Gophers at a glance: As much as the Gophers needed a spark in their last game against Indiana, they need it even more now. Wednesday's loss to Michigan State was the Gophers' fourth in a row, and their season is hanging by a thread. The Gophers (17-11, 5-10) need to put together some impressive victories if they are to get back into the NCAA tournament discussion. ... One of their biggest hindrances to finishing games has been a lack of leadership. Senior Ralph Sampson III has rarely been more than a role player, and fellow veteran Rodney Williams isn't always the leader at the end that the Gophers need. ... After turning the ball over 21 times against Northwestern, the Gophers committed 15 more turnovers against the Spartans, including 12 in the second half.
Indiana at a glance: The Hoosiers (20-7, 8-7) have gone through a lull of their own but have clung to the rankings by way of their early, impressive victories. In the Hoosiers' most recent Big Ten game (they beat North Carolina Central in a nonconference game Wednesday), they lost at Iowa 78-66 last Sunday in a game in which they shot 37.7 percent from the floor. ... Freshman center Cody Zeller leads the Hoosiers with 15.7 points per game, but Indiana has four players averaging double digits: Christian Watford, Victor Oladipo and Jordan Hulls each add around 11 points a game.
AMELIA RAYNO
