From the other bench: Recker to face Hoosiers

Steve Alford broke the hearts of the rest of the Big Ten during his four-year stint at IU. Luke Recker did much of the same, but his Hoosier tenure lasted only two seasons. \nThen came the whirlwind of transfers that swept Recker from Bloomington and dumped him in Iowa City, Iowa, after a brief stop at Arizona. \nThose same forces carried Alford to the coaching job at Iowa just two years ago. \nBoth former Hoosiers will face the current IU team at 1 p.m. Saturday in Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where IU has not won since 1994. In fact, the Hoosiers have lost the last five meetings in Iowa City by an average of 16.4 points. \nThe game marks the first time Recker will suit up against the Hoosiers. Transfer eligibility rules forced the Auburn, Ind., native to sit out last year's only game in Bloomington, an IU win. Alford's No. 17 Hawkeyes have eight new faces, and Alford admits there is some naivete concerning the Hoosiers and a lack of experience in the Big Ten. \n"I'm not looking forward to playing Indiana any more than I'm looking forward to playing Wisconsin," Alford said. "(We have) 13 players, and eight are new faces; we've got to work awfully hard on the knowledge of the system we're playing here."\nThe schedule sees to it that the Hawkeyes and Hoosiers meet only once this season, but that lone meeting carries heavy implications.\nThe Hoosiers (12-8, 3-3 Big Ten) are fresh off Tuesday's 66-55 win against rival Purdue and find themselves two games out of first place in the conference with three consecutive road games looming. One of the teams sitting between IU and first-place Illinois and Michigan State is Iowa. The Hawkeyes (15-4, 4-2) won 87-74 at Minnesota Wednesday, ending a two-game losing skid.\nRecker, who led Iowa with 17 points against the Gophers, said he's happy to be back in the Big Ten, where he can regularly see his family. Alford's scheme has also pleased Recker and his high aspirations concerning his year-and-a-half of eligibility remaining at Iowa.\n"This offense provides a lot of freedom," Recker said. "It's not so structured. You get to read defenses, but it is a little difficult to learn. \n"I'd like the story to end with me cutting down the nets here for Iowa and to be sitting in a room waiting for the NBA draft. I have a lot of goals for myself as a basketball player."\nIU's shot at sidetracking Recker's plan must include slowing down Recker, senior guard Dean Oliver and junior forward Reggie Evans. All three average double-figure points per game, with Recker leading the way at 17.6. The 6-foot-8, 245-pound Evans, a junior college transfer, also pulls down 12.2 rebounds per contest to lead the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes out-rebounded Minnesota 38-21 and average nearly nine more rebounds per game than their opponents. \nIU junior center Kirk Haston, who scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against the Hawkeyes last year, and freshman forward Jared Jeffries will likely battle with Evans under the bucket. Haston, like Recker, averages 17.6 points per game and is second in the conference only to Evans in rebounding, at 9.1 per game. \nIU's inexperience could be paramount, compared to Iowa's. Only three Hoosiers have scored against Iowa in their careers. Though the Hawkeye roster includes eight newcomers, Oliver, a clever and seasoned veteran, directs the Iowa offense.\n"I\'m lucky to be playing with him," Recker said of Oliver. "He's a great leader, and he pushes me every day."\nOliver boasts a league-best 2.83 assist-to-turnover ratio and hands out 4.47 assists per game. The 5-foot-11 sparkplug has earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors for two seasons and has his sights set on a conference crown. \n"It's a marathon in the Big Ten, so a lot of things can happen," he said. "We've done a great job of blending in."\nBlending in will be hard for Recker, whose story rarely goes untold when discussing either IU or Iowa basketball. But Alford and Recker maintain their steadfast appreciation for each other and their team. \n"You're looking at a kid who was a top-15 player coming out of high school and got off to a great start at Indiana," Alford said. "I think the talent is obvious. He's got the body; he's got the strength."\nFormer coach Bob Knight was still directing the Hoosiers for last year's meeting. Despite the absence of Knight, Recker said he still has some issues to settle -- with himself and his former school. \n"I think I have a lot of things to prove," he said. "I took a lot of criticism for leaving IU, then with the second transfer. But people don't understand the circumstances, and I think my close group of friends and my family understand what I've been through." \nAs for his former coache's absence?\n"I think it's unfortunate that Coach Knight isn't going to be there," Recker said. "Personally, it doesn't matter to me. It's still a game. I'll be wearing an Iowa uniform, they'll be wearing an Indiana uniform. It's going to be different looking over at that bench and not seeing Coach Knight"