STF Conference Report - Big Ten

Right now, as you read this, the first round of the Big Ten Tournament is taking place over at ESPN2. I'll give you a minute to flip the channel...

Got it? Great. So there you have it. Things could not be more un-exciting in the first round of the Big Ten Tourney. But have no fear - business is about to pick up. With arguably four teams in the hunt to win the tournament (Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Michigan State) and three teams who could easily play the role of spoiler (Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio State), simple math tells me that there are seven quality teams in this tournament. Unfortunately, for myself and the rest of the Big Ten analysts this year, math has doesn't sh*t to help.

With that said, here's a quick preview of this year's tournament, despite it already having started:

Team to Beat - Wisconsin. The Badgers battled through their Big Ten schedule en route to a regular season title. Don't expect them to skip a beat in the conference tournament and into the NCAAs, as long as Brian Butch can act like the 6-foot-11 big man that he is.

Team to Watch - Purdue. The Boilermakers have arguably the most upside and potential out of any of the Big Ten squads. With young talents such as Robbie Hummel, Scott Martin and E'Twaun Moore, there's no question that Purdue will be a dangerous foe in the tournament. But will inexperience hurt them in the end? Stay tuned to find out.

Team to Fear - Michigan State. The preseason favorites. The wise elders. The Spartans. Michigan State has been here before, and with Drew Neitzel and Raymar Morgan leading the way, the Spartans could easily plow through the tournament and head into the NCAAs with the momentum they've been searching for all season long.

Player to Watch - Eric Gordon, Indiana. This may seem like a no brainer, but it's not for the reason you may think. Gordon, who many scouts have slated as a lottery pick in next year's NBA Draft, is NOT ready for the pros. I repeat, Eric Gordon is nowhere near ready to enter the NBA. Therefore, the Big Ten Tournament - and subsequently the NCAA Tourney as well - will be his final auditions for the big stage. If the last few weeks are any indication, Gordon is going to get eaten alive by the bigger guards of the NBA.

Quick Prediction - Purdue will win the Big Ten Tournament.

STF Conference Report - Big Ten

And then there was one. The Wisconsin Badgers have now (nearly) assured themselves the Big Ten title, after weeks of battling with the Hoosiers and Boilermakers. Unfortunately, it was kind of a weak finish to a somewhat interest and heated stretch of games for the three squads that culminated with the Hoosiers being absolutely demolished by Michigan State and Purdue bowing out to Ohio State on the road. But, after all, it's just the Big Ten, right? As we quickly approach the postseason, stay tuned - I'll be giving all of you loyal Stormers the rundown on the Midwest region for March Madness. Man it feels good to say that...

Team with the Best Week - Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers have now earned at least a share of the Big Ten title for the third time in seven seasons with their victory yesterday (and with Purdue and Indiana choking the big one lately). But regardless of how they did it this year, one thing remains clear - Bo Ryan is one hell of a coach. Sure it was a "down" year in the Big Ten, but Ryan got the absolute most out of his players, yet again, and has guided them to six straight wins heading into the season finale against Northwestern. Quite simply, the Badgers are the team to beat and won't be losing anytime soon.

Player of the Week - Brian Butch, Wisconsin. This is definitely the first time this season that Butch has received this award. He's had a solid year for the Badgers - not great - and has hit some big shots with games on the line (on the road against Indiana and Michigan State). Though his stats haven't been that impressive, it's the fact that this guy finally recognizes his role and plays it out that has impressed me the most. Mostly Butch just sits in the paint and waits for the occasional rebound before deciding that his home is beyond the arch, but I guess whatever he can do to help Bo and the Badgers is a good thing for them. The Badgers will certainly need Butch to man up in the next few weeks as they head into the postseason.

Team with the Worst Week - Indiana. The Hoosiers blew it. They absolutely blew it. With a Big Ten title (or at least a share of it) within their grap, the Hoosiers collapsed/fell apart/absolutely sucked against Michigan State up in East Lansing earlier this week. It was an absolutely pathetic showing by an uninspired and flat IU squad that will now be limping a bit heading into the postseason. The Hoosiers have been able to string together some wins in recent weeks, but they're not playing very impressive basketball whatsoever. Defense wins games (as the Badgers are finding out) - not the occasional defensive stop mixed with DJ White and Eric Gordon switching off on offense.

Bruce Weber Moment of the Week - TBD. Senior Day is coming up on Saturday for the Illini. How will Bruce send off the beloved Brian Randle and Shaun Pruitt? Hopefully with a few screechy words and a kick in the ass. But we shall find out soon enough.

