Coach Lon Kruger said his young players have a better understanding of how consistently hard they must compete to succeed in the Big Ten. They have not lost since a 91-66 setback at Michigan State on Jan. 30. Michigan State really opened their eyes,'' Kruger said. Fife is a former Michigan Mr. Basketball whose older brother Dugan played for the Wolverines. The reception brought a rebuke from Hoosiers coach Bob Knight.
Fife is too good of a kid to have to put up with that.
Brian Cardinal rushed out of Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena 20 minutes after Purdue's victory Saturday. Cardinal made only 2 of 11 shots against the Wildcats. I'm not sure if that was Northwestern's good defense or whether his head was in Tolono,'' Purdue coach Gene Keady said. I can tell you right now that if anybody asks me again to retire a number on a day that we play, the answer will be no. J.B. Bickerstaff had surgery yesterday to repair a fractured kneecap he suffered in last week's upset win over Indiana.