History will not be on the men's basketball team's side as it tries to pull off a miracle against No. 1 Indiana at 7:30 tonight at Rec Hall.

Because whenever the Lions have faced circumstances similar to those they face this evening, the results have not been good.

At a news conference yesterday, Coach Bruce Parkhill spoke like a man who is ignoring the past.

"To have the No. 1 team come in obviously adds excitement to the situation," he said. "And the fact that it happens to be on TV is just icing on the cake."

Parkhill's words thoroughly contradict all that the previous 35 years have taught Lion fans.

First of all, having the Hoosiers (20-2, 9-0 in the Big Ten) come to Happy Valley may add excitement, if you happen to be from Indiana. Earlier this year, the two teams met and Penn State lost, 105-57.

In fact, few No. 1 team visits to Rec Hall have been good ones for Penn State (6-11, 1-7). The last time a top-ranked team visited the Lions was in 1958, when Jerry West and the West Virginia Mountaineers came and won, 74-71.

Secondly, being on TV -- tonight's game is on ESPN -- has been anything but icing on the cake for the hometown heroes. In the past five years, the Lions have compiled a 4-9 record on ESPN.

To contradict history, Penn State must beat perhaps Coach Bobby Knight's best team ever. The Hoosiers are led by senior forward Calbert Cheaney, who is averaging 22.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and junior guard Damon Bailey, who is scoring 10.6 points per game and dishing out 3.8 assists.

"They look as good as ever to me," Parkhill said of Indiana, adding that Cheaney has been especially impressive. "I think he's the best player in the country. I think he's the most valuable player to his team in the country. He can hurt you in so many ways."

Lion center John Amaechi said he is confident his team will play a close game against the Hoosiers.

"They are a more talented team," he said, "but whether they are that much better than we are I doubt."

Amaechi also seemed unfazed by the history surrounding the tempestuous Knight.

"He's a little too theatrical for my tastes," Amaechi said. "He's obviously a great coach, maybe one of the best coaches.

"(But) even in England, people have heard of Bobby Knight and his temper tantrums. I don't think I could play for him. Sometimes he's just for the show."

Notes:

-- DeRon Hayes needs only seven points tonight to pass Tom Hovasse as Penn State's No. 2 all-time scorer.

-- With extra standing room tickets sold for tonight's game, about 7,300 people are expected to pack in to Rec Hall.

-- The Hoosiers' 9-0 start in the Big Ten is their best ever.

-- Knight's career record against Penn State is 7-2. He is 3-0 at Indiana and was 4-2 when he coached at Army.