Hoosiers get shot at Big Ten leader Iowa

IU has seen first-hand evidence of what can happen when a Big Ten team plays with its back to the wall.\nMichigan State lost two consecutive games, then beat the Hoosiers. Iowa lost by 30, then beat the Hoosiers. Minnesota was winless in conference, then beat the Hoosiers. Wisconsin lost four of five, most recently being upset by Purdue.\nThen they beat the Hoosiers.\nIn all those cases, IU played those teams on the road, but despite being at home Saturday, the situation couldn't be more similar.\nBig Ten leader Iowa enters Assembly Hall having just lost to conference bottom-dweller Northwestern, 51-48. \nBut the No. 24 Hoosiers aren't exactly coming into the game blazing hot, either. IU lost by 18 points to Wisconsin on Wednesday, and has lost four of its last five games. Three of those losses were on the road to conference opponents listed above.\n"We don't have the mind-set to be in that situation on the road, and it shows," Davis said. \nIU (13-7, 5-4) lost its last matchup against the Hawkeyes on Jan. 24 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa's two post players, Greg Brunner and Erek Hansen, kept senior forward Marco Killingsworth in check for much of the game, limiting him to 10 points in 25 minutes. In that game, senior guard Marshall Strickland did not play because of a sore knee, but the Maryland native will be available this time around.\nA key component of this weekend's game should be the production of sophomore guard Robert Vaden against that of Iowa guard Adam Haluska. In their last meeting, Vaden hit a school-record-tying eight 3-pointers to accompany his career-high 26 points. But Haluska might have had the more complete evening, scoring 20 points and leading Iowa with 10 rebounds. Haluska shot 5-9 in that game and sank all nine of his free throws.\nThe Hoosiers currently stand tied for seventh place in the Big Ten with four of their next seven conference games on the road.