IU is red hot

IU travels to Indianapolis today for the second time this season. And IU coach Mike Davis realized he has felt this way before.\nDavis described his team's current mindset as "perfect," saying this team right now compares to the IU that defeated Kentucky 79-53 in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis early in the season.\n"You've seen us play the last four games," Davis said. "It's a different basketball team. It's the team that you saw against Kentucky and all those teams. Their minds are free."\nThe Hoosiers take on Wisconsin in Conseco Fieldhouse Friday for the four vs. five matchup of the second round.\nThe two teams come in dealing with opposite circumstances.\nFourth-seeded Wisconsin (19-10, 9-7 Big Ten) enters the contest having lost three of its last four games. After defeating top-seed Ohio State in Madison, Wis., the Badgers suffered three road losses to Northwestern, Michigan State and Iowa.\nBut the fifth-seeded Hoosiers (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten) are on a tear as of late. After announcing his resignation last month, Davis said a weight has been lifted off his squad's shoulders and his players have since played without pressure.\nIU is 4-1 since the resignation announcement and is currently riding a four-game win streak, having gotten its first two conference road wins in back-to-back games against Purdue and Michigan. \n"Without any injuries, I feel like our mindset, our attitude, everything is perfect right now," Davis said. "What we have to do is come out and just play the games."\nThe two teams met last month in Madison, where the Badgers handled the Hoosiers 72-54. Recent first team All-Big Ten honoree Alando Tucker torched IU for 29 points.\nDavis called Tucker one of the conference's best players.\n"You are not going to stop him so you have to try to contain him," Davis said.\nBut the Hoosiers have some All-Big Ten accolades of their own.\nSophomore guard Robert Vaden was designated an All-Big Ten honorable mention by both the conference coaches and the conference media. Senior forward Marco Killingsworth garnered a third team All-Big Ten selection by coaches and a second team selection by the media. He had what Davis called one of his best performances of the year last Saturday against Michigan.\n"(Killingsworth) plays an important role in our offense," senior guard Marshall Strickland said. "We are always looking for him, but Vaden and myself making shots opens up things for him inside. He does the same thing for us by making shots inside."\nThe Hoosiers have improved defensively as well, having held opposing teams to 43 percent shooting during their four-game win streak. \n"We have to play the defense we know we can play," Davis said. "Our defense over the last four games has improved and that's the way we have to play."\nThe winner will face the victor of Saturday's matchup between Ohio State and No. 8-seeded Penn State.\nBoth Wisconsin and IU were two of the four teams to deal OSU a loss this season.\n"We've got some areas we're trying to shore up," OSU coach Thad Matta said during a teleconference Wednesday. "We're looking at a two-week period rather than just this weekend"