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ItÂ's exciting to think how hot the Hoosiers will be when the flowers begin bloomingand the birds start chirping. Every single, impassioned, sweat-filled change thatgets them there ratchets the temperature up a degree. Watching Indiana out-hustle,outfight and out-compete Michigan State between the baselines Sunday revealed theferocity and single-mindedness these Hoosiers have towards winning. The  thumping they gave the Boilermakers last night was overdue (it had been a few months) andwell deserved given Matt PainterÂ's chiding comments last summer over SampsonÂ'srecruitment of Eric Gordon, Jr., and his post-game remarks last night.
Did you know Matt had actually calmed down by the time he faced the media after theHoosiers left his team in tatters on Branch McCracken court? I donÂ't know if hefollowed Sampson in line for the post-game interviews, but, without any scrapes,bruises or floor burns to worry about in the Boilermakers' locker room, he had ampletime to dry his eyes and have his nappy changed. From the sound of things, when heleft the pressroom, it needed to be done again.
Matt, speaking from the heart of Indiana basketball fans for just a second, theHoosiers are going to show your Boilermakers something special at Mackey Arena onValentineÂ's Day. Now, donÂ't misinterpret that. We donÂ't like you or the yappingyou do while standing in Bruce AlmightyÂ's shadow, and we damn sure donÂ't like yourteam. We just love kicking your butts. We love it so much we can hardly wait to doit again so all the fans (yours and ours) that didnÂ't see the game last night canshare in the experience.
For everyone else, hereÂ's an interesting way to look at the Big Ten up to this pointin the still early stages of conference play. Wisconsin and Ohio State are the topchoices among experts and laymen alike for picking the champion. I donÂ't share thatview and you should also start questioning the notion (if you haven't already)because, among the rest of the Big Ten and, more specifically, the first severalteams that get mentioned (i.e., Indiana, Illinois, Michigan State and theBoilermakers). Indiana is the only one that hasnÂ't been demolished in a Big Ten gameand the Hoosiers, by administering butt-whippings to two of the three otherfrontrunners in the  Everybody Else category and playing Ohio State, who shellackedthe third, to the wire on the road, have made a case for being mentioned in the samebreath with the Badgers and Buckeyes as favorites.
Right now, the Boilermakers have better than two months to get their act together upthere in West-Lafayette. Part of me wants to see them do so because beating themwhen theyÂ're playing well makes for more of an exciting game than the floor-moppingthat took place last night.
But who am I kidding, right? When it comes right down to it, I really donÂ't care. IÂ'll be just as happy watching Indiana humiliate the Boilermakers yet again if MattcanÂ't get his players to add more to the rivalry than what they brought last night. I expect the Boilermakers to play better at Mackey, though, if only because theymight have time to run home to look for the toughness, scrappiness and tenacity theyforgot to bring to Bloomington. Either way, the Hoosier will win.
 Ed Anderson, 1/11/7
