Nice win.

More on the Kentucky game later this afternoon. Because of another commitment, I didn't watch it, but listened to the first half. I'll check it out this afternoon and post more later. Considering how short-handed the Hoosiers were, this is a nice win. Kentucky isn't very good at all, and the Wildcats didn't respond well to their first trip on the road. So, a short-handed 20 point win against UK isn't what it would be in most seasons, but it still feels good.

In other news relating to the series, IU and Kentucky have re-upped for another two year series. As for the last two matchups, the games will be played on campus instead of in Louisville/Indianapolis. I suppose I am at peace with this. This may be an Indy-centric point of view, but I am a bit disappointed in the scheduling trend away from playing any pre-conference games in Indianapolis. For years, the Hoosier Classic at MSA and then Conseco Fieldhouse and the marquee games at the Hoosier Dome provided non-alumni with an opportunity to see the Hoosiers during holiday season, and provided an alternative for scheduling when students are away from Bloomington for the holidays. This season, for the first time in eons (I'll look it up and edit) since Market Square Arena opened in 1974, IU will not play in Indianapolis at all during the pre-conference (the Big Ten Tournament is here this year).

Next season, like this season, IU and Purdue will play only once during the Big Ten season. I have previously discussed the idiocy of the Big Ten's failure to protect the IU-Purdue rivalry, particularly when both programs are rebounding and the Big Ten has reverted to the 18 game schedule. This year, the only matchup will be in Assembly Hall. Next year, it will be at Mackey. While Purdue has elected not to do this when it loses a home game, in 2002-03, when the only Big Ten matchup was at Mackey, IU and Purdue played a non-conference game at the RCA Dome. I hope that the two schools will consider doing the same next December at Lucas Oil Stadium. It would be nice for IU to revive the tradition of a non-conference game in Indianapolis and would be a great first-ever basketball game at the new facility.