Hoosiers still in Big Ten title hunt

Wednesday was a big goof -- a black mark on IU's Big Ten slate. \nBut Mike Davis' message was simple, and he said it even before IU lost to Wisconsin in Assembly Hall Wednesday: Win or lose, the Hoosiers are still on top of the Big Ten. \nBarely. \nNo. 22 IU (16-8, 8-3 Big Ten) owned sole possession of first place for less than a week, and the 64-63 loss to the Badgers slipped the Hoosiers into a tie with Ohio State, which plays at Iowa Saturday. IU has a chance to stay on top when it travels to Michigan for a 1 p.m. tipoff Sunday in Crisler Arena.\n"We're still in first place," said Davis, IU's second-year head coach. "We have to regroup. It's another big game. Hopefully, we can go to Michigan and play better than we did (Wednesday)."\nThe Hoosiers are hoping for the return of Jared Jeffries, who sat out the Wisconsin game after spraining an ankle against Louisville Feb. 9. Jeffries is listed as probable for Sunday. Wednesday's game was the first the 6-foot-10 sophomore has missed in his IU career and broke a string of 57 consecutive starts. \nJeffries leads the Big Ten in scoring but struggled through his last two games -- IU victories over Iowa and Louisville -- scoring a combined 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting. The reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year played both of those games on a bruised thigh, and the decision to sit him Wednesday was easy for Davis.\nThe repercussions dented IU's shot at its first Big Ten title since 1993 and wrecked its best league start since the same season. Davis said Wednesday he planned to go home and pray that Jeffries' ankle would quickly heal. Sunday will reveal if the power of prayer worked. Regardless of the return of Jeffries, the Hoosiers said they should be able to go with or without him. \n"We just have to play tougher. We're still in position for the championship," freshman guard Donald Perry said. "We can't worry about who's injured; we just have to play together and go all out, especially on defense, because that's what killed us (Wednesday)."\nDavis exuded frustration over IU's lackadaisical defense Wednesday and said his team plays hard at times and lapses at others. The practice plan includes defensive work today before leaving for Ann Arbor.\nSunday will be another test. Michigan has a balanced attack similar to the Wisconsin one that caught IU off guard. \nJunior forward Lavell Blanchard leads the Wolverines (10-13, 5-7) with 14.7 points per game. Sophomore Bernard Robinson Jr., scores 11.9 per game, and senior center Chris Young is the final Wolverine in double figures at 10.6 per game.\nMichigan's backcourt is more of a conventional group of set shooters, something that could help IU. Dribble penetration by Ohio State, Minnesota and Wisconsin led to all three of the Hoosiers' Big Ten losses. \nMichigan struggled mightily from the field Wednesday at Purdue, shooting 14 of 58 (24 percent) on its way to a 79-43 loss. Jones and fellow guards Gavin Groninger and Dommanic Ingerson combined to go 1 of 25 from the field, and Michigan shot 6 of 32 from three-point land.\nThe loss was the Wolverines' second in three days. They fell in overtime at Colorado State Monday, making Sunday's game their third in six days. IU endured a similar stretch early this month, winning two of three. \n"We have a very grueling stretch," first-year Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "They'd rather play than practice. We're looking forward to a very tough challenge."\nSo is IU, which is the only Big Ten team with at least three road wins. No. 4 would put IU on the path for a collision course with fellow front-runner Ohio State Feb. 20 in Assembly Hall. Davis was confident Wednesday's close call will help IU down the road and in road games such as Sunday in an unfriendly Crisler Arena, where IU lost 70-64 last season. IU has lost three of its last four and six of its last eight trips to Ann Arbor. \n"Now our backs are against the wall as far as winning the championship," IU senior guard Dane Fife said. "We have to come out Sunday and get back on track"