The Big Ten’s John Beilein and Bill Carmody are proponents of the Princeton Offense, sometimes confused by the likes of Jay Bilas with a slowdown game.  This week, the Wildcats and Wolverines both put up some pretty impressive offensive numbers, 75 and 87, respectively .  The Michigan/Purdue game last night was a joy to watch as both teams played good defense, but also put on an offensive display that is rare in the Big Ten.  The Wildcats generally score in the high 50’s or low 60’s, but in Bloomington on Wednesday night they lite up the scoreboard with 75 points. (more…)

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This season we’ve been impaled by the presence of referees perhaps more than any season in recent memory.  That’s not a good thing.  Ideally, players, coaches and fans prefer not knowing the referees are even on the court.  Too often the referees who frequent Big Ten arenas take center stage, showing up players and coaches alike.  The erstwhile Ed Hightower, Ted Valentine and J.D. Collins, whose gesticulations and agendas have been long-endured (particularly by fans of Wisconsin and Michigan State), are emblematic of a workaholic officiating corps that is long overdue for true Conference oversight and overhaul.  (more…)

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Understandably much focus is being placed on the Big Ten Conference’s strong sophomore class.  As of February 22, the top three scorers are sophomores- Battle (17.3), Harris (17.2), and Turner (17.2).  Four seniors are in the top 15 scorers- NU’s Moore (14.9), Cornley (14.6), Landry (12.8), and Pringle (12.7).  Seniors generally have worked hard to hone their skills and they have a deep portfolio of game experiences and knowledge of their respective team’s defenses and offenses that enable them to step up with big plays at critical points in  must win games. (more…)

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The tight conference race continues as Michigan State falters at Purdue, Illinois stumbles against Penn State on their own court, and Ohio State loses to Northwestern in Evanston.  Purdue is growing stronger by the week; Penn State seems to be back on track, and Northwestern wins a close one. We are in the final three weeks of perhaps the best Big Ten conference race in recent memory.  A number of teams are on the bubble for post-season tournament invitations and their play in these final weeks, including the Big Ten Tournament, will determine whether they will continue to play through the Madness of March. (more…)

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On Sunday, the Cats simply could not find a way to pull out a win over Michigan.  The game was close the entire 45 minutes- yes, it was an overtime.  Again, Michigan put the clamps on Moore and held him well below his shooting average of 15 points per game.  Coble lead the Cats, but he missed a lot of shots early in the game that normally for him would have been made.  In Madison, Bo’s back. (more…)

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Push Through the Tape

Anyone who has run a marathon knows that a long race requires rigorous preparation including diet, conditioning, mental toughness, and tactical smarts.  The Big Ten Conference race is at the 20 mile mark in marathon terms and all of the preparatory steps begin to pay dividends for those teams that have conducted a ocmprehensive plan for the entire race. (more…)

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This weekend, four Big Ten teams play for their post-season lives. In a season marked by what will be commonplace for the foreseeable future, a brutally competitive Conference with no easy wins, the margin for error is now nil for Penn State, Michigan and Northwestern and getting slim for Minnesota. (more…)

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Last week, Ohio State (17-5, 7-4) faced a challenge of playing two ranked teams back-to-back and they nailed it. In the process, a basketball smart sophomore from Chicago named Evan Turner put Ohio State on his back and, en route, garnered the mantle of the Big Ten’s best for the second straight week. Barring a collapse of epic proportions, Ohio State has earned its seat at the table for the March Dance.  After a much-needed week off, Turner and the Buckeyes head to Dane County to take on Bo Ryan and his resurgent Badgers (15-9, 6-6) this Saturday. (more…)

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ESPN can muster the courage to hammer John Beilein and Manny Harris for an inadvertent elbow to Chris Kramer’s nose, which it deemed worthy of an all-out blitz against Michigan led by Jay Bilas and followed by Pat Forde.  But last night, a Kyle Singler elbow to Tyler Hansbrough’s face barely merited a discussion during the telecast or in the studio by Rece Davis, Hubert Davis or Jay Bilas.  And, of course, no candor from Duke.  (more…)

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