INDIANAPOLIS -- Opposites will attract lots of attention Saturday afternoon when No. 9 Indiana and No. 18 Butler clash in the sixth-annual Crossroads Classic in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.Indiana (8-1) loves its high-powered offense, which leads the Big Ten Conference at 87.6 points per game. The Hoosiers will be bolstered by the return of sophomore OG Anunoby (12.5 points), who has missed three consecutive games with an ankle injury suffered in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge victory against North Carolina.The high-scoring Hoosiers are led by guard James Blackmon, Jr. (16.9 points), Robert Johnson (13.1) and Thomas Bryant (11.9 points, 8.4 rebounds). Indiana enters with a five-game winning streak since losing in overtime at Fort Wayne.The Hoosiers are 3-2 in Crossroads Classic games, including 1-1 against Butler, and its an event Indiana coach Tom Crean enjoys.Its a great environment and always well run, Crean said this week. We enjoy playing there. But with this team, I still dont think we have the connectedness on the floor with the stuff that goes with playing together.Sometimes that shows up in turnovers. That will take a little time to get there. Our ability to play hard and with grit is expanding all the time.Crean is eager to see how Indiana will perform coming off a week of final exams.We must stay sharp, Crean said. I think we will get energy by our guys seeing that we are improving.While the Hoosiers love a high-scoring game, Butler coach Chris Holtmanns team (9-1) relies on a stifling defense that allows only 62 points and holds opponents to 41.5 percent field goal shooting. Butlers defense was especially good in this past Saturdays victory against Cincinnati.I think our guys just took it upon themselves to not give them anything easy and try to keep them off the glass, Holtmann said. Weve said it over and over that we just have to continue to improve on that end.If were going to have any kind of successful year, were going to have to consistently be good on that end. We were at times (against Cincinnati). Hopefully, we can grow from it. We know weve got to prepare for the best offensive team in the country (Indiana).While Indiana relies on its guard play and Bryants powerful inside game, Butler, 10-3 all-time in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, counters with a trio of hard-working forwards -- Andrew Chrabascz (11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds), Kelan Martin (17.7 points) and Nate Fowler (4.9 points).At 6-10, Fowler could play a big role in helping Butler contain Bryant as the Bulldogs try to improve to 5-1 in the Crossroads Classic. Fowler had a solid game against Cincinnati, making 4 of 5 field goal attempts, finishing with nine points and four rebounds.I thought he was tremendous, Holtmann said. In some ways, weve been begging him if you are open to shoot it. Nate is one of those guys where he just wants the team to win. He wants to do whatever the team needs to do to win.Sometimes you have to encourage him to be a little more aggressive. I thought our guys did a great job of finding him at critical moments in the second half and he did a good job rebounding, which has not always been his strength. I thought his play was critical. Ted Simmons . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. Ozzie Smith Jersey Large . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. 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SAO PAULO -- Racing around a wet track, Nico Rosberg was fastest in the final practice Saturday ahead of qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix.Wet weather -- or at least spotty showers -- is expected for Sundays race in which Rosberg could claim his first drivers title.Rosberg is the Formula One season champion if he wins in Brazil on Sunday. He can also finish second in Brazil, and third in two weeks in Abu Dhabi, and still be the champion.If Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton wins, the season title can only be decided in Abu Dhabi.dddddddddddd Hamilton cannot claim it in Brazil.Rosberg was 0.093 seconds ahead of Hamilton. He was slower than Hamilton in both practice sessions on Friday on a dry track.The hilly Sao Paulo circuit has a history of upsets, particularly when it rains. ' ' '
