A tough road ahead

CHICAGO - The Indiana men\'s basketball team surpassed expectations and surprised many at last weekend\'s Big Ten Tournament.\nThe Hoosiers showed poise, heart and desire in fighting to a second place finish behind Iowa.\nThey proved to the country that IU can play ball with the best.\nAnd now the Hoosiers have a chance to prove it all over again.\nThe NCAA men\'s tournament selection committee thought enough of IU to rank it among the top 16 teams in the field.\nAs the No. 4 seed in the West region, the Hoosiers should be able to burst into the Sweet 16, a place they haven\'t been since 1994.\nIn the first round, IU will face No. 13 Kent State Thursday in San Diego, Calif.\nI don\'t know a thing about the Golden Flashes. But neither do the Hoosiers. Tom Coverdale didn\'t know what their nickname is. Kirk Haston didn\'t know what state they were from.\nBut, based on seeds alone, IU should have no problem.\nIn Round Two, the Hoosiers will face the winner of the game between No. 12 Brigham Young and No. 5 Cincinnati. It\'s likely IU will play Cincinnati Saturday. Bearcat guard Kenny Satterfield is Cincy\'s best player and the chore of defending him will be left to junior guard Dane Fife and sophomore guard Tom Coverdale.\nAfter containing Ilinois\' Frank Williams, the Big Ten Player of the Year, and Iowa\'s Dean Oliver, Fife and Coverdale should be able to slow Satterfield enough to allow a Hoosier victory.\nThe third round is where things get interesting. Bob Knight predicted IU\'s tourney run will end here with a loss to No.1 Stanford. But, the Hoosiers played so well in the last week that it\'s crazy to assume a blowout. And, a tight game gives both teams a chance to win.\nSay IU did win. According to seedings, they would face No. 2 Iowa State in the Elite Eight, East No. 1 Duke in the Final Four, and either Midwest No. 1 Illinois or South No. 1 Michigan State in the National Championship game. \nWow.\nA tough road by any measuring stick.\nBut hey, it could happen