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Nation's Best Coaching in Big Ten

Matt Snyder — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten, Coaches

In 2008, the Big Ten sent only four teams to the NCAA tournament. None reached the Elite Eight The Big Ten toiled down with mid-majors in conference RPI and were nationally maligned as the "Average 11." This past season, however, the league enjoyed a resurgence. It ranked only behind the ACC in conference RPI. Seven schools earned a berth into the NCAA tournament, and Penn State won the NIT. Michigan State toppled the defending national champions and two number one seeds en route to a national runner-up finish.

Don't dismiss it as a one-year outlier. The conference is on a major upswing, and you needn't look further than the coaches in the Big Ten to see why.

With the additions of Tubby Smith, Thad Matta and John Beilein in the past few years -- not to mention Indiana snagging Tom Crean after the catastrophic mess left behind by Kelvin Sampson -- the collective pedigree of the Big Ten coaches is off the charts. You have the recruiting acumen of Matta, the zeal of Crean, the grind-it-out defense of Bo Ryan, the back-door-cutting of Bill Carmody, the national championship credibility of Smith, the nearly unparalleled resume of Tom Izzo, and Gene Keady's protoge (Matt Painter). Top to bottom, this is the strongest coaching conference in the nation.

The other big-time leagues are all too top-heavy to compete with the Big Ten in terms of collective coaching strength. The ACC has Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski, a handful just a small step down, and then some dubious talents. The Big East has five or six really strong coaches, but a bunch of nobodies in the teens of their standings. John Calipari gives the SEC a boost, but they still aren't in the same discussion. The Big 12 has Bill Self -- had Illinois kept him I'd have an even better case -- and I love Jeff Capel, but the bottom of the conference leaves a lot to be desired. Seriously, as an Indiana alum, I'm very thankful we didn't get saddled with Pat Knight.

Additionally, the Big Ten coaches all had strong underclass rosters this season, most losing few players to graduation. They are also convincing players to stay in school longer, because only B.J. Mullens of Ohio State entered the draft early. That's right, there is only one Big Ten player who left school early in 2009.

As the 2009 Spring semesters across the midwest come to conclusion, let's take a look at each of the Big Ten schools and their respective coaches.

Bruce Weber, Illinois -- I've been critical of Weber in the past, saying that his early run was only due to the recruits left behind by Self. I'll stand behind a part of the argument, that Self is a better coach. That being said, the job done this past season by Weber was beautiful. Most of their high-minute guys were sophomores, so many thought they were a year away. Instead, they hung around the top of the conference all season. Weber developed young big men and had his team playing the most unselfish basketball in the conference. The offensive balance will be a big key moving forward as well.

Tom Crean, Indiana -- Going into the season, everyone knew the Hoosiers were going to be historically bad, and they were. The last month and a half, though, showed great promise. The Hoosiers nearly eliminated the blowout loss by the end, and even stayed competitive with the likes of Michigan State and Minnesota. The only loss to graduation is the incredibly hard-working albeit untalented Kyle Taber. Coming back are the more than a handful of freshmen who were thrown in the fire and a top-5 recruiting class, along with last year's top scorer Devan Dumes. The eyes are on 2010-2011, but don't be surprised if they arrive in the NCAA Tournament a year early.

Latest College Basketball Images

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo and dancers rehearse in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo rehearses in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo reacts as he rehearses a dance routine with his players in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, left, rehearses with director Greg Ganakas, as Izzo's son, Steven, 8, twirls a cane in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, center, plays the accordion as he rehearses with dancers Brittane Rowe, left, Kellyn Uhl, and Stephanie Koenig, right, in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, right, and his and wife Lupe rehearse in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo is surrounded by Michigan State dance team members as they rehearse in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, center, rehearses with wife Lupe, right, and choreographer Kellyn Uhl, left, along with Michigan State basketball players and dance team members in East Lansing, Mich. Izzo will participate in a Broadway-style show, "Izzo Goes to Broadway" as a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

Denver Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony hugs New Orleans Hornets' Rasual Butler after Anthony and his team won Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference basketball playoffs in Denver April 29, 2009. Anthony led all scorers with 34 points in the win. REUTERS/Marc Piscotty (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

Reuters

Denver Nuggets' Kenyon Martin dunks over the New Orleans Hornets' Peja Stojakovic (back) during Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference basketball playoffs in Denver April 29, 2009. REUTERS/Marc Piscotty (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

Reuters

Todd Lickliter, Iowa -- Actually, he's getting his teeth kicked in pretty well by the conference thus far, but it's a testament to the strength of his competing coaches. Remember, he took tiny Butler to the Sweet 16 twice and helped lay the foundation for the Bulldogs as a legitimate NCAA threat.

John Beilein, Michigan -- After a couple Sweet 16 runs (including one Elite Eight) at West Virginia, Beilein has quickly erased the Tommy Amaker era. The Wolverines made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998 this past season, and it wasn't just a token entry. They took down seventh-seeded Clemson (from the vaunted ACC!) in the first round. With Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims returning, look for them to take a few more steps forward next season.

Tom Izzo, Michigan State -- I think I have sufficiently covered them: Here and here.

Tubby Smith, Minnesota -- Winning 22 games and getting an NCAA tournament berth in just his second season was merely a sign of things to come for Smith. The Golden Gophers haven't lost a single rotation player from the 2009 roster, and they have a very solid recruiting class coming in yet again. As long as he doesn't take another job -- and he's being mentioned for many in the rumor mill -- the Gophers have a legitimate shot eventually to head to the Final Four for the first time in school history, excluding the scandal-tainted 1997 appearance that has been officially expunged from the record books.

Bill Carmody, Northwestern -- Before coming to Evanston, Ill., Carmody compiled a 92-25 record at Princeton -- including a ridiculous 50-6 record in conference play. He's had a tough go-round at Northwestern, but that's nothing new. The Wildcats have never been to the NCAA Tournament. The fact that Carmody had them on the bubble for much of the season is saying something.

Thad Matta, Ohio State -- The Buckeyes had zero seniors last season. Sure, they lose Mullens, but Matta is getting used to losing seven-footers after one season. It's the third straight time it's happened. He just brings another off the assembly line. This time it's Zisis Sarikopoulos, who will be eligible following his transfer season. The rest of the roster looks very solid, especially with David Lighty coming off injury. Throw in an extra year of growth for Evan Turner, Jon Diebler and Dallas Lauderdale, and the Buckeyes look especially strong for 2009-2010. The program isn't going anywhere, either, because Matta recruits as well as anyone in the nation.

Ed DeChellis, Penn State -- They did lose Stanley Pringle and Jamelle Cornley from the NIT championship squad, but at least Talor Battle -- an all-Big Ten first-teamer as a sophomore -- will be coming back to University Park. The valuable experience of playing deep into the postseason will help with the rest of the youth on the roster moving forward much more than a one-and-done in the NCAA would have. With that in mind, you could call their falling short of the NCAA Tourney a blessing in disguise for the good of the program.