Games to Watch - 3/6 Michigan State @ Illinois
3/8 Wisconsin @ Northwestern
3/9 Michigan State @ Ohio State
3/9 Indiana @ Penn State
3/9 Purdue @ Michigan

STF Conference Report - Big Ten 2/28/2008

Here it is, the moment we've all been waiting for. Fellow Stormers, in the next week or so we will finally know who this year's Big Ten champion is! Please, please - hold your applause until the very end. Michigan State, a preseason favorite of mine, is no longer in contention for the title. However, the Spartans could easily play the role of spoiler with games at Wisconsin and against Indiana in East Lansing. A win against either team could spell their demise. And while all of that drama is taking place, don't forget about those Boilermakers - they are still right there in contention, just waiting for the Badgers and/or Hoosiers to slip up.

Team with the Best Week - Northwestern. Well there you have it, folks - the first and only time this season that this prestigious award will be bestowed upon the Wildcats. But in all honesty, they sort of deserve it. It all started last Saturday...the Wildcats went the distance with the Indiana Hoosiers and, while they failed to prevail, they were impressive nonetheless. Then, to follow up that performance, the Wildcats picked up their first conference win against Michigan. Way to go, fellas - way to go.

Player of the Week - Armon Bassett, Indiana. Bassett is one of the most underrated and underappreciated players in all of the Big Ten. He's only a sophomore, yet he has been the most clutch player for the Hoosiers this season. He's consistently the most reliable ball handler and passer, and when the game's on the line, Armon is by far the most reliable free throw shooter. His stats have skyrocketed over the past week, (albeit against Northwestern and Ohio State) but consider this more of a season-long achievement award. Regardless of what happens with the Hoosiers in the nearby future, Bassett is the key to this team's success.

Team with the Worst Week - Illinois. Three straight losses - including road defeats at Penn State and Michigan - does not bode well for the struggling Illini. They're now 3-12 in the Big Ten and 11-17 overall. But at least Alex Legion is transferring in next year. Right?

Bruce Weber Moment of the Week - The Illini scored 43 points in a loss to Michigan last Saturday. So what did Brucey have to say about it after the game? "We keep trying to be enthusiastic and positive," Weber said. "But our guys are beaten down. You can just see it emotionally. The body language is not great." Stop complaining, Bruce and do something about it already.

Games to Watch - 2/28 Michigan State @ Wisconsin (If Wisconsin wins, they're essentially conference champs)

3/1 Ohio State @ Minnesota (a battle of the bubble teams?)

3/2 Indiana @ Michigan State (another key game for the conference title race)

3/4 Purdue @ Ohio State

STF Conference Report - Big Ten

And then there were three. Wisconsin, Purdue and Indiana are all seriously contending for the Big Ten title right now and we've got just a handful of games left in the season. I never said it would be pretty folks, but damn this is getting interesting. Michigan State, a team that almost everyone had as their preseason favorite, is slowly fading away with inconsistent play from Raymar Morgan and Drew Neitzel. But the big three are all hitting their stride at the perfect time, especially the Hoosiers, and should give the fans their money's worth from here on out.

Team with the Best Week - Indiana. Sanctions? What sanctions? Back-to-back wins against Michigan State and Purdue have solidified the Hoosiers, yet again, as serious contenders for a Big Ten title. Coach Kelvin Sampson may have very well coached his last game on Tuesday night against the Boilers, but it's a game that Hoosier fans will hold dear to their hearts for quite some time. It's incredible how a fan base can go from booing to cheering its coach in a matter of just a few days.

Player of the Week - DJ White, Indiana. He's a man among boys, playing in a different league, on a different planet. DJ White is the Big Ten Player of the Year, and there's not a single person in the world that can disagree with that. White was THE reason why the Hoosiers recently won back-to-back games against Michigan State and Purdue. Not only did his performance make Hoosier Nation forget about Sampson's transgressions, but it also made them temporarily forget about Eric Gordon. The senior White is showing the freshman Gordon that there is more to the game of basketball than driving wildly to the basket and getting fouled. He's also showing Gordon what four years at a major program can do for you.

Team with the Worst Week - Penn State. The Nittany Lions' 37-point loss to Michigan State on Wednesday night provides all the evidence one needs to declare this team hopeless. Now Penn State is no Northwestern (which remains winless in conference play), but the Nittany Lions' have lost 9 of their last 11 games, which surprisingly includes a win against Michigan State back on Feb. 2. Geary Claxton is the lone bright spot for this squad, but that's been the case for the past couple of years.

