Sport: College HoopsPick Selection: INDIANA
I'm laying the points with INDIANA. I'd like the Hoosiers in this matchup even if this was on a neutral court. Actually, technically tonight's game will be played on a neutral court. However, that neutral court just happens to be Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Pacers and some 50 miles away from the Indiana campus. Obviously, there will be a heavy pro Indiana crowd. The Hoosiers have fallen out of favor with the betting public somewhat since the Kelvin Sampson 'situation' and due to the fact that they closed out the season by losing two of three games. Make no mistake though, this is an extremely tough team, one which is fully capable of winning this tournament. Indeed, Indiana led the Big Ten in scoring (76.1), free throw percentage (76.8), rebounding (37.9) and defensive rebounding (26.4) during the regular season. The Hoosiers boast a pair of all-conference first-team selections in Big Ten player of the year D.J. White and freshman of the year Eric Gordon. Those two combine for nearly 40 points per game while Armon Bassett and Jordan Crawford give them another pair of double-digit scorers. The Hoosiers don't lack confidence either. As Bassett had to say: "We think we can win the Big Ten (tournament) championship, still. Through all the ups and down we have been through we still think we should be one of the favorites to be playing on Sunday and win that thing."
Its been a fairly impressive season for the Gophers as they've done well in the first year under Tubby Smith. That being said, they had to rally to beat lowly Northwestern yesterday and now face a rested, motivated and powerful Indiana team in a hostile environment. Its also worth noting that the Gophers could be without 6-foot-9 senior Spencer Tollackson after he suffered an ankle injury in the first half of yesterday's game. Even if he plays, Tollackson, who has been dealing with various nagging injuries for some time, can't be expected to be at 100%. That spells trouble as the Gophers could use all the big bodies they can get against the likes of White and co.
Including the unlikely uspet loss at Penn State to close out the season, the Hoosiers have lost four times since January 31. They responded to each of the previous three losses by recording a double-digit victory in their next game. That includes an 80-61 victory over Michigan State (after losing to Wisconsin) and a 69-55 win over these same Gophers, after losing at Michigan State. Look for the Hooisers to "bounce back" once again, recording a convincing victory and advancing to an even big showdown in the next round. *Big 10 Tourny GOY
|
Handicappers