Matt Painter, Purdue -- After learning under Keady, it's apparent Painter has tailored himself into a legitimate star coach. People who don't follow the Big Ten may be under the belief that 2008-2009 was a disappointment in West Lafayette. All along, though, most locals knew the real big year for the Boilermakers is destined to come next season. Only Nemanja Calasan is lost from lose who logged regular minutes this past season. With Keaton Grant getting a full offseason of rest and Robbie Hummel coming back healthy, the Boilers will be legitimate Final Four contenders.

Bo Ryan, Wisconsin -- If it wasn't for the presence of Izzo, Ryan would easily have the best background, on paper, in Big Ten play. He's been to the NCAA tournament all eight years he's coached the Badgers. They never lose at home. He has a 94-39 record in conference play, and has been to the Sweet 16 three times. Plus, he can crank that Soulja Boy. As long as he's at the helm, Wisconsin will always be relevant.

So, for almost the entire conference, the foundation is in place. Now it's time to enjoy the summer before getting down to business in the fall. That business is going to be having a prominent place in the national spotlight next March. I'm expecting eight Big Ten teams in the dance.

Nation's Best Coaching in Big Ten originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 04 May 2009 18:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michigan State in Class of Its Own

Matt Snyder — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan State, Purdue, Big Ten

When it comes to the Big Ten, there are a few tiers of similar teams. Illinois and Purdue are similar. Iowa and Indiana are similarly bad. There's a big amoeba in the middle where every team is on the bubble. Then, you are left with Michigan State. They are in a class all by themselves.

Sunday we received another reminder, as they turned Purdue away despite a sub-par shooting performance.The pressure defense and the quick-paced offense were just too much for the Boilers.

No. 8 Michigan State 62, No. 19 Purdue 51: Box Score | RPI | Scores

Kalin Lucas -- who will be named Big Ten Player of the Year very soon -- paced the conference champs with 19 points. Goran Suton, on his senior day, recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 boards.

As for Purdue, they shot even worse than the Spartans. You can't expect to win in the Breslin Center when you shoot less than 30 percent from the floor. Robbie Hummel couldn't hit the broad-side of a barn, while Chris Kramer, Lewis Jackson and several others did their part in the mason's convention.

The main story of this game, though, is just how much better Michigan State is than everyone else in the conference. Their main competition in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament would likely be Illinois or Purdue -- both of whom enter the conference tourney on two-game losing streaks -- but Michigan State is just a much better basketball team than both of them.

Should the Spartans not win the conference tourney, it will have been a huge upset. They should be plenty motivated, as they still have an outside shot at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. I believe the Big Ten Tournament will be one of the most exciting conference tournaments in the nation, as long as you are only looking at the first two or three rounds. In the championship, I just can't see anyone hanging with the Spartans.

Michigan State in Class of Its Own originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Update: Penn State Is Cooked, But Badgers Are Back

Matt Snyder — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten

A few weeks ago I did a halfway point roundup for the Big Ten, in which I buried Wisconsin and hailed Penn State to no end. Boy, do I look like an idiot now. Since then, Penn State crumbled, while Wisconsin has done a 180.

The Nittany Lions were embarrassed by Michigan, lost at home to Wisconsin, and handily lost at Purdue. They now sit just 6-6 in conference play, and their RPI has plunged into the 80s. With road trips to Illinois and Ohio State -- not to mention hosting Illinois and Minnesota -- it would appear they are fading back into obscurity.

The biggest problem? My halfway point pick for conference player of the year has been dreadful since. In fact, if I was ego-centric enough, I'd think I cursed him. Talor Battle has gone 7-38 from the floor in the past three games for 19 total points -- including an 0-7 for zero point stink-bomb at Purdue Wednesday night. The Boilers didn't even need to waste Chris Kramer on him, as 5'9" freshman Lewis Jackson did the bottling up. Battle still leads the conference in scoring, which shows how big he had been before these past three disasters.

Anyway, sayonara NCAA hopes for PSU. They are NIT bound, once again.

Wisconsin, on the other hand, is right in the thick of things for an NCAA tournament birth. They've won three straight to right the ship from a near disastrous six-game losing streak. They should be able to handle Ohio State at home -- considering they beat Illinois easily at home last week -- and then win in Indiana. This would make them 8-6 in the conference and 17-9 overall. Their RPI has them in the top 30 due mostly to their herculean scheduling (third toughest schedule in the nation).

In other words, there isn't much reason to believe they'll miss the tourney. What a difference three games can make.

Who?
Purdue's struggled mightily without Robbie Hummel, but Wednesday they were given a scoring jolt from unknown reserve Bobby Riddell, a 5'9" senior who initially walked-on. He received extended minutes due to E'Twaun Moore's foul trouble and Hummel's injury, and made the best of it. The diminutive guard scored 13 points on 5-7 shooting -- including 3-4 from behind the arc -- to help get the Boilers back on track.

Close, But ...
Our own UM alum Chris Burke discusses that familiar feeling emenating from Ann Arbor. It's a shame, considering how well they've fared against top-flight talent from other conferences.

What Could Have Been
Had Michigan State not faltered at home to clearly inferior Northwestern and Penn State teams, they'd be looking at a number one seed in the Big Dance. Instead, with an RPI hovering around 7 and upcoming road dates with Purdue and Illinois, they'll be fighting for a 2.

How Refreshing
Tom Crean didn't appreciate the dirty play of his own Devan Dumes last week in Michigan State, so he promptly suspended him indefinitely. Last season, Kelvin Sampson suspended select players one game at a time without announcing why. We came to later find out about rampant drug use on the team. Do the math. Crean is taking a hard line stance against something much more excusable, despite the fact that Dumes is his primary offensive option. Hoosier fans haven't seen a coach discipline his players with such vigor since you-know-who, and this guy doesn't even get violent (unless it's with the band leader).

Power Rankings/Tourney Watch
As we did last time around, we'll list the teams probability of heading into the NCAA Tourney like they are an NFL player on the injury report (playing, probable, questionable, doubtful, out). Currently, the Big Ten sits second in conference RPI, with many teams toward the top in NCAA strength of schedule, so you can expect six teams to make the dance.

1. Michigan State (playing) - No question.
2. Illinois (playing) - Won't lose more than six conference games.
3. Purdue (playing) - Adjusting to life without Hummel, though it won't be easy.
4. Ohio State (probable) - Not much can ruin them now.
5. Minnesota (probable) - Not playing well of late ...
6. Wisconsin (probable) - We'll see if they can keep it going.
7. Michigan (questionable) - They still have a shot.
8. Penn State (doubtful) - I guess they just belong down here, huh?
9. Northwestern (doubtful) - Hanging from a very thin thread.
10. Iowa (out) - Played role of spoiler against Northwestern.
11. Indiana (out) - Got their conference win. Anything else is gravy.

Big Ten Update: Penn State Is Cooked, But Badgers Are Back originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Illinois Schools Hummel-less Purdue

Matt Snyder — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Purdue, Big Ten

Illinois really needed a bounce-back win after that bad loss in Wisconsin Thursday night. Sunday they got it in the form of a 66-48 trouncing of Purdue. The Illini stifled the Boilers' offensive attack, holding them to just 32-percent shooting, including a dismal 2-of-15 from behind the arc.

