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(02/27/18 10:39pm)
[embed]https://soundcloud.com/user-303673382/the-other-guys-007-big-ten-tournament[/embed]
The Other Guys are back with a podcast all about the Big Ten tournaments. The guys break down both the men's and the women's tournament draws for the Hoosiers as well as the tournament brackets in general. Take a listen.
(02/26/18 6:02pm)
The regular season concluded this weekend without a whole lot of drama atop the standings. Michigan State took care of their opponents and won the conference outright. Ohio State and Indiana played an instant classic Friday night. Nebraska, OSU and Purdue all got back on track with solid weeks and will get the double-bye alongside Michigan State.
Here are my final rankings for the Big Ten...
14. Rutgers (13-18, 3-15)
Last Week: 79-52 LOSS at Ohio State; 75-62 LOSS vs Illinois
Previous Ranking: T11
At times, the season seemed to have its promising moments for Rutgers. They beat Seton Hall, who was ranked at the time. However, they then lost their next two to Stony Brook and Hartford. That was a trend for Rutgers. They would win a good game, the lose the next few. All in all, the reason they are last is two losses to Illinois and a loss to Minnesota. That was against a good, healthy Minnesota team, however. They will have a chance to change that this week with a first round matchup with the Gophers.
T11. Minnesota (15-16, 4-14)
Last Week: 73-63 LOSS at Wisconsin; 86-82 WIN vs Iowa; 84-60 LOSS at Purdue
Previous Ranking: 14
T11. Iowa (13-18, 4-14)
Last Week: 86-82 LOSS at Minnesota; 77-70 WIN vs Northwestern
Previous Ranking: T11
T11. Illinois (14-17, 4-14)
Last Week: 81-61 LOSS at Michigan State; 93-86 LOSS vs Purdue; 75-62 WIN at Rutgers
Previous Ranking: T11
These three teams all come in with similar weeks. They all won a game against one of the bottom five teams in the conference this week, as Northwestern has now joined this group at the bottom. Minnesota’s lack of defense will be an issue in the tournament, but the matchup of Illinois and Iowa will be interesting.
Illinois and Iowa matched up early in the Big Ten season, a game that Iowa won 104-97 in overtime after the Illini had, at one point, a 20-point lead. The offense won that game. Will this game be different? It’s one of the top offensive teams in the country (Iowa) against one of the top defensive teams in terms of the pressure they put on you each and every play (Illinois). The winner will battle with Michigan, meaning it could be a short trip for both teams no matter who wins the first round game.
10. Northwestern (15-16, 6-12)
Last Week: 71-64 LOSS vs Maryland; 70-64 LOSS vs Wisconsin; 77-70 LOSS at Iowa
This was not the season Northwestern fans had in mind. The Wildcats began the season ranked #19 in the country coming off their first tournament appearance in school history. That hype quickly took a hit with early losses to Creighton, Texas Tech (by 36) and Georgia Tech. Then they had a chance to turn the season around at Oklahoma, but they lost by 26 and the season just never got going again for the Wildcats.
Bryant McIntosh celebrated his senior night this past week. This season he averaged 12 PPG and 5.1 APG. His 335 points this season are the lowest of his career in a single season. Over his four-year Northwestern career, McIntosh averaged 13.1 PPG and 5.4 APG. I say all this to honor a fantastic player and one of the main reasons Northwestern was able to get to their first-ever tournament a year ago.
Previous Ranking: T8
9. Wisconsin (14-17, 7-11)
Last Week: 73-63 WIN vs Minnesota; 70-64 WIN at Northwestern; 68-63 LOSS vs Michigan State
Wisconsin finished their season strong. You saw the development of a lot of young talent around their star-junior Ethan Happ. The big man averaged 17.9 PPG and 8.2 RPG this season. He had to be patient with his young team. They started to come along the past two weeks. Brad Davison emerged, averaging 12.1 PPG and shot 37 percent from beyond the arc.
