02/25/13 7:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Even though he played only one game in the past week, junior guard Victor Oladipo was named Big Ten Player of the Week this morning.It was his second such honor of the season, having also won the award Jan. 28.Playing with a sprained ankle Feb. 19 on the road against then-No. 4 Michigan State, Oladipo scored 19 points, including IU’s final six, to clinch the 72-68 win and give the Hoosiers sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.“Victor Oladipo wasn’t close to 100 percent tonight,” IU Coach Tom Crean said after the win. “He wasn’t close. The way he played was excellent, but the way he finished, when he was winded, there’s no doubt that his foot hurt. He may tell you differently, but I’ve been around him a long time. I know when he’s right and I know when he’s not right. I know that that mind was right, and that’s the biggest thing.”In the process of putting IU ahead of the Spartans for good, Oladipo scored his 1000th point as a Hoosier.His contributions extended across the board, though, as he also had nine rebounds and five blocks. Both led the team.In the weekly Big Ten coaches’ teleconference Monday morning, Crean said Oladipo’s ankle, originally injured against Purdue, is in better shape now than it was against MSU.“It’s a lot better than it was,” Crean said. “We’ll have to see where he’s at tomorrow night.”With the weekly honor for Oladipo, IU now has four on the season. Sophomore forward Cody Zeller has won it twice as well.— Max McCombs
(02/25/13 7:10pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With Miami finally succumbing to an ACC foe and dropping from the No. 2 spot, IU solidified its spot atop the polls Monday after its Feb. 19 win against then-No. 4 Michigan State on the road.The Hoosiers were a near-unanimous choice as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, garnering 64 of 65 possible first place votes. Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal was the lone dissenting voice. He voted Gonzaga as the top team.IU’s margin in the coaches poll is smaller, but only slightly. It earned 28 of the 31 No. 1 votes with Gonzaga, again, receiving the rest.At No. 2, Gonzaga again set a new mark for highest rank of the season for a mid-major team.Duke and Michigan jumped back into the top five at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, while Miami dropped to No. 5 after its upset loss Saturday to Wake Forest.Five Big Ten teams are ranked this week, all in the top 17 in the AP poll and top 16 of the coaches poll. In the former, Michigan State checks in at No. 9 after losing to both IU and Ohio State, while the Buckeyes rose to No. 16 with the upset on the Spartans on Sunday.Wisconsin rounds out the Big Ten’s ranked contingent at No. 17, while Illinois also received votes.Among IU non-conference opponents, Butler slid to No. 20 while Georgetown broke into the top 10 at No. 7. The Hoyas were unranked when IU defeated them in November.— Max McCombs
(02/20/13 5:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>EAST LANSING, Mich.— From the moment Victor Oladipo stumbled under the basket and limped toward the locker room Saturday against Purdue, the question was whether he would play Tuesday’s showdown against No. 4 Michigan State.It did not take long to get the answer. The junior guard’s left ankle showed few, if any, ill effects on the surface as Oladipo led IU with 19 points and, with a national audience tuned in, continued to burnish a case for player of the year.“There was no question,” Oladipo said. “Maybe from everybody else, but you’d have had to kill me to miss this one.”By Tuesday, all signs pointed toward Oladipo playing. IU Coach Tom Crean revealed he always expected the junior to play, but whether he would be his usual self remained to be seen. He appeared unhindered in warm-ups, with just a small bandage wrap poking out of his shoe.“Being able to play and level of effectiveness, those are night and day things,” Crean said. “He’s tried his best the last few days to be himself, but he really hasn’t been. But his maturity and his level of toughness, it went up a little bit.”He started, as he has in every game this season. By the first media timeout he had already scored, grabbed a rebound and stolen the ball.Coming out of the timeout was a reminder that the star — and his ankle — had to be handled with care this evening. Oladipo was the first IU player to come out of the game. Junior forward Will Sheehey, Saturday’s hero against Purdue, took his place.He remained on the bench less than two minutes and would go on to play 30 minutes, 2.3 minutes more than his season average entering Tuesday.By halftime, he led IU in points, rebounds and steals. He also had IU’s only block of the period, a swat that rocketed the ball out of bounds and nearly decapitated a writer covering the game.With several breakaway dunks, including one in the final seconds that broke through the Michigan State press and essentially sealed the victory, Oladipo largely stuck to his traditional up-and-down style in IU’s up-tempo transition offense.Seconds early, he flew in from the perimeter to tip in a lay-up by freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell that gave IU the lead for good.“The play that was the killer was the tip-in,” Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said. “What happened was he has incredible heart, and he just did what he does.”From a spectator’s perspective, at least, his ankle appeared fine.His hands might have been even better. Oladipo nabbed five steals Tuesday night after swiping six in IU’s first win against Michigan State in Assembly Hall.“He watches a lot of film,” Crean said. “Obviously, he’s got the reflexes, the instincts, the strength, the speed, but he watches a lot of film.”Not only did Oladipo start Tuesday, but he finished as well. After the tip-in, after the final breakaway dunk, it was who else but Oladipo who sank two free throws to finalize the margin of victory.“Victor Oladipo wasn’t close to 100 percent tonight,” Crean said. “He wasn’t close. The way he played was excellent, but the way he finished, when he was winded, there’s no doubt that his foot hurt. He may tell you differently, but I’ve been around him a long time. I know when he’s right and I know when he’s not right. I know that that mind was right, and that’s the biggest thing.”