Of course, Purdue also missed the presence of their best player, Robbie Hummel. This is a bad sign for them moving forward, because they do not play well without the sophomore swingman. Purdue is 16-3 with Hummel in the lineup and 1-3 without him this season.

While Hummel's not a necessarily a dominant player, he's a key cog to help the offense run smoothly. E'Twaun Moore and Keaton Grant were terrible Sunday, facing extra defensive pressure without Hummel on the floor. Defensive stopper Chris Kramer was forced to take a season-high seven shots -- he only hit two, so there's good reason he rarely shoots. The Boilers assisted on just seven of their 19 field goals, and turned the ball over 11 times.

On the flip-side, you have to give Illinois credit; they played really well. The effort was pretty par for the course when they win games. The offensive balance was the story, as six players scored at least eight points, while no one scored more than 14. Of the 25 field goals, 21 of them were assisted. Ball movement has been the key all season when the Illini are firing on all cylinders, and today was just another example. The one standout today was Mike Davis, as he scored 14 and pulled down 16 rebounds.

With Illinois' season sweep of Purdue complete, along with Hummel's questionable health, Sunday's victory represented a seismic shift in the Big Ten. I would now feel pretty comfortable declaring Illinois as easily the second-best team in the league, while Purdue is going to be sparring with Penn State, Ohio State, and Minnesota in the middle of the pack.

Illinois Schools Hummel-less Purdue originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hummel's Back Trouble Pains Purdue

Chas Rich — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:18:00 EST

Filed under: Purdue, Big Ten, Injuries

Purdue has noticeably struggled in games where Robbie Hummel has been forced to sit because of back troubles. The Boilermakers dropped games to Penn State and Ohio State without the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year. Without Hummel playing, Purdue has been killed on the boards.

With Hummel, Purdue was considered to be the one team that could challenge Michigan State for the Big Ten title and make a good run in the NCAA Tournament. Without him, they are a flawed middle-of-the-pack team in the conference.

It looks like Purdue is going to try and have it both ways. It was revealed that Hummel has a hairline fracture in his L-5 vertebra. It is something he can play with, as long as he can tolerate the pain.

The problem is that puts him in a game-to-game situation. Purdue coach Matt Painter is not even sure if he will play this Sunday against Illinois.

"Robbie Hummel can play in the Illinois game (on Sunday in Champaign), he might sit out two weeks or he might sit out the rest of the year," Boilermakers coach Matt Painter said on Thursday morning. "We have to continuously reevaluate his situation. He can make progress or take a step backwards."

The hairline fracture takes about two to three months of resting the back to heal. The fracture is apparently in no danger of getting worse, but it won't get any better by playing.

Hummel, not surprisingly, wants to play through the pain. His effectiveness, however, has been inconsistent as late. This makes it hard to judge until the game gets underway whether Hummel can help the team.

Hummel's Back Trouble Pains Purdue originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Big Ten: Halfway Point Roundup

Matt Snyder — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten

With just over a month in the books and most teams having played about half their conference schedule, let's check out the big boys of the Midwest. We're seeing a slight upheaval when it comes to traditional powers, as Indiana and Wisconsin sit in the bottom third of the standings, Northwestern is respectable, and Penn State is in the mix toward the top.

At this point, the conference is very balanced, and much stronger than it has been in recent years. They have a shot at seven bids for the Big Dance, but six is the more likely number.

Most Surprising Team
It's gotta be Penn State, even though there have been quite a few surprises. The Nittany Lions have been one of the league's doormats for the past half decade, but now they are a team to be reckoned with. They still have a bit of work to do on their tourney resume, as their non-conference strength of schedule was awful, but I like their chances. They need to get these next two games against Michigan and Wisconsin before a rough patch in the schedule (at Purdue, vs. Minnesota, at Illinois, at Ohio State). Runner-up: Northwestern.

Most Disappointing Team
It's not even close. Wisconsin has always been a tourney team under Bo Ryan, and they always win consistently. The Badgers hadn't even lost four straight conference games since 1998, but they currently sit with a six-game skid -- after beginning conference play 3-0. Sure, they've played a tough schedule, but do they have any really impressive wins? Beating Penn State at home or winning at Virginia Tech were the best wins, and they both went right down the wire. Runner-up: Michigan.

Player of the Year
Talor Battle of Penn State leads the conference in scoring, assists (he's tied), 3-pointers (he's tied), is third in assist-to-turnover ratio, and is tied for eighth in steals. He carried them for stretches in their big win -- at Michigan State -- and has proven he can hit the clutch shot when needed. Runner-up: Kalin Lucas.

Coach of the Year
I may have given this to Tubby Smith, but the Gophers were just summarily dismantled due to the wrath of the Spartans Wednesday night. I may have given this to Ed DeChellis, but he's been failing at Penn State for quite a while to all of a sudden become a genius. Instead, I'm going with Bruce Weber. Illinois was awful last season, to the point that many believed he may have survived only on the talent left by Bill Self in his first few years. This year he's doing it with youth and balanced scoring. This is easily a better coaching job than his national runner-up, as they were obscenely talented then. Runner-up: Smith.

Defensive Player of the Year
It's Chris Kramer again. There's no one else really close to this pest. You saw what he helped do to Stephen Curry, right? Runner-up: Evan Turner.

Power Rankings
We'll do this in the form of an NCAA Tournament watch. I'll use the NFL injury report scale to illustrate the team's likelihood of playing in the Dance (playing, probable, questionable, doubtful, and out).

1. Michigan State (playing) - They are playing for seeding.
2. Purdue (playing) - When Robbie Hummel comes back, you'll see the loss at Ohio State was an aberration.
3. Illinois (playing) - Not many weaknesses here.
4. Minnesota (playing) - Strong RPI, and they'll win at least 11 conference games.
5. Ohio State (probable) - They are finding their way without David Lighty.
6. Penn State (questionable) - That RPI is still scary for an at-large bid.
7. Michigan (questionable) - Above Northwestern based upon early victories over Duke and UCLA.
8. Northwestern (questionable) - They still have work to do, but they have the potential to sneak into their first bid ever.
9. Wisconsin (doubtful) - It's possible for them to right the ship, but I'm not seeing it.
10. Iowa (out) - Still a year or two away.
11. Indiana (out) - We knew this was a throw-away year, but there is hope.

The Big Ten: Halfway Point Roundup originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue's Chris Kramer Told to Keep Playing After Getting Knocked Out

Michael David Smith — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:50:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan, Purdue, Video

The above video shows Purdue guard Chris Kramer getting knocked out by an elbow from Michigan guard Manny Harris on Saturday. Harris was ejected, but I don't think he was trying to hurt Kramer, and the Big Ten has decided, correctly, that he shouldn't face any discipline.

But this story shouldn't end there. Not until Purdue coach Matt Painter has taken a refresher course on the seriousness of concussions.

Here's a video in which Kramer and Painter discuss what happened:

Kramer says, "I blacked out, fell down, and then I woke up in a pool of blood on the floor. I'm pretty sure my nose is broken. ... That is the hardest I've ever been hit, and I played football."

