Looking for 7th straight

After the No. 10 Hoosiers (6-0) defeated the University of Illinois-Chicago Saturday night, freshman guard Bracey Wright was asked how IU had prepared for tonight's contest against the Vanderbilt Commodores (5-1).\n"Really we haven't had a chance to (prepare)," he said. "We spent a lot of time preparing for (the UIC) game and whenever you play games back to back like that you don't have much time. You just have to deal with what you've got."\nThe Hoosiers have been going at a marathon pace since their season began two weeks ago, and when they face the Commodores tonight at 7 p.m. in Assembly Hall, it will mark their seventh game in fourteen days.\nBut senior point guard Tom Coverdale said he isn't worried about the team wearing down.\n"I don't think fatigue is an issue," he said. "We've just gotta come to play every night. We played off two days rest before, from Sunday (Dec. 1 against North Texas) to Tuesday (Dec. 3 against No.9 Maryland), and we weren't that fatigued on Tuesday against Maryland. I think it's more of a mental thing. You've got to bounce back mentally after playing a game, especially being 6-0."\nVanderbilt will be playing on only two days of rest as well. The Commodores dismantled Tulane Saturday night 66-46 and were led by sophomore forward Brian Thornton, who scored a career high 20 points and pulled down six rebounds. \nThe 6-foot-8-inch, 255 pound Thornton has blossomed into a dangerous post threat for Vandy this season, averaging 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game. He will compliment junior forward Matt Freije down low, who is the Commodore's leading scorer at 17.3 points per game.\nAlthough the Hoosiers have proven to be a guard-oriented team, with Wright and Coverdale leading the way at 17.2 points per game apiece, senior forward Jeff Newton has also stepped up. He and junior center George Leach will be counted on to neutralize Vandy's tough frontcourt tonight.\nNewton had a career game against UIC, scoring 25 points and pulling down 12 boards. He has tallied a double-double in each of his last three games and is now averaging 15.7 points and 10.2 rebounds on the season.\n"We need Newton to have an inside presence for us," Davis said. "I think he's getting better game by game."\nBecause the Hoosiers are off to their best start since the 1999-2000 season, and are currently ranked as one of the best teams in the country, they now have a target on their collective backs, Davis said.\n"What our guys have to understand is that what we're doing right now is pretty special, and you're causing teams to come in and want to beat you," he said. "They're not going to come in and say 'well it's Indiana, they're not very good.' They come in saying 'well it's the national runner-up, they're in the top 10 in the country, let's win the game.' And we have to be ready for that fight."\nVanderbilt has already given one top-fifteen team a scare. On Dec. 1 they hosted No.11 Connecticut and, in a closely contested game, lost 76-70. \nCoverdale said the Hoosiers are well aware of the threat the Commodores will bring into the gym tonight and explained that, despite a lack of rest, they will be ready.\n"I don't think it's going to be a problem playing against a Vanderbilt team who came within six points of beating UConn," he said. "They're a very tough team. It's gonna be a very tough game (tonight), and I think everybody knows that"