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Patricia Babcock McGraw's Bio: Patricia Babcock McGraw is a women's basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network. Submit your comments below or e-mail her at the right, then come back all season for her views on all Big Ten women's hoops. |
| Dec 8 2008, 11:53 AM | Topic: Women's basketball |
| Credit Big Ten women's basketball teams for this: They don't shy away from a challenge. In terms of strength of schedule, the Big Ten, as a conference, boasts the toughest in the nation this season. According to RealtimeRPI.com, the Big Ten ranks No. 1 ahead of the Pac-10, ACC, Big 12 and Big East, respectively. Individually, six Big Ten teams sit among the nation's Top 30 toughest schedulers: Ohio State (No. 2), Iowa (6), Michigan (21), Illinois (25), Wisconsin (28) and Purdue (30). You've heard coaches say it, "If you want to be the best, you've got to play the best." But here's the problem, you've also got to beat the best. And while the Big Ten is putting itself out there, steering clear of the non-conference schedules packed with cupcakes, it's not often getting the results it wants … or needs. This week, Big Ten teams had a golden opportunity to make some noise nationally, but, in most cases, fell short. In seven games in which Big Ten teams faced ranked opponents, only once did a Big Ten team come out on top. That was un-ranked Iowa's 66-46 victory over No. 22 Iowa State on Sunday. Meanwhile, No. 20 Purdue lost to No. 8 Notre Dame, 62-51 and No. 11 Maryland, 70-59, Michigan lost to No. 14 Duke, 60-45, Iowa lost to Duke, 71-47, Illinois lost to No. 19 Virginia, 63-39 and No. 18 Ohio State lost to No. 2 North Carolina, 72-63. Prior to the season, league coaches revisited their disappointment at getting only four Big Ten teams into the 2008 NCAA tournament. On top of that, they were frustrated that the best seed a league team got was a No. 6 (Ohio State) and that only Purdue advanced past the first round. (The Boilers wound up losing in the second round.) Big Ten coaches had hoped that every team in the league would beef up its schedule so that the selection committee would be more impressed come March of 2009. Well, that happened. Overall, the schedule is impressive. But now, Big Ten teams are going to have to start winning some of these big games. Otherwise they may find themselves in the same predicament in the next NCAA tournament. GETTING DEFENSIVE: Kudos to the Iowa defense, which played a huge role in that upset over Iowa State on Sunday. The Hawkeyes forced 21 Iowa State turnovers (while committing just 11 themselves) and were so pesky that Iowa State connected on only 35.8 percent of its field goals. Offensively, Iowa also got the job done. Three players reached double-figures: JoAnn Hamlin and Kachine Alexander each scored 18 points while Kristi Smith added 15 points. NEAT STUFF: I learned something really cool about Ohio State senior guard Ashlee Trebilcock this week while watching the Buckeyes play on the Big Ten Network. From ages four to 10, Trebilcock was a child actress. She appeared in commercials and on TV shows such as "ER," "Saved by the Bell" and "Hang Time." Apparently, Trebilcock even worked with the one and only George Clooney. Wonder if Trebilcock ever puts her acting skills to use when she's trying to pick up a foul. LOOKING AHEAD: Once again, there are some very interesting games on tap this week in the Big Ten. On Wednesday, No. 8 Notre Dame visits Michigan in a game that will be televised on the Big Ten Network (6 p.m. Central). On Saturday, two in-state rivals will go at it when Marquette travels to Madison for a tilt against a hot Wisconsin team. That game will also be shown by the Big Ten Network (1 p.m. Central). On Sunday, Penn State will take on top-ranked Connecticut at Madison Square Garden in New York (ESPNU, 1 p.m. Central) as part of the Maggie Dixon Classic. In 2006, Dixon was the toast of the NCAA when she guided Army to 20 wins and a berth in the NCAA tournament. She was just 28 years old and took over at Army – her first head coaching job - weeks before the season started. Sadly, three weeks after Army lost to Tennessee in the first round of the tournament, Dixon died of an arrhythmic episode to her heart. An autopsy determined that she had had an enlarged hard and a problem with a valve. Dixon arrived at Army after serving as an assistant coach at DePaul. And speaking of DePaul, Northwestern travels there on Sunday for a crosstown rivalry game that tips at 2 p.m. CT. |
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