If Kramer "blacked out" as a result of being struck on the head, he absolutely should not have been permitted to return to the game. When you get knocked out, you've suffered a brain injury. Brain injuries need time to heal. And yet Kramer was back on the floor after a few minutes in the locker room to get fitted for a mask to protect his nose.

There is no excuse for Painter to allow Kramer to play after suffering a brain injury, but Kramer suggested after the game that Painter didn't just allow him to play, he pressured him to play. Kramer says he was told by an assistant coach, "Coach says you've got to come on. ... Coach just wants us out there. Give everything you can. If you can't go you can't go, but if you can, just give everything you can."

Said Painter, "I knew there was a chance that they wouldn't let him come back. But I knew if it was up to him he would come back."

It shouldn't be up to the player to decide if he can go. It should be up to the doctor. And no player who has been knocked unconscious should ever hear the words, "Coach says you've got to come on." Concussions are too serious to be treated with such a cavalier attitude.

Purdue's Chris Kramer Told to Keep Playing After Getting Knocked Out originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wisconsin Loses Fifth Straight Game

Matt Snyder — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten

The disappointing 2009 Big Ten campaign for the Wisconsin Badgers continues, as they dropped their fifth straight game Tuesday night. This time, Purdue was the culprit. The Badgers now fall to 12-8 overall, and a terrible -- by Badgers' standards under Bo Ryan -- 3-5 mark in conference play.

Most disturbing to Wisconsin has to be the fact that they've lost two of these games at home. Followers of the Big Ten will remember that, heading into this season, you just don't go into the Kohl Center and win. It's now happened in two consecutive games.

As for the game itself, the Badgers definitely had themselves in position to win. They held a 56-51 lead with just over three minutes to play. In the next two minutes, however, the Boilermakers made 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions (Keaton Grant, Chris Kramer, and Robbie Hummel) to put Wisconsin behind for the first time in six and a half minutes. Despite a few late buckets, the Badgers could never muster a tie again.

If you are Wisconsin, you'd love to get a win when hitting 11-of-18 from three, but you can't let the opposing team shoot 58 percent from the floor in your house. That just won't get it done, especially when defense is your forte.

Looking ahead, Wisconsin will visit Northwestern this weekend. Traditionally, that's been a cake-walk, but this year I'm not so sure. Yes, the Badgers waxed them in Madison by 29, but they haven't won a game since. Northwestern, meanwhile, recently took down Minnesota and won at Michigan State. With the five-game losing streak weighing heavily on Wisconsin, this is no easy task. If they can't get it done in Northwestern, they'll have the chore of trying to break a six-game losing streak against Illinois at home the following week.

For Purdue, this was a huge win. The Boilers keep pace with Illinois, a game behind Michigan State in Big Ten play. They'll host Michigan Saturday in what is an easily winnable game for this team. After starting league play with consecutive losses, Matt Painter's troops have now rattled off five straight wins, including impressive road victories over Minnesota and Wisconsin. Along with Illinois and Michigan State, they make up a formidable trio atop a surprisingly stout league.

Wisconsin Loses Fifth Straight Game originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On-Court Obsessions: Your Stacked Saturday of College Hoops

Chas Rich — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Purdue, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, MVC, MWC, Pac-10, Media Watch

If you have the right combination of sports packages, you could have your pick of some 52 games Saturday. Given how absolutely frosty it is in the East and Midwest at the moment, many should plan now to make the most of it.

As you would expect with that many games, they are not all gold. So handle your remote just right, time the bathroom breaks properly, and you can spend over 12 hours watching some quality hoops. It also helps to plan ahead on which games to watch. Here are the best offerings over the course of the day.

12 PM ET
Notre Dame-Syracuse, ESPN: Two top-15 teams coming off painful road losses. The Irish are winless on the road in the Big East and Syracuse may be down to just two guards.
Northern Iowa-Drake, ESPN2: MVC battle of teams at the top.
Maryland-Florida State, Full Court or regional sports channel: You just never know what kind of Maryland team will show up. FSU plays great defense, but struggles to score enough points.

1:30 PM ET
Georgetown-Duke, CBS: A late intersectional treat between two traditionally hate-able teams.
Oklahoma State-Baylor, Full Court or regional sports channel: The Cowboys have played a soft non-con, but have won the games they should. Baylor has a couple of better wins, but is surprisingly similar in accomplishments. Expect an entertaining and close one.

2 PM ET
Oklahoma-Texas A&M, ESPN: It's a chance to see Blake Griffin go after Chinemelu Elonu.
Washington State-Oregon, FOX Sports: Find out if Ernie Kent gets booed by his own fanbase, and if Jon Brockman can make free throws.
Arkansas-Florida, Full Court or regional sports channel: Can Arkansas win on the road? If Florida wins, do they get an SEC team back in the AP poll?

3 PM ET
Davidson-Georgia Southern, SportsSouth: Steph Curry, Steph Curry, Steph Curry, Steph Curry.

3:30 PM ET
Wake Forest-Clemson, ABC (or Full Court): Both undefeated and in the top 10.
Arizona State-UCLA, CBS: If Arizona State is really going to challenge UCLA's control of the Pac-10, they actually need to show up on the road.

4 PM ET
Illinois-Michigan State, Big Ten Network: Just as Michigan State starts looking like they will run away with the Big Ten, they nearly blow a game to Penn State. Illinois has quietly gone 15-2.
Texas-Texas Tech, Full Court or regional sports channel: Texas has lost two of their last three games -- both on the road. Texas Tech has only lost once at home this year.

6 PM ET
Pitt-Louisville, ESPN: No. 1 team in the country going to Freedom Hall, with the Cards putting everything together at both ends of the court. Both play tough defense, but in very different styles.

8 PM ET
Ohio State-Michigan, Big Ten Network: Ohio State really misses David Lighty and are winless on the road in the Big Ten. Michigan has made a big jump in their second year under John Beilein.
UAB-Memphis, CBS College Sports: If there is one team that might have a chance to stop the Memphis hegemony in Conference USA, it would be UAB and Robert Vaden.
Cleveland State-Wisconsin-Milwaukee, SportsTime Ohio: They play some ball in the Horizon League, beyond just Butler.
Arizona-USC, FOX Sports: Scout the individual talent for the 2009 NBA Draft.

9 PM ET
Miami-UNC, ESPN: The primetime ESPN game with Dick Vitale. Now the good news: Miami is pretty good. The additional bad news? They're not this good.
Marquette-Providence, ESPN2: Marquette has not lost in a month. They also have not played as well on the road. Providence struggled early, but has looked a lot better including putting a big scare into Georgetown.

10 PM ET
Wyoming-UNLV, The Mtn.: UNLV was the preseason favorite in the Mountain West, but have been disappointing. Wyoming was picked near the bottom of the MWC, but have been surprisingly better than expected.

11 PM ET
Pacific-Cal State-Fullerton, ESPN2: You've made it this far, why stop now?

On-Court Obsessions: Your Stacked Saturday of College Hoops originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coaches Think There Could Be 7 or 8 Big Ten Teams in NCAA Tourney

Matt Snyder — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten, March Madness, Coaches

I've been trying to impress upon the FanHouse readers for a little while that the Big Ten is back to being a strong conference this year, but it seems to me the coaches are getting a bit ahead of -- or maybe too proud of -- themselves for it being early January.

