Game Thread: Indiana @ Northwestern

by Alex Bozich in Game Threads | February 23rd, 2008

Opponent: Northwestern

Date: Saturday, February 23, 2008 | 8:06 p.m. EST

Arena: Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,177) – Evanston, Illinois

Line: Indiana by 13

All-time series: Indiana leads 106-43

Previous meeting: Indiana won 75-63 on February 3 in Bloomington

TV: Big Ten Network (Wayne Larrivee and Shon Morris)

Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Todd Leary and Joe Smith)

Probable Starters:

Indiana (22-4, 11-2 Big Ten): Armon Bassett, Eric Gordon, Jamarcus Ellis, Lance Stemler, D.J. White
Northwestern (7-17, 0-13 Big Ten): Michael Thompson, Sterling Williams, Craig Moore, Kevin Coble, Ivan Peljusic

Game Notes (Adobe Reader required to view):

As always, your predictions and analysis are welcome in the game thread.

Tags: Northwestern Wildcats

hoosiergal

Wow! I can start breathing again. GO HOOSIERS!

Nick

Man these guys keep surprising me. I didn't think they had enough in the emotional tank to pull out a close game. I thought they needed a blowout. Kudos to them, they're tougher than I thought!

Hoosier_Hound

How serendipitous that you would use AB's picture for this thread. He struck with daggers all night long.

peaychris

serendipitous ?? at least i know you never went to purdue!!

jgongora

holy S*&t. I'll take it, now lets get the hell out of here.

Hoosier_Hound

Exhale.

IU wins.

peaychris

i was watching the box score and it looked like a crazy finish!! good W

Ryan_Btown

wow...love it

Ryan_Btown

traveling? deep...can't watch it but I'm assuming their might have been a push?

Alex

They were all over Gordon and a travel was called.

Hoosier_Hound

Fish said it was the right call. Did you disagree?

peaychris

looks like this may be the best win of the year IMO. i hope they can keep it together for the W

Alex

Ellis is clearly letting his emotions get the better of him. If he can't settle down, sit him the rest of the game.

Hoosier_Hound

TUO!

peaychris

i think if we look at our comments 2 years from now we will laugh about crawford. i think he is an exceptional talent that we are lucky to have! i was tough on him in the begining but i think the sky is the limited with TUO. i am going to start calling him "TF" the future!!

Hoosier_Hound

He'll always be TUO to me. But when the time is right I plan on changing it from Undisciplined to Unstoppable.

peaychris

haha i like it!

peaychris

i am just looking at the stats but crawford is looking like a stud tonight!!

Alex

He's having a really nice game.

Jay

IU should have fired Dakich at halftime. Think he would have taken $750,000?

Jay

52-52, second half! Re-hire Dakich!

Jay

75-75. Fire Dakich. Again.

jgongora

man dakich better grow up and realize we need the zone. Can't change things right away considering there was no practice the day before.

Nick

Man, I thought they looked really tight there for the first 15 minutes of that half . . . definitely pressing on the defensive end. They should know after their first meeting what NW is going to do. I still don't think the game is going to end with a close IU win . . . either a NW win or an IU blowout!!!

Alex

Those of you without TV coverage: 37-35 Northwestern at the half.

jgongora

They look nervous. They just need concentrate.

DC Hoosier

You'd think that since Northwestern only has one good player (Coble), you'd make sure he's the guy who doesn't get left alone. Ellis already has 3 bad plays tonight in under 5 minutes.

Ryan_Btown

I would start the kids as well. Yeah, you'd make a statement...one that says you don't care that the guy they've played their hearts out for just got fired and they have no say in the situation. I'd let that slide and send them the message down the road after you've had some time at the helm.

Listening to the game, not watching (damn BTN). Stemler sounds stellar tonight. 2 fouls in 2 minutes. Does he know you only get 5?

jgongora

leave the kids alone. win the big ten and national championship so they can praise their old coach. Thats how you get satisfaction. I'm proud that they stood up for what they believed in. Lets play and support them without bitching.

Hoosier_Hound

I would put the missed practice behind like it never happened. The team was obviously on the verge of fracturing yesterday, I don't think punishing players who obviously feel like they've already been punished is the right move. They all showed up late last night and this morning so they are all committed to the team for the rest of the season.

IU 74
NU 56

peaychris

you cant fault those kids for a knee jerk reaction.. infact i would let DJ give the pregame speech.. make him feel like a leader and coach!
IU 64
NW 54

kelin

I would start the kids without question. They came to school to play basketball and not deal with this other junk....at 18-20 years old, this isn't what they signed up for....so the handled it like some kids would...out of emotion. You can't discipline them for their emotions.........

They dealt with it, I am sure they apologized and it is time to play ball.....

IU 79 NW 59

Sherron Wilkerson

Pfffffrrrrttt on Northwestern. We need to take out our frustration on those nerds, plus they are located in Illinois which is to close to Chester the thug molester and Baby Bruce dub

BrianK

Grant it sitting them sounds good and you would be technically showing them a lesson but they already felt as though they are being punished by Sampson leaving so close to the end of the season and there other favorite coach wasn't put in as head coach> Some guy who didn't recruit them and who came in late is their head coach. There kids and that was really the only way at the moment they could think of to to protest and show support.They've gotten a hard lesson in how things run to begin with. It would of been harder for Dakich to gain their respect and cooperation if he would of sat them. Would of been awful for moral.

Raymond

Agreed and Agreed. I wouldn't think too much of this game but given our situation it is huge.

I too wouldn't start anyone who skipped practice yesterday to make a statement about who is now in charge. Either way, this game will make a BIG statement about the state of IU basketball. Hopefully it is a positive one.

I'll be sitting at Yogi's enjoying the beginning of a return to the values of old for our program with my roommates. Thanks, Big Ten Network.

T

I wouldn't have started White, Ellis or Basset for missing practice.

Hopefully they respond positively....this game shouldn't be as big as it is, but with the coaching change all eyes will be on how the team responds.

Go Hoosiers

td

Sounds like the guy who wanted to win the battle only to lose the war.

HoosierSmitty

Hopefully the statement we make in this game will be a positive one.

Win and we stay on track...lose and the Big Ten title slips away and the season is quite likely derailed.

We've lost 3 of the last 4 times in Evanston (pulling out a close one last year thanks to Wilmont's 3-point barrage).

Every remaining game on the Big Ten schedule is a big game, regardless of the coaching turmoil...it just makes this game a little shakier...

We'll be fine, however.

IU 68
NW 54

Game Thread: Indiana @ Northwestern

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