Last weekend, the Hoosiers picked up a big win at Purdue 78-61. It was important for three reasons:
It was on the road, against a rival school and a team IU hadn’t beaten since 2008. Check, check and check.
At 18-6, Indiana already has as many wins as many predicted, myself included. They have been outstanding at home, 13-1, with just one loss, a bad loss, to Minnesota.
Thursday, the Hoosiers face another tough challenge, against Illinois. They will get two big tests, containing guard Brandon Paul and center Meyers Leonard. Remember, Paul was the one that dropped 43 in a shocking-win over Ohio State.
Senior guard Verdell Jones may miss another game after suffering a bruised shoulder in a loss at Michigan. Jones, who had started every game this season, didn’t play at Purdue. It was forward Derek Elston who got the start instead.
The significance of the injury is unknown. But what I do know is that it will be very tough to keep Jones off the bench against his hometown university.
Victor Oladipo’s role remains a critical one. The team seems to lean on him for energy and a spark when needed. Finishing with a career-best 23 points at Purdue, Oladipo may have returned to old form after struggling over the last nine games, where he failed to reach double-figures in seven of those games. It’s imperative for him to get off to a quick start and ensure his teammates stay at a high level.
“Now as we get ready for Illinois it’s much the same situation,” Crean said Wednesday. “We’re going to be playing against a team that is hungry. We’re going to be playing against a team that has won big games, that has been ranked throughout the season, that knows how to win on the road, and they’re extremely well-coached.”
“We know it’s a big game for the fans in the sense of rivalry. We know that we had a big win against them last year. We also know that we got smacked around pretty good when we went up to Illinois last year. They really showed no mercy in that game and we did not match their aggressiveness and we did not match their intensity and we paid for it.”
What I most enjoy about this matchup recently? The coaches.
Coach Tom Crean and coach Bruce Weber are accomplished and they also entertain in their own ways. Crean’s known for his pacing on the sidelines whereas Weber whines after nearly every call. Maybe its the bias in me, but Weber’s sideline antics just bother me. And since Eric Gordon darted to IU instead of Illinois, Weber has held a grudge.
Zeller of course will be important, both offensively and defensively. He will have a tough assignment on Leonard but will also need to produce inside the paint. Expect his role to be critical in the outcome of this game.
Indiana has the opportunity to win their 20th game of the season here soon, playing three of their next four at home. Inversely, Illinois is away from Champaign for four out of their next five.
“They’ve got a very talented team,” Crean added. “They’re explosive. They’ve got tremendous guard play. Right off the bat they’ve got the leading scorer in the league, the guy that makes more threes a game than anybody else in Brandon Paul. They’ve got a guy that went from averaging two and one a year ago to 13 and 9 and gets all kinds of attention in Meyers Leonard.”
This matchup has been very close recently, with the last seven of nine meetings decided by six points or less. Expect more of the same Thursday. The game at Indiana’s Assembly Hall is a “white out,” so fans are encouraged to wear a white shirt. The game is a 8 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, with Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson on the call.
On Wednesday, Victor Oladipo joined Dave Revsine on the Big Ten Network. Here is that interview.
[Photo via Chris Howell / Herald-Times]