After the Hoosiers finished a thrilling nonconference road win Saturday at Connecticut, IU junior forward D.J. White was asked to sum up the 77-73 victory's effect on his team.\n"Confidence," White said. "One word -- confidence."\nThe No. 23 Hoosiers (14-4, 4-1) will take that newfound confidence and apply it to another road test tonight in Champaign, Ill., where IU will take on Illinois, a team that has lost just five home games in 4 1/2 years at Assembly Hall. \nThe road stretch is part of what could be the toughest four-game slate on IU's schedule this season. In two weeks, the Hoosiers will have traveled to Connecticut and Illinois, welcomed conference leader No. 2 Wisconsin and 16-4 Michigan to their own Assembly Hall in Bloomington. \n"It's a tough stretch, but I think we're up to the challenge," White said. "I think we have confidence that we can play anywhere and with anybody. So it's going to be tough, but I feel we're up to it."\nTonight's test could be made tougher for IU, thanks to added animus of Illinois fans toward IU coach Kelvin Sampson. \nSampson recruited Indianapolis North Central guard Eric Gordon, the No. 2 player in the class of 2007, according to scouting service www.rivals.com, away from Illinois after Gordon had verbally committed to the Illini. That reversal has sparked hatred among Illinois fans for Sampson and Hoosier hoops, despite the fact that Sampson wasn't given an opportunity to recruit Gordon because he wasn't yet IU's coach. \nNonetheless, Illinois fans are ready to unleash their anger Tuesday night.\n"You hate to think that way, because we try to make it difficult for any coach to come in here," said Illinois senior Darius Sutrinaitis, a member of the school's Orange Krush student section. "But you do sort of hold it against Sampson, because it's hard to be mad at a kid for choosing a school. If you hold something against anyone, it'll be against the coach." \nThough he wouldn't get into details, Orange Krush President Aaron Dubnow said the section is getting some unique cheers ready for Sampson's arrival.\n"People that aren't even really basketball fans will have a much bigger interest in this game," Dubnow said. "It'll be a tough atmosphere."
nationally recognized\nSampson speaks often about identity, about how difficult games reveal "who you are."\nOn Monday afternoon, after one such difficult game for IU, Associated Press voters revealed who they believed the Hoosiers are -- a Top 25 team. \nThe Hoosiers received enough votes for a No. 23 Associated Press ranking Monday, their first national ranking of the year and the first since last year's Mike Davis-led team was ranked 24th on Feb. 2. \nIU also received recognition from the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, sliding in just above rival Kentucky at No. 24.
On a roll \nThe Hoosiers will be entering Champaign, Ill., riding a five-game winning streak. IU has won nine of its past 10, its one loss coming on the road to Ohio State on Jan. 2. The Hoosiers are 4-1 in the Big Ten, tied for second in the conference with OSU and Michigan. \nThe Illini, on the other hand, have limped into their conference season, uncharacteristically losing home games to Ohio State and Wisconsin, as well as dropping games at Michigan and Michigan State. Illinois' only two conference wins have come via a 74-70 home win against Iowa and a 64-52 win at Minnesota.\nMuch like the Hoosiers, Illinois relies heavily on its interior attack on the offensive end of the floor. Forward Warren Carter and center Shaun Pruitt lead the Illini in scoring with 13.6 and 11.3 points, respectively. \nDefensively, Illinois and IU both hold opponents to just more than 60 points per game. Illinois is ranked fifth in the Big Ten in scoring offense, with 70.1 points per game, and the Hoosiers are ranked third with 73.8.\n"We're just getting better," Sampson said after his team's win against Connecticut on Saturday. "We played such a tough schedule early. I think that really helped us. … All of those (games) were opportunities, that's what they are. We've just gotten tougher. But our kids are competitive."
White Honored\nWhile his team was earning national recognition with wins over Iowa and Connecticut, D.J. White's play was earning him individual honors.\nThe 6-foot-9 inch forward from Tuscaloosa, Ala., was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday for the first time in his career. \nWhite opened his week with a 23-point, 12-rebound effort in the Hoosiers' home win against Iowa on 10-of-13 shooting from the field. \nWhite followed that performance with his fifth 20-plus point effort of the season, scoring 21 and adding three rebounds and three blocks against Connecticut. \n"We've just got to keep playing," White said. "We're not worried about what people think about us or what we're not doing. We've just got to keep playing and let that take care of itself"