Illinois coach Bruce Weber said as many as seven teams will play in the tournament. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo predicted as many as eight.

Alright, guys, step away from the microphone.

In order for a conference to get eight bids, there's going to have to be a ton of unusual circumstances. First of all, the top eight teams are going to have to basically win every single game over the bottom three. With Indiana and possibly Iowa, I could see that. Northwestern, though, has enough potential to win four or five conference games. Second of all, the teams must all have built stellar non-conference resumes, and Penn State, to name one, did not.

I agree that there's a strong top eight and a bit of a fall-off after that. Michigan State, Purdue, and Wisconsin will most certainly be getting in. You'd think Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota will continue on their early season success and be serious contenders. Ohio State needs to right the ship without David Lighty, and Penn State is going to need to win a few of those close games -- instead of just playing Wisconsin close.

I'm a huge supporter of the Big Ten, but it's more realistic to believe six teams are getting in while two good ones -- one of them being Penn State -- are headed to the NIT.

Coaches Think There Could Be 7 or 8 Big Ten Teams in NCAA Tourney originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Roundup: Penn State on the Rise, Ohio State Falling, and Michigan State Up Top

Matt Snyder — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:34:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten

We learned a few things in just one week of Big Ten play. All of them point back to one conclusion: This is a strong league, nearly from top to bottom.

Michigan beat Duke at home. Wisconsin went into Michigan and won this past week, yet had trouble at home against Penn State. Purdue made Davidson look horrible, yet they lost at home to Illinois. Illinois proceeded to go into Michigan and lose. The one thing we could definitively say is that Michigan State looks like the best team in the conference after winning in Minnesota. Of course, Northwestern hung with the Spartans in East Lansing yesterday.

Dan Shanoff is one of those taking note of the Big Ten resurgence, as he referred to the conference as "Big East Lite" today.

Team to Watch: Penn State
Wisconsin, coming off the aforementioned triumph in Ann Arbor, had trouble with the feisty Nittany Lions in the Kohl Center -- a place in which they have only lost twice in Big Ten play under Bo Ryan. The upset would have been quite a feat for Ed DeChellis' program. They have an outstanding inside-outside duo in Jamelle Cornley -- who plays like a very poor man's Charles Barkley -- and Stanley Pringle. While eventually they'll need much more balance -- the two combined for 46 of Penn State's 61 points in Madison -- they provide an impressive foundation.

Team in Trouble: Ohio State
As I wrote in the wake of the Minnesota loss, they really seem to need David Lighty. He's not the most dynamic player in the Midwest or anything, but he is a leader and high-energy guy. This situation is a good illustration of what losing a "glue-guy" can do to a team. He won't be back for about another month, either. This could seriously handcuff their NCAA Tournament chances.

Game of the upcoming week: We would be looking at Michigan State's battle Saturday, but I'm keeping this strictly to conference games. We'll have to wait all the way until Sunday, but it will be worth the wait when Wisconsin visits Purdue (1:30 EST, CBS). You can rattle Purdue down-low with post scoring, so Marcus Landry is going to be a huge key for the Badgers.

Other good ones: Michigan State hosts Ohio State, immediately followed by Purdue's visit of Penn State tomorrow night. The Spartans and Boilers should both prevail, but you never know.

Clunker of the week: I hate it when teams play non-conference games during conference season, but usually they are at least worthwhile -- see Kansas at Michigan State this coming Saturday in East Lansing. Friday night in Columbus, however, Ohio State is hosting Houston Baptist. Huh?

Conference Power Rankings After Week 1
1. Michigan State
2. Wisconsin
3. Purdue
4. Michigan
5. Illinois
6. Minnesota
7. Penn State
8. Ohio State
9. Northwestern
10. Iowa
11. Indiana

The tough decisions were numbers three through five, and deciding between Penn State and Ohio State for seven. I believe Michigan State is head and shoulders above everyone else at this point, but the season is young. It was really easy to slot Wisconsin second, and Minnesota slides in nicely at six, due to only handling a crumbling Ohio State team at home. Iowa is not a good team at all, and I now think my Hoosiers can win a game in conference play when they host the Hawkeyes February 4.

Big Ten Roundup: Penn State on the Rise, Ohio State Falling, and Michigan State Up Top originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue Coach Matt Painter on Illinois: 'They Came Back and Really Zapped Us'

Michael David Smith — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:06:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Purdue, Big Ten

Purdue was expected to be one of the top teams in the Big Ten this year. Illinois was not.

But after the two teams played 45 minutes of hard-fought basketball Tuesday night, with the Illini finally pulling out a 71-67 overtime win, it's clear that Illinois coach Bruce Weber has the kind of team that is going to be tough for everyone in the Big Ten to beat.

The Illini, who led most of the way at Purdue, looked like they were going to fade when they fell behind by four points early in the overtime period. But Purdue coach Matt Painter had a good description of what the Illini did in the final minutes.

From the Sun-Times:

''Illinois' ball control was the key to the game,'' said Purdue coach Matt Painter, whose Boilermakers (11-3, 0-1) lost for only the fourth time in their last 43 games at Mackey Arena. ''When we opened the overtime with that 4-0 run and they came back and really zapped us, that also took a lot out of us.''

The Illini really did zap the Boilermakers down the stretch. This Illinois team is nowhere near as talented as the one that was in the Final Four a few years ago, but it's also miles ahead of where the Illini were last year. I think they're going to zap a lot of Big Ten opponents this season.

Purdue Coach Matt Painter on Illinois: 'They Came Back and Really Zapped Us' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Conference Season Set to Begin: A Quick Once-Over

Matt Snyder — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten

Just when I was ready to start tooting the Big Ten's horn, again, for being on their way back to a powerhouse conference, Ohio State gets embarrassed by West Virginia and Iowa gets trounced at Drake. Those were quality opponents, sure, but it was a good time to capitalize on the impressive Michigan State and Purdue wins during the weekend prior to Christmas.

Regardless, I have to root for the conference as a whole this year to maintain some level of sanity, as my alma mater has now lost consecutive games to Northeastern and Lipscomb. What a way to build momentum heading into January, huh?

Conference season for the Big Ten kicks off Tuesday night in Mackey Arena, as Purdue hosts Illinois in what is shaping up to be quite the contest. On paper, the Boilers are easily the favorite and should handle Illinois. They very well could. The Fighting Illini, however, have only lost one game all season -- a two-pointer to undefeated and 16th ranked Clemson. Sophomore seven-footer Mike Tisdale has really come into his own in the past four games, and he'll pose a major problem for the Boilers down low. I like Purdue here, but it's gonna be a doozy.

The second game this week is also a stellar contest, as the Michigan State Spartans will travel to Minnesota and get a taste of The Barn. It's really difficult to win in that place when the Gophers are mediocre. This year they are better than mediocre, as they bring a 12-0 record in with a neutral court victory over the hype machine from Louisville. If Michigan State shows up, they'll be a much tougher test, but ultimately I'm taking Minnesota to continue their early season confidence-building roll.

