Hoosiers host Big Ten leader

In recent years, a match-up with Northwestern would mean a win for IU. The Hoosiers (7-6, 2-1 Big Ten) hold the all-time series mark 101-41 and have won nine of the last 10.\nBut that loss came in the teams' last meeting, and the Wildcats (7-7, 2-1) are off to a fast start in the Big Ten, winning at Iowa and beating No. 25 Illinois, Wednesday.\nThe Hoosiers look to defend their home court 2 p.m. Saturday in their Big Ten home opener and knock off the up-start Wildcats.\n"Northwestern, they're a real competitive team," IU sophomore guard Marshall Strickland said. "I think it's going to take a lot more discipline than it did even against Michigan on the defensive end because they'll run their offense and turn it over and over until they get a lay up. I think that focus that we had at Michigan needs to step up even more against Northwestern."\nThe Hoosiers are coming off a 59-57 win at Michigan. IU led by 16 at one point in the second half but allowed the Wolverines to battle back within two in the final minutes.\n"The last 2:11, we lost our concentration," IU coach Mike Davis said. "No matter what happens, we still should have been up seven or eight points down the stretch of the game, and we turned the basketball over enough to put them back in the game."\nDavis said he is not sure what IU team will show up Saturday because he does not know how they will respond to the big road win. He does know that Northwestern is not to be taken lightly.\n"I think the Northwestern teams, the thing I like about them, is that they never have that dog track look, that deer- in-the-headlight look no matter how many games they lose or win," Davis said. "They're always the same. They're going to come out and play the same way all the time. That tells you about their coach and their personnel in terms of their mental toughness. We've lost some games. They've lost some games. But when you watch the tape, you still see them working hard every possession."\nIU senior center George Leach will play in his second straight game after missing the previous nine with a knee injury. He scored six points, grabbed three rebounds and had four blocks in his return. Still, he knows that he is not 100 percent.\n"I know I'm rusty," Leach said. "I come in and shoot. I practice every day and try to work out the kinks. (My legs) felt fine at some points and sore at times."\nThe Wildcats are led by senior guard Jitim Young, who is averaging 18.1 points per game this year, third best in the conference. Junior forward Vedran Vukusic is second on the team with a 14.8 average.\nNorthwestern has struggled on the road, going 1-8 last year and 2-4 so far this year. The Wildcats will have to dictate the pace of the game. They like a slower tempo and only average 65.0 points per game.\n"Northwestern is going to be a hard game for us as usual," Leach said. "They do a lot of back cuts and screens, and if we relax, which we do sometimes, we'll get beat on a lot of plays. If we come in focused and all and do the stuff we've been doing, we'll win." \n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.