Cagers to meet cold Indiana

At 7:30 tonight in Bloomington, Ind., Penn State will play Indiana, but until the game starts the Nittany Lions (8-12, 1-10 Big Ten) won't be sure just which Indiana team they will be playing.

Or they could meet up with the Indiana team of late -- the same one that lost twice in Big Ten play to Wisconsin and dropped three straight games before beating Ohio State last weekend. The Hoosiers have not dropped three games in a row since the 1989-90 season.

The Hoosiers also are not helped by a knee injury to top scorer Andrae Patterson. The injury, plus inconsistent and sub-par play from the junior, has resulted in his not starting several games this season.

Patterson did not even play in the Hoosiers last game Saturday against Ohio State. The inconsistent play of the Hoosiers has left many scratching their heads in wonder.

"I am surprised because I see their games on TV, and I am surprised at the scores," Penn State forward Greg Stevenson said, "but then again you can say that about many of the teams in the Big Ten this season."

Currently, the Hoosiers sit in sixth place in the Big Ten and are led by Patterson's 15.3 points per game and Neil Reed's 13.2. They are joined by freshman guard A.J. Guyton, third on the team in scoring at just more than 12 points per game.

"(Lisicky) has to be able to get a few more looks," Dunn said at his weekly news conference yesterday, "and we are going to have to have a few more guys step up."

One of the players who has stepped up recently for the Lions is Jarrett Stephens. Since becoming a starter against Northwestern on Jan. 22, Stephens has averaged 15.8 points per game and taken some of the scoring pressure off Lisicky.

And while some of the scoring pressure has been taken off Lisicky the Penn State offense has still had some problems, namely with turnovers.

Penn State committed 23 turnovers against the Wolverines, several at key points of the game. Stevenson said the Lions will need to cut down on these turnovers against Indiana and just execute their offense.

In the previous meeting between Penn State and Indiana on Jan. 26 in the Bryce Jordan Center, the Hoosiers easily won, 70-55. In fact, over the past few years, Indiana has had quite an easy time beating the Lions, winning 10 of their last 11 meetings.

The last thing Penn State needs going into tomorrow's game is distractions. But distractions can be very prevalent traveling to a place steeped in tradition, such as Indiana.

"If guys go in looking at the banners hanging on the ceiling along with the mystique, it can be a tougher place to play," Dunn said. "We have to go in and stick to the game plan and not worry about the things that surround the game."