Other big games this week: Wisconsin at Michigan (Wednesday afternoon), Ohio State at Minnesota (Saturday mid-day), and Illinois at Michigan (Sunday mid-day).

Player to watch: Other than the aforementioned blossoming Tisdale, let's keep an eye on how DeShawn Sims fares against two quality opponents at home. He's a dark horse for the Big Ten player of the year, but the Wolverines will have to win home games like these for him to be considered. His leadership and development will be tested greatly.

Pre-Conference Power Rankings

1. Purdue -- The losses to Oklahoma and Duke were a blessing in disguise. This team is now grounded and even more motivated.

2. Ohio State -- They'll have to prove that game against WVU was a fluke, but I believe they will.

3. Michigan State -- Hey, no more ACC teams on the schedule, so it should be smooth sailing.

4. Illinois -- Yes, I'm buying into them. They're young, but balanced and unselfish.

5. Michigan -- As I said above, big week.

6. Minnesota -- I wanna see them beat someone other than an overrated Louisville team. According to my earlier prediction, they will this week. We'll see how it goes.

7. Wisconsin -- They won't get any lower than this, but have they really done anything to inspire confidence against any of the top six at this point? They've lost to the only good teams they've played and barely squeaked by the likes of Iona, Idaho State, and Long Beach State.

8. Penn State -- They haven't been relevant in a long time, but this team is showing signs of the life. The only problem is they haven't played anybody. At least they get to start with Northwestern at home.

9. Northwestern -- They'll take down a few of the titans at home this year with their stellar outside shooting, but there's still just not enough talent here to stay in contention for the league title.

10. Iowa -- It's gonna take Todd Lickliter more time to turn things around completely.

11. Indiana -- Sigh. There's a ton of separation between 10 and 11 here. It really is the Big Ten this year. I have to keep my eyes on the future.

Big Ten Conference Season Set to Begin: A Quick Once-Over originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue's Chris Kramer Ready to Measure his Defensive Skills Against Stephen Curry

Matt Snyder — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Davidson, Purdue, Big Ten, Mid-Majors

Chris Kramer won the Big Ten's defensive player of the year award last season, but he likely didn't face an assignment as daunting as the one standing standing in his path this Saturday. The Purdue Boilermakers will battle the Davidson Wildcats in Indianapolis (4:00 PM EST, CBS), and Kramer will be checking Stephen Curry. Curry leads the nation in scoring, at just under 32 points a game. He's gone for 40 thrice. Kramer is not shying away from the assignment, in fact, he seems to be a bit excited.

"People say he's one of the best three players in the country, so just getting the opportunity . . . to guard somebody like that and try to show the country how good of a defender you want to be . . ." Kramer said. "To be the best, you've got to play the best, and I want to be one of the best defenders in the country."

I have to say, I'm kind of sad he stopped short of a Ric Flair reference.

Look, we all know what Curry can do by now, after his electrifying NCAA tourney performance last season and his recent taking of Manhattan. It's tough for anyone to stop him for an entire game, even if he's not hitting shots for the first 35 minutes.

Personally, though, I think Kramer is the kind of player who can. He's a pest to opposing offenses. He's a physical defender who brings high energy and shadows his man all over the court if he has to, often bumping and prodding to the point that his man becomes frustrated.

As an example, last season Kramer held Eric Gordon to 4-12 shooting from the field in the only meeting between Purdue and Indiana. Gordon turned it over five times, while Kramer came away with three steals. Of course, Kramer also fouled out as Gordon was sent to the foul line 15 times. If he hasn't learned his lesson, Curry will have lots of free shots coming his way Saturday.

One thing Kramer will focus on is wearing Curry down. He says he's been watching film on Davidson and he can't understand why teams allow Curry to simply walk the ball up the floor, allowing him to recharge his batteries. That's supposedly going to change Saturday.

"That's nine or 10 seconds of rest for him (each possession)," Kramer said. "He's got to go 94 feet (to the basket), so I've got to get into him and make him work."

When all is said and done, you can count on Curry getting tons of shots, and not many of them will be uncontested. He'll likely find his way to the line many times if he's aggressively penetrating, but he'll pay for it physically. His conditioning is sure to be tested by the scrappy Kramer, and we'll see how powerful the motor is that he has in that wiry frame.

Either way, it's going to be fun to watch the proverbial battle within the battle.

Purdue's Chris Kramer Ready to Measure his Defensive Skills Against Stephen Curry originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maybe the 'Average 11' Doesn't Suck After All

Matt Snyder — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big Ten, Fans

It's becoming an annual tradition to hate on the Big Ten these days, and in recent years it's been hard to argue. The results haven't been great for the once mighty conference as a whole, even if there was a standout team -- Ohio State as national runner-up, for example.

As we inch closer to the conference season this year, however, it may be a bit lazy -- and even arrogant -- to start slapping the moniker "Average 11," or titles far more disrespectful, on these teams. In this non-conference season, they have proven their worth on several different occasions. This past weekend presented a coming out party for two teams.

We've already covered Michigan's resurgence, as they've now taken down both UCLA and Duke. I was actually surprised to not see them get more love in the rankings, but that loss at Maryland kept them out.

Ohio State should be quickly climbing the polls as well, after taking down two ranked opponents in the past week, neither of which was a home game (they played at Miami and against Notre Dame in Indianapolis). Gary Parrish has them ninth, but they didn't see any action in the official polls.

Adding these two to the expected upper-echelon trio of Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Purdue; the Big Ten appears to have a very strong top five.

As was on display in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, where a two-point swing in one of a few games would have meant the Big Ten's first victory, the lower group of teams is quite strong. Other than my beloved Hoosiers, who are in for a long season, the conference is very strong top-to-bottom. Let's take a quick swing through the teams.

Minnesota - Tubby Smith's got his boys out to an 8-0 start, though they haven't really faced tough competition. That will change on December 20th when Rick Pitino's Louisville Cardinals ~~visit the barn. That is a really tough place to play, especially if you've never been there before~~. (EDIT: They play in Glendale, Ariz. Thanks for the correction in the comments section). I still predict a Gophers upset victory. Why not?

Ohio State - Luke Harangody actually did play for the Irish, and it wasn't enough to beat Ohio State. Evan Turner was a monster, and highly-touted seven-foot freshman B.J. Mullens will only get better as the season progresses. It's smooth sailing for the Bucks until a December 27th home bout against Bob Huggins' West Virginia squad. I like Ohio State in this one, and they'll head into conference play undefeated.

Illinois - Only slipped against undefeated Clemson by two. They've won at Vandy and embarrassed Georgia. They face one more test before heading into conference play, a likely doozy in the Busch Bragging Rights game against Missouri in St. Louis.

Northwestern - They lost at Butler, but manhandled Florida State -- who just beat Florida -- and DePaul. They aren't going to be a good team, but for the 10th best team in the league they are no pushover.

Iowa - They were blown out by a very solid West Virginia team and lost a heartbreaker at Boston College. It does appear, however, that Todd Lickliter is making the Hawkeye faithful forget about the Steve Alford administration -- which has moved on to, ahem, greener pastures.

