HOOPS INSIDER

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

STORY OF THE WEEK RANKING THE LEAGUE *

Michigan State’s vulnerability: It was not a good seven days for the Spartans, who were demolished at Ohio State, 1. Purdue: Maybe the Boilermakers are the taken to overtime at home by Rutgers and then lost to a less talented Michigan bunch in East Lansing. It’s not that Big Ten team with the highest floor. They’re any of these games individually is especially startling. Ohio State was exceptional, Rutgers is easy to overlook and certainly the steadiest of the bunch. (Last Michigan is well-coached and usually fired up in a rivalry game. It’s that they happened in a sequence that’s trou- week: 1) bling. At the very least, clearly there’s still some growing up to do for a lineup that remains fairly young. 2. Ohio State: Keita Bates-Diop isn’t just the STOCK RISING STOCK FALLING Big Ten’s most improved player. He’s argu- ably its best right now, too. (LW: 2) Michigan: The Wolverines might not Maryland: The Terrapins are short- be the best or even the second-best handed, sure, and that explains their 3. Michigan: The Wolverines are well on team in the Big Ten, but John Beilein’s 3-4 mark in conference play to some their way to the NCAA Tournament, and a bunch certainly looks worlds better degree. But their two-game swing three-day stretch with victories over Michi- than the bottom two-thirds of the to Ohio State and Michigan was not gan State and Maryland solidified that as league. Take how Michigan handled a daunting week, promising, especially for a team already running out the likely destination. (LW: 4) which began with a crushing one- loss at home to of chances to add high-quality victories. Maryland was Purdue. Moritz Wagner and the Wolverines shrugged it uncompetitive at Ohio State, but showed some moxie 4. Michigan State: Still time to figure things off and hammered Michigan State on the road in their Monday at Michigan. After rally from 10 down to take out, and there are worse positions to be in, next outing. With only a 48-hour turnaround, Michigan the lead in the final seconds, Maryland didn’t guard the but still — the Spartans’ troubles are a bit then overcame a sluggish first half to outlast Maryland inbound passer, giving Michigan an easy path to get the befuddling. (LW: 3) on Monday. There’s a clear top-four in the Big Ten, and ball into the frontcourt and eventually get fouled, and Michigan is part of it. the Terps fumbling away a great opportunity. 5. Indiana: You got a better idea for how to use this spot? (LW: 9)

WEEKEND SPOTLIGHT 6. Maryland: Down to eight scholarship players thanks to injury, the Terrapins lost to both Ohio State and Michigan. The weight of games later this month against Michigan State and Purdue continues to grow for Mark Turgeon’s depleted team. (LW: 5)

7. Nebraska: James Palmer Jr.’s buzzer- beater set off a celebration in Lincoln on Monday, and the Cornhuskers improved to 10-1 at home. Now, about that road record … (LW: 8)

8. Minnesota: Showed some life with an overtime victory at Penn State, but that came after the Golden Gophers’ second- most lopsided loss ever at Williams Arena. (LW: 7)

9. Penn State: The Nittany Lions sure miss Josh Reaves (academic issue); they simply don’t have enough serious scoring options to go without one of their four best players for an extended period. (LW: 6)

10. Northwestern: Chris Collins’ team is treading water, which means the NIT is looking as if it will be the Wildcats’ likely destination. (LW: 11)

11. Wisconsin: That inevitable Badger turnaround isn’t coming this year, is it? (LW: 10)

12. Iowa: Nosed back over .500 with an overtime victory at Illinois. The NCAA Tour- nament is probably already out of reach, but the Hawkeyes are still a good bet to pull a surprise or two. (LW: 14)

13. Rutgers: “Hung with Michigan State — Michigan State’s Miles Bridges (right) puts up a reverse layup against Cleveland State’s Stefan Kenic (left) and twice!” isn’t exactly much of a slogan, but Anthony Wright (rear) during the second half Dec. 29, 2017, in East Lansing, Mich. [AL GOLDIS/THE ASSOCIATED it does describe the Scarlet Knights’ work to PRESS] date so far in Big Ten play. (LW: 13)

14. Illinois: Brad Underwood lost a Indiana at Michigan State Weekend slate All times Eastern combined 10 conference games in his first Friday, 7 p.m., Breslin , East Lansing, four seasons as a head coach. He’s 60 per- Time Game TV Mich., Fox Sports 1 cent of the way there in his first year with SATURDAY What did Archie Miller’s teams at Dayton the Illini. (LW: 12) Noon Purdue at Iowa ESPN/ESPN2 do? They played excellent defense and Noon Ohio State vs. Minnesota (New York) BTN generally didn’t sabotage themselves. What *Through Monday’s games 2 p.m. Penn State at Northwestern BTN is Archie Miller’s first Indiana team doing in conference play? Playing excellent defense SUNDAY and generally not sabotaging itself (beyond Noon Rutgers at Michigan BTN NUMBERS OF NOTE some shoddy foul shooting) and enter this trip to Michigan State at 4-2 in the league. Funny how it works. Robert Johnson, Juwan Morgan and the Hoosiers have some limitations, but they hardly 6-0 matter when they can hold a team to 46 points (as they did against Northwestern on Sunday). Still, beating Record for Ohio State in Big Ten play under Chris Minnesota, Penn State and Northwestern in succession isn’t quite the same challenge as visiting the Izzone. Holtmann entering the week. Holtmann is the first Fortunately for Indiana, it has acquitted itself well against high-end nonconference competition and could coach to win his first six Big Ten games since Iowa’s create problems for Miles Bridges and the Spartans. Tom Davis did it in 1986-87. 26.8 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Shooting percentage for Northwestern at Indiana in Sunday’s 66-46 loss, the lowest shooting percentage • F Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio • G Jordan Bohannon, • F Jaren Jackson Jr., • F Lamar Stevens, Penn for a Big Ten team against the Hoosiers since State: Averaged 23.0 Iowa: Scored 29 points as Michigan State: Notched State: Posted averages Ohio State also shot 26.8 percent on Jan. 21, 2003. points, 8.5 rebounds and Iowa outlasted Illinois in 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds of 23.0 points and 7.0 3.5 blocks while helping overtime in the Hawk- and 4.0 blocks per game rebounds as the Nittany the Buckeyes to routs of eyes’ lone game of the as the Spartans split with Lions fell to Indiana but Maryland and Rutgers. week. Rutgers and Michigan. bounced back to handle Nebraska.

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