Ken Davis

There’s a terrific story being scripted in that basketball crazy state of Indiana. Think of it as updated version of Hoosiers, with this storyline focused on a present day college team rather than an overachieving bunch from a small town high school.

There’s only one problem. This feel good story is about to be overshadowed by the real Indiana Hoosiers, their rule breaking coach, and the NCAA committee on infractions.

News broke Wednesday of an NCAA report that says Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson committed five “major” violations while under probation for infractions committed as coach at Oklahoma. Suddenly, Sampson’s future and Indiana’s dilemma have taken center stage — not only in the Big Ten, but nationally.

Until Indiana fires Sampson, suspends Sampson, or self-imposes some sort of sanctions on the program, this story isn’t going away. It jumped into the spotlight along with Wednesday’s Indiana-Wisconsin game. Sampson was booed. The Badgers won 68-66. Sampson read a statement denying the allegations.

And that was just Day 1.

Just imagine how the circus will grow. Indiana plays host to ESPN’s Game Day crew Saturday when Michigan State plays in Bloomington. Think the guys will discuss Sampson during one of the 500 pregame spots? Then fast forward to Tuesday when Purdue visits the Hoosiers.

If there aren’t enough distractions for that one, maybe they could roll out the wrestling mats and let Bob Knight and Gene Keady have at it during halftime. Neither former coach is busy these days. Maybe the winner of the wrestling match could become Sampson’s successor. (Let’s pause for a sidebar: Do you think Knight knew the Indiana job was about to open up? Is that why he resigned from Texas Tech?)

The top five teams in the Big Ten are Purdue (11-1), Wisconsin (10-2), Indiana (9-2), Michigan State (8-3) and Ohio State (8-4). Those five should make the NCAA Tournament and that’s it. Saturday’s game between Michigan State and Indiana is a big one looking ahead to seeding for the tournament. Both teams have Final Four potential, but will either reach that potential?

It’s safe to say Indiana won’t announce its own postseason ban for this season. Not with Eric Gordon and D.J. White in the mix. Gordon will leave after his freshman season and White is a senior. The time is now for the Hoosiers but I’m still not sure they have a Final Four team. When Gordon and White are both off their game — as they were in the loss to UConn on Jan. 26 – the Hoosiers aren’t at that level. And now they have a mess of distractions to deal with.

So, let’s look elsewhere.

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Matt Painter’s Purdue team has won 10 consecutive games. Let’s lose the Baby Boilermakers reference. They may be young, but they are growing up fast. They swept the season series with Wisconsin, winning 72-67 Saturday at Madison. They avenged their last loss by beating Michigan State 60-54 Monday night.

“The Mackey Magic is back,” sophomore guard Chris Kramer said after that one.

Indeed it is. The arena that used to rock every time Keady would boil over and throw his jacket was really pulsing Monday night. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said he hadn’t seen Mackey that way since the early 1990s. They are cheering for guys like Kramer, and freshman Robbie Hummel and freshman E’Twaun Moore — new guys who have injected new life into the Boilermakers. And these freshmen might even come back for another year or more.

“There’s no question that’s the most physical team in the league,” Izzo said. “That’s strange to say with freshmen. They’re not like the old Purdue teams when a lot of the players looked like the Boilermaker himself. They’re more of an athletic, skinnier version. And I’m not sure there’s a tougher kid than Kramer.”

That’s a big statement from a coach who preaches toughness. Painter, who has his own youthful appearance going on along the sideline, likes the way his team fights and battles. He also likes the way they share the ball.

Purdue was Izzo’s sleeper pick to win the Big Ten before the season started. But he really thought Indiana would win. The fact the Boilermakers control their destiny at this stage of the season is remarkable.

It’s the feel good story that should be told over and over — deep in the NCAA Tournament. Maybe even the Final Four.

Unfortunately, Indiana keeps getting in the way.