Despite the fact that every rational thought in my head suggests that my beloved Hoosiers are going to get their asses handed to them today in Mackey Arena, I am pumped for today’s game and 1:00 (Dallas time) can’t get here soon enough.

Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment, and perhaps I’ll feel differently if today’s game goes as every expert predicts it will go (read: blowout), but there is still always something special when Indiana and Purdue take the court together. Today is no different, and in fact is a little extra special because it is the first meeting in what should be a long and competitive rivalry between two outstanding coaches: Tom Crean and Matt Painter.

I am about to do something that I rarely do, and that may shock anyone who knows me. So brace yourselves. But I am about to give someone affiliated with Purdue a compliment.

I really, really like Matt Painter as a coach. Obviously I hate his guts because he coaches for Purdue, and I want to see him lose every game, but I respect what he is building in West Lafayette, and his teams embody what I am optimistic that Tom Crean can build in Bloomington (just better, of course). Painter has produced a team with many home-grown kids from the state of Indiana that protect their home floor, play tough and physical defense, and make every game a battle. They are not flashy, but they are solid and successful. And I can tell you this: I’m already penciling Purdue in for the Sweet 16 and the brackets aren’t even out yet.

(Pause. I am going to wash my hands now because I feel dirty and traitorous for having typed the previous paragraph.)

All that said, I wouldn’t trade Tom Crean for Matt Painter, and even though Purdue is better than Indiana this year, the fact remains that the ceiling for greatness in Bloomington is and always will be higher than in West Lafayette. At the end of the day, while Purdue has us 21-20 in Big Ten titles, the five national championships and 8 Final Four appearances dwarf the modest success that Purdue has had on a national level. Now that we have a coach who can build a winner the right way, and for the long-term, the Hoosiers should be able to elevate to the height of that ceiling once again.

And hopefully today is a step in the right direction.

A lot has been written over the past 36 hours about the frustration that Tom Crean showed after Thursday night’s loss to Wisconsin. He was not particularly amicable with Bo Ryan during the post-game handshake, and did not stay around long to answer questions with the media. Apparently, at least according to this forum thread, such behavior was his M.O. after particularly tough losses while at Marquette. Call me crazy, but I doubt IU fans will hold that against him. We have a little bit of experience with coaches who do not always display the height of their jocularity after losses.

To be perfectly honest, I felt the same way after the Wisconsin loss. I’ve stayed pretty positive all year, but that second half was pathetic. We looked tired, lacked focus, and did not even play up to our modest capabilities. We were terrible and non-competitive. I don’t think too many people realistically expected victory, but we all certainly expected a better effort than that. Tom Crean has stayed remarkably positive all season long in the face of some of the most dire circumstances and results any big-time college basketball program has ever experienced.

I’ll forgive him if every now and then the frustration boils over.

I hope and expect that the team saw every bit of that frustration in the locker room. If we play against Purdue in Mackey today like we played at home in the second half against Wisconsin, we’ll lose by 30 points. If we bring the effort and intensity we have brought all season long we can make it a semi-competitive game and at the very least not be embarrased. Like many, I will be rooting as hard as I can and hoping for the best, but I’d be shocked if IU pulled off a victory. It sure would be a beautiful thing, but while I hate Purdue with every fabric of my being, I don’t disrespect them enough to predict an IU win on their home floor. Not this season anyway.

I did say at the beginning of the year that if we went 1-15 in the conference, but beat Purdue, that I would consider the season a success. We already got our one win against Iowa and it remains to be seen if this year’s Hoosiers are capable of a second. But if somehow — by some combined stroke of luck, serendipity, and downright divine intervention — the Hoosiers are able to sneak out of West Lafayette with a win, it will erase an entire season of frustration and disappointment and make the whole ugly experience just a little more palatable.

I’m not holding my breath, but I’m certainly holding out hope.

Whatever happens today boys, just go out there and play hard and give your best effort. We have known all year as fans that we have to keep our expectations in check; but only for Wins and Losses, not for effort, focus, and heart. We left a lot to be desired in the second half of Thursday, but today presents a great opportunity to attone. Let’s send a message to Purdue and the rest of the Big Ten that we are not years away from competing. Go out there and compete today and show everyone that the pride of the cream and crimson endures, even in the face of tremendous struggle and frustration.

I’ll be in front of my TV cheering for all 40 minutes and believing every second that we’ll find a way to win (rationality goes out the window once the ball is tipped…always). I don’t ask for much, just to see that same effort and belief in you.

Go IU!

Official Game Info:

• TV: Big Ten Network
• Time: 2:00 ET
• Location: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette

Prediction: Purdue wins, but the Hoosiers make it a far more competitive game than anyone expects. 62-58 Boilers