Hoopraker

On the eve of the Winter Solstice we pause to consider several barometer games in the Big Ten. After tomorrow night, fans from frozen Grand Marais, Minnesota to Orville, Ohio (home of Smuckers Preserves and Bob Knight) will have a better understanding of where their respective teams stand in astronomical if not hoops circles.

A Righteous Opportunity

For Michigan State, a win tomorrow afternoon in the Palace at Auburn Hills against Texas would be a just finale to a Conference pre-season that commenced with an over-analyzed exhibition loss to Grand Valley State. The Spartans are certainly capable and well-prepared, having played serious competition on the road from BYU to Bradley to UCLA.

Even without freshman Chris Allen, the Spartans should score from the perimeter. While Suton will need to play inspired ball, the biggest individual effort may come from the pride of Lima, Ohio, Travis Walton. A terrific on ball defender, it’s expected Walton will be charged with the task of hounding Longhorn catalyst DJ Augustin. In games such as these, the usual suspects of hitting the boards, blocking out, making the extra pass and taking care of the ball are magnified. As everyone in East Lansing knows, these are two talented teams; it’s a game that should not be missed.

Incidentally, Grand Valley State is 11-0 and ranked #2 in Division II, having just beaten Ohio State pre-season nemesis #9 Findlay by 22 points. Perhaps it’s time for a major program to give a terrific coach such as Ric Wesley a similar opportunity that Wisconsin gave Dick Bennett and then Bo Ryan.

Ut-Oh Bo, Valpo

In circles of basketball aficionados, some of which hold tickets to Northern Illinois solely to watch Butler and Wright State come to town, the basketball being played throughout the Horizon League is the finest of the Mid-Majors. In the Kohl Center tomorrow, Wisconsin plays host to Dr. Homer Drew’s Valparaiso Crusaders (10-1), a Horizon League pioneer. Valpo is back atop the league, with their sole loss thus far coming to Kevin Stallings’ (Purdue ‘82) Vanderbilt Commodores, the class of this year’s SEC.

Valpo ’s lineup is replete with streaky shooters and the Badgers will need to focus with considerably more intensity than they showed in a 70-52 win against Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Badgers definitely don’t want Valpo’s 6′8″ Finnish guard Samuel Haanpaa to find a shooting rythme. Joe Krabbenhoft continues to put together the makings a solid junior season. Now if he get get Marcus Landry to come along for the ride.

Included on the Valpo roster is junior Jake Diebler, big brother of Ohio State freshman John Diebler. Young John originally verbally committed to Valparaiso intending to keep Valpo in the family before Thad Matta became interested and thereafter, John’s verbal was rescinded.

Third Time a Charm

For the third time in one calendar year, Ohio State will meet Florida in hoops, this time in Columbus. Both teams start loads of youth and inexperienced players. Where Thad Matta has done a commendable job assembling a challenging pre-conference schedule, Billy Donovan has chosen a different tact, scheduling everyone but Sister’s of the Poor en route to a superficially gaudy 11-1 record. The Gators’ only loss was to Florida State, who happened to lose to the Horizon League’s Cleveland State Vikings, who happened to lose to Ohio State last week.

This should be a good test for Ohio State, one where we’ll see if Matta’s work in practice and in recent wins against lesser caliber teams will translate into a full forty minutes of toughness at home. Their schedule should be a benefit to them here, knowing what it takes to compete against elite players. The outcome will be another indicator of whether Ohio State can maintain the momentum of its recent success as it heads into Big Ten play.

Missouri or Bust

So far this year, Illini Nation endured frustratingly close losses to Maryland and Arizona but Thursday night’s 61-58 (OT) defeat at the hands of Miami of Ohio was much worse than frustrating. It’s a colossal disappointment to lose to a MAC school in Assembly Hall nonetheless.

The lose is all the more befuddling when one considers Shuan Pruitt was essentially unstoppable all night scoring 24 points. While Brian Randle did everything he could to single-handedly bring Illinois back from 6 points down with 90 seconds to play in regulation, it was point guard Chester Frazier who played his heart out for 42 minutes but, unfortunately, once again melted under pressure.

Close games happen but careless mistakes and bad decisions at the point and at crunch time can’t continue if Illinois is to salvage the season. On Saturday, it’s Missouri or bust.

Who’s Got the Shooters

The Wildcats are off for the Holidays. While most of Evanston eagerly awaits the January 2 tilt against Penn State as it’s the debut of Kid Coble, it’s worth noting Northwestern has quietly morphed into a strong shooting team. Without Coble, the Cats, led by a resurgent Craig Moore and Jason Okrzesik, are shooting 48% from the field and 40% on three pointers nine games into the season. That’s the best in the Big Ten.

With two weeks to prepare and attempt to stay sharp, the Wildcats be working on a smooth integration of Coble. Coble’s return gives Northwestern fans reason to be optimistic in a Big Ten Conference with many teams in transition. The Wildcats will need to stay sharp as the Penn State game may be a must win for Carmody.

Elsewhere, Minnesota takes on Santa Clara (7-4), who’s led by 6′10″ John Bryant. Santa Clara is coming off a 26 point loss to Stanford. This is one Gopher fans have already chalked up as a win but they’ll need to compete. Santa Clara is athletic and with a strong post player, should present a challenge. Michigan gets dealt UCLA. Ouch. Purdue, young and talented, needs to hit some jumpers and they need to beat Iowa State. Indiana is presented fodder in well-traveled Coppin State.

Posted by TD Lawlor on Friday, December 21st, 2007 at 8:54 pm.