In-Vaden Purdue

Six hundred and 19 days ago, Purdue fans suffered another defeat to in-state rival IU. \nOn May 6, 2003, then-Indianapolis Pike High School superstar Robert Vaden reneged on his oral commitment to play for Gene Keady and the Boilermakers, only to choose their neighbors two hours south. \nSaturday will be the first time Vaden faces the West Lafayette crowd -- a group that once hailed him -- as the Hoosiers face Purdue at noon in Mackey Arena.\nIU enters the weekend with a 6-7 record, 1-1 in the Big Ten, fresh off a 13-point win against conference foe Wisconsin. Purdue is sitting in the conference cellar with a 3-9 record and 0-3 in the Big Ten. The Boilers are riding a three-game losing streak, all against conference opponents.\nStarting three freshman, two of whom are from Indiana, IU coach Mike Davis' Hoosiers understand the importance of the IU-Purdue game -- not only for the two schools but for the state.\n"I think that there is so much built-up energy because it's a rivalry," junior guard Bracey Wright said. "Everyone that goes to Purdue wants to beat Indiana and everyone that goes to Indiana wants to beat Purdue. That is so much added pressure on both teams to play better. We need to come out and match their energy." \nLast year IU lost 71-56 at Purdue -- the game that ended Sean Kline's season with a knee injury from which he still hasn't regained full form.\nThe Boilermakers, led by the backcourt of junior David Teague and senior Brandon McKnight, have been disappointing in Keady's last season at the helm. He will retire at the end of this season after 25 years as head coach at Purdue to make room for Associate Head Coach Matt Painter.\nAlthough the Hoosiers are going for their second consecutive Big Ten win, and first conference road win of the season, Ft. Wayne native James Hardy said the team is going into Saturday like they do for any other game.\n"They're the biggest rival Indiana has," Hardy said. "It will be very intense and everybody will be very excited. We're looking forward to (Saturday)."\nClaiming to never be a big college basketball watcher on television, Hardy said that when he did have the chance to catch the IU-Purdue game, he could feel the intensity through the screen.\nWright leads the way for the Hoosiers with 18.8 points per game, followed by freshman D.J. White's 12.4 ppg. \nWhite, who will be playing in his first rivalry game, said the Hoosiers' schedule has been nothing but an asset to the young team.\n"The opening stretch of games that we played was really tough," he said. "I think that it will only help us over the rest of the season. It has prepared us when we play Big Ten games at home or on the road."\nWright said the time has come for an IU road win. With the Hoosiers' experience playing in front of tough crowds in Connecticut and Louisville, they will be ready for Purdue.\n"I think that our pre-conference schedule is getting us ready to have a big win on the road," Wright said. "Our games at Connecticut, Kentucky and Missouri have prepared us to win in tough environments. We have been in some hostile environments and I think heading into Purdue, we will be ready."\nOn top of trying to win two consecutive Big Ten games, their first road conference game and quieting swirling rumors about Davis' future at IU, the Hoosiers will have to deal with the pressure of playing their biggest rival.\n"It's big for us. It's going to be a big-time game for the whole team," Wright said. "It's a road game that we need. Everybody knows about the IU-Purdue rivalry, so everyone is going to pumped-up to play. We know that we struggled there last year, so it's very important to us."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.