If there's one word to describe tonight's first Sweet 16 matchup in Lexington, Ky., it's tradition.
The game pits Duke against Indiana, two of the most storied programs in college basketball, programs that have tallied nearly 4,000 wins between them. The venue for this prized matchup, Rupp Arena at the University of Kentucky, makes the contest even more compelling, as Rupp spectators have witnessed some of the most famous events in the history of college basketball.
Based on the success that both teams have experienced this season, another classic game in Rupp could take place at 7:38 p.m. tonight.
"If you're going to advance, you're going to have to beat good teams, and certainly the team we play in Indiana on Thursday night is one of those teams," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Certainly with the tradition of their program and the tradition of ours, it's a great matchup in the NCAA Tournament. We're looking forward to it."
The fans at Rupp Arena are also eagerly anticipating the game, but for a different reason than Krzyzewski: They will be excited to root against the Blue Devils and the Hoosiers, the two most hated basketball teams in the Bluegrass State. Kentucky and Indiana have been traditional non-conference rivals throughout history, having met head-to-head in many memorable contests.
But more recently, Kentucky fans have had a greater bone to pick with Duke--the Blue Devils defeated the Wildcats in 1992 on their way to a second straight national championship and again in December 2001 in an overtime thriller at the New
Therefore, the crowd reaction to both teams promises to be hostile. But Indiana coach Mike Davis, who succeeded Bob Knight--both his and Kryzewski's mentor--in Bloomington two years ago, holds no animosity toward his school's bitter rival.
"I love Kentucky. They are my favorite team other than Indiana," Hoosiers coach Mike Davis said. "[UK] fans don't like Indiana and they don't like Duke.... I'm hoping [Kentucky] fans cheer for us. We need all of the help we can get."
Davis' squad will particularly need to concentrate on recent Naismith award winner Jason Williams, who in addition to scoring nearly 20 points a game, has seemed to conquer his fatal flaw--shooting free throws in the clutch. Williams and freshman Daniel Ewing, who scored a career-high 18 points in Duke's nailbiter victory over Notre Dame last weekend, sunk the Fighting Irish with four free throws each in the final two minutes of the contest, and would be eager to do so again to their next opponent from the Hoosier State.
The Blue Devils will also expect a big game out of center Carlos Boozer, who was almost automatic from the field and the free throw line down the stretch of the season and whose eyes will light up when he squares off against Indiana's smaller front line. However, the intense Alaskan played poorly for the first time in a while against Notre Dame, shooting only 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-5 from the charity stripe, both below his season averages.
Whether Boozer is able to snap out of his slump will be important in the game's outcome, but perhaps more importantly, the Hoosiers cannot collectively struggle if they want a chance to beat top-seeded Duke. Big Ten player of the year Jared Jeffries, who presents matchup problems because of his mix of size, speed and scoring ability, will likely be the most difficult Hoosier to stop, having averaged 15.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game this season.
In addition, Indiana's combination of Tom Coverdale, the team's second-leading scorer, Dane Fife, who has logged more minutes than any Hoosier and Kyle Hornsby, the Big Ten's leading three-point shooter, will be dangerous on the perimeter.
Despite Indiana's numerous scoring options, its greatest strength has been its defense, which has suffocated Big Ten and non-conference opponents into submission. Fife, in particular, has been stellar on the defensive end of the court and stands only two steals away from breaking Indiana's all-time steals record held by Steve Alford. Although Duke is second in the country in points per game, the Hoosiers have allowed their opponents to average a mere 62 points per game.
Even though the Hoosiers are universally lauded for their defensive prowess, they still enter the matchup as a major underdog to the defending national champs--but don't tell that to Davis.
"The last time I checked, they had a bracket with over 900,000 people and not one person had the Sweet 16 right," the Indiana coach said. "I feel we have one of the best defensive teams in the country and Duke is one of the best offensive teams in the country. We'll see what happens."
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