| The week that was in men's hoops | ||
| Feb 7 2010, 10:41 AM | Blogger: Brent Yarina | |
| This is my weekly recap of Big Ten men's hoops games from Jan. 31-Feb. 6. Team of the week: Wisconsin - Not a whole lot of suspense to this one, I know. The Badgers, of course, sent first-place Michigan State to its first Big Ten defeat in a 67-49 decision Tuesday at the Kohl Center. Then, on Saturday, Wisconsin completed its emphatic state of Michigan sweep by thumping the Wolverines, 62-44, at Crisler Arena. Most impressive, though, Wisconsin led throughout in each game, that is after falling behind 1-0 to Michigan State and 2-0 to Michigan. Player of the week: Demetri McCamey, Illinois - Apologies to Ohio State's Evan Turner and William Buford, Penn State's Talor Battle and Wisconsin's Jason Bohannon, but McCamey was the brightest of many Big Ten stars this past week. The notorious up-and-down point guard dished out 18 assists in a pair of important wins, including a season-best 11 helpers in Saturday's upset over Michigan State. McCamey, who had just five turnovers, averaged 18.5 points and 4.5 rebounds, all while shooting 13 of 24 (54 percent). Game of the week: Illinois 78, Michigan State 73 - With or without Kalin Lucas, Saturday's primetime clash figured to be a dandy, and that's just what it turned out to be. Michigan State was without Lucas, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, who sat out with a sprained right ankle. No matter. This one was never short on excitement. Illinois jumped out to a 14-4 lead, but Michigan State rallied to make a game of it. And in the second half, every time it looked as though Illinois was about to deliver the knockout blow, the Spartans hit right back. In the end, each team shot better than 50 percent in a contest that featured 11 ties and ended with Illinois tallying its first win over a top-5-ranked Big Ten team in nine years. Development of the week: There's two, the most important being Kalin Lucas' health. Lucas sprained his right ankle Tuesday after landing on Keaton Nankivil's foot in Michigan State's defeat at the Kohl Center. Lucas didn't return to the game, and he didn't play in Saturday's loss at Illinois. The other development also pertains to Lucas, as his injury, coupled with two consecutive Michigan State losses, has turned the Big Ten title picture into a five-team race, with Illinois, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin all within one game of the Spartans. Disappointment of the week: Indiana misses out on a huge signature win - The Hoosiers had a chance to tally the biggest win of the Tom Crean era against heated rival Purdue on Thursday night. Indiana led by as many as seven points in the first half and withstood every Boilermakers' run to keep the game in doubt until the bitter end. Verdell Jones missed the potential game-trying shot at the buzzer, but Indiana lost the game at the free-throw line, missing the front-end of three consecutive one-and-one's in the final four minutes. Stat line of the week: Evan Turner, Ohio State - 9-15, 27 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals in Ohio State's 75-62 victory over Penn State on Wednesday. Quote of the week: "We weren't blind. I'm sure everyone could feel the presence of them." - Evan Tuner, on the 1960 Ohio State national championship team being in attendance for Sunday's win against Minnesota. Bold prediction for the week ahead: Purdue, behind a big game from Robbie Hummel, will go into East Lansing on Tuesday night and send the Spartans to their third straight loss. The week ahead: Because it's Super Bowl Sunday, the week tips off nice and early, with Iowa at Ohio State (noon, Big Ten Network) getting things started. Tuesday boasts the week's premiere games, as Illinois travels to Wisconsin (7 ET, Big Ten Network) and Michigan State hosts Purdue (9 ET, ESPN). Then for our weekly Super Wednesdays Presented by Buffalo Wild Wings, Indiana welcomes Ohio State (6:30, Big Ten Network) and Iowa hosts Northwestern (8:35, Big Ten Network). Check out the entire Big Ten schedule right here. |
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| Who's the frontrunner in the Big Ten now? Wisconsin's looking good | ||
| Feb 7 2010, 12:04 AM | Blogger: Brent Yarina | |