The Badgers average 67 PPG. Of those, 65.8 will be returning next season, unless Ethan Happ were to decide to leave early, which is unlikely. They will return Davison along with D’Mitrik Trice, Brevin Pritzl and Khalil Iverson. It wasn’t a great season in Madison, but this team could make some noise not only next season, but this week in New York City. They will take on Maryland in the first round, with Michigan State waiting in the quarterfinals.
Previous Ranking: 10
8. Maryland (19-12, 8-10)
Last Week: 71-64 WIN at Northwestern; 85-61 LOSS vs Michigan
Saturday was not how Maryland wanted to send their seniors out. This season wasn’t how any of the Terrapins envisioned it going. The loss of Justin Jackson after 11 games certainly hurt their season, but they were unable to rally with the players they had and fell short of the NCAA tournament. That doesn’t mean the future is bleak in College Park.
Anthony Cowan (15.7 PPG), Kevin Huerter (14.6 PPG) and Bruno Fernando (10.2 PPG) will all return next season, along with a hopefully healthy Justin Jackson. With Cowan and Huerter, this team could still shock some people this week at Madison Square Garden. They will take on Wisconsin in the second round.
Previous Ranking: T8
T6. Indiana (16-14, 9-9)
Last Week: 66-57 LOSS at Nebraska; 80-78 (2OT) LOSS vs Ohio State
Previous Ranking: 7
T6. Penn State (19-12, 9-9)
Last Week: 72-63 LOSS vs Michigan; 76-64 LOSS at Nebraska
Previous Ranking: T5
I don’t think anything tells you how bad the Big Ten has been this year better than seeing that only 5 teams have winning records in conference. Right now, the ACC has 8 teams .500 or better. The Big East has 6, the Pac-12 has 7 and the SEC has 6. The dropoff from Nebraska (13-5) to IU and Penn State (9-9) is incredible. Not to say that the Hoosiers and Nittany Lions aren’t competitive, it’s just an incredible jump from the 5th and 6th teams in the conference.
Both teams lost at Nebraska this week, as well as against a top-20 team at home. However, IU’s 74-70 win over Penn State back in January is the reason the Hoosiers grabbed the 6-seed. What’s interesting about Penn State’s draw is that if they can get past Northwestern, who they split with, they will take on Ohio State, who they upset in both games this season. The interesting part about IU’s draw is that if they can get by the winner of Minnesota/Rutgers, they will take on their rival Purdue in the quarterfinals.
If these two teams get into the NIT, they could be two of the most dangerous teams in the field.
5. Nebraska (22-9, 13-5)
Last Week: 66-57 WIN vs Indiana; 76-64 WIN vs Penn State
Nebraska got back on track on this week with some quality wins over the next two teams below them in the standings. While they were both at home, Nebraska controlled both games and got back their momentum heading into the tournament. They won eight of their last nine games to finish the season and snag the 4-seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
Nebraska was the only Big Ten team to finish their home season undefeated. They upset teams like Minnesota (when they were ranked and healthy) and Michigan at home. Because of that win over Michigan, the Huskers are now sitting pretty, receiving the double-bye and will wait until Friday to start their tournament play. They may need a couple of wins to get into the tournament. James Palmer (17.4 PPG), had two games under his average this week, and Nebraska still won both their games. That’s big for the Huskers moving forward.
Previous Ranking: T5
4. Michigan (23-7, 13-5)
Last Week: 72-63 WIN at Penn State; 85-61 WIN at Maryland
Michigan won five in a row to finish the season after their loss at Northwestern. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman put up 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in Michigan’s 24-point win at Maryland. Duncan Robinson had 19 points on three-of-six 3-point shooting at Penn State. We know that Mo Wagner (14.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG) is going to put up consistent numbers. Charles Matthews has also been huge for Michigan after his transfer from Kentucky (13 PPG, 5.4 RPG).
The play of Abdur-Rahkman (12.3 PPG, 3.4 APG) and Robinson (9.3 PPG, 39% 3PT%) are going to be huge for Michigan going forward. If they can consistently put up these numbers in March, John Beilein and company could make another deep run in the tournament. Michigan will take on the winner of Iowa and Illinois in the second round.
