Not much to gain, plenty to lose Sunday

U looked like it got a bit of its fight back in its final home game of the season. Maybe its surge late in the second half of Wednesday’s game was a sign that this team still believes it is playing for something greater than itself. Or maybe it just wanted to give Adam Ahlfeld a chance to double his career scoring average on Senior Night. Whatever the motivation, the Hoosiers need to carry that incentive into Sunday’s regular season finale at Penn State if they want to enter the postseason with any kind of momentum.\nHad IU managed to beat Wisconsin last month, this game would be a lot more meaningful. The Hoosiers would be in control of their own destiny in regard to the Big Ten championship instead of praying for Kevin Coble to score 60 against the Badgers this weekend. As it stands, an IU win would secure the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament for the Hoosiers, while a loss would most likely bump them to the No. 3 seed. If the current seeding holds up, IU and Purdue have a chance at squaring off in the semifinals, a rematch Boiler fans would love to see after the way the Hoosiers handled them in Bloomington.\nThere might not be a lot to gain from Sunday’s game, but there is plenty to lose. And if you consider the Hoosiers’ road performances since a certain coach left the sideline, don’t chalk this one up just yet. The Hoosiers, suffering from a Sampson hangover, nearly stumbled in Evanston, Ill., and let’s not rehash the carnage of East Lansing.\nThe coaching situation seemed like a legitimate excuse against the Wildcats, but at this point in the season, the only thing that should matter is the next game – because there aren’t too many guaranteed games left.