IU-Michigan game not the marquee matchup it was last year

Each of IU’s matchups with Michigan throughout the 2012-13 season came and went under vastly different circumstances than Sunday’s matchup will.

Half a season’s worth of anticipation preceded a Feb. 2, 2013, matchup between the No. 1 Wolverines and the No. 3 Hoosiers, with a primetime tipoff on ESPN’s College GameDay.

In front of a raucous Assembly Hall crowd, three National Basketball Association lottery selections — IU’s Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller and Michigan’s Trey Burke — battled as IU pulled out an 81-73 victory. Five weeks later, IU completed a frenetic comeback in the game’s final minute to claim a 72-71 victory in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the outright Big Ten Championship.

What a difference a year can make.

Despite a dominant run in Big Ten play from the Wolverines, the buzz and national spotlight of last year’s matchups have been diminished by an up-and-down season from IU.

The No. 10 Wolverines (16-4, 8-0) come into Sunday’s game as winners of their last 10 games, including three victories against top-10 foes.

By comparison, the unranked Hoosiers are 3-5 in the Big Ten in 2014, featuring both a victory over then-No. 3 Wisconsin and a loss to Northwestern in Assembly Hall.

IU will have to stifle Michigan’s red-hot sophomore guard Nik Stauskas to claim its third-consecutive victory in the series. The Canadian sharpshooter has taken over Burke’s role as the Wolverines’ offensive leader, pouring in an average of 18.4 points per game, while shooting 46 percent from 3-point range.

Should Stauskas have a strong offensive performance Sunday, he will be the latest in a string of scorers to find success against IU this season.

The Hoosiers have struggled to slow their opponents’ top scorers in Big Ten play.
Michigan State’s Gary Harris scored 50 in his two games against IU. Illinois’ Rayvonte Rice tallied 49 in his two matchups. Penn State’s D.J. Newbill scored 24, and Northwestern’s Drew Crawford recorded 17 points in Bloomington.

Traditionally, IU has found success against Michigan, holding a 103-56 advantage in the all-time series.

--Alden Woods