(02/19/13 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The last time IU won at Michigan State’s vaunted Breslin Center, only three current Hoosiers had been born, Bob Knight was at the IU helm and Tom Izzo was still a Spartan assistant.Since winning 62-56 on Feb. 28, 1991, IU has lost its last 17 road games at Michigan State.The Hoosiers hope to snap that streak tonight in the Breslin Center’s first ever matchup between top-five teams when No. 1 IU takes on No. 4 MSU.“There’s no question it’s not only one of the best (arenas) in the league, it’s one of the best in the country,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “They’ve got a great fan base. They’ve got great students. The energy in the building, the music, the pageantry is just tremendous.”Legendary former Spartan Magic Johnson will man the microphone for tonight’s ESPN telecast. It has been a few years — just more than 35 to be exact — since Johnson first suited up himself at home against IU.In the 31 East Lansing matchups between the teams since, IU has won just seven times. IU’s futility in East Lansing, Mich., predates even the Breslin Center, which opened in 1989 and broke ground three years prior.It is in the Breslin Center, though, and since Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo took over in 1995 — with Crean as an assistant — that the famed Izzone, MSU’s student section of more than 3,000, came to be. The group is organizing a “white out” for tonight’s game, but it is hardly the first monochromatic crowd IU has seen this season.Ohio State organized a “gray out” when IU visited Feb. 10, but it did not work. In an arena more speckled with colors than Buckeyes probably would have liked, they fell to the Hoosiers 81-68 in IU’s first road victory against a top-10 opponent since 2000.Senior guard Jordan Hulls said he hopes it will not take another 13 years until the next one.“It’s tough to play anywhere in the Big Ten on the road,” Hulls said. “Obviously having some experience with getting wins on the road is going to help, but (MSU is) a great team. It’s going to be a good matchup, and we’re excited to play. We can learn from those experiences.”Hulls has played in the last two road losses against the Spartans and admitted there is extra motivation in tonight being his last chance to end the losing streak.“I just want to win,” Hulls said. “It is my last time going up there. We’ve got a good game plan and we’ve got to stick with that. It’s definitely going to be a hyped-up game. It’s exciting to play in that environment. It’s going to be a good time.”While Hulls can draw inspiration from his final shot at the Spartans on the road, sophomore forward Cody Zeller needs only to look at his first game in the Breslin Center, last season’s Big Ten opener. In an 80-65 loss, IU’s first of the season, Zeller was limited to four points and spent much of the game in foul trouble.He said he has since studied tape and learned from the game but expects no less from the environment he saw his first time there.“I’m sure it will be louder,” Zeller said. “I’ve seen and played against good student sections, so I don’t think it’s going to get in my head too much … We’re always excited to play in big loud environments whether they’re cheering for us or against us.”
(02/18/13 4:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the absence of junior guard Victor Oladipo, it was the record-setting play of his replacement that paced IU to a season sweep of archrival Purdue.Junior forward Will Sheehey set a career-high with 22 points and a new school mark for consecutive field goals with 9-for-9 shooting as the Hoosiers rolled to a 83-55 win against the Boilermakers Saturday afternoon in Assembly Hall.“When you play against them, and coach against them, you’ve got to have a strategy for everything, you’ve got to have that great mindset,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “Our guys did that.”As Oladipo limped toward the locker room in the final minute of the first half with what would be diagnosed as a sprained ankle, the game still hung very much in limbo. Purdue had sliced a 19-point deficit down as low as 10 and IU, like its star junior guard, seemed to be limping into the break with a 41-29 lead.When the team emerged from halftime, Oladipo was not with his teammates, and IU began the half essentially trading baskets with Purdue.Oladipo reentered the arena to roars of cheering several minutes into the half, riding the stationary bike and cheering on his teammates. The burgeoning player of the year candidate would never get back in the game.Crean said Oladipo wanted to continue to play, but the medical staff would not clear him. Crean stopped short of saying whether he expected Oladipo to play on Tuesday in East Lansing, Mich. when the Big Ten outright lead will be at stake.However, Oladipo was seen after the game laughing with teammates’ friends and families. He even chased small children, with no obvious difficulty.No one seemed more energized by Oladipo’s return than the man who replaced him. On both short layups and long 3-pointers, Sheehey found himself open on possession after possession and capitalized each time on his way to 16 second-half points.Not worried that Oladipo’s injury would be serious, Sheehey said he was excited for a heavy workload in the second half.“I just try to stay aggressive regardless of what the situation is,” Sheehey said. “That’s just the way I am as a player. Some guys are different. The more minutes I get, the more opportunities I get and the more I’m going to try and stay aggressive.”Sheehey has long preached the virtue of defense breeding offense in IU’s system, and on Saturday, both he and his coach credited that quality as the impetus for Sheehey’s career day. Crean said Sheehey is so well-versed in the game plan that he could quite easily run the team’s pregame walkthroughs himself.“He epitomizes student of the game right now, while the game is going on,” Crean said. “Then when he gets in there, he just plays. He’s really maturing because of that. He was all over the place. Because he can guard so well, because he can guard so many people and because he’s so active on defense, activity just carries to offense.”Sheehey was relatively quiet in the first half, with six points. Instead, it was another Hoosier forward who got the rout started.Senior forward Christian Watford, who has made hot starts a habit this Big Ten season, scored IU’s first eight points Saturday, staking a quick 8-2 lead for the Hoosiers. A subsequent 3-pointer by Purdue forward D.J. Byrd drew the Boilermakers as close as they would come in the game at 8-5.“When I get a great start, I end up playing better the entire game, but my teammates did a great job of finding me, and I got going early,” Watford said.After Oladipo added a free throw, senior guard Jordan Hulls hit the first of three 3-pointers that helped quickly and consistently inflate the IU lead.IU had 17 points off turnovers at the half, on its way to 25 for the game, as multiple players were on the finishing end of IU fast breaks and Purdue was forced to play at IU’s pace.In one instance, sophomore forward Cody Zeller was so far past anyone else after receiving a Hulls pass that no player from either team bothered to chase him. He finished with a dunk that brought the crowd to its feet.The IU lead reached as high as 19 points — 33-14 with 7:06 left in the first half — before Purdue scored seven consecutive points on its way to a 13-4 run soon before Oladipo’s injury.As Zeller joined Sheehey on the scoring spree, the game was getting out of hand. Purdue Coach Matt Painter, with a dejected expression on his face, knew it. He did not rise from his seat for much of the second half.IU coaches knew it, too. Oladipo, who appeared healthy on the sideline as he vigorously cheered on his teammates, was never needed. Sheehey and the starters left the game with several minutes still to play.Despite his record numbers, Sheehey stopped short of superlatives after the game.“Everyone thinks that since you had a career high in points that means it was your best game ever played, and I don’t think that’s the case,” Sheehey said. “Really, it’s just a collective win and anytime you can beat your rival, it’s nice.”
