Talk about operating in the moment. Indiana's basketball team knocked off intra-state rival Purdue last night, 77-68, for its second straight win over a nationally ranked Big 10 opponent. It was also a win that kept the Hoosiers in the battle for first place in the conference.

But if you haven't been following the story line, here's the punch line. It may have been the coach's final game. Kelvin Sampson, the second-year Indiana coach, as he strode off the home court last night was probably a fired-coach-walking (or at least soon to be suspended in anticipation of being fired, or resigning). Sampson stands accused of a second round of NCAA recruiting violations and allegedly lying to NCAA and school officials. The university is delving into the matter and is expected to have an announcement tomorrow or Friday.

The best guess is that when Indiana 22-4 (11-2 Big 10) plays again against Northwestern on Feb. 23, assistant coach Dan Dakich will be calling the shots.

Of course, the amazing thing is that the Indiana players have somehow blocked the obvious distraction and continued to play well against tough competition. There's a temptation to joke maybe every team should have its coach work with a sword of Damocles hanging over him but there's little humor in a situation where a career is hanging by an increasingly fraying thread.

Photo credit: Ty Russell/AP