HOOPS INSIDER INSIDE ONE OF COLLEGE ’S PREMIER CONFERENCES | COMPILED BY PATRICK STEVENS, SPECIAL TO GATEHOUSE MEDIA

STORY OF THE WEEK RANKING THE LEAGUE *

Purdue drops a pair: Maybe ’s Boilermakers just lose in bunches. Purdue dropped a pair of games in 1. Ohio State (22-5): Getting it done at both the over Thanksgiving, then rattled off 19 victories in a row and climbed to 12-0 in the Big Ten. ends of the floor. is on the Then last week came: A late meltdown in a 64-63 loss against Ohio State, followed by a 68-65 loss at Michigan short list of serious national coach of the State on a late 3 by Miles Bridges. Neither of those results by themselves is alarming, and Purdue should be resil- year candidates. (Last week: 3) ient enough to shake off a tough week. But if there is a price to the losses, it’s what was left of the Boilermakers’ aura of dominance — something that was already diminished by a series of close games. 2. Michigan State (24-3): Projected as a No. 3 seed by the selection committee a month out from the real bracket reveal. Here’s STOCK RISING STOCK FALLING guessing the Spartans climb at least one line Ohio State: It probably can’t get Minnesota: The Golden Gophers’ between now and then. (LW: 2) much higher for the Buckeyes, who losing streak reached seven with a rallied late to win at Purdue last listless loss to Indiana on Friday, the 3. Purdue (23-4): If the Boilermakers respond week to take complete control of sort of showing that tends to come to this two-game slide with another 19-game the conference race. Ohio State now from a team reaching the end of a winning streak, they won’t lose again until holds tiebreakers over Michigan State and Purdue and lost season. Minnesota hasn’t tossed out a complete sometime around Thanksgiving. (LW: 1) entered the week a game ahead of both teams in the clunker every time out — it had taken Michigan to Big Ten standings. In short, Keita Bates-Diop and the overtime and dropped a six- decision to Nebraska 4. Nebraska (19-8): James Palmer Jr. and Buckeyes look like they’re on their way to a No. 1 seed its two previous times out — but the Gophers’ consider- the Cornhuskers just keep winning, albeit in the Big Ten tournament and were pegged as a No. 4 able defensive deficiencies (which were already present against mostly underwhelming competi- nationally over the weekend in the NCAA committee’s to some degree before Reggie Lynch’s early January tion. At this point, it’s all they can do as they midseason projection. suspension) are a chronic problem. This is the Big Ten’s chase an NCAA Tournament berth. (LW: 5) most disappointing team. 5. Michigan (20-7): That’s eight 20-win sea- sons in the last nine years for the Wolverines, who have become a model of relative consis- WEEKEND SPOTLIGHT tency under . (LW: 4)

6. Penn State (18-9): The Nittany Lions’ post- season profile hasn’t improved much with a three-game winning streak against Iowa, Maryland and Illinois, but it would have hurt a ton to lose any of those games. (LW: 6)

7. Indiana (14-12): Hoosiers will go for the season sweep against Iowa on Saturday as they close in on clinching a winning overall record. (LW: 9)

8. Maryland (17-10): The Terrapins entered the week 14-2 at home, with the lone losses against Michigan State and Purdue. Alas, it’s those pesky games outside the 20742 zip code that have done them in. (LW: 8)

9. Northwestern (15-11): You just never know which version of the Wildcats will show up. They were great against Michigan last week, then trailed wire to wire at Mary- land on Saturday. (LW: 7)

10. Iowa (12-15): Moving up despite losing twice? Thank a competitive showing against Michigan State for that. (LW: 11)

11. Minnesota (14-13): If the bottom falls out, the Gophers could go from 2-16 to 11-7 to 3-15 in Big Ten play in a span of three years. (LW: 10)

12. Wisconsin (11-16): The countdown to kickoff on Aug. 31 is on in Madison. Badgers likely will end up with worst record in 20 years. (LW: 13)

13. Illinois (12-14): The Illini can’t be look- ing forward to that Michigan State/Purdue Ohio State forward (right) goes up for a shot against Iowa forward Jack Nunge during Saturday combo in a three-day span next week. (LW: in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes won 82-64. [PAUL VERNON/THE ] 12)

14. Rutgers (12-15): The Scarlet Knights’ Ohio State at Michigan Weekend slate All times Eastern streak of losing seasons is about to reach an Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Crisler , even dozen. (LW: 14) Time Game TV Ann Arbor, Mich., CBS SATURDAY In the month since its victory over Michigan *Entering week of Feb. 12 2 p.m. Indiana at Iowa ESPN State, Michigan has largely gone about its 2 p.m. Michigan State at Northwestern Fox business with little fanfare. The Wolverines 8 p.m. Rutgers at Maryland BTN lost a game to a better team (at Purdue), NUMBERS OF NOTE beat up on the league’s lesser lights (Minne- SUNDAY sota, Rutgers and Wisconsin), stole a game 3:30 p.m. Nebraska at Illinois BTN from Maryland, split a home-and-home with 8 p.m. Penn State at Purdue BTN 3 Northwestern and dropped a game during a Big Ten teams ranked in the top four nationally in total brutal stretch of the schedule to Nebraska. assists. Michigan State (545) ranked first through Sun- It is, frankly, the kind of way a team ticketed for a No. 8 or No. 9 seed navigates its season — not a lot that’s day’s games, while Iowa (497) was second and Purdue splashy, but also not anything too demoralizing, either. Charles Matthews, Moritz Wagner and the Wolver- (481) was fourth. ines can bag a noteworthy victory against the first-place Buckeyes in their home finale, and it could provide a springboard into a tricky road trip to end the regular season (Penn State and Maryland). 3 Big Ten road victories for Penn State, matching the most in a season for the Nittany Lions since they PLAYERS OF THE WEEK entered the Big Ten in 1992-93. Penn State has won at Iowa, Ohio State and Illinois this season. • F Miles Bridges, • G Trent Frazier, Illinois: • F Juwan Morgan, • F Moritz Wagner, Michigan State: Hit the Notched 19.5 points per Indiana: Averaged 21.5 Michigan: Collected 20.0 game-winning 3 against game while shooting 9 of points and 8.5 rebounds points, 10.0 rebounds and 10 Purdue, capping a week 17 from 3-point range in in the Hoosiers’ routs of 2.0 assists per game to Conference losses entering the week for Wisconsin, in which he averaged a pair of games for the Rutgers and Minnesota. help the Wolverines earn assuring the Badgers of their first losing season in Big 22.5 points, 3.5 rebounds Illini. a split on the week. Ten play since going 3-13 in 1997-98. and 2.5 assists.

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