Bruce Weber Moment of the Week - Bruce got a reprieve from this honor last week, so unfortunately for him and his fellow Illini fans, I had to go back at it this week. Now this isn't so much a Bruce Moment of the Week as it is a simple Illinois basketball moment of the week - besides losing to Wisconsin on Wednesday night, the Illini lost sophomore big man Brian Carlwell as well. You may recall that Carlwell was involved in the car accident a few months back with Illini guard Jamar Smith, who fled the scene of the accident and left Carlwell behind, seriously injured. Well, now Carlwell has left the program (go figure) which just creates a bigger black eye for the Illini in this situation.

Games to Watch - 2/24 Wisconsin @ Ohio State
2/26 Ohio State @ Indiana
2/27 Minnesota @ Purdue
2/28 Michigan State @ Wisconsin

STF Conference Report - Big Ten

Allow me to quickly recap this past week of Big Ten basketball - Purdue is still somehow dominating, the Hoosiers and Badgers are sticking around and Kelvin Sampson is an idiot. I think that pretty much covers it. As has been the story of the season, it remains a 3-4 horse race for the top of the Big Ten, but Purdue has quickly jumped ahead of the pack and established themselves as the team to be. Who'd a thunk it! There's still enough games left in the season for this to change, but honestly I don't see Purdue losing this momentum anytime soon.

Team with the Best Week - Purdue. I admit, the Boilermakers should have garnered this award last week. Call it an act of stubbornness or stupidity or anything else that starts with an "s", but at least I can look back upon my mistake now and laugh (or as an Indiana alum, cry). Damn the Boilers are playing some incredible basketball though, and it's all thanks to a great coach in Matt Painter and a slew of talented young, Indiana-native talent (Robbie Hummel, Scott Martin, E'Twaun Moore, etc.) It will take a lot to bring down this train, as Purdue sits atop the Big Ten, ALONE.

Player of the Week - Robbie Hummel, Purdue. There's no question about this one; Hummel is playing his best basketball of the year at the perfect time of year. The freshman notched a game-high 24 points and 11 boards on Tuesday night in the Boilers' 60-54 win against Michigan State and was Purdue's leading scorer last Saturday in the Boilers' big win against Wisconsin. Quick summary: this guy can flat out shoot the rock (51% from the field, 85.5% free throws and an incredible 47% three-point shooting). Right now Hummel is on top of the Big Ten World -

Team with the Worst Week - TAKE A WILD GUESS, Indiana. Can things get any worse for the Hoosiers right now? Wait, allow me to rephrase - can Kelvin Sampson create any bigger/better/more ridiculous problems for the Hoosiers? A.J. Ratliff, a former Indiana Mr. Basketball and fairly solid contributor to the team, has already left the Hoosiers squad. While it is likely unrelated to any of the recruiting snafus that have taken place, it's still a negative for IU. Next, the Hoosiers lost last night to Wisconsin, marking their 4th loss of the year - and the 4th loss against a ranked opponent. For a top 25 team, the Hoosiers haven't played anybody this season that has resembled a top-tier squad and have yet to really assert themselves as a legit contender for a Big Ten title. Hoosier fans beware - things could get worse, much worse, before they get any better. Oh yeah, and Bob Knight won't be coming back to save you either.

Bruce Weber Moment of the Week - In lieu of Kelvin Sampson being a big fat liar, I'll lay off Bruce for this week and this week alone.

Games to Watch - 2/16 Michigan State @ Indiana (ESPN Gameday will be there to talk about Kelvin Sampson the ENTIRE game)

2/18 Michigan @ Ohio State

2/19 Purdue @ Indiana

2/20 Wisconsin @ Illinois

STF Conference Report - Big Ten

Oh the difference a week makes - sort of. The top three teams in the Big Ten (Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan State) are all still atop the conference standings, but they decided to just switch around some spots this week, presumedly for some added excitement. The Boilermakers of Purdue are still hanging around waiting for their chance to strike, while it seems Minnesota has succumbed to playing the mediocre style of basketball that we've all come to enjoy over the years. Nonetheless, the Big Ten remains up for grabs, and not a single team (without maybe, just maybe, the exception of the Badgers) has shown any signs of domination.

And this, my friends, is why they play the game.

Team with the Best Week - Wisconsin. It hasn't been pretty for the Badgers...at all. But they're getting the job done nonetheless. Since its loss to Purdue, Wisconsin has reeled off four straight wins to improve to 19-3 overall and 9-1 in conference play. They have also bumped up to #8 in both national polls and ahead of the Hoosiers and Spartans in the conference standings. Again, it hasn't been pretty for the Badgers - but Bo Ryan's slowed/methodical offense mixed with hard-nosed defense has always been effective, despite looking ugly as hell.

