By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Basketball players who grow up in Indiana come of age watching, cheering for and maybe even dreaming of one day playing for the Indiana Hoosiers.

The team's as much ingrained in the state's consciousness as University of Kentucky basketball is to Kentuckians or Ohio State football is to Ohioans. Indiana basketball means next-to-everything for many of the state's residents.

That is why there is significance for Xavier University in Saturday's game against Indiana in the Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis. Not only is Xavier going up against one of the winningest programs, but the Musketeers have five players and two assistant coaches from Indiana, and a head coach who went to college and coached in Indiana.

"It's a big game, with ties to Conseco Fieldhouse and the Pacers and it being a John Wooden event and playing Indiana. But we've got to continue to work on our execution," said Xavier coach Thad Matta, who played and coached at Butler University in Indianapolis.

That reference to execution can be linked to Xavier's (3-1) first loss of the season Tuesday, against Ball State. Now, Xavier will be forced to break out of an offensive funk on the biggest stage yet this season, Conseco Fieldhouse, against a team that is just two years removed from a national title-game appearance.

"Indiana is very talented," Matta said, "and it's going to be a crazy environment with 16,000 Indiana fans."

Against the Hoosiers (1-1), who lost Monday at Vanderbilt, XU can rebuild confidence.

"With our guys being from Indiana," Matta said, "I haven't seen anything different in their preparation."

XU's Indiana ties

Players and hometown:

• Dedrick Finn, Newburgh, Ind.

• Will Caudle; Indianapolis

• Justin Cage, Indianapolis

• Angelo Smith, Indianapolis

• Robert Barker, Greensburg, Ind.

Coaches and their link:

• Thad Matta, played and coached at Butler University

• John Groce, Danville, Ind., native. Played and coached at Taylor University in Upland, Ind. Coached at Butler University.

• Alan Major; Indianapolis native. Purdue University graduate.