GAME NOTES: The 10th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers welcome the Illinois Fighting Illini to Bloomington for a Big Ten battle, the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season. Illinois is in desperate need of a victory, as four straight losses have dropped the club to 8-8 overall, a level of mediocrity that is somewhat foreign to fans of the program. Most disturbing of all is that the Illini are 0-3 in Big Ten play, and Thursday's 70-60 loss to Wisconsin was the team's second league setback by double figures. As for Indiana, it has recorded nine consecutive victories since its only loss of the season, a 15-point setback to Atlantic 10 power Xavier back in November. The Hoosiers are 2-0 in Big Ten play and are coming off a 78-64 decision over Michigan on Tuesday. They are 9-0 at home and clearly favored this afternoon. Indiana holds a narrow 80-78 series edge over Illinois, but the Illini have won eight of the last 10 meetings.

Illinois is scoring 65.8 ppg this season, and the squad is limiting the opposition to 61.9 ppg on 39.2 percent shooting from the field. Clearly, however, the last four games have done nothing but hurt that positive scoring differential. The Illini are only shooting 29.1 percent from three-point range and 59.3 percent from the foul line, two obvious reasons that they have already lost eight games. Shaun Pruitt is averaging 12.4 ppg and 7.9 rpg to lead the team in both categories, and even his 11 blocked shots are more than any other player on the roster. Trent Meachem is the only other double-digit scorer for Illinois, as he is contributing 10.3 ppg. Meachem and Calvin Brock both scored 14 points against Wisconsin earlier this week, but Illinois was outscored by seven points from the foul line and permitted the Badgers to connect on 52.1 percent of their field goal attempts.

It can certainly be argued with some validity that the best player in all of college basketball, or at least the best guard, wears an Indiana uniform. Freshman Eric Gordon has been dominant from game one and is currently averaging 23.5 ppg on the strength of his ability to score both on drives to the hoop and from the perimeter. It has been speculated that Gordon will leave school after this season and be one of the top picks in the NBA Draft, but for now he gives the Hoosiers legitimate national title hopes. D.J. White is the team's best frontcourt performer, as he is averaging 16.7 ppg and 10.9 ppg to go along with 27 blocks. Jordan Crawford checks in with 13.5 ppg for Indiana, which is averaging 82.6 ppg while limiting the opposition to 63.3 ppg on 39.4 percent shooting from the field. Gordon scored 23 points against Michigan on Tuesday, and White posted 21 points and a staggering total of 22 rebounds. Crawford tallied 11 points for the Hoosiers, who finished with a 51-33 rebounding advantage.

There is no reason to expect anything other than a convincing Indiana win. Gordon is a special talent, and White is quietly having an outstanding season.