Big Ten basketball weekend preview

Conference play opened this week in the Big Ten, and there was certainly no shortage of excitement and surprises. It started on Tuesday, when Indiana went to Ohio State, and hung tough for awhile, but eventually fell by 7 to the Buckeyes. The one interesting part about the game is that, once Greg Oden picked up his fourth foul and went to the bench, the Ohio State offense seemed to pick up somewhat. That could be something to keep an eye on throughout the season. Wednesday was packed with three Big Ten games. Illinois and Michigan faced off in the day’s most interesting game. The Wolverines picked up a big win, only four days after their blowout loss at home to Georgetown. Michigan made 14 of 15 free throws, and held the Illini to 38% shooting. Penn State destroyed Northwestern by 26 points, as Danny Morrissey had a career-high 24 points, and the Nittany Lions shot 64% from the field and 59% from three-point range. The upset of the night was Minnesota over Purdue. The Golden Gophers—the only Big Ten team under .500—scored 45 points in the second half, and held off the Boilermakers down the stretch for a six-point win. Thursday had one game, Michigan State at Iowa. Iowa jumped out to an early lead and held off a late surge from the Spartans to come away with a close win. Who would have thought that, after the first week of conference play, Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue, and Indiana would be 0-1, while Minnesota, Iowa, and Penn State would be 1-0? Moreover, the home team is 5-0 in Big Ten play. In other words, you better be ready to play every night in the conference.

With league play just starting and many of the teams looking very similar to each other, every game is important. With that in mind, here’s a preview of the weekend in the Big Ten:

Penn State at Purdue (Saturday, 12:00 PM, ESPN FullCourt): A match-up of two middle-of-the-pack teams that are looking to make a run towards the upper division of the conference. Penn State had a somewhat disappointing non-conference season, losing to Stony Brook and SE Louisiana, but they started the league season on the right foot, beating Northwestern by 26. Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley are one of the best forward tandems in the conference, combining for 32 points and 16 rebounds per game. The backcourt is led by Danny Morrissey and Ben Luber. Morrissey is a decent all-around player, while Luber is the leading assist man for the Nittany Lions. Purdue has already surpassed its win total from last season with 11 this year. They own wins over Missouri, Virginia, and DePaul. However, their potential at-large hopes took a hit Wednesday night when they gave up 45 second-half points in a six-point loss at Minnesota. The Boilermakers are led by the inside-outside duo of guard David Teague and forward Carl Landry. Teague is a solid perimeter scorer, while Landry is a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate. Gordon Watt is a versatile forward and scrappy Chris Kramer runs the show. Prediction: Purdue 69, Penn State 59

Ohio State at Illinois (Saturday, 2:00 PM, ESPN): Probably the best Big Ten game of the weekend. Ohio State is clearly one of the two best teams in the league, with Wisconsin as the other major contender for the conference title. The Buckeyes have been in the Top 10 of the rankings throughout the season, although they still lack a true marquee win to hang their hats on. They beat Indiana this week, but lost both of their tough road games, against North Carolina and Florida. Greg Oden is one of the most dominant big men in the country, but he is still developing inside. On the wings, Daequan Cook and Ron Lewis form an excellent tandem. Cook is an athletic player who can score inside and out, while Lewis is explosive. Mike Conley runs the point very well, while Jamar Butler is a solid combo guard that can do a little bit of everything. Illinois has had a decent year this season, although they do not look much like a team that will threaten for a conference crown. They have a win at Missouri, but have lost two in a row, including a ten-point decision at Michigan on Wednesday. Chester Frazier and Jamar Smith form a solid backcourt, with Smith being one of the top shooters in the country. Up front, Warren Carter and Shaun Pruitt lead the way. Carter has had a breakout season, and can score in a variety of ways. Pruitt is a beast on the low block and is tough to stop.
Prediction: Ohio State 73, Illinois 70

Michigan at Northwestern (Saturday, 2:30 PM, ESPN FullCourt): Will Michigan get a much-needed road win? Or will Northwestern bounce back from their throttling at the hands of Penn State? The Wolverines have been an interesting team all season long, beating every team they should, and not looking impressive at all against teams that are on the same level, or better, than them. However, they picked up a big win at home against Illinois Wednesday night, beating the Illini by ten. They are led by the inside-outside combination of Dion Harris and Courtney Sims. Harris is not a true point guard, but he is a solid combo guard. Sims is inconsistent, but he is a very talented post player. Lester Abram and Ron Coleman are all-around players on the wing, and Brent Petway is a big-time athlete in the paint. Northwestern has looked better than expected, getting wins over Miami, Utah, and DePaul. They also have losses to Cornell and Tennessee Tech, but, still, the Wildcats are more competitive than predicted. Craig Moore and Tim Doyle form a solid backcourt, with Moore doing most of the scoring and Doyle providing a little bit of everything (third in scoring, second in rebounding, first in assists). Kevin Coble is a decent big man down low, leading the team in scoring. Vince Scott also provides size in the paint. Prediction: Michigan 68, Northwestern 61

Michigan State at Indiana (Sunday, 4:30 PM, CBS): Another big game in the Big Ten between two teams that are trying to build potential at-large resumes for the NCAA Tournament. Michigan State, despite their close loss to Iowa, is looking like the third best team in the league, outside of Wisconsin and Ohio State. They have surprised some this season, after losing several key players from a year ago. Their two non-conference losses were by a combined 9 points to Boston College and Maryland, and they own wins over Texas and Bradley. They have been hurt by injuries throughout the season, including two of their top four scorers in Maurice Joseph and Raymar Morgan. Drew Neitzel has been their leader, transforming from a role player last season to a star this season. He is one of the most improved players in the country. Inside, Goran Suton has stepped up lately to provide much-needed scoring and rebounding. Although Morgan is still out, Joseph is back to fill it up, while Travis Walton is a very good passer and defender at the point. Indiana has been very interesting this season, winning the games they should and losing tough games to the likes of Kentucky, Duke, Ohio State, and Butler. They did beat Southern Illinois, and looked good against Ohio State, though. D.J. White is the leader for the Hoosiers. He needs to dominate more down low and has to stay out of foul trouble. Roderick Wilmont and Earl Calloway are double-figure scorers in the backcourt, and they lead a deep perimeter group that also includes solid freshmen Armon Bassett and Joey Shaw, as well as A.J. Ratliff. Lance Stemler helps out up front. Prediction: Indiana 60, Michigan State 56