Big Ten tourney gives IU 3rd crack at Penn State

MADISON, Wis. – The long, record-setting regular season for IU coach Tom Crean and his Hoosiers is finally over.

But if you haven’t watched ESPN lately – it’s March Madness.

The Hoosiers’ fate as the 11th seed in the Big Ten tournament had been decided long before IU lost to the Badgers 85-61 Sunday night.

The only question was: Whom will they play in the first round?

The final day in the regular season gave Hoosier fans their answer – IU will take on Penn State on Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis.

“I just heard that about 10 minutes ago from when I was on the radio show, so I really don’t have a lot of thoughts on that yet,” Crean said. “They’re good, and we have had some good battles with them.”

As is the case with every conference team – except for Iowa – the Hoosiers did not beat Penn State in the regular season.

But if the schools’ regular season encounters are any indication, the Nittany Lions might be the best matchup the Hoosiers could have hoped for.

Ten days ago IU played neck-and-neck with Penn State on the road but ultimately fell 61-58 in State College, Pa. IU had the ball with a couple of chances to tie late in the game but were unable to capitalize.

Like most games the young Hoosiers have played, the Feb. 28 nailbiter did not indicate the same kind of game will be played Thursday.

On Jan. 17, Penn State raced out to a comfortable lead and triumphed by 10 against IU in Bloomington.

One area that plagues the Hoosiers is turnovers. During its visit to Penn State, though, IU marked a season-low 11.

Sunday night, the Hoosiers committed 12 turnovers in the first half and 16 total, allowing Wisconsin to win.

“We just have to keep learning how tough and physical and aggressive you have to be on a daily basis,” Crean said.

The question is: Can the Hoosiers learn in time to upset the higher-seeded Nittany Lions on Thursday?

The Badgers, defending tournament champions, think so. Senior Joe Krabbenhoft called the Hoosiers a “feisty ball club,” while senior Marcus Landry said the Hoosiers’ record can be deceiving.

“Their record may not show the best on how they can be,” Landry said. “But they’re a very dangerous team.”

Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan – who led the Badgers to the Big Ten Tournament title game four out of the last five years – agreed with his players’ thoughts on IU’s tournament chances, warning Penn State to come to play, or else.

“Can they beat somebody?” Ryan asked. “Absolutely. Penn State better get ready.”