| OK, let's get one thing straight: Michigan State, despite Kalin Lucas' bum ankle and a two-game skid, still sits atop the Big Ten standings. The lead isn't as comfortable as it was a week ago, though, because Illinois, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin enter Sunday within one game of the Spartans in the loss column. So who's the favorite to take the conference? That's the question I was asked on Twitter following Illinois' victory over Michigan State on Saturday night. At the time, without studying the remaining schedules, I offered Wisconsin and Purdue as my favorites. Upon further review, I'm taking the Badgers. Why? Well, Wisconsin might be without Jon Leuer, arguably its best player, but it hasn't mattered and it boasts the most favorable remaining schedule of the five true contenders. You'll notice below that Michigan State's opponents have the worst combined record, at 28-42, but that figure is greatly skewed by two games against 0-10 Penn State. On top of that, nobody truly knows when, if ever, Lucas will return to 100 percent. Wisconsin's remaining schedule - teams with a combined 33-37 Big Ten record - looks awfully good, primarily because only two of the games are against the contenders, that being Illinois twice. That means no Michigan State. No Ohio State. And no Purdue. In comparison, every other contender has at least three games against the top teams. Illinois, with five, has the most, and Michigan State and Purdue still play each other twice. But wait, there's more. Of the Badgers' final seven games, four are at the Kohl Center, where they simply don't lose. Things definitely look promising in Madison. Michigan State, of course, remains in the driver's seat, but should the Spartans fail to snap their short skid or not have a healthy Lucas soon, it looks as though Wisconsin will reap the benefits. THE CONTENDERS Michigan State (9-2): Purdue, @ Penn State, @ Indiana, Ohio State, @ Purdue, Penn State, Michigan Opponents' record: 28-42 Illinois (8-3): @ Wisconsin, Ohio State, @ Purdue, @ Michigan, Minnesota, @ Ohio State, Wisconsin Opponents' record: 47-27 Wisconsin (8-3): Illinois, Indiana, @ Minnesota, Northwestern, @ Indiana, Iowa, @ Illinois Opponents' record: 33-37 Ohio State (7-3): Iowa, @ Indiana, @ Illinois, Purdue, @ Michigan State, @ Penn State, Michigan, Illinois Opponents' record: 41-42 Purdue (7-3): @ Michigan State, Iowa, @ Ohio State, Illinois, @ Minnesota, Michigan State, Indiana, @ Penn State Opponents' record: 39-39 *--Records through Saturday night's action |
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| Rivalry renewed: Crean, new-look Hoosiers set to host Purdue for first time | |
| Feb 3 2010, 9:15 PM | Blogger: Brent Yarina |
| So the Boilermakers are headed to Assembly Hall for the first time in two years on Thursday night. A lot has changed in the 24 months since the last encounter, which went in Indiana's favor, believe it or not. For Purdue, it's the far superior team now and is no longer a youthful unit led by a trio of talented freshman. For Indiana, it has a new coach, none of the same players and a team that hardly resembles the one that had realistic Final Four dreams the last time the two met. Other than that, though, the rivalry is still heated -- even if the two programs are on completely different levels and have only met once a year recently. You'll see just that Thursday night. Assembly Hall will be rocking, for what is certain to mark the biggest game in the Tom Crean era. The Hoosiers play their best at home and when the home crowd is feeling it, so crazier things have happened. But do the Hoosiers stand a chance? Only if the following three things happen ... : 1. JaJuan Johnson gets in early foul trouble It's no secret the Hoosiers struggle with interior defense, and with Tom Pritchard's knack for committing quick fouls, it could be a long night if they don't get Johnson on the bench early. Should Johnson avoid foul trouble, a big-time double-double is pretty much a lock against Indiana's undermanned fontline. 2. Jeremiah Rivers slows down E'Twaun Moore Speaking of foul trouble, Rivers often finds himself in it. Still, he's the kind of defender who could send Moore to a rare low-scoring night if he stays on the floor. Rivers is strong and athletic, traits that often serve as the crux of his foul trouble, but this game should be physical and the officials know it coming in. 3. Verdell Jones erupts for a big night Jones is Indiana's go-to-guy, but he isn't always the most efficient scorer. That will have to change, and most likely against lockdown defender Chris Kramer. Jones is a dynamic threat, one who can hurt defenses with his penetration or smooth jumper, but he'll have to put both on full display if the Hoosiers hope to pull off the upset. |