Previous Ranking: 4
3. Ohio State (23-7, 15-3)
Last Week: 79-52 WIN vs Rutgers; 80-78 (2OT) WIN at Indiana
Like Nebraska, Ohio State flipped the switch this week, starting in the second half of the Rutgers game and continuing on the road at IU. Every big shot that IU made, every run that IU made, every time the crowd got into it, Ohio State had an answer. The final answer was a deep three by C.J. Jackson to win a double-overtime thriller, 80-78.
Keita Bates-Diop, the leader in most people’s minds for Big Ten Player of the Year, put up 24 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks against IU. All five starters scored in double figures for the Buckeyes, the first time this had happened since their home loss vs Penn State. The Buckeyes may not have as much talent as Purdue or Michigan State, but when they play well as a team, they are hard to beat. They were a perfect 2-0 against Purdue and Michigan State in the regular season.
Previous Ranking: 3
2. Purdue (26-5, 15-3)
Last Week: 93-86 WIN at Illinois; 84-60 WIN vs Minnesota
Purdue also turned things around this week against two of the bottom-tier teams in the conference. Vince Edwards was still out against Illinois. That was enough to inspire Carson Edwards to go score 40 points and lead Purdue to the victory.
Dakota Mathias scored 25 points on nine-of-11 shooting, seven-of-nine from the 3-point line. Purdue is going to be really hard to beat if they are getting scoring barrages from guys like Mathias, who has been playing really well recently. Mathias also had 18 points at Illinois and vs Penn State. He’s averaging 20 PPG in this three game win streak to finish the season. We aren’t even talking about Isaac Haas.
This team is dangerous when Dakota Mathias is playing well.
Previous Ranking: 2
1. Michigan State (28-3, 16-2)
Last Week: 81-61 WIN vs Illinois; 68-64 WIN at Wisconsin
The Spartans continue to sprint to the finish. Winners of 12 straight, the Spartans are playing some of the best basketball in the country. Amidst the Nassar circumstances and now the Bridges issue with the FBI scandal, this team has still looked really good on the court. They are in line for a one-seed in the NCAA tournament, but they may need to win the Big Ten tournament to assure that.
Cassius Winston’s 20 points on six-of-six 3-pointers were enough to help the Spartans win at Wisconsin Sunday. Guys like Winston and Langford are key to getting the Spartans over the hump, and getting Bridges, Ward and Jackson the help they need. The Spartans will wait for the winner of Wisconsin and Maryland in the quarterfinals Friday.
Previous Ranking: 1
(02/24/18 7:06am)
It was an emotional senior night for Robert Johnson.
(02/23/18 9:19pm)
[embed]https://soundcloud.com/user-303673382/the-other-guys-006-jon-crispin/[/embed]
BTN basketball analyst Jon Crispin joins The Other Guys this week to discuss everything from Indiana basketball, to his days at Penn State and UCLA, to how he feels about Romeo Langford. Take a listen.
(02/21/18 3:46am)
On January 20, the Hoosiers halted a Michigan State rally to get a much-needed win. They had previously lost six of their first seven games in conference before the win.
It’s now February 20. One month has passed, and the Hoosiers have done nothing but win. Eight straight to be exact.
The latest installment of an Indiana win was Tuesday night when the Hoosiers hit huge shots down the stretch, led by their senior Tyra Buss, and pulled away from the Gophers for an 82-70 win.
The Hoosiers went down early, but after the early struggles, they quickly got back in the game. The contest went back and forth throughout the next couple quarters. It was tied at 19 after one. The Hoosiers held a 42-40 lead at halftime. Then, Minnesota had a 56-54 lead after three quarters.
The Hoosiers dominated in the fourth quarter, mainly on the defensive end. They held the Gophers to 14 points in the fourth, and hit their free throws down the stretch to win by 12. The Hoosiers shot 16-19 (84%) from the charity stripe.
Buss needed eight assists coming into the game to become the all-time leader in career assists in program history. She had seven to go with 36 points and 7 steals to help the Hoosiers to their 16th win of the season.
