Indiana University Athletics
IU-Kentucky Rivalry Renewed In Iowa
3/18/2016 7:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Sam Beishuizen, IUHoosiers.com
DES MOINES, Iowa - Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell will play in his 136th career game for Indiana Saturday, more than any other Hoosier before him.
It'll be his first against Kentucky.
Ferrell, who's already etched his name among the best players in program history, will get his first chance to play IU's longtime rival in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at 5:15 p.m. The matchup will be the first time the schools have since playing twice in 2011-12, when IU won in the non-conference season and Kentucky won in the second round of the NCAAs en route to a national championship.
"Coach Crean has just said it's going to be a very up and down game, so get our shoe laces ready," Ferrell said. "The main thing is you've just have get your wind right, get ready for this game because it's going to be a very fun game."
No. 5 Indiana (26-7) and No. 4 Kentucky (27-8) first met Dec. 18, 1924 at Alumni Gymnasium in Lexington and have played 55 games since. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 32-24, but Saturday's game will mark the first time any of the current players on either roster have had a chance to play one another.
Though scheduling conflicts have put the rivalry on hiatus, the natural shakeout of the NCAA Tournament pitted the border state schools against each other with a spot in the Sweet Sixteen in Philadelphia on the line.
"Growing up in Indiana, you've obviously watched the games every single time they're played," junior forward Collin Hartman said. "But they're always highly talented and highly athletic and get out and run and block shots and score at a high rate. We just have to prepare the way we always have and come out with our own mindset."
Ryan Burton, of Bedford, is one of six Indiana natives on the Hoosiers' roster well familiar with the rivalry between the blue blood programs. He grew up an Indiana fan around the rivalry but remembers Christian Watford's 2011 game-winner at the buzzer more than anything. Then he got another taste from Kentucky's side of view when he was playing at Bellarmine in Louisville before transferring to Indiana.
Now he's about to join the rivalry he grew up watching.
"It's definitely one heck of a tradition," Burton said. "Even more so now because it's in the NCAA Tournament to get to the round of 16. But it's Indiana-Kentucky, so it's going to be exciting."
Derek Elston, now Indiana's director of player development, was a part of four years' worth of Kentucky games. He sat inside Indiana's locker room Friday reminiscing about his time as a player going up against the Wildcats.
Nobody on Indiana's staff or roster has seen what the rivalry means quite like he has.
"I do miss it," Elston said. "As a player, that was one of the games you always looked forward to just to see where we're at as a team. That's one of things, we didn't play Kentucky and we haven't for a while...Now we've got Kentucky, so we're just worried about them."
As far as matchups go, Indiana and Kentucky don't look too different.
Both teams have offenses that rank among the nation's best with defenses that aren't as highly regarded but have proven adequate enough to win enough games as well. Sophomore guard Robert Johnson said the Wildcats are as long, athletic and talented as any team Indiana has faced up until this point.
"They've got a bunch of athletes who are really good basketball players," Johnson said. "I can see where people might think we're pretty similar teams, but the differences and who plays better is what's going to separate us."
Said Kentucky's Tyler Ulis: "We're not really talking about the rivalry as much...They're a good team. We're a good team. It'll be a good game."
The players on both sides have tried to downplay the rivalry to an extent. The majority of them were giving media answers along the lines of, "it's just another game," which may be true enough to them.
But two of America's most passionate fan bases would beg to differ.
Because it's Indiana vs. Kentucky. It's the NCAA Tournament.
And it's coming.
DES MOINES, Iowa - Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell will play in his 136th career game for Indiana Saturday, more than any other Hoosier before him.
It'll be his first against Kentucky.
Ferrell, who's already etched his name among the best players in program history, will get his first chance to play IU's longtime rival in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at 5:15 p.m. The matchup will be the first time the schools have since playing twice in 2011-12, when IU won in the non-conference season and Kentucky won in the second round of the NCAAs en route to a national championship.
"Coach Crean has just said it's going to be a very up and down game, so get our shoe laces ready," Ferrell said. "The main thing is you've just have get your wind right, get ready for this game because it's going to be a very fun game."
No. 5 Indiana (26-7) and No. 4 Kentucky (27-8) first met Dec. 18, 1924 at Alumni Gymnasium in Lexington and have played 55 games since. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 32-24, but Saturday's game will mark the first time any of the current players on either roster have had a chance to play one another.
Though scheduling conflicts have put the rivalry on hiatus, the natural shakeout of the NCAA Tournament pitted the border state schools against each other with a spot in the Sweet Sixteen in Philadelphia on the line.
"Growing up in Indiana, you've obviously watched the games every single time they're played," junior forward Collin Hartman said. "But they're always highly talented and highly athletic and get out and run and block shots and score at a high rate. We just have to prepare the way we always have and come out with our own mindset."
Ryan Burton, of Bedford, is one of six Indiana natives on the Hoosiers' roster well familiar with the rivalry between the blue blood programs. He grew up an Indiana fan around the rivalry but remembers Christian Watford's 2011 game-winner at the buzzer more than anything. Then he got another taste from Kentucky's side of view when he was playing at Bellarmine in Louisville before transferring to Indiana.
Now he's about to join the rivalry he grew up watching.
"It's definitely one heck of a tradition," Burton said. "Even more so now because it's in the NCAA Tournament to get to the round of 16. But it's Indiana-Kentucky, so it's going to be exciting."
Derek Elston, now Indiana's director of player development, was a part of four years' worth of Kentucky games. He sat inside Indiana's locker room Friday reminiscing about his time as a player going up against the Wildcats.
Nobody on Indiana's staff or roster has seen what the rivalry means quite like he has.
"I do miss it," Elston said. "As a player, that was one of the games you always looked forward to just to see where we're at as a team. That's one of things, we didn't play Kentucky and we haven't for a while...Now we've got Kentucky, so we're just worried about them."
As far as matchups go, Indiana and Kentucky don't look too different.
Both teams have offenses that rank among the nation's best with defenses that aren't as highly regarded but have proven adequate enough to win enough games as well. Sophomore guard Robert Johnson said the Wildcats are as long, athletic and talented as any team Indiana has faced up until this point.
"They've got a bunch of athletes who are really good basketball players," Johnson said. "I can see where people might think we're pretty similar teams, but the differences and who plays better is what's going to separate us."
Said Kentucky's Tyler Ulis: "We're not really talking about the rivalry as much...They're a good team. We're a good team. It'll be a good game."
The players on both sides have tried to downplay the rivalry to an extent. The majority of them were giving media answers along the lines of, "it's just another game," which may be true enough to them.
But two of America's most passionate fan bases would beg to differ.
Because it's Indiana vs. Kentucky. It's the NCAA Tournament.
And it's coming.
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