White will play against Purdue, Sampson says

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Indiana University basketball coach Kelvin Sampson said forward D.J. White will play tonight against rival Purdue.

White, who suffered a sprained left knee in the first half of Saturday night's win over Michigan State, underwent an MRI on Sunday. The results came back negative.
Sampson, speaking on his radio show Monday night, didn't say whether White would start against Purdue. He said the IU senior "did some things" in practice Monday and that he expected him to play.
After the radio show, Sampson elaborated, saying that White had not participated in live drills.
"He went skeleton against their offense and defense (in walkthroughs), and he did some shooting drills,'' Sampson said. "I think he'll be all right.''
Sampson said he leaves the final decisions in such matters to team doctor Larry Rink, trainer Tim Garl and White.
Sampson said on Saturday he was told that White shouldn't play in the second half. This time the coach was told to expect White to play.
White, one of the leading candidates for Big Ten Player of the Year, is averaging 17.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

 

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Keys

? Purdue on offense: While Moore and Hummel have been hot recently, the Boilermakers are so balanced that any player could be their leading scorer. Seven players have led the Boilers in scoring this season. Purdue will run the motion offense until it gets a shot, and it has multiple players capable of hitting the 3-pointer.
? Purdue on defense: Purdue will run strictly man-to-man, and the key matchup is Kramer on Gordon. Kramer has shut down every opponent he has faced this season, and Purdue thinks he's quick enough to handle the Big Ten's leading scorer. Plan is to lock down Gordon and make someone else beat them. Purdue is allowing just 60.5 points per game, fourth-best in the league.

? IU on offense: The Hoosiers average a league-high 76.2 points. Whether it's D.J. White or Thomas inside, IU wants to get isolated matchups and exploit Purdue's lack of size in the post. With a lot of attention being focused on Gordon, look for him to drive and deliver quick passes to Ellis, Bassett or Jordan Crawford on the perimeter.
? IU on defense: If White is unable to go, look for the Hoosiers to spend a lot of time in a 2-3 zone. Wisconsin shot well against it, but the zone gave Ohio State and Michigan State trouble. IU will be looking to limit Purdue to one shot per possession.