(02/16/13 8:06pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Will Sheehey set a new career high with 22 points and set and new school mark for consecutive field goals with his 9-for-9 shooting as IU rolled to a season sweep against archival Purdue with a 83-55 win in Assembly Hall.With 16 second-half points in place of injured teammate Victor Oladipo, Sheehey helped IU quickly take the game out of reach for Purdue. However, it was another Hoosier forward who got the rout started.Senior forward Christian Watford, who has made hot starts a habit this Big Ten season, scored IU's first 8 points Saturday, staking a quick 8-2 lead for IU. Watford leads IU with 13 points.A subsequent 3-pointer by D.J. Byrd drew the Boilermakers as close as they would come in the game at 8-5.After junior guard Victor Oladipo added a free throw, senior guard Jordan Hulls hit the first of three 3-pointers that helped quickly and consistently inflate the IU lead.IU has 17 points off turnovers at the half, as multiple players were on the finishing end of IU fast breaks and Purdue was forced to play at IU's pace.In one instance, sophomore forward Cody Zeller was so far past anyone else after receiving a Hulls pass that no player from either team bothered to chase. He finished with a dunk that brought the crowd to its feet.The IU lead reached as many as 19 points-- 33-14 with 7:06 left-- before Purdue scored seven straight points on its way to a 13-4 run.While Purdue's A.J. Hammons broke out for 30 points in the teams' first meeting this season, he was held scoreless in the first half after accumulating two fouls with physical defense throughout. Still, the fouls kept him on the bench for more than half the period.With less than a minute to go, Oladipo appeared to sustain an ankle injury under the Purdue basket. With the crowd chanting his name, he went into the locker room, walking under his own power.He did not emerge from the locker room with the rest of his team as the second half began, and junior forward Will Sheehey took his place in the lineup.The fate of their teammate seemed to weigh on the Hoosiers' minds, as the second stanza opened with the teams trading baskets and IU lacking the ferocity that built the first half lead.Oladipo walked out by himself several minutes into the half and took to the stationary bike, again to the roar of the crowd.His return to the arena coincided with another IU run, the team boosting the lead back to its first half high of 19, then well beyond that.While Hammons had finally come to life for Purdue, scoring six points virtually unchallenged, the sight of their teammate had all five of IU's men on the floor out of the their sluggish start to their half.No one seemed more energized by Oladipo's return than the man who replaced him. On both short layups and long 3-pointers, Sheehey found himself open on possession after possession and capitalized each time.With Zeller joining in the scoring spree, the game was getting out of hand. Purdue Coach Matt Painter with a dejected expression on his face knew it. He did not even bother rising from his seat for much of the second half.IU coaches knew it too. Oladipo, who appeared healthy on the sideline as he vigorously cheered on his teammates, never had to re-enter the game. Sheehey and the starters left the game with several minutes still to play. As Purdue cut the lead to the final margin, it was against a team of reserves and walkons.
(02/15/13 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Wednesday evening’s 76-47 shellacking of Nebraska in Assembly Hall was IU’s second most lopsided victory of this Big Ten season.Topping the list, of course, was IU’s Jan. 30 evisceration of Purdue in West Lafayette. True to a team mantra, defense created offense as the 97-60 IU win propelled the Hoosiers into their showdown with then-No. 1 Michigan and earning the No. 1 ranking themselves several days later.“That’s what you should lean on to start with, regardless of if your offense is going or not,” junior forward Will Sheehey said. “It’s funny because there is a direct correlation between when we’re playing well on defense and how well we’re playing on offense.”With Saturday’s rematch against Purdue at home, the momentum would seem to favor the Hoosiers even more, particularly considering each team’s last time out. While IU romped against Nebraska, Purdue never led after the opening minutes against suddenly streaking Illinois. The Boilermakers lost Wednesday by 20 points.However, IU Coach Tom Crean warned against overconfidence, even with such circumstances.“Momentum is up for grabs every game, throughout the game,” Crean said. “In the second half, it’s all over again. You want to feel like you’re really getting better, but I think the moment you start to feel like you’ve really got something going is the moment you’re going to lose it, especially in this league, especially in any high-powered league.”Purdue center A.J. Hammons had a career night despite his team’s blowout loss against the Hoosiers, scoring 30 points to start a recent run of strong play. At 7-feet and 280 pounds, the hulking freshman is at home in a slower pace.Such tempos have troubled IU at times this season, especially in losses to Wisconsin and Butler, but Nebraska’s attempts to slacken Wednesday’s game ultimately did not work.“To get where we want to get, we know that we have to be able to play multiple styles of basketball,” senior forward Christian Watford said. “We have to be able to win a slow game, and definitely win a game at our pace.”Aside from Hammons, Purdue shot just 12-of-41 in the first matchup against the Hoosiers, as freshman guard Ronnie Johnson was the only other Boilermaker to reach double figures. Leading scorer, junior guard Terone Johnson, was held to a mere four points, nine below his average.Purdue’s only win since that contest was a 9-point win against conference bottom-feeder Penn State. Otherwise, they’ve suffered a string of lopsided losses, none by fewer than 13 points.IU, by contrast, has ascended to the top of the national rankings, keeping the top spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll despite a buzzer-beater loss to Illinois. Watford has found his shooting stroke from outside, and IU’s last six wins have come by eight or more points.As erratic as Crean said it can be, the Hoosiers appear to have the momentum heading into the rematch. “You can feel when it’s up for grabs,” Crean said. “You can feel when you’re getting it. You can feel when you’re losing it. I wish it was something you could carry over, but I don’t think it is.”