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| The week that was in men's hoops | ||
| Jan 31 2010, 12:33 PM | Blogger: Brent Yarina | |
| This is my weekly recap of Big Ten men's hoops games from Jan. 24-30. Team of the week: Michigan State - Tom Izzo insists the Big Ten title winner will lose four games, but that's not looking too probable the way the Spartans have rolled out of the gate. Michigan State improved to 9-0 this past week by tallying a late, one-point win at Michigan on Tuesday and beating Northwestern on Saturday in the two teams' first game in East Lansing since last year's memorable upset. Player of the week: Durrell Summers, Michigan State - Summers has all the talent in the world, something he put on full display in Michigan State's wins over Michigan and Northwestern. The athletic wing posted a pair of double-doubles, highlighted by his 24-point, 10-rebound performance in Saturday's win over the Wildcats. For the week, Summers averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds, all while shooting 13-of-23 (57 percent) from the field. Game of the week: Wisconsin 79, Penn State 71, OT - Wisconsin isn't supposed to be a team that is capable of coming back from large deficits. Penn State may want to argue otherwise. The Badgers showed they have plenty of quick-strike offense Sunday en route to rallying back from a 16-point, second-half deficit to force overtime and beat the Nittany Lions at the Kohl Center. Sophomore Jordan Taylor, as Gus Johnson said was "The Closer," scoring the final eight points of regulation and adding 10 more in overtime. Development of the week: Welcome, Eric May - It's easy to discount Iowa, considering the 2-7 Big Ten clip, yet there's some young talent emerging in Iowa City -- none better or more exciting than Hawkeye freshman Eric May. It's very easy to like May's game, but he took his play to another level this past week, displaying incredible athleticism on both ends of the floor. Aside from swatting seven shots, including the incredible one on William Buford's would-be poster jam, May hit six 3-pointers and has quickly become Iowa's most dynamic player. Disappointment of the week: Penn State does it again - The Nittany Lions have been in position to tally their first conference win several times now, but never has the win looked more possible than it did Sunday at Wisconsin. Penn State led by as many as 16 and was up by eight with two minutes left before allowing the Badgers to force the extra session, where Wisconsin dominated en route to a 79-71 win. At 0-8, things aren't going to get any easier, with trips to Purdue and Ohio State up next. Stat line of the week: Keaton Nankivil, Wisconsin - 9-14 (7-8 3-pointers), 25 points, six rebounds, one assist, three steals and one block in Wisconsin's 60-57 loss at Purdue. Quote of the week: "I don't know what Wesley Snipes was talking about." - Trevon Hughes, on Jason Bohannon's athletic block against Penn State, referencing Snipes' popular movie, "White Men Can't Jump." Bold prediction for the week ahead: It might not be all that bold of a prediction, considering the game is at the Kohl Center, but Wisconsin will hand first-place Michigan State its first Big Ten loss Tuesday night. The Badgers are still without junior standout Jon Leuer, although they're getting increased production from Keaton Nankivil and Jordan Taylor and could prove to be the Spartans' biggest conference test yet. The week ahead: Things get off to a fast start Sunday, with Ohio State hosting Minnesota (1 ET CBS), and continue throughout the week. Tuesday boasts the week's biggest game as Wisconsin hosts first-place Michigan State (9 ET ESPN), and then on Super Wednesdays Presented by Buffalo Wild Wings, Ohio State hosts Penn State (6:30 Big Ten Network) and Illinois goes to Iowa (8:35 Big Ten Network). On Thursday, Indiana hosts hot Purdue (7 ESPN). Check out the entire Big Ten schedule right here. |
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| Handing out some hardware at the midway point | |||
