If history is any indication, Indiana is walking into a storm Tuesday night.
The Hoosiers haven't won at the Kohl Center since 1998, a drought stretching back to the building's first year. For more than two decades, Madison has been a graveyard for Indiana's hopes, a place where the ghosts of past failures linger in the rafters.
For Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard, the key to keeping it that way is slowing down Indiana big man Oumar Ballo.
"He's a handful," Gard said Monday. "We've seen enough film... he's one of the better bigs in the country."
The 7-foot, 260-pound center has been a force down low for Indiana, averaging 14.5 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 65.5% from the field this season. He's been even better as of late, scoring in double figures in nine straight games and averaging 17.2 points and 11.2 rebounds in that stretch.
It's not the first time Wisconsin has had to deal with him, either. On Dec. 9 of last season, Ballo recorded 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks for Arizona in a win over Wisconsin, making seven of his eight shots.
"With Ballo, obviously, we saw him last year at Arizona," Gard said. "The threat of Ballo inside really draws a lot of attention."
However, despite Ballo's recent run of form, Indiana hasn't managed to string any wins together. The Hoosiers (14-8, 5-6 Big Ten) arrive in Madison battered and searching for answers, having dropped three straight and five of their last six, most recently suffering a heartbreaking road loss to No. 7 Purdue.
Indiana's NCAA Tournament hopes are teetering, and now, into February, the Hoosiers are running out of time to prove they belong in the Big Dance.
A win over No. 21 Wisconsin (17-5, 7-4 Big Ten) would go a long way for Indiana's tournament hopes. A loss? Just another chapter in a familiar nightmare.
Indiana will need every bit of Ballo's dominance if it wants to escape Madison with a win. The Hoosiers' struggles on the road have been glaring, and without a statement victory soon, their tournament dreams could fade into dust.
The Kohl Center has been a house of horrors for more than 25 years, but if Ballo and the Hoosiers can flip the script Tuesday night, it could become the place where Indiana saves its season.
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