Michigan - Already covered their body of work and rise to the upper half of the conference. They won't be stumbling again out of conference (other than that oddly placed trip to UConn in February), so that means they get Wisconsin on New Year's Eve at home with a 10-2 record. The Wolverines are back.

Penn State - Winning at Georgia Tech was summarily wiped out with a home loss to Temple. Ever since the Crispen brothers departed, the Nittany Lions basketball program has been a laughingstock. This team has the potential to change that, but they can't go on losing to Rhode Island and Temple at home.

Purdue - They've lost to two really solid teams, but been exposed in those two losses. They likely aren't an elite team yet, and expectations were just a little out of control to start the season. Still, they are very solid and will remain towards the top of the heap.

Wisconsin - Once again, they are going to be good, but not great. You can expect them to trample the next three opponents before losing handily to Texas.

Michigan State - They've easily been the most disappointing team in the league thus far, but I'm confident Tom Izzo gets them on the right track before February. The brutal non-conference schedule (Maryland, Oklahoma State, North Carolina, Texas, Kansas) will prepare them for March.

Indiana - I have to say, losing to Gonzaga by only 16 was encouraging. I have high hopes for the 2010-2011 campaign, and think that next year they can be a fringe NCAA tourney team. This year, however, is a learning process. Learning how to accept blowout defeats is a major part of the curve.

Look, the bottom line is that this is a solid conference once again. While it's certainly never gonna be confused with the Big East, it's right with the Big 12 and the SEC. I'll stand by that this year and allow the upper-tier Big Ten teams prove my point in March.

Maybe the 'Average 11' Doesn't Suck After All originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What Did We Learn From the 2008 ACC/Big Ten Challenge?

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, Michigan State, Purdue, UNC, ACC, Big Ten, North Carolina

The 10th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge has now ended with the ACC winning the series for the tenth straight year. Despite a few of the scores, there were some close matchups and the Big Ten had a pretty good showing. They've closed the gap a bit by only losing six games to five.

But what did we learn from the 2008 version of the Challenge?

ACC's Best Is Better: Well, we did learn that the ACC's best is a great deal better than the Big Ten's best. North Carolina went up to Michigan State (well, Ford Field in Detroit) and destroyed the Spartans by 35 points. That came a night after Duke went to Purdue and beat the Boilermakers by 16. These are the two best teams in their respective conferences and all have Final Four aspirations. Yet the ACC went into Big Ten country and flexed their muscle.

Add into the fact that Wake Forest predictably hammered Indiana and the ACC's top three teams came up roses.

Big Ten's Bottom Half Is Better: One of the reasons the ACC has dominated the Challenge is because their bottom teams are better that the cellar dwellers of the Big Ten. That wasn't true this year. Northwestern handled Florida State pretty well; Penn State went to Atlanta and beat Georgia Tech; Minnesota did in Virginia. I'm not sure if it is because the Big Ten is deeper this year or the ACC has some stinkers. I'm thinking the latter.

Middle Is a Mixed Bag: We didn't learn much from those teams stuck in the middle but it looks like the ACC is a bit better. Clemson went into Illinois and beat the Illini ... just as Maryland topped Michigan. Both showed that they could be teams to reckon with in ACC play and could have NCAA tournament dreams. The Big Ten did get a big win with Wisconsin's buzzer beater at Virginia Tech.

Miami Needs Jack McClinton: If there was one scary sign for any one team during the Challenge, it was the fact that the Miami Hurricanes cannot win without McClinton. McClinton scored 12 of the Canes 19 points when he was ejected for swiping his hand at an Ohio State player. They gave up their big lead and looked raggedy down the stretch. When stuff like this happens, opponents know they can get under McClinton's skin. He now has all eyes on what he does and may not get the benefit of the doubt if anything like that happens again.

Road Is Where the Heart Is: Usually home court advantage is key in the Challenge. Not this year. Michigan State, Purdue, Virginia Tech, Miami-FL, Illinois and Georgia Tech all lost at home. Coming into the season, the ACC had won 33 of 37 at home.

North Carolina Is That Good: Just because they look good on paper doesn't mean that they will bring home the hardware. Their showing in the Maui Invitational and that 35-point beatdown of Michigan State just showed everyone that they are committed and serious about winning the whole thing. Aside from a New Year's Eve game at Nevada, there isn't any one standing in Carolina's path before conference play starts in January.

Duke May Be That Good, Too: How Duke played on the road in a lively building goes a long way into believing the Blue Devils will be here for the long haul. Kyle Singler has emerged as their best player, Jon Scheyer showed his flexibility and their defense and rebounding have been outstanding. Who is looking forward to Duke-UNC this year?

What Did We Learn From the 2008 ACC/Big Ten Challenge? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Purdue Doomed by Poor Rebounding, Reliance on Jump Shooting

Matt Snyder — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:04:00 EST

Filed under: Purdue, Big Ten

This was supposed to the be the year Purdue made the leap into the elite of college basketball. They still can, after all, there is still some college football to be played. It's way early to be counting teams out. The Purdue Boilermakers, however, have some things that need to be ironed out if they want more than a nice little Sweet 16 squad.

In their past two games, Purdue has played top-flight competition.

In their past two games, Purdue has been exposed for their two major flaws.

Now, before all the Purdue fans start flipping out and calling me out for being an IU grad -- which I am, so it's not news to me -- please realize the relative terms I'm using here. Purdue is a very solid basketball team. They handled a quality opponent in Boston College without much headache.

I'm merely pointing out that if Purdue wants to jump into the echelon with college basketball's elite that they need to do something about two aspects of their game.

They are getting outrebounded -- sometimes badly -- and they settle on the jump shot far too often.

It's easy to pinpoint from where this stems, even if you don't watch the games, because the overwhelming majority of Purdue's minutes to go perimeter players. The only rotation guys who aren't guards are Robbie Hummell (plays like a swing-guard), Nemanja Calasan (hangs out by the three-line occasionally), and JaJuan Johnson.

Also, they are a very good outside shooting team. More often than not, they'll survive with this playing style because of their superior talent. They'll walk through much of the Big Ten, for example.

Against elite competition like Duke, though, you can't get outrebounded by 20. I know it's easy for Purdue fans to complain about officiating when Oklahoma shoots 41 more free throws, but that's also a byproduct of settling on jumpers all day instead of slashing to the hoop.

There was a stretch mid-way through the second half against Duke where Purdue just couldn't score, settling for outside jumpers left and right. You can credit Duke's defense for stifling ETwaun Moore (for most of the game) and Keaton Grant, sure, but the Boilers are going to deal with defense of this caliber if they move deep into March.

The good news is that it's only December 3, and they really should have won that Oklahoma game. There's still lots of time and only a small improvement needed. They aren't going to shoot 15.4 percent from three too often -- as they did last night -- if ever again.

You never know, these past two games could be a blessing in disguise. The team is still really young, and getting hopes too high, too early, could have hurt things in the long run.

Purdue Doomed by Poor Rebounding, Reliance on Jump Shooting originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duke May Not Play Many True Road Games, But They Sure Can Win Them

Shiloh Carder — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:44:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, Purdue, ACC, Big East, Big Ten

No. 4 Duke went into Purdue and pounded the No. 9 Boilermakers, 76-60. The Blue Devils are a perfect 10-0 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge history.