During their eight-game win streak, Buss is averaging 25 points and five assists per game.
Outside of Buss, the team was very balanced, with three other players in double figures. Yeaney had her second double double of the season, with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Royster had 10 points and 9 rebounds, while Cahill added 10 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Cahill has really picked it up during this win streak. She’s averaging just over 17 points and 8 rebounds per game, including two double doubles.
The main trend in the eight games is that the team is playing better along with individuals elevating their games, at the same time. In six of the eight games, the Hoosiers have had someone other than Cahill or Buss in double figures. Moren said she wanted more consistency out of her team and her freshmen. She’s gotten that during this win streak.
Indiana’s postseason hopes seemed very dark back on January 20. However, they’ve won eight straight and now seem to be creeping toward the NCAA tournament conversation. Their last three wins have been teams that at the time were in the top 5 in the conference; Purdue, Nebraska and Minnesota.
The Hoosiers are now tied for sixth in the Big Ten with Michigan. If the tournament were today, Indiana would be the 7-seed.
They will have another chance against a top five Big Ten team on Saturday when the Hoosiers head to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes. The tip will be at noon and the game will be broadcast on BTN.
(02/20/18 10:04pm)
[embed]https://soundcloud.com/user-303673382/the-other-guys-005-a-hot-podcast[/embed]
For the first time, all four guys were in the studio together. Join Austin Render, Connor Hines, Jacob Vinson and Mark Timko as they debate the most dominant athlete, the status of the Louisville program, and where IU Men's and Women's basketball are heading into the final week of the season. Give it a listen.
(02/19/18 4:54pm)
The Big Ten entered the week with three top-10 teams, the most of any conference in the country. They also entered the week with surging Nebraska and Penn State teams creeping into the NCAA tournament picture.
However, upsets ravaged the Big Ten this week. Purdue, Nebraska and Penn State all lost once, and the Buckeyes lost twice, leaving the conference in the hand of the Spartans, and probably leaving Nebraska in the NIT barring a Big Ten tournament run.
Here's how I see things stacking up right now in this chaotic Big Ten...
14. Minnesota (14-14, 3-12)
Last Week: 87-57 LOSS vs Michigan State
It’s not easy to decide the ranking of these bottom teams in the Big Ten. Last week I had them all tied. However, after watching Minnesota at home against Michigan State, I realized this team is nowhere close to competitive. They have lost 11 of 12 and haven’t won at home since January 3. They have two of the better players in the conference with Murphy and Mason, but without anyone else to help them, they are helpless. And it is hard to watch.
Previous Ranking: T11
T11. Iowa (12-17, 3-13)
Last Week: 74-59 LOSS at Michigan; 84-82 LOSS vs Indiana
Previous Ranking: T11
T11. Rutgers (13-16, 3-13)
Last Week: 67-58 WIN vs Northwestern; 61-51 LOSS at Maryland
Previous Ranking: T11
T11. Illinois (13-15, 3-12)
Last Week: 78-68 LOSS at Indiana; 72-66 WIN vs Nebraska
Previous Ranking: T11
Again, another week where I don’t know how to differentiate these teams. Rutgers and Illinois got solid home wins, while Iowa was competitive at Michigan and had a chance at home against the Hoosiers. Unlike a lot of Minnesota’s losses, these teams have been at least somewhat competitive as of recently and have some promising young talent to work with.
With a rough week for the Big Ten in terms of their top teams and bubble teams losing, these teams could make this week even worse. Michigan State plays Illinois and Wisconsin, Purdue plays Illinois and Minnesota and Ohio State play Rutgers. These bottom teams could cause some real shake up in the Big Ten and national landscape with some big wins this week.
10. Wisconsin (12-16, 5-10)
Last Week: 57-53 WIN vs Purdue
Good week for the Badgers. They only played once, but they made it worthwhile with a huge home win over Purdue. Happ put up 21 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
It hasn’t been the season Badger fans were looking for, but there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel: Brad Davison. The freshman has been thrust into Big Ten play and has excelled beyond anyone’s expectations. 11.5 PPG, 2.4 APG, and he’s just a tough player who will do anything to help his team win. He has a bright future in Madison.
