Hoosiers ready for tough foe

Two very different teams with the same 3-3 record will fight for their fourth win of the season Saturday at Assembly Hall. \nIU will host Butler in a contest that historically shows IU as the favorite. The Hoosiers lead the series 34-12.\nSophomore guard Marshall Strickland said the team's confidence is high after their 66-63 road win at Notre Dame on Wednesday night but adds they aren't taking the Butler game lightly.\n"We went into Notre Dame thinking we could win it," Strickland said. "We're not blowing it up more than it really is."\nThe Bulldogs are coming off a road loss at Bradley where the team fell 59-55 to the Braves on Dec. 10. \nIU coach Mike Davis noted IU is ready, yet again, to play a team that saw action in last year's NCAA Tournament.\n"Butler is going to come in with a great coach and an outstanding basketball team," Davis said. "They play well together, and that's going to be another tough game for us."\nLeading Butler in scoring are senior forward Duane Lightfoot and sophomore guard Bruce Horan, each averaging 11 points apiece. \nStrickland said it will take discipline from the IU guards to play solid defense against Butler.\nIU and Butler may have the same record, but the rest of the numbers don't compare. IU averages 67 points a game while Butler averages 60.2. While IU holds opponents to an average of 73.3 points a game, Butler holds their opponents to 59.3.\nIU barely beats the Bulldogs in successful free-throw percentages with 72.9 compared to Butler's 70.9. \nIU counters with sophomore guard Bracey Wright and sophomore forward Sean Kline, who are carrying statistical streaks into Saturday's game. \nKline, who entered the year with a free-throw shooting percentage of 46.7 percent, has now sunk each of his last 10 free-throw attempts. He said he feels much more confident this year from the charity stripe.\n"Last year I got off on the wrong foot and had a rocky start from the line," Kline said. "Now I feel like they're starting to drop, and hopefully they'll continue to."\nWright is still IU's leading scorer and is averaging 21 points per game. Wright has made each of his last 15 freethrows and has a nine-game double-figure scoring streak dating back to last season.\nIU has statistically improved in some areas since their first game, but Strickland says there is still room for more improvement.\n"Our defense can still pick up," Strickland said. "And our offense and execution can pick up a lot."\nIU had a balanced offense in the Notre Dame game, with nine players scoring and 21 of the evening's points coming off the bench.\nKline said the game will be tough, and the key will be a disciplined defense.\n"They're very skilled, and they run their offense very well," Kline said. "It's going to take everyone playing a full 40 minutes."\n-- Contact staff writer Natalie A. Trout at natrout@indiana.edu.