(02/14/13 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>To the surprise of a somewhat subdued crowd in Assembly Hall Wednesday evening, IU found itself uncharacteristically trailing in several categories in the early minutes of an eventual 76-47 win against Nebraska.About nine minutes into the game, Nebraska found itself leading IU 12-9, its edge largely thanks to an 8-3 rebounding advantage and 5-of-6 shooting from the field as opposed to a paltry 2-of-11 for IU.However, the Huskers’ most commanding category lead at that time came in one they probably would have preferred to avoid, as Nebraska had seven fouls to just one by the Hoosiers.More than half of IU’s points thus far had come from the free throw line, keeping the game within two possessions as IU continued to attack inside even when shots were not falling from the field.“The worst thing that could happen to us is we’re not being aggressive,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “It doesn’t mean we’re always going to get to the line. It doesn’t mean we’re always going to make them. It doesn’t mean we’re always going to get the call. But we’ve got to be aggressive in our pursuit of it. I think our guys were.”IU would end the night 24-of-29 from the charity stripe, with six different players making free throws for the Hoosiers. Nebraska finished with 22 fouls to 12 for IU.The fouls racked up at a furious pace early for the Cornhuskers, in particular by center Andre Almeida. The 6-foot-11, 314-pound senior came off the bench early for Nebraska and set a series of bruising picks for his team with senior forward Christian Watford as his apparent favorite target.“It’s tough,” Watford said. “You just try not to get backed up all the way under the goal. You’ve just got to fight him, but he’s definitely a big guy. He’s definitely tough.”Some picks were clean moves that opened the lane for Nebraska guards to drive almost at will, but others were violent enough to be called as sliding screens by the official. Almeida left the game with his third foul less than halfway through the first half and played only a single minute in the second, rendering himself a nonfactor overall.Veteran forward Brandon Ubel also racked up three first-half fouls for the Huskers, his coming largely on moving screens, as well. Nebraska’s leading rebounder and third-leading scorer nonetheless continued to play and ultimately fouled out with 4:38 remaining in the second half of Wednesday’s game.“When Brandon Ubel was in the game, I thought we were at our best,” Nebraska Coach Tim Miles said. “We just couldn’t get him on the floor enough.” IU was not without its own issues on post player fouls, though. Sophomore forward Cody Zeller racked up three of his own in the first half and was sent to the bench. He was kept to just three first-half points.It is worth noting, however, that those three points came off of free throws. Even as he found his touch from the field in the second period on his way to a team-high 16 points, Zeller continued to get to the line. Half of his final output came from foul shots.IU has now hit at least 20 free throws in 20 of its 25 games this season. The team leads the Big Ten in free throw shooting.Even as timely as IU’s free throws were Wednesday evening, keeping the Hoosiers in the game early and helping them snowball the lead late, the 82.8 percent performance was not even up to recent standards. During the last five games, IU is averaging 86.2 percent on foul shots (100-of-116).“It’s just a big part of our offense, period,” Watford said. “We don’t want to hang out hats on long jump shots. Any time we get in the paint, we need to get fouled.”
(02/13/13 5:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Nebraska team that will compete in Assembly Hall tonight bears little resemblance to the one that completed its inaugural Big Ten season last year.Instead, the Cornhuskers bear a handful of similarities to some teams that took Branch McCracken Court a few seasons back.With an enthusiastic new coach — Tim Miles is in his first season with a power conference team after relocating from Colorado State — and many new players in prominent roles, Nebraska is similar this season to some of the early Tom Crean teams. Much like past Hoosier teams, Nebraska has a penchant for contending with favored teams. While the contests may not end in upsets, they are often much closer than anticipated. Nebraska has three losses by 10 or less against currently-ranked Big Ten teams.“This Nebraska team has gone into some environments like Michigan and Michigan State and played really, really well,” Crean said. “We just showed (the team) the last five minutes of the Michigan State game. It was a game really up until the last minute and a half.”Nebraska lost that Jan. 13 game in East Lansing, Mich., by a 66-56 score. The final margin was inflated by missed jump shots and several late Spartan free throws.Nearly four years earlier, during Crean’s first season, IU experienced its own near-miss against a highly ranked Michigan State team. IU lost 64-59 to the then-No. 8 Spartans in March 2009.While Nebraska’s circumstances are not as dire as IU’s were that season, the Cornhuskers were still forced to break in four new starters this year while also adjusting to Miles’ more balanced offensive system.Having entered the program in Crean’s second season, senior guard Jordan Hulls has seen the total rebuild of a program first hand. “That’s why we came here,” Hulls said. “We had faith in what Coach Crean and the staff were doing. We knew they were going to get the kids to come in and play basketball the right way and work just as hard as the guys before him. I think we always had faith. It was definitely challenging at some points. In the end, we’re glad to be where we’re at.”After the fanfare of IU’s last few contests both home and away, Crean acknowledged that the same level of enthusiasm might not be in the building for Nebraska. However, he said excitement could also be key in keeping the game from being closer than it should be.“We need tremendous energy,” Crean said. “I thought in the Penn State game it got started too late, the energy from the crowd. We’re down to four home games. The energy’s got to be the best in the country.”IU has at times played to the level of its opponents this season. Crean stressed the importance of focusing on what the team can control in avoiding an unpleasant surprise in Wednesday’s game.“It’s not about playing as well as you did against Ohio State,” Crean said. “There’s no guarantee that’s going to happen. You can be as locked in. You can be as mentally ready. You can play with an edge during the game.”
