IU started its conference season in December knowing it wouldn’t have to face four of the best teams in the league until the middle of February.
But with the way the Big Ten has played out, any team can get beaten on any given night.
“I think the mentality of this team, especially going back to early December, has been nobody has taken anybody lightly that we play,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “Every game has got a tremendous value.”
The Hoosiers fell to a Penn State team that had just two conference wins, before upsetting No. 4 Iowa five days later in Assembly Hall. And it’s happening to every team – Purdue beat No. 8 Michigan State earlier in the week before losing to unranked Michigan on Saturday.
Wisconsin beat No. 2 Maryland in College Park, Maryland, by double digits Saturday night.
Now in the midst of its toughest stretch, IU (20-5, 10-2) travels to East Lansing to take on No. 8 Michigan State (20-5, 7-5) on Sunday.
“That computer had a way of spitting out the schedule for us this year,” Crean said. “But I know (Coach) Tom (Izzo) has been sitting here anxiously awaiting this game after Tuesday night.”
Both the Hoosiers and Spartans, two of the Big Ten’s best offensive teams, rank in the top four of the conference in scoring offense, field-goal percentage and 3-point field-goal percentage.
“They have four players shooting over 50 percent from three-point range in the last five games, which is unheard of,” Crean said.
They’ll also present many of the same challenges that Iowa did Thursday night.
Michigan State leads the conference in rebounding, having out-rebounded 22 of its 25 opponents this season.
Crean said their ball movement on offense and inside defenders on defense may cause problems.
While the Spartans have had five days to prepare for the Hoosiers, IU hasn’t had quite as much time.
“Having a week to prepare for Michigan State isn’t enough, let alone two days,” Crean said.
IU currently sits atop the Big Ten along with No. 4 Iowa, but senior guard Yogi Ferrell isn’t satisfied with the tie.
After Thursday’s win over the Hawkeyes, he said he wants to win the conference outright.
“But now we’ve got a few more places to stop, a couple more games home in order for us to do that,” Ferrell said.
