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Tuesday’s Pregame Shootaround: Indiana looks for a bounce back win vs. Michigan State

Tom Crean, Yogi Ferrell

Indiana head coach Tom Crean, left, talks with Yogi Ferrell during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Northwestern Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014, in Bloomington, Ind. Northwestern defeated Indiana 54-47. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

AP

GAME OF THE NIGHT: Indiana at No. 3 Michigan State, 7:00 p.m.

Indiana is coming off one of the weirder stretches we’ve seen from any team this season. Last Tuesday, they notched a big win over then-No. 3 Wisconsin at home, earning themselves some credibility as a legitimate Big Ten threat and a team with a real shot at getting an NCAA tournament bid. The Hoosiers followed that up with ... losing at home to Northwestern? Indiana mustered all of 47 points in that game, which is concerning. Tom Crean’s club has offensive issues this season, and Northwestern was able to cut off any and all penetration by the Hoosiers. Can the Spartans do the same?

WHO’S GETTING UPSET?: No. 22 Kansas State at Texas, 7:00 p.m.

Is Texas actually a tournament team this season? It’s starting to look more and more like it. The Longhorns suddenly have one of the more productive front courts in the Big 12 and Rick Barnes has a handful of young and talented back court players at his disposal. Kansas State, on the other hand, is the only team currently in the Big 12 that is within a game of first place Kansas in the conference standings. Fall two games off the pace, and the Jayhawks could end up coasting to the league title.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR:

1) Missouri and LSU are both currently sitting at 2-2 in SEC play after entering the season with expectations of competing for an NCAA tournament bid. They square off tonight.

2) No. 20 Pitt hosts Clemson, who is 4-1 in the ACC as of right now. The Tigers already own a win over Duke. Are they truly going to be a contender in the ACC this year? If they win at Pitt, they probably will be.

3) No. 14 Kentucky hosts Texas A&M. Will the Wildcats try to get revenge for getting tricked into hiring Billy Gillispie?

4) New Mexico and Boise State are the only two teams in the MWC that have a chance to earn an at-large bid outside of San Diego State. They play tonight at 9:15.

5) Four key bubble matchups: Temple at UConn, Rutgers at SMU, Notre Dame at Florida State and Butler at Providence

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