IN-state clash has different feel

When Bob Knight was fired in September 2000, Purdue coach Gene Keady feared he would have a difficult time getting his players fired up for IU. \nHe figured IU-Purdue just wouldn't be the same, at least from the Purdue perspective. Last year, he appeared to be right on, as IU grabbed both games.\nBut things are different this season.\nFor the first time since the 1973-1974 season, IU and Purdue meet only once, at 7 p.m. tonight at Assembly Hall. \nNo chance for a season sweep. No chance for revenge. And this season the Hoosiers -- and not the Boilermakers -- are among the teams perched on top of the Big Ten standings. \n"Both programs have been through a lot the last couple years," IU coach Mike Davis said. "We're in the process of rebuilding and getting back to the national level. This is state bragging rights."\nDavis is on his way. He has guided IU (13-6, 6-1 Big Ten) to second place in the league, one-half game behind league-leading Ohio State. \nPurdue (11-11, 3-5) has done the opposite. The Boilermakers sputtered to five losses in their first six conference games before dumping Northwestern and No. 24 Iowa to record their first two-game winning streak since mid-December. \nTonight's game starts a string of three games in six days for IU, which will leave tomorrow for Saturday's matchup with Minnesota. The Hoosiers then return to Bloomington to play Iowa Tuesday.\nGiven that and Purdue's late surge, Davis said he isn't concerned about a letdown after IU's 88-57 thumping of No. 9 Illinois Saturday. But junior guard Kyle Hornsby said any stumble would jeopardize IU's impressive start and detract from victories over Michigan State, Iowa and Illinois.\n"To have a letdown now would be a major disappointment," Hornsby said. "These are the kinds of games you have to win if you're going to compete for a Big Ten title."\nDavis will try to substitute more to combat both fatigue and a Purdue squad that has battled injuries, inconsistency and soft defense. Junior Willie Deane leads the Boilers in scoring and is second to IU's Jared Jeffries in the Big Ten at 19.5 points per game (in league games only). \nIt's been a Boilermaker defense that is allowing opponents to shoot better than 53 percent and not Deane's scoring that has Keady's attention. \n"Leading scorers don't really turn me on," Keady said earlier this season.\nHe'll face one in Jeffries, but he isn't keying too much on the 6-foot-9 sophomore. Instead, Keady is worried about IU's strong guard play and inside-out attack, which helped put five players in double figures in the victory over Illinois. \n"They're balanced," Keady said. "You can't just stop one person. They do a good job putting pressure on the ball. They had a very good schedule before Big Ten, and it helped gel them."\nTurns out, Keady is worried about IU's backcourt and the Hoosiers are worried about the Boilermaker guards, as well. \nPurdue's quick backcourt features a dribble-drive attack similar to an Ohio State guard trio that gave IU fits in the Buckeyes' 73-67 victory Jan. 19. In that game, OSU's guards combined to score 37 points on 12-of-18 shooting. \nIn Purdue's upset of Iowa, Deane and senior Maynard Lewis scored 36 points and hit 11-of-20 field goals. Deane also leads the league in three-point shots made with 50. \n"They're extremely athletic, especially on the perimeter," IU sophomore guard A.J. Moye said. "We've had trouble guarding dribble penetration, and that should be a good test. It should be a nice, real scrappy game."\nMoye, who attended high school in Atlanta, Ga., said he isn't sold on the rivalry yet, but was impressed with the atmosphere at last year's 66-55 IU win in Assembly Hall. \nThe bitter Boilermaker-Hoosier feud arguably took a hit when IU fired Knight, but Keady and Davis still see the fire. Keady admitted he wasn't happy about not getting two chances and isn't thrilled about the only meeting being in Bloomington. \nAn IU victory would mark IU's first four-game winning streak against Purdue since a six-game winning streak from 1973 to 1976. Purdue has lost two straight meetings in Assembly Hall.\n"It's always been a great challenge to try to go into Bloomington and win," Keady said. "If you get beat by them, you like to get them back at your place if you have the chance. We're trying to stay in the race."\nSo is IU, which has spent interview after interview drumming up ideas of its first Big Ten championship since 1993. That approach has given this year's clash an unusual flavor -- it's not who you play, but who wins. \n"It's a rivalry game, and it's going to be a packed house and loud, crazy-wild atmosphere," Moye said. "Last year, we really looked at teams…but this year, everybody's jersey says 'Big Ten' on it. That's all we care about -- Big Ten victories"