A lot was made of the fact that Duke rarely plays any true road games against non-conference teams. What I forgot to mention was the fact that Duke usually wins them.

Of all the games I listed, Duke's only loss came at Georgetown in 2006.

In this game, Duke did a wonderful job handling the physical Boilermakers. The Blue Devils reminded everyone that they are a darn good defensive team and met Purdue blow for blow. Duke held E'Twaun Moore, Purdue's leading scorer, without a point until about ten minutes left in the game.

While the ACC/Big Ten Challenge is tied at 3-3, the fact that perceived second-best team in the ACC just drubbed the perceived second-best team in the Big Ten says a lot about the power of the Atlantic Coast Conference. It will mean even more if UNC can beat Michigan State in front of a gazillion people at Ford Field tonight.

Duke May Not Play Many True Road Games, But They Sure Can Win Them originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC/Big Ten Challenge Begins Tonight

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:10:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, UNC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, ACC, Big Ten, University of Miami, North Carolina

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is back once again. This is the 10th edition of the Challenge with the ACC winning it in each of the first nine seasons.

The ACC has won 16 of the last 22 games in this series.

Already we've seen a few games between ACC and Big Ten teams: Duke beat Michigan in the 2K Sports Championship game; Maryland beat Michigan State in the Old Spice Classic. Purdue beat Boston College in the Preseason N.I.T.

So let's take a look at what the next three days have in store.

Wisconsin at Virginia Tech (Mon. 7 pm ET): The Badgers are 0-5 as the road team in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Tech is coming off a tough showing in the Puerto Rico Tip Off. They lost two games by a total of five points and barely beat Elon ~~in the 7th-place game~~ at home. Both could find themselves in the NCAA Tournament in March. Watchability: It is a decent appetizer to get ready for the Challenge.

Ohio State at Miami (Tue. 7 pm ET): This would have made on heck of a football game several years ago. Now it's a darn good hoops game. It will be interesting to see Ohio State deal with the Miami guards and Miami deal with Ohio State's size. Miami is the only school on either side to not have won a game in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Watchability: One of the darkhorses to be the best game this week.

Iowa at Boston College (Tue. 7 pm ET): Neither team has big plans this year but both have the ability for a few upsets. The Eagles have won both their previous ACC/Big Ten Challenge games. Watchability: The best part of this game is seeing BC's Tyrese Rice tear it up. The fact that it's relegated to ESPNU says it all.

Clemson at Illinois (Tue. 7:30 pm ET): This is potentially a great game. Neither team is of elite status, but both are solid. The Illini just beat Vanderbilt while Clemson is already 7-0. Watchability: It's definitely good for a flip during the Ohio State-Miami game. Don't watch if you are allergic to the color orange.

Virginia at Minnesota (Tue. 8:30 pm ET): Two teams that no one expects anything from. These are the games, however, that prove the ACC's superiority as the ACC's bottom is usually better than the Big Ten's. Watchability: You probably won't be able to see the game anyways.

Duke at Purdue (Tue. 9 pm ET): Seeing Duke play an actual road game is a rarity. So is seeing the Blue Devils lose in the Challenge (they are 9-0). Both teams have high hopes for the season and the atmosphere in West Lafayette will be outstanding. Watchability: The best game of the day.

Indiana at Wake Forest (Wed. 7 pm ET): This has the potential to be the biggest mismatch of the Challenge. This game was set up according to last year's standings. Wake is extremely talented and extremely deep. Indiana is neither. Watchability: Use this as a chance to see the Demon Deacons' talented squad. Nothing more.

Penn State at Georgia Tech (Wed. 7:30 pm ET): This is the best chance for a Big Ten upset. As usual, Tech is struggling against weak opponents. Penn State has looked pretty good to start the season. Watchability: Only if you are a big, big fan.

Michigan at Maryland (Wed. 7:30 pm ET): Both the Wolverines and Terps have pulled off two of the biggest upsets thus far against UCLA and Michigan State, respectively. Both are as hit-and-miss as you can get from each conference. The Terps, for example, followed up an 18-point win over the Spartans with a 22-point loss to Gonzaga and a 27-point loss to Georgetown. Watchability: This should be a good game with a ton of runs. Worth a look if you have ESPNU.

North Carolina vs Michigan State (Wed. 9 pm ET): This is the biggest game of the Challenge. So big that they are playing it at Ford Field. Interesting note: Michigan State is the only Big Ten team with a winning record in the Challenge. North Carolina is just 4-5 in the Challenge ... tied for worst among schools who have been in all nine of them. Watchability: This game is the best chance for the Heels to lose a game before ACC play. See them get beat or see them continue their dominating season.

Florida State at Northwestern (Wed. 9:30 pm ET): This should be an easy Noles win (again, the ACC's bad is better than the Big Ten's). Watchability: With it going on at the same time as UNC-Michigan State, why watch?

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Begins Tonight originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oklahoma Takes Down Purdue in Overtime to Win NIT Season Tip-Off Title

Matt Snyder — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Purdue, Big 12, Big Ten

The game hinged upon if outside shooting could trump an inside game. It worked for most of regulation for the Purdue Boilermakers, but the three-point shooting well ran dry late in the game, Robbie Hummell fouled out, and the Oklahoma Sooners rode the back of the Griffin family to victory in the NIT Season Tip-Off Championship today.

With all the defensive attention inside on Blake Griffin -- and rightfully so -- his brother Taylor stepped up for the Sooners with a 19 point, seven rebound effort. Oh, don't worry; Blake got his, too, as he compiled 18 points and 22 rebounds, despite being double and triple-teamed routinely. Freshman guard Willie Warren threw in 22 points of his own, benefitting from the attention the inside game was getting.

At one point, Purdue led by nine and had hit half of their three point attempts. Alas, they missed their last seven attempts from behind the arc, and the points in the paint and free throw discrepancies caught up with them.

The Boilers attempted only five free throws all game. While there were a few questionable no-calls on Boiler shots, for the most part the lack of free throw attempts was due to the over-abundance of jump shots without penetration. Big man Nemaja Calasan did rack up 20 points, but most of his inside presence came late in the game, when the Boilers were forced to go inside due to their cold spell from three.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, played through the low-post all game with the Griffin brothers and ended up taking 46 free throws. Good God, when you look at the numbers ... I mean, that just seems wrong, doesn't it? The Sooners attempted 41 more free throws than the Boilers. Wow.

It was definitely an inside versus outside affair, as the free throws, big-man scoring numbers, and rebounds (Oklahoma held a 41-30 advantage on the boards) illustrate.

I believe the outcome would have been different had Hummell been able to stay on the court. Once he had fouled out, the Boilers just could not get E'Twaun Moore any open shots.

Either way, the Sooners are the winners of the NIT, and the schedule doesn't get any easier for Purdue. They host Duke Tuesday in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

The Sooners, on the other hand, get to savor this victory for almost a week before getting the chance to dismantle USC.

Oklahoma Takes Down Purdue in Overtime to Win NIT Season Tip-Off Title originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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