IU Is Looking Good

Political correctness didn’t concern IU students against Iowa. They shouted “Stand up old people!” to get the mature crowd behind the north basket to rise and shout during Hawkeye guard Adam Haluska’s free throw attempts.

The crowd did and the students cheered. It didn’t faze Haluska, an 89.5 percent free throw shooter who hit both attempts, but it showed the crowd, as well as the Hoosiers, meant business.

The result was a 71-64 victory, IU’s fourth straight. It gave coach Kelvin Sampson a 4-1 Big Ten start, which is the best by a first-year Hoosier coach since Branch McCracken went 9-1 in his debut season of 1938-39.

“Our team was really, really good in most phases,” Sampson said.

Good enough to suggest that IU might be ready to show first-place Wisconsin how good it can be when the teams meet Jan. 31 at Assembly Hall.