(02/11/13 3:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last year in early February, in his team’s first game after a road loss, junior Victor Oladipo set a career high as the Hoosiers returned to their winning ways with a double-digit road victory.Sunday was eerily familiar.With 26 points to lead IU, Oladipo reached a new career mark as No. 1 IU triumphed 81-68 against No. 10 Ohio State on Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, for its first win against a top 10 road opponent since 2000.“Ohio State is really, really good,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “We have, at times, not had the firepower to compete with them. Then last year, we did not have the toughness to compete with them. That’s all part of the growth process, and they’re going with that, and it’s a big deal.”While IU is now 5-0 against ranked teams this season, the previous four wins had come at home. In fact, Sunday was IU’s first win against a ranked team on the road since 2002 at Iowa.“It gives us confidence, but we’re a pretty confident team,” senior Christian Watford said. “We know what we got to do to be a great team and we went out and did that.”Leading IU in scoring, rebounds and steals, Oladipo was consistent throughout, whether igniting IU runs that continued even after the junior guard went to the bench or sinking several free throws to salt away the win.Even before the win, Oladipo’s name has crept into player of the year discussions in recent weeks.“It’s nice and all, but I remember where I came from,” Oladipo said. “That’s great that people think of me like that, but I don’t really think of myself like that. I know what I have to do. I just want to win ball games ... When I play at a high level, my team wins.”The win was no solo act, though. Sophomore forward Cody Zeller and senior forward Watford also reached the 20-point plateau, helping overcome a mere five points of bench scoring, all from junior forward Will Sheehey.“A lot of good basketball from a lot of guys,” Crean said. “The game plan was followed, and it wasn’t just a coach’s game plan. It was the players that really, really addressed everything throughout the game and kept the confidence up, getting higher and higher.”The Hoosiers jumped to a 11-4 lead with crisp passing and aggressive play, especially from senior guard Jordan Hulls, who finished with five points.The senior continued to find himself open with OSU defensive whiz Aaron Craft concentrating on freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, but it did not pay off. Seeking to get the ball away from Craft, Ferrell often zipped it to Hulls, who immediately hoisted several increasingly forced shots.IU seldom went to Hulls the rest of the afternoon, but those early misses allowed OSU to mount a 9-0 run and take its first lead of the day.Minutes later, three consecutive makes by IU seemed to end its shooting slump. IU’s ensuing five-point buffer was quickly cut to one, then boosted back to six with IU once again embracing aggressive ball movement.The team largely traded baskets the rest of the half, though a long offensive rebound followed by a thunderous dunk by Oladipo pushed the IU lead to 8 for the first time. IU held court and entered the break with a 41-33 edge despite only four scorers and no bench points.The early minutes of the second half were riddled with fouls, including one by junior Deshaun Thomas beyond the arc. He made all three fouls shots and closed the Hoosier lead to four.Oladipo responded with five points on consecutive possessions, catalyzing a 19-5 run that saw IU dictate its favored fast tempo for the first extended stretch all game.Whereas quick shots cost IU late in its loss to Illinois, the opposite threatened to derail a late lead Sunday. IU had one shot clock violation late in the game, a near-miss on another as Hulls was forced into essentially a wasted shot and several instances that saw them abandon the careful shot selection that helped build the advantage.With a number of OSU fans already giving up hope and leaving, the Buckeyes actually brought the difference briefly back within single digits before free throws, on which IU was 22-for-28 overall, clinched the road victory.OSU’s Thomas got his usual share of opportunities, taking more than a third of the Buckeyes’ shots and pacing the team with 26 points. For the fourth consecutive contest, he played the entire game.On Sunday, that was in part due to foul trouble that OSU found itself in almost all game. Craft and senior Evan Ravenel fouled out while two other players had four apiece.The turnover battle also favored IU, who had 10 to OSU’s 12. IU allowed only 11 points off its turnovers as opposed to 28 against Illinois that were instrumental in the collapse Thursday.Oladipo admitted that the team watched the last few minutes of the loss several times in preparation for Sunday, more than he would have liked.“We’re learning from our mistakes and applying it to the next game,” Oladipo said. “If we keep growing inside games, we don’t have to lose the rest of the year.”
(02/10/13 7:02pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last year in early February, in his team's first game after a road loss, Victor Oladipo set a career high as the Hoosiers returned to their winning ways with a double-digit road victory.Sunday was eerily familiar.With 25 points to lead IU, Oladipo reached a new career mark as No. 1 IU triumphed 81-68 against No. 10 Ohio State on Sunday in Columbus, Ohio.OSU's Deshaun Thomas got his usual share of opportunities,
taking more than a third of the Buckeyes' shots and pacing the team with 26 points.The Hoosiers jumped to an early 11-4 lead with crisp passing and aggressive play, especially from senior guard Jordan Hulls.The senior continued to find himself open with OSU defensive whiz Aaron Craft concentrating on freshman guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, but it did not pay off. Seeking to get the ball away from Craft, Ferrell often zipped it to Hulls, who immediately hoisted several increasingly forced shots.The misses allowed OSU to mount a 9-0 run and take its first lead of the day.Minutes later, three consecutive makes by IU seemed to end its shooting slump. The ensuing five-point buffer was quickly cut to one, then boosted back to six with IU once again embracing aggressive ball movement.The team largely traded baskets the rest of the way, though a long offensive rebound followed by a thunderous dunk by junior guard Victor Oladipo pushed the IU lead to 8 for the first time. IU held court and entered the break with a 41-33 edge.Despite the lead, IU's recent bench woes continued in the first half. Only four players scored for the Hoosiers, all of them starters.The early minutes of the second half were riddled with fouls, including one of Thomas beyond the arc. He made all three fouls shots and closed the Hoosier lead to four.Oladipo responded with five points on consecutive possessions, the beginning of a 19-5 run that saw IU dictate its favored fast tempo for the first extended stretch all game.Whether with a timely pass, a rebound in traffic or a layup, Oladipo energized IU to a 13-point lead. The momentum continued even when he took a brief breather, the lead reaching 16.Whereas quick shots cost IU late in its loss to Illinois, the opposite threatened to derail a late lead Sunday. IU had one shot clock violation late in the game, a near-miss on another as Hulls was forced into essentially a wasted shot and several instances that saw them abandon the careful shot selection that help build the advantage.With a number of OSU fans already giving up hope and leaving, the Buckeye's actually brought the difference briefly back within single digit before free throws, on which IU was 22-for-28 overall, clinched the road victory.
(02/10/13 12:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A persistent debate of late has been who is the country’s best defender, the conversation typically centering on the Big Ten between IU junior guard Victor Oladipo and Ohio State’s Aaron Craft.If you were to ask IU freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, though, the answer is easy.“In my mind, I think Vic’s better,” Ferrell said. “Even as an all-around player, I think Vic’s better. He’s just always down and alert on defense.”Ferrell will get a first-hand, up-close-and-personal look at both players on Sunday, when No. 1 IU travels to Columbus, Ohio to take on No. 10 Ohio State at 1 p.m. EST.Though not necessarily unbalanced, the makeup of the Buckeyes is such that they are clearly led by a certain player on each end of the court. On defense, that player is the 6-foot-2-inch Craft, who figures to primarily guard Ferrell Sunday.“He’s got quick feet, quick hands,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “He’s extremely physical on the ball. He gets up into you. He uses his hands very well. He’s got the respect of the officials. I think that’s certain. But his athleticism is really unique, with his foot speed and his hand speed.”As a freshman, Ferrell has never been guarded by Craft before, but in the days leading up to his matchup with the Buckeye, Ferrell benefitted from quite likely the next best thing. “Especially in practice yesterday, Vic was trying to act like Craft toward me and get up into me,” Ferrell said. “I definitely have a feel of how he’s going to play me.”While Craft headlines and Ohio State defense that Crean said is “as physically tough defensively as any team we’ll have faced at this point,” the Ohio State offense likewise runs through junior forward Deshaun Thomas.Far and away his team’s leading scorer at 19.9 points per game—good for fifteenth best nationally and third among major conference players—the Fort Wayne native has taken nearly twice as many shots as anyone else on the squad.“He’s got a scorer’s mentality,” Crean said. “He’s big. He gets it off extremely quick. He can play at the post. He’s extremely dangerous in the midpost area and in the pick-and-pop.”Standing 6-feet-7-inches and weighing 225 pounds, the junior’s size has helped him become his team’s leading rebounder as well, and requires a team effort to defend him.“He’s just an all-around scorer,” Crean said. “There’s no way around that. You’ve got to guard him individually, but at the same time, you’ve got to have your whole team into him.”Thomas has played every minute of the Buckeyes’ last three games, including a loss to Michigan their last time out. The Hoosiers too are coming off a loss, in their case Thursday evening’s stunning road loss to Illinois after a late meltdown.Crean said he has preached to his team not to have a bounce-back mentality going into the next game after an upset loss, but rather to simply focus on fixing what went wrong, in this case defensive communication and late game offensive pacing that saw the team’s fast tempo override sound strategy.“You’ve got to be able to change speeds mentality-wise,” Crean said. “Sometimes when you’re going really fast and you want to play fast, you’ve got to really understand the time-and-score element of it and we didn’t do a good job of that.”