Previous Ranking: 10
9. Northwestern (15-13, 6-9)
Last Week: 67-58 LOSS at Rutgers; 65-60 LOSS vs Michigan State
The Michigan State game was the epitome of this Wildcats’ season. Northwestern held a 27 point lead at home (ish) against Michigan State only to watch it slip away. Izzo said after the game that part of building a successful basketball program is having a consistent turnout from the fans, which Northwestern did not get Saturday afternoon.
While the home games for Northwestern are being held in Rosemont, Illinois, a 37 minute drive from Evanston according to Google Maps, the fan turnout was mainly all green and gold Saturday. It’s been a long season, that’s for sure, and the quit in Northwestern fans has been something that is shared with a lot of other fan bases across the Big Ten.
Previous Ranking: T8
8. Maryland (18-11, 7-9)
Last Week: 70-66 LOSS at Nebraska; 61-51 WIN vs Rutgers
Some were saying Maryland could jump back into the tournament talks with a road win at Nebraska. I’m not totally sure about that, but it didn’t end up happening anyway, falling by four late to the Cornhuskers. The win over Rutgers was routine, but the Terrapins are just a step below an NCAA tournament team, and I think fans in College Park have accepted that. They also had to accept James Palmer Jr. putting up 24 points in the second half to spur the Nebraska win.
Previous Ranking: T8
7. Indiana (16-12, 9-7)
Last Week: 78-68 WIN vs Illinois; 84-82 WIN at Iowa
The Hoosiers are one of the hottest teams in the conference, and one of only four Big Ten teams that did not lose last week. Robert Johnson tied the school record with nine threes in the win over Iowa. He shot 10-of-14 from the field and 9-of-12 from behind the arc.
While they have won four straight, I’m not ready to move them up to Penn State and Nebraska, yet. The Hoosiers have won four games over the bottom four in the conference, and some haven’t been pretty. If the Hoosiers have a good week this week in conference, there is a chance the Hoosiers can even get the five seed in the Big Ten tournament. They will need to win both games; at Nebraska and at home vs. Ohio State.
Previous Ranking: 7
T5. Penn State (19-10, 9-7)
Last Week: 79-56 WIN vs Ohio State; 76-73 LOSS at Ohio State
Previous Ranking: 6
T5. Nebraska (20-9, 11-5)
Last Week: 70-66 WIN vs Maryland; 72-66 LOSS at Illinois
Previous Ranking: 4
Nebraska had a tournament berth laid out in front of them, and I thought they took it. Their last nine conference games were all against unranked teams outside the top five in conference, and their road games were Rutgers, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. They had rallied off six straight and were squarely on the bubble, needing to win out. However, that final road game at Illinois tripped them up. Now I think it will be very difficult to make the tournament without winning the conference tournament.
Penn State didn’t have as bad of a week. While they lost, it was a competitive road loss at the No. 6 team in the country that went down to the last possession. The domination of Ohio State Thursday night was incredible and with opportunities against Michigan and Nebraska this coming week, plus some chances in the Big Ten tournament, they have a chance to put themselves in the tournament. Tony Carr had 49 points this week, and has thrown himself into the conversation for Big Ten First Team All-Conference.
4. Michigan (22-7, 11-5)
Last Week: 74-59 WIN vs Iowa; 74-62 WIN vs Ohio State
Michigan jumped back into the top four in the standings and in my power rankings with a great week. Albeit, they had two home games, but they took advantage. They controlled the entire game against Iowa, and dominated Ohio State for much of that game and took home two more wins to throw themselves into possession for the double bye in the conference tournament.
Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman had a great week, scoring 35 points in the two games. However, the biggest standout to me is Jordan Poole. I know I’ve mentioned him before, but he is so talented. Still raw, but when he is on, he is on. He put up 15 points and hit 4/5 from long range against Ohio State. That’s quite the weapon to have coming off the bench for John Beliein.
