Jan. 18--This isn't how Illinois would look at this point of the season in coach John Groce's preseason vision.
It's a safe bet Indiana coach Tom Crean didn't see the Hoosiers' lineup as it now exists.
Both coaches are operating and adapting in a new reality.
"We changed quite a bit. Even since the spring until now we've changed," Groce said. "We've been a chameleon a little bit. We've not used that as an excuse at all. We've talked a lot about having the next guy step up, figuring it out, being adaptable, being willing to adjust."
Illinois (12-6, 2-3 Big Ten) has dealt with injuries and shifted lineups, experimenting along the way, most recently having lost top scorer Rayvonte Rice to a hand injury.
At Indiana (13-4, 3-1), junior forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea's knee injury has made him the latest to leave the Hoosiers' lineup. In November, they lost freshman forward Devin Davis to injury after he was hit when he jumped in front of a car driven by teammate Emmitt Holt.
Mosquera-Perea has been inconsistent but was Indiana's main reliable frontcourt player, averaging 7.4 points, five rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
The changing teams meet Sunday at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
"With Hanner out, we will need everyone ready to do a little more," Crean said in a news release after his injury. "We need to continue our focus on rebounding, defense and all the little things it takes to be successful. We are not a team where you define a player by his position."
Indiana has been a guard-oriented team anyway, led by freshman James Blackmon Jr. (16.4 points per game) and Yogi Ferrell (15.4). The Hoosiers average a Big Ten-best 81.6 points per game.
"They're smaller than most teams you would play," Groce said. "At the same time they have the ability to go big if they want to do that. (Their guards) make them fast in transition. They're very dangerous and explosive offensively."
After the Illini offense came alive in a 72-67 victory against Northwestern on Wednesday, they're eager to keep moving forward.
"We're excited about the direction we're going," Groce said. "The cards that are dealt to us, we have to play those cards."
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