(02/08/13 5:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 3-point bomb figures prominently into the typical game plan of both IU and Illinois, and the No. 1 Hoosiers’ 74-72 road upset loss against the Illini on Thursday evening was a microcosm of that.Both teams sank nine 3-point shots with Illinois needing 24 attempts and IU only 17. That long-range efficiency put IU up by double digits, or close to it, for the vast majority of the game.Yet as the Illini undertook its whirlwind comeback in the final minutes to stun the Hoosiers at the buzzer, it was their persistence with the deep ball that helped bring them back within striking distance.“They made some threes and got some momentum because we didn’t stay where we needed to defensively,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “That’s what hurt us.”With 5:49 left, Illinois guard Brandon Paul, who had nine of 21 points on three 3-pointers, sank the third of those shots to cut IU’s lead to 65-59. Three minutes later, it was guard D.J. Richardson’s turn with a bomb from outside, now cutting the IU lead to five. Richardson led Illinois with 23 points and four 3-pointers.On the Illini’s next possession, the ball was back in Richardson’s hands, and he once again hit the outside shot. The IU lead was two, the stage set for the stunner at the buzzer.Crean attributed Richardson’s late shots largely to botched double-teams that left him wide open.“There’s no question,” Crean said. “We overhelped, and you can’t do that. That’s what it came down to.”This late flurry of 3-point success by the Illini stood in contrast to earlier developments but in lockstep with Illinois’ season beyond the arc.Illinois is first in the Big Ten in 3-point shots per game despite having only the eighth-best percentage from long range. The shear volume of shots, roughly 24 per contest, resulted in the high output.While Illinois’ 3-pointer ultimately helped overtake IU, the Hoosiers’ own consistency from distance was key in establishing their nearly game-long lead. Plagued by turnovers early, senior forward Christian Watford helped keep IU afloat with two of his own deep shots.Minutes later, senior guard Jordan Hulls, did the same with two long balls. The Hoosiers entered the second half leading 41-29.In the second half, five players attempted 3-point shots as IU tried to expand its lead into insurmountable territory. Freshman forward Jeremy Hollowell led that effort with two makes on two attempts from deep.In the end, the Illini’s refusal to bow to the percentages gave them three late bombs and the chance for the upset.“They made some tough shots down the stretch,” Watford said. “We had a couple mental breakdowns.”
(02/07/13 5:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Today’s matchup with Illinois marks the start of the second half of IU’s Big Ten schedule, and, appropriately enough, it is on the road.Of the top five teams in the current Big Ten standings, the Hoosiers, who lead the conference by one game with an 8-1 record, are the only squad with the majority of its remaining conference games on the road.“We know that all the crowds, no matter where we go, are going to be difficult to play in front of,” IU Associate Head Coach Tim Buckley said. “They’re going to be hostile, and you’ve got to block all that out, and you’ve got to play with the four other guys that you’re with on the floor.”Despite not playing a true road contest until its conference-opening game at Iowa on New Year’s Eve, IU is now 4-0 in away games, exorcising some of the demons that have plagued the team on the road in recent years.For all the success that last year’s Hoosiers enjoyed in a 27-9 season, they were still a mere 5-6 in away games with road losses to three of the remaining five teams they will play on the road this season.“It doesn’t really matter how many you’ve won in a row,” Buckley said. “The next one is a new one. It’s a new game. It’s a different place. It’s a different team.”IU did not face the Illini in Champaign, Ill., last season. In IU Coach Tom Crean’s five seasons, the Hoosiers have yet to win at what is colloquially known as “the other Assembly Hall.”“We know going into Fighting Illini country will be major challenge,” Crean said. “We will be as good as our preparation, toughness and execution.”Generally ballyhooed as the country’s top conference for essentially the entire season, the Big Ten currently boasts five ranked teams at the halfway mark, none slotted lower than No. 18 Minnesota. As many as six conference teams have been ranked at times this season.Wisconsin, who handed IU its lone conference loss of the year and was ranked at one time this year, received votes in the most recent polls but was not ranked.“We know that every game in this league is going to be tough,” sophomore forward Cody Zeller said. “We’ve got a lot of tough games coming up. It doesn’t get any easier.”IU still must play each of its fellow ranked conference squads on the road. These teams are a combined 17-1 in conference home games.The currently unranked Illini may ultimately be the least of IU’s road worries the rest of the way, but Buckley cautioned against overlooking or underestimating any Big Ten team on the road — something he believes should not be an issue, pointing to the Iowa game as an example.In its conference opener, IU defeated the Hawkeyes on the road, 69-65. Buckley said people at the time called it an “escape,” but since then, Iowa has gone 2-1 at home, its only blemish a 62-59 loss to Michigan State.“I would say the league is as good as it’s been in a long time, but I think it’s been good for a long time,” Buckley said. “It’s just that, from top to bottom now, there are some games where you’re going to have to fight and scratch and claw where some people think you should just win those games.”