Player of the Week - Joe Krabbenhoft, Wisconsin. I had to give it to this guy, I just had to. Krabbenhoft is just one of those guys that you hate to play (because he works his tail off) and you also hate to have on your team (because he tries WAY too hard in practice and makes you look lazy during games). His numbers aren't pretty (7.7 pts, 6.5 reb and 3.0 ast) but it's the cliche "little things" that he does that are key. He finds a way to snag the loose ball, he tortures the opponent's marquee big man with his flailing-armed defense and he cheers his ass off from the bench. All of this has contributed to the Badgers #8 national ranking and their 1st-place standing in the conference. Yes, I know, I'm taking Steve Lavin crazy pills - but to paraphrase the great news anchor Wes Mantooth: "I hate you Joe Krabbenhoft, but God dammit, I respect you."

Team with the Worst Week - Indiana. At one point the Hoosiers appeared invincible. They cruised through an easy, breezy non-conference schedule and into the early portion of Big Ten play. But recently, the Hoosiers have hit a skid. Yeah they picked up a win against Northwestern (who easily could have garnered this award), but the Hoosiers' loss to Wisconsin was simply demoralizing. The Kohl Center is an extremely difficult place to play in, but this was a game that IU needed to win to re-establish themselves atop the Big Ten. Now, it's still anybody's game, but it appears the Badgers are out in front. Honorable mention also goes to Michigan State for losing to Penn State.

Bruce Weber Moment of the Week - ESPN, 8:00 CT, tonight. Eric Gordon vs. The Orange Krush. Kelvin Sampson vs. Bruce Weber. Oh boy, will Bruce get upset.

Games to Watch - 2/7 Indiana @ Illinois (What will likely be Gordon's only appearance ever in Champaign should be an interesting one)

2/9 Purdue @ Wisconsin

2/12 Michigan State @ Purdue

2/13 Wisconsin @ Indiana

STF Conference Report - Big Ten

Hello boys and girls. There's been some absolutely incredible college basketball lately, and the Big Ten has been no exception. We saw the mighty Wisconsin Badgers fall last weekend to the up-and-coming Purdue Boilermakers, the Hoosiers suffered an upset against Connecticut and Northwestern actually scored more than 50 points in a game. Craziness, just craziness. Stay tuned, loyal Stormers - there's plenty more rough and tough Big Ten basketball to be played this year.

Team with the Best Week - Purdue. I've stressed the importance of the second-tier teams this season (Purdue, Ohio State, Minnesota, etc.) and how one of them needed to step up and establish themselves as a contender in the conference. It seems as though the Boilermakers have done just that. Winners of six straight - including a 60-56 win against Wisconsin on Jan. 26 - Purdue is playing great ball right now led by some of its youngest players. Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore and Scott Martin could become a fierce trifecta in the Big Ten if they stick it out and stay in school. Boy would Matt Painter be proud.

Player of the Week - Jamar Butler, Ohio State. Butler knew heading into this season that he needed to take control of the Buckeyes squad, following the departures of Greg Oden and Mike Conley, Jr. The senior guard has done just that, and while Ohio State has struggled on the road this season, they've still managed to put together a 15-6, 6-2 record behind Butler's strong play. He's scored 27 and 20 in the last two games, respectively, and is averaging 15.2 on the year. That may not seem very impressive, but consider this: Butler averaged nearly seven less points last year, three less assists and has upped his percentage in all shooting categories - and he's playing just four more minutes a game. Oden and Conley may be gone, but Butler is keeping the Buckeyes in good standing.

Team with the Worst Week - Indiana. I know this may be picky, but the Hoosiers' loss to UConn last weekend spelt disaster for IU. Luckily for them, it wasn't a conference game and didn't affect their standings in the Big Ten. However, the Hoosiers have coasted through the season by enjoying a high school-quality non-conference schedule and by beating up on the weaklings of the Big Ten. They need to beat the man to be the man is the moral of the story - and even though UConn is nowhere near being "the man", they are certainly playing some great basketball right now. A win at Wisconsin would be all the proof that this blogger needs.

Bruce Weber Moment of the Week - The Illini lost last night...again. Though it came at the hands of the Michigan State Spartans, the Illini actually led at halftime - only to finish the contest with 17 points in the second half. In regards to his team's performance, our favorite coach gave the 'no shit' response of the week: "Obviously we're not an offensive juggernaut." No, that's true, Bruce - you're not. And you might not be on the Illinois bench much longer either.