| Jan 30 2010, 12:19 PM | Blogger: Brent Yarina | ||
| Every Big Ten team will hit the midway point of the conference slate this weekend, and with that in mind, I thought it was the perfect time to hand out some midseason accolades. Here we go: Player of the Year: Evan Turner, Ohio State - He isn't on the best team in the conference, sure, but he's easily its best player. Turner, who owns a pair of triple-doubles this season and has flirted with a couple others, is a stat-stuffing machine, averaging 18.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. On top of that, he helps his team on defense, totaling 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per contest. With Turner, the Buckeyes are capable of beating anybody in the nation; without him, they're not nearly the same team. Runner-up: Robbie Hummel, Purdue Honorable mention: DeShawn Sims, Michigan; Kalin Lucas, Michigan State; John Shurna, Northwestern; Talor Battle, Penn State; Trevon Hughes, Wisconsin Sixth Man: Draymond Green, Michigan State - Green shouldn't even be up for this award, because, let's be honest, he could start on just about any team in the nation, let alone Michigan State. Tom Izzo, however, elects to bring Green off the bench, and the sophomore captain has made his coach look pretty smart in the process, averaging 10.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Runner-up: Devan Dumes, Indiana Honorable mention: Dominique Keller, Illinois Defense: Damian Johnson, Minnesota - Johnson doesn't always get the credit of, say, Purdue's Chris Kramer, but he very well could be the conference's best all-around defender. Whether it's a steal or a block, there aren't many better than the Minnesota senior, evidenced by his 2.3 steals and 2.2 blocks per contest. Those figures rank second and tied for second, respectively. Runner-up: Chris Kramer, Purdue Honorable mention: Jeremiah Rivers, Indiana; Dallas Lauderdale, Ohio State; David Lighty, Ohio State; JaJuan Johnson, Purdue; Trevon Hughes, Wisconsin
Freshman: Drew Crawford, Northwestern - It's not common for a Northwestern freshman to burst onto the national scene, but that's just what Crawford has done. In a conference full of talented first-year players, Crawford (11.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.7 apg) has not only been the most consistent, but he's had the biggest impact. After all, this is the guy who drained eight 3-pointers and poured in 35 points in just his eighth game, and then went on to score 11 straight points en route to rallying his team past Michigan at Crisler Arena. Runner-up: Christian Watford, Indiana Honorable mention: D.J. Richardson, Illinois; Eric May, Iowa; Kelsey Barlow, Purdue Coach of the Year: Bo Ryan, Wisconsin - Never bet against a Bo Ryan-led team -- that's the message from the year thus far. Many experts picked the Badgers to finish in the lower third of the Big Ten standings, something that has proven to be nothing short of idiotic. The Badgers are in second place, at 6-3, with their lone losses coming at Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue -- all respectable defeats. Even more, two of those losses have come with Jon Leuer, arguably the Badgers' best player, on the bench with a wrist injury. Runner-up: Bill Carmody, Northwestern Honorable mention: Tom Crean, Indiana; Tom Izzo, Michigan State Most Improved: Blake Hoffarber - No matter how much Hoffarber struggled with his shot last year as a sophomore, everybody knew he was still a dangerous shooter. But this dangerous? Not a chance. Hoffarber, almost strictly an outside shooter, is hitting a remarkable 53 percent of his shots, including 56-of-113 treys (.496%). All this from a guy who shot a woeful 41 percent and hit only 45 -of-132 from downtown (.341%) last season. Runner-up: John Shurna, Northwestern Honorable mention: Mike Tisdale, Illinois; Verdell Jones, Indiana; Aaron Fuller, Iowa; Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin Prediction for the second half: With Lewis Jackson back from a season-long foot injury, Purdue will continue its recent hot streak and keep Michigan State from running away with its second straight Big Ten crown. The Boilers trail the Spartans by three games, but the two teams have yet to play and Purdue should only get better now that it has its conductor back. |
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