(02/06/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Easily forgotten in the wake of IU’s basketball success the past two seasons are a handful of players who were Hoosiers on Tom Crean’s early IU teams.Four players who once suited up for IU since Crean came to town are now playing elsewhere, while another four are one-time IU commits who never hit Branch McCracken Court in cream and crimson. So what has become of this group of one-time and almost-Hoosiers?Their stories cover a wide range, from mid-major stardom to ineligibility to irrelevance.
(02/04/13 5:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As players milled about and the ball rattled from Hoosier to Hoosier in the final seconds of Saturday’s game, junior guard Victor Oladipo positioned himself to the left of the basket. When the ball landed in his hands, he uncorked a windmill dunk as time expired.Gratuitous, perhaps — Oladipo admitted as much and apologized following the game — but it was an exclamation point on IU’s second home win against the nation’s No. 1 team in less than 14 months, one that will almost certainly return the Hoosiers to the top ranking.In a game of runs, No. 3 IU emerged with a 81-73 home upset of top-ranked Michigan to give the Hoosiers sole possession of first place in the Big Ten along with the national accolades likely to come their way today.“I think every game in the Big Ten has kind of prepared us for this just because every team is good,” sophomore forward Cody Zeller said. “They’re going to make runs. It’s going to be a good game right down to the end. We just had to take care of their runs and make a run of our own. I thought we did a pretty nice job of that tonight.”Zeller, with 19 points on a slew of highlight-reel dunks, led a balanced IU offense that saw all five starters reach double figures.Michigan, however, was reduced to a two-man show for much of the game, playing almost solely through guards Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr.Meanwhile, the other three Michigan starters struggled.Normal starting center Jordan Morgan played only two minutes due to injury, sharpshooting freshman Nik Stauskas had a rare off-night with 1-for-5 3-point shooting and freshman forward Glenn Robinson III was a non-factor, thanks to IU senior forward Christian Watford’s defense.“I just wanted to take away his tendencies,” Watford said. “I knew that he likes to get a lot of offensive rebounds, like the back cut and stuff like that. I just tried to limit his touches in that area and keep him off that glass, and I feel like I did a good job at that.”As it had against North Carolina and Minnesota, IU started hot at home against the vaunted opponent.The first eight attempts for the Hoosiers, across all shooting categories, were perfect. With a 28-13 lead less than halfway through the first period of play, IU seemed almost too in-control before Michigan reeled off a 10-0 run to close the deficit to within two possessions. The Wolverines would enter the second half down just four points.The second half opened with Michigan cutting the lead to two, then one and then a tie on consecutive possessions.The score deadlocked for the first time since tipoff, IU reeled off another run to take a lead, scoring 11 consecutive points on a combination of contested jumpers and moves in traffic. Oladipo’s successful and-one on an under-the-basket move and a 3-pointer by senior guard Jordan Hulls gave IU the lead once again.Much like in the first half, though, Michigan responded with a methodical run of its own to slice away at the lead, their workman-like effort cutting the lead back within two points.Zeller had a pair of put-back dunks to boost the lead back to six. Even before Oladipo’s late dunk, Zeller dived for a long rebound out near half-court, his 10th of the game, that for all intents and purposes largely sewed up the win, especially when Ferrell hit two free throws moments later to make the lead nine points.“I was just trying to keep it alive and make a play down the stretch,” Zeller said. “I always pride myself on the hustle plays, all the little things that anyone can do.”Zeller and Watford each had 10 rebounds and Crean noted the difference in IU’s defense Saturday as opposed to past matchups with Michigan as a key to Saturday’s win and a key to the team’s next meeting, March 10, in Ann Arbor, Mich., to close out the regular season.“We really wanted to prove to ourselves that we were a much better defensive team against a team that is that good, and they truly are that good,” Crean said. “They are going to continue to have a great season, and let’s hope when we meet at the end of the year that we are all playing for something really big.”
(02/03/13 9:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As players milled about and the ball rattled from Hoosier to Hoosier in the final seconds of Saturday’s game, junior guard Victor Oladipo positioned himself to the left of the basket. When the ball meandered into his hands, he uncorked a windmill dunk as time expired.Gratuitous, perhaps — Oladipo admitted as much and apologized following the game — but it was an exclamation point on IU’s second home win against the nation’s No. 1 team in less than 14 months, one that will almost certainly return the Hoosiers to the top ranking themselves.In a game of runs, No. 3 IU emerged with a 81-73 home upset of top-ranked Michigan to give the Hoosiers sole possession of first place in the Big Ten along with the national accolades likely to come their way today.“I think every game in the Big Ten has kind of prepared us for this just because every team is good,” sophomore forward Cody Zeller said. “They’re going to make runs. It’s going to be a good game right down to the end. We just had to take care of their runs and make a run of our own. I thought we did a pretty nice job of that tonight.”Zeller, with 19 points on a slew of highlight-reel dunks, led a balanced IU offense that saw all five starters reach double figures.Michigan, however, was reduced to a two-man show for much of the game, playing almost solely through guards Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. The pair combined for 43 points on 40 total field goal attempts in 72 combined minutes played.Meanwhile, the other three Michigan starters struggled.Normal starting center Jordan Morgan played only two minutes due to injury, sharpshooting freshman Nik Stauskas had a rare off-night with 1-for-5 3-point shooting and freshman forward Glenn Robinson III was a non-factor, thanks to IU senior forward Christian Watford’s defense.“I just wanted to take away his tendencies,” Watford said. “I knew that he likes to get a lot of offensive rebounds, like the back cut and stuff like that. I just tried to limit his touches in that area and keep him off that glass and I feel like I did a good job at that.”As it had against North Carolina and Minnesota, IU started hot at home against the vaunted opponent.The first eight attempts for the Hoosiers, across all shooting categories, were perfect. Zeller started the game with a pair of free throws before six straight IU field goal attempts, four of them from 3-point range, sank through the net.Freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell was responsible for two of the long shots as he continued to show an improved outside jumper. He finished with 14 points and defended Burke for much of the game.With a 28-13 lead less than halfway through the first period of play, IU seemed almost too in-control before Michigan reeled off a 10-0 run to close the deficit to within two possessions. The Wolverines would enter the second half down just four points.The second half opened with Michigan cutting the lead to two, then one, then a tie on consecutive possessions.The score deadlocked for the first time since tipoff, IU reeled off another run to take a lead, scoring 11 straight points on a combination of contested jumpers and moves in traffic. Oladipo’s successful and-one on an under-the-basket move and a 3-pointer by senior guard Jordan Hulls gave IU the lead once again.Much like in the first half, though, Michigan responded with a methodical run of its own to slice away at the lead, their workman-like effort cutting the lead back within two points.IU was highlighted in the stretch by a failed alley-oop attempt from Hulls to Oladipo. IU Coach Tom Crean said afterward that even he wanted to see that near-showstopper go in, while a smiling Oladipo vowed to build his leg strength with squat lifts.Zeller had a pair of put-back dunks to boost the lead back to six. The teams traded baskets for a few minutes, before an increasingly desperate Wolverine squad forced several shots as the Hoosiers’ lead built up and time ran down.Even before Oladipo’s late dunk, Zeller dived for a long rebound out near half-court, his 10th of the game, that for all intents and purposes largely sewed up the win, especially when Ferrell hit two free throws moments later to make the lead nine points.“I was just trying to keep it alive and make a play down the stretch,” Zeller said. “I always pride myself on the hustle plays, all the little things that anyone can do.”Zeller and Watford each had 10 rebounds and Crean noted the difference in IU’s defense Saturday as opposed to past matchups with Michigan as a key to Saturday’s win and a key to the team’s next meeting, March 10, in Ann Arbor, Mich., to close out the regular season.“We really wanted to prove to ourselves that we were a much better defensive team against a team that is that good, and they truly are that good,” Crean said. “They are going to continue to have a great season and let’s hope when we meet at the end of the year that we are all playing for something really big.”