Games to Watch - 1/31 Indiana @ Wisconsin

2/3 Wisconsin @ Minnesota

2/7 Indiana @ Illinois (aka the "He Hate Me" game, featuring Eric Gordon and Bruce Weber)

Brandan Wright All-Stars: Big Ten

In last year's college basketball season, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant stole the spotlight as spectacular freshmen, en route to becoming the top two picks in the draft. Neither of them however, could hit finesse shots in the paint like Brandan Wright could. He may be riding the pine for Golden State now, but from 15 feet in, Wright's shot was unstoppable in his only year at North Carolina.

However, unlike his compatriot Tyler Hansbrough, he rarely drew fouls to get to the free throw line. Some believed that he wasn't bulky enough. Others believed he hadn't developed a mean streak. But by know, we must all know the real reason: Brandan Wright shot free throws worse than Garth Marenghi made sci-fi television.

(Warning: this clip is long, but worth it.)


Storming the Floor: Come for the college basketball, stay for the obscure British TV references.

So this is dedicated to the players who the composers of clang, the players who make student sections across the country believe they can make players miss a free throw. These...are the Brandan Wright All-Stars of the Big Ten.

Center/Forwards: The Entire Iowa Frontcourt. The three forwards on the Hawkeyes roster roster (Kurt Looby, Jarryd Cole, and Cyrus Tate) combine for the highest field goal percentage of any frontcourt in the Big Ten; however, none are better than 52.5% from the stripe. Who knows, a free throw shooting coach could be just what Todd Lickliter needs for Iowa to contend in the Big Ten and make the tourney. Or least get someone other than his starting guards to score 7 points per game.

Guard: Jeff Ryan, Northwestern. Is it physically possible for a guard to be both your team's best field goal shooter and its worst free throw shooter? Ryan manages to accomplish that; despite shooting 58.2% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc, his percentage from the stripe is only 34.6.

Guard: Mike Walker, Penn State. Field goal shooting at around 40% is understandable for a guard. A free throw percentage to match is not.

Dishonorable mention: Spencer Tollackson (Minnesota), Eric Wallace and Dallas Lauderdale (Ohio State), Sterling Williams (Northwestern), David Merritt (Michigan).

STF Conference Report - Big Ten

Is it just me or does it seem like conference season has already been going on for months? Well, we're not even halfway there and already we've seen plenty of upsets, incredibly performances and subpar play. It's looking more like the current conference standings will remain just about the same come March, so it's up to teams like Minnesota, Ohio State and Purdue to start showing up the big boys. I wish them the best of luck - they're gonna need it.

Team with the Best Week - Wisconsin. There's no question about it - the Badgers are hitting their stride and playing their best basketball of this season. Prepare yourselves for an absolute showdown when Wisconsin hosts Indiana on Jan. 31, which could and probably will be a deciding factor in who wins the conference this year. The Badgers are winners of 10 straight games and have quickly taken over first place in the Big Ten. The one negative against them? They have 1 win against a ranked team during their winning streak and their two most recent losses came against Marquette and Duke. The jury's just not out yet on the Badgers.

Player of the Week - Manny Harris, Michigan. Extra P. just wrote a great post about Manny Harris on Wednesday that perfectly sums up what this kid means to the Wolverines' squad. Harris was essentially the ONLY reason why Michigan was even in the ballpark against Wisconsin the other night (he scored 26), and he remains the ONLY reason to watch Wolverine basketball this season. Sadly, Michigan has resorted to forcing Rich Rodriguez and Lloyd Carr to attend some televised games just so ESPN can have a single storyline to work with.

Team with the Worst Week - Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are/were one of the "second tier" teams in the Big Ten that many (including myself) thought could easily play the role of spoiler this season for Indiana, Wisconsin and/or Michigan State. Well, Minnesota got their opportunity against two of those teams in the last week or so, and at home too. They put up a decent fight against Indiana (65-60) and Michigan State (78-73), but really needed to pull out one or both of those wins to make a name for themselves on the national stage.

*NEW* Bruce Weber Moment of the Week - Sitting Shaun Pruitt. Illinois' one solid player this season...ONE...has been big man Shaun Pruitt. The Aurora, IL native is a force under the boards and a terrible free throw shooter that is the only go-to guy on the squad. So when the Failing Illini played at Ohio State the other night, it made sense for Weber to sit Pruitt for undisclosed reasons, right? Wrong. Oh so very wrong, Bruce. The Illini ended up losing, again, which perpetuates the question - "Why the hell does Alex Legion wanna play for them?"

