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
3 comments:
Bruce Weber moment...solid
STF - Gotta say that Manny Harris may deserve the nod as player of the week, although I would throw my vote to Iowa's Tony Freeman.
But you're off the mark when you say Harris is the only reason to watch Michigan. DeShawn Sims has become the team's most complete player and, as UofM slowly grasps John Beilein's offense, the Wolverine's it's likely the Wolverines will knock off a sleeping top tier team. Watching a program left in shambles by Amaker be rebuilt by a good coach is heartening.
Finally, the broadside on Bruce Weber. I don't know what Pruitt did but he has a reputation for dogging it in practice. If that's the case, Weber can't let Pruitt, a senior, flaunt the program and or he risks losing the team. At this point, there's a bigger picture here as the Illini is playing for next season. I think Weber put principle over expediency and that's something that should be respected.
hoopraker - Good mention about Tony Freeman. He got the nod last week for that award and could easily have gotten it again, but I Manny scored 26 against a very good Wisconsin team.
As far as DeShawn Sims goes, he's shown that he's a solid player, but come on - Michigan basketball simply isn't worth watching. Plus, the program was in shambles when Amaker was still there.
I understand your point about Bruce, but it's pretty ridiculous if he sat Pruitt for dogging it in practice (if that's the case) - most of the Illini players, in fact all of them at one time or another, have been dogging it in games, yet he continues to stick with them (i.e. Chester Frazier). I'll say one thing about Weber - as he has shown through the Sampson situation, all he is trying to do right now is earn sympathy points and look like the one coach in the Big Ten who is playing by the rules. And, trust me, that's not the case.
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