Previous Ranking: 5
3. Ohio State (22-7, 13-3)
Last Week: 79-56 LOSS at Penn State; 74-62 LOSS at Michigan
This was not a good week for the Buckeyes. They almost had the conference handed to them last weekend when Purdue lost twice. They did have a tough schedule, and that got them this week with two road losses at Penn State and Michigan. I thought the Purdue road win proved they belonged, but these two losses exposed them a little bit.
This team is solid. They have a lot of talent that Chris Holtmann has gotten out of his players that Thad Matta was unable to. However, they aren’t as talented as the best teams in the country. They’re going to play hard each and every game, but that can only get you so far. Keita Bates-Diop is incredible and Jae’Sean Tate has really emerged as of late, but Jackson is having turnover issues and the Wesson brothers have been inconsistent.
Previous Ranking: 2
2. Purdue (24-5, 13-3)
Last Week: 57-53 LOSS at Wisconsin, 76-73 WIN vs Penn State
I was shocked when I watched Purdue lose at Wisconsin. Then I wasn’t. Purdue has had a lot to prove coming down the stretch of this season. They are not known to finish seasons out or to have any postseason success when they have a team as talented as this year’s team. Then when they lost to both OSU and MSU, Purdue fans were ready to believe it was more of the same. Then there was the game at the Kohl Center.
The Boilermakers are good. It’s concerning to see Vincent Edwards in a boot, but the others picked up the slack Sunday night. However, they have to prove they can win in February and March. And they can. The key will be putting this tough stretch behind them and moving forward. There’s too much talent on this team to give up on them.
Previous Ranking: 3
1. Michigan State (26-3, 14-2)
Last Week: 87-57 WIN at Minnesota; 65-60 WIN at Northwestern
It was a relatively quiet work week for Michigan State, until all of a sudden they were down 43-16 at Northwestern. Then the flip switched. While we saw some of the worst basketball from the Spartans in the first 16 minutes of the game, the next 24 were some of the best. And they did it with Jackson and Bridges combining for 19 points.
Michigan State was the only top-four team in the Big Ten heading into the week to go undefeated this week. The conference is theirs to lose with Illinois and Wisconsin on their schedule this week to finish. Winners of 10 straight, the Spartans have proved the off the court distractions aren’t effecting their play on the court.
Previous Ranking: 1
(02/16/18 5:27am)
It’s obvious that women’s basketball doesn’t get the love that men’s basketball does at maybe every university but UConn. The women can’t dunk, there are more blowouts, and the same teams seem to win every season.
Indiana women’s basketball isn’t a historically great program. It’s not on the level of UConn or Tennessee or Notre Dame. The Hoosiers have only won the Big Ten Tournament once (2002).
The men’s team dominates the headlines at Indiana. Even when they struggle, they will still attract the attention of most students on campus and most media members attached to IU basketball.
However, this weekend should be all about the women’s team. Yes, the men’s team plays at Iowa Saturday at 2 p.m., and most people will tune their TV’s to ESPN and watch the Hoosiers go for four straight. But, the women’s team plays at noon, and that game is much more important than anything the men’s team could do this weekend.
They’re not only going for their seventh straight win, but it’s the final home game for two of the best players in the history of IU women’s basketball. It’s the last home game for one of the most dynamic duos to ever step foot on the Bloomington campus. It’s the final home game for Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill.
Tyra Buss
Buss’ list of accomplishments would be impossible to put into perspective. She has set records left and right in Assembly Hall and has been honored for a different achievement before what seems like every home game.
Buss became the all-time leader in IU women’s basketball history in career points (2,119 and counting) and steals (269 and counting). She’s 13 assists away from becoming the all-time leader in career assists in program history.
In this six-game win streak, Buss has averaged 21 PPG, nearly 5 APG, and just had 5 steals in their win over Purdue. She’s averaging 19.9 PPG and 4.7 APG this season.
While she’s been an incredible staple on the court for IU, she’s also been the face of the program for four straight years. Fans line up after every game to get an autograph from one of, if not the best player to ever step foot in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
“I came here to be a program changer," Buss said. "I wanted to help build the program up to what it’s