Games to Watch - 1/26 Connecticut @ Indiana

1/26 Wisconsin @ Purdue

1/26 Minnesota @ Ohio State

1/31 Indiana @ Wisconsin

STF Conference Report: Big Ten

Happy Thursday, all you stormers out there. It's been yet another interesting week in the world of Big Ten basketball (Note: I say this every week) with plenty more action on the way. Michigan is continuing to struggle, Ohio State is making us forget all about Greg Oden, and Northwestern and Penn State are making us wonder if there's still room for more teams in Division II-A. There's not much action coming up in the next few days, but as Iowa showed us last weekend, absolutely anything can happen this year in the Big Ten.

Team with the Best Week - Indiana. Bias aside, this past week had to be pretty freakin' sweet for the Hoosiers. Despite a valiant effort from "Baby" Bruce Weber and his Floppin' Illini, the Hoosiers prevailed on their home court for the 26th consecutive time. Eric Gordon did not have a great game by any means, but luckily for the Hoosiers, DJ White was there to pick up the slack. Bruce and IU coach Kelvin Sampson kept the drama flowin' with their lack of a handshake after the game - it just has all the makings of a new reality TV show. The Hoosiers should be able to cruise to a 17-1, 6-1 record heading into their battle with UConn on Jan. 26.

Player of the Week - Tony Freeman, Iowa. Sadly this is the second time this season I have given this award to one of the Hawkeyes (Justin Johnson was the first). Technically, this award should have gone to DJ White, who turned in yet another double-double against Illinois. But Freeman has quickly established himself as a top tier guard in the Big Ten and is bright spot for an otherwise dismal Iowa basketball team. He's a stud on offense and plays fair enough defense, especially for a guy his size. Honorable mention goes to Northwestern's Kevin Coble, who dropped 34 points against Michigan and then tallied 19 points and 14 boards against Chicago State.

Team with the Worst Week - Michigan State. OK, so they beat Ohio State. But come on, Iowa? The Spartans were playing nearly flawless basketball up until last Saturday's debacle against the Hawkeyes and had solidified themselves as one of the two teams to beat at the top of the Big Ten. While they're still a formidable opponent for anybody in the league this year, the loss to the Hawkeyes gave them their second loss of the season. And more importantly, showed the rest of the conference (and the world!) that they're a very beatable team.

Games to Watch:

1/17 Indiana @ Minnesota

1/19 Ohio State @ Tennessee

1/19 Illinois @ Purdue

STF Conference Reports - Big Ten

The moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived - Big Ten conference season is in full swing, which means...well, I don't really know what it means, but it's sure gonna be interesting. It's a three-dog race so far with Michigan State, Indiana and Wisconsin, but don't count out the Buckeyes just yet and I'm still sticking with Minnesota as a dark horse this season that's capable of knocking off a couple of the aforementioned teams. Keep watching folks, it's a long season and there's bound to be some exciting basketball to watch.

Team with the Best Week - Ohio State. This one was kind of a toss-up between the Buckeyes and Penn State (no, seriously). Both squads collected wins against some of the subpar/horrible teams in the conference, which doesn't say a whole lot for their true talents, but it does however pad their records. The Buckeyes improved their record to 12-3 overall, 3-0 Big Ten after beating up on Iowa last night, 79-48. One week ago, the Buckeyes picked up another laugher win against Illinois with a 74-58 victory. No, Ohio State has not overwhelmed by any means this season, but with a down year in the Big Ten, its crucial for teams to pick up these sort of wins to stay alive in the conference.

Player of the Week - DJ White, Indiana. DJ looked like a 40-year-old man among boys Tuesday night against Michigan, what with his burly beard and his 21 point-22 rebound domination of the Wolverines. White has now racked up nine double-doubles in the last 10 games, after tallying just six in his first four seasons with the Hoosiers. This is what IU has finally been waiting for - an agile big man that can score inside, plays great defense and actually brings some intensity to the court, as opposed to a clunky big man that can somewhat score inside, plays horrible defense and doesn't know how to spell his last name (Google "Marco Killingsworth").

Team with the Worst Week - Michigan. I just love picking on the Wolverines. Michigan's most recent loss came at the hands of Eric "Air" Gordon and the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday night, which is understandable. But the Wolverines hold the honor for having the worst week for two reasons: 1) they simply could not shoot the ball (8-for-28 three-pointers, 31% from the field) and 2) ESPN spent more time talking about Lloyd Carr, Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan football team than they did their abomination of a basketball team. Lastly, I'll throw this out there: The "Maize Rage" = worst student section in college basketball?

Games to Watch - 1/10 Illinois @ No. 21 Wisconsin
1/12 Ohio State @ Purdue
1/12 Minnesota @ Penn State (the battle of the second tier teams)
1/13 Illinois @ Indiana (Bloomington, IN welcomes back its old friend, Mr. Weber)

STF Conference Report: Big Ten

The Big Ten sort of, kind of, maybe (?) enjoyed a successful winter break...at least the few teams at the top sure did. Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan State all entered 2008 surprisingly unscathed, with the Badgers asserting themselves with a HUGE win against Texas - which I'll get to in a moment. Not much to update though on the rest of the conference. Sorry folks, but the conference season is just beginning - let the elbows fly and the records suffer.

Team of the Week - Wisconsin. This is heading wayyyy back to Dec. 29, 2007, but the Badgers finally cracked back into the top 25 polls with a big, big win against the then-No. 9 Texas on some razzle-dazzle plays by Michael Flowers with just seconds remaining. Maybe now the Spartans and Hoosiers will have some competition at the head of the pack in the Big Ten. However, we can't forget about those pesky Golden Gophers either...

Player of the Week - Justin Johnson, Iowa. It was hard to pass on Flowers' incredible finish against Texas, but who could ignore Johnson's performance Wednesday night against the Hoosiers. The senior guard Johnson, one of the lone bright spots for the Hawkeyes this season, nailed a staggering 8-for-13 from beyond the arc and was 10-for-15 altogether from the field. He finished the contest with 29 points, including a rainmaker/prayer/hail mary launch from just inside half court that cut the Hoosiers' lead to just three in the closing seconds of the game.

Team with the Worst Week - Illinois. They lost to Tennessee State last weekend. That's all I need to say.

Games to Watch - 1/3 Ohio State at Illinois

1/5 - Minnesota at Michigan State

1/8 Purdue at Michigan State

STF Conference Report - Big Ten

Well, another week has passed here in this 2007-08 season, and so far the Big Ten is living up to its expectations - which remain just as low as they started. As you'll notice under the "Games to Watch" header, there's not much going on in the world of Big Ten basketball. Consider this the calm before the storm - the storm being the conference schedule, in which these teams will batter and bruise one another until somebody finally staggers to their feet and is proclaimed the champion. Until then, just keep watching with an open frame of mind...

Team of the Week - Michigan State
It wasn't easy, but the Spartans survived their matchup against a tough BYU squad last weekend and held on to their top-25 ranking. MSU got off to a rough start this season, but with Drew Neitzel leading the way and Raymar Morgan quickly becoming a star in the Big Ten, the Spartans should be in for a fairly smooth ride during the conference schedule.

Player of the Week - Geary Claxton, Penn State
This might be the only time this season I can give a positive award to Penn State, so I figured I would take advantage of Claxton's terrific performance against Princeton on Wednesday night. The Nittany Lions' swingman dropped 21 points and 10 rebounds, along with five assists and two steals, in a 61-38 romp of the Tigers. Congrats, Penn State - enjoy the victories while they last.

Team with the Worst Week - Ohio State
It was a win on paper for the Buckeyes in Columbus on Monday night, but definitely not for this team's confidence. The Buckeyes tip-toed their way past Coppin State 47-39 behind Evan Turner and Jamar Butler's TEAM-LEADING 13 points each. Kosta Koufos figured he'd help out a bit and added eight points, while David Lighty felt generous and dropped four of his own. Oh how the Buckeyes have fallen.

Games to Watch - 12/15 Louisville @ Purdue
12/15 Central Michigan @ Michigan (I'm thinking upset)

Sadly, that's about it for this weekend folks...

STF Conference Reports: Big Ten

As I said back in November, the Big Ten was bound for disappointment in this 2007-08 season. So far, my not-so-bold prediction has come to fruition. We've learned very quickly that the Big Ten is the NFC of college basketball. It's ugly, it's sluggish, but nonetheless, it often times resembles basketball. So far, Big Ten fans (the few but proud remaining) have witnessed just a few of the 11 squads rising to the surface and playing some decent-to-good ball. Here's a rundown of this past week:

Team of the Week - Indiana. Not many people can argue this one. IU is one of the aforementioned few teams in the Big Ten that is actually playing worthwhile basketball this season. Following a disappointing loss to Xavier, the Hoosiers rebounded with a big win against then-ranked Southern Illinois. Eric Gordon is firing on all cylinders, despite a bruised backside, and D.J. White seems to be regaining his swagger. Just in time too - Kentucky is up this weekend.

