Rival Purdue up next for IU basketball

If recent history can tell anything of the future, the IU men’s basketball team matchup with No. 14 Purdue will be a nail-biter.

The Hoosiers have had four consecutive games decided by a shot at the buzzer, winning half of them. The Hoosiers were on the opposite end last Saturday, falling 64-63 to Iowa after squandering a late 10-point lead.

IU coach Tom Crean said the recent string of close games, win or lose, has created a wiser group of players heading into their tilt with the Boilermakers in a 7 p.m. Tuesday tipoff at Mackey Arena.

“I think we have shown great resolve, regardless of the outcome, to recognize that each game following takes on a greater importance and the focus has to be on our ability to come out with the proper mindset each practice,” Crean said.  “If we do that, we are having much more success in taking our efforts in practice and applying them to game situations.”

Crean expects a hostile crowd in West Lafayette, fed by the intensity of the cross-state rivalry and the emotion of being broadcast on ESPN as part of its “Super Tuesday” schedule. He said it will be imperative for IU to stonewall the Purdue offense and take the energy out of the arena.

“Our defense has to become a positive for our offense,” Crean said. “We have to attack and get to the free throw line.  Defensively, we have to communicate and help and not allow them to get the type of plays that will raise the intensity of their crowd to another level.”

To accomplish that task, the Hoosiers’ attention will be focused on Purdue’s lone seniors, guard E’Twaun Moore and forward JaJuan Johnson.

"They are both outstanding senior leaders,” Crean said of the duo. “Moore is a player that can get the crowd going very quickly with his shooting.  Johnson is playing in the present as well as any senior player in the country.”

Johnson leads the Big Ten in scoring at 20.8 points per game and has scored 20 or more points in seven consecutive games. Moore, meanwhile, ranks seventh in the conference with 17.4 points per game.

By contrast, the Hoosiers’ leading scorer – sophomore forward Christian Watford – ranks eighth in the Big Ten and will not play Tuesday.

Second-leading scorer Verdell Jones has averaged 19 minutes the past two games after missing the previous three due to knee inflammation, but the junior guard was 1-of-9 from the field in the loss to Iowa.

After railing off a 10-game win streak starting at the beginning of December, the Boilermakers have cooled of late. They are losers of four of the last seven games, most recently falling at Wisconsin 66-59 last Tuesday.

As both the Boilermakers and Hoosiers try to rebound, history sides with Purdue. Crean is 0-3 all-time against IU’s closest rival, and the Hoosiers have lost 13 straight road games.

Still, Crean said the hyper-competitive nature of this year’s Big Ten makes any game winnable.

“Right now, I would challenge anyone on the quality of play that is taking place in our league,” he said. “Every game is being played like a rivalry game.  The coaches and players in the Big Ten all understand the importance of each league game.  I would expect more of the same tomorrow night.”