(02/03/13 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a game of scoring sprees and slumps, No. 3 IU emerged with a 81-73 home upset of the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines that will likely elevate the Hoosiers back to No. 1 themselves.Sophomore forward Cody Zeller, with 19 points, led a balanced IU offense that saw all five starters reach double figures.The first eight attempts for the Hoosiers, across all shooting categories, were perfect. Zeller started the party with a pair of free throws before six straight IU field goal attempts, four of them from 3-pint range, sank through the net.Freshman guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell was responsible for a pair of the long shots as he continues to show an improved outside jumper as the season wears on.With a 28-13 lead less than halfway through the period, IU seemed almost too in-control before Michigan reeled off a 10-0 to close within two possessions and remind everyone of its top ranking.Even the crowd, loud and rowdy from well before tipoff through the early scoring spree, was deflated, until a 3-pointer by senior guard Jordan Hulls injected enthusiasm back into the masses and ended the Wolverine run.Michigan continued to chip away at the lead, though, and a 3-pointer by Trey Burke, who had 14 first-half points, cut the lead to less than five points for the first time since the opening three minutes.The second half opened with more of the same, Michigan cutting the lead to two, then one, then a tie on consecutive possessions.The score deadlocked for the first times since tipoff, IU reeled off another run to take a lead, scoring 11 straight points on a combination of contested jumpers and nifty moves in traffic. Junior guard Victor Oladipo's successful and-one on an under-the-basket move and another Hulls 3-pointer seemed to give IU the momentum once again.Much like in the first half, though, Michigan responded with a methodical run of its own to slice away at the lead, their workman-like effort cutting the lead back within two points.IU was highlighted in the stretch with a failed alley-oop attempt from Hulls to Oladipo.Zeller had a pair of put-back dunks to boost the lead back to six. The teams traded baskets for a few minutes, before an increasingly desperate Wolverine squad forced several shots as the IU lead built back up and time ran down.Playing all five starters late despite the lead, IU rode out a battle of free throws to the victory and, come Monday, quite possibly the No. 1 ranking.
(02/01/13 4:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>All the hoopla from ESPN’s College Gameday aside, Saturday’s titanic clash between No. 1 Michigan and No. 3 IU at Assembly Hall carries major implications.A Wolverine win would likely bolster their lead at the top of the rankings. A Hoosier victory could vault the home team back to the top of the polls.Either way, whichever team emerges will have sole possession of first place in the Big Ten halfway through the conference schedule.“It’s going to be crazy from beginning to end, from when the doors open for College GameDay to the end of the game,” sophomore guard Remy Abell said. “The energy in the arena will definitely make an impact.”The excitement is perhaps justifiable, as Assembly Hall has never before hosted a matchup between two teams ranked so highly.After starting the year ranked No. 5, Michigan suffered only a single setback to archrival Ohio State ascended to the top spot after the latest flurry of top-5 upsets, their first time at the top since the “Fab Five” era of the early 1990s.Michigan trails only IU in scoring by Big Ten teams and is third nationally in field goal percentage. IU Associate Head Coach Tim Buckley said the Wolverine offense is as potent as it is due to the list of ways they can overwhelm opposing defenses.“They can get out in transition,” Buckley said. “They can get to the rim. They can shoot threes. They’ll break you down in the pick-and-roll. They’ll force you to overhelp so you’ve got to rotate and while you rotate they’ll make the extra pass, so they share the ball really well.”Both teams thrive on up-tempo offenses to wear down opponents. Saturday will be far from the first time this season IU has faced a foe that tries to beat the Hoosiers at their own game, but none of those teams possessed the firepower of the Wolverines.“If it’s an up-and-down game and both teams are playing the pace, you’re going to have to play your bench a little bit more and guys are going to have to get rest,” Buckley said. “You’ve got to look at foul trouble and a lot of other factors. That’s the way they like to play and that’s the way we like to play, so it should be an entertaining basketball game.”Michigan boasts four players averaging at least 12.1 points per game, led by sophomore guard Trey Burke. Burke beat out sophomore forward Cody Zeller for a handful of conference freshman accolades last season and has since his numbers improve in almost every statistical category.“I don’t know if you can stop Trey Burke,” Buckley said. “I think you’ve got to try to make the game difficult for him or you’ve got to try to keep him from getting where he wants to get and setting his teammates up. He’s too good a player to say you’re just going to stop him.”IU’s 97-60 domination of Purdue on the road Wednesday would seem to give the Hoosiers momentum for Saturday, but Buckley dismissed the win as a non-factor.“We know that going into this game we’ll have to improve like we did the last game,” Buckley said. “Everything worked well for us at Purdue. You can’t assume it’s going to be that way again, so you’ve got to be prepared.”