Player of the Week - D.J. White. This one just needed to go to somebody besides Eric Gordon. Gordon's senior big man teammate dropped a career high 29 points the other night against Tennessee State to go along with 13 boards and four blocks. White also tallied 18 in the Hoosiers' Big Ten/ACC win against Georgia Tech.

Team with the Worst Week - Michigan. Tommy Amaker, take a bow. You did it. You completely owned your former Wolverines squad. Come on, Michigan - did you seriously lose to Harvard? The Wolverines are in complete dismay right now and the season isn't even halfway gone.

Games to Watch - 12/8 Arizona @ Illinois
12/8 Kentucky @ Indiana
12/8 BYU @ Michigan State
12/8 Marquette @ Wisconsin

Stay tuned, folks - this weekend is chock full of some great Big Ten action. Hopefully we'll get a better indication of just how good (or bad) this conference really is.

Big Disappointments in the Big Ten

Something is wrong with the Big Ten conference. Terribly, terribly wrong.

Back on Nov. 2, a black cat reared its ugly head out or a mirror was shattered to pieces - because it was then that a preseason top-10 Michigan State squad fell in double overtime to Grand Valley State, by a final score of 85-82. Then, just four days later, the Ohio State Buckeyes - runners-up in last year's NCAA Championship - lost 70-68 to Findlay.

Yes, Findlay. Home of the Oilers.

But for all of you Big Ten fans out there, especially those of the Spartans and Buckeyes, don't freak out just yet. Recruiting is what makes the college basketball world go 'round, and recruiting is what will bring this conference back up to what should be its usual standards. It was just one year ago that the Big Ten boasted several NBA-caliber athletes - i.e. Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Alando Tucker, Adam Haluska and Carl Landry - and was a conference to be reckoned with.

This year, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Several of the top teams from a year ago, such as the aforementioned Spartans and Buckeyes - as well as the Wisconsin Badgers and Iowa Hawkeyes - will undoubtedly struggle this season. Some of them already have, and some of them soon will. But there is an absolutely incredible turnaround in college basketball nowadays. Recruiting classes can change the entire landscape of a program in a single year (Google "2005 North Carolina Tar Heels" as a reference), and while recruiting may not be as blue chip in the Big Ten as it is in the ACC or even Pac-10, conference teams are still able to find their 5-star studs from time to time; there are still the Greg Odens, Eric Gordons and even Kosta Koufos' of the world that will gladly join a Big Ten squad.

Even more important than recruiting though is coaching. The Big Ten boasts some of the top coaches in the land, including Tom Izzo and Bo Ryan, as well as - gulp - Kelvin Sampson and Tubby Smith. No matter what caliber recruiting class most of the Big Ten coaches are dealt, they can make the most of it and turn around their squads in a year...or maybe two.

So Big Ten fans, have no fear - the 2007-08 may look ugly so far. But when did it ever look pretty?

Breaking News from the Big Ten

This just in, the Big Ten has unveiled a new logo to be displayed at Men's & Women's basketball tournaments:



It's... a ball of multi-colored yarn!! It's... a spirograph! It's.... a needlessly expensive corporate logo designed by a committee!

After seeing it, though, I must admit that I'm suddenly all about Big Ten Basketball.

STF Conference Preview: Big Ten

BIG TEN



CONFERENCE: Big Ten

LAST SEASON RECAP - Wisconsin appeared to be the class of the Big Ten for about 90% of last season. Behind the play of Alando Tucker, the Badgers appeared to be the Big Ten team heading to the Final Four. But something funny happened towards the end of the season; teams realized that if you eliminated Tucker, that the Badgers couldn't score. Add that with the fact that Ohio State's talented freshmen matured at the absolute right time, and we saw the Buckeyes heading to the Final Four and not the Badgers.

TEAM TO BEAT - This season is going to be a two team race between Indiana and Michigan State. The Hoosiers are return the monster that is DJ White and bring in super frosh Eric Gordon. The Spartens are extremely deep and return 37th year senior Drew Neitzel and the underrated Raymar Morgan. As long as Kelvin Sampson can stay off of the cell phone, we'll give the slight nod to the Hoosiers.

SECOND TIER - There is drastic dropoff following the top two squads. Illinois may have the conference's best frontcourt with Brian Randle and Shaun Pruitt, but the talent level continues to drop in Champaign following 2005. Ohio State lost just about everyone from last year's National Runner-up, but will try to recapture the freshmen magic once again with Kosta Koufos and Jon Diebler. Wisconsin thought they had problems scoring with Tucker... ..Good luck putting up points without him.

SLEEPER - I could have gone with Purdue, but are they really a sleeper if they made the tournament last season? Minnesota<