Hoosiers focus on stopping Wisconsin star Alando Tucker

He scored a season-high 32 points against No. 7 Pittsburgh on Dec. 16, 2006. Fifteen days later he dropped 29 on Georgia. Then, last week, he scored 27 against the Iowa Hawkeyes and was named the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week. \nThere are many reasons why the media named Wisconsin's Alando Tucker to the preseason first-team All-Big Ten team and why he's second in the conference in scoring.\nThe Hoosiers will draw the task of containing Tucker, along with the rest of the No. 2 Badgers, at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Assembly Hall.\nIU coach Kelvin Sampson said Tuesday afternoon that based on Tucker's previous performances this season, he's still not sure exactly how the Hoosiers will stop the star forward.\n"I watched the Marquette game, and to be honest with you, I thought Marquette really defended him well and he had 28 (points)," Sampson said during his weekly news conference. "Pittsburgh has a pretty good team and he had 32 on them, so I don't know."\nThe 6-foot-6 Tucker averages 19.6 points per game along with 4.9 rebounds. He tallied his 10th 20-point game of the season last week against Iowa. In recent years, Tucker has baffled the Hoosiers. The forward averaged 22 points against IU in the teams' previous four meetings, while also hitting more than half his shots. On March 2, 2003, Tucker helped defeat the Hoosiers with a tip-in off his own missed 3-pointer with the clock running down. Since then, the fifth-year senior has increased his scoring production and maintained a near-50-percent shooting tab from the field.\nHis efforts this season have helped the Badgers achieve a 21-1 record -- the best in school history -- and a No. 2 national ranking.\n"He is one of the top players in the country, and that is proven by the way he has been playing all year," junior forward D.J. White said. "He is just leading his team in different ways."\nIU guard Rod Wilmont said Tuesday that he and the Hoosiers know what to expect from Tucker because the Badgers' forward is similar to a player they've already faced this season.\n"Coach wants A.J. (Ratliff) and I on Tucker tomorrow night," the senior said. "He's a lot like (Geary) Claxton from Penn State. ... So for me to guard Claxton at Penn State actually helped me get ready for the Wisconsin game. The only difference between Claxton and Tucker is, Tucker is more aggressive and wants the ball a little bit more."\nWilmont and Ratliff are no strangers to being asked to defend an opponent's top player. Throughout the season, Sampson has called upon the two guards to put heavy ball pressure on top shooters and take away dribble penetration. Tucker, Wilmont said, presents a different sort of challenge, but one he's willing to take on Wednesday night.\n"Tucker is a good player. I just have to go out there and compete," Wilmont said. "He's going to get touches regardless. The only thing you can do is front him and make him take tough shots. ... He wants to win, I want to win, and it's going to be a good matchup tomorrow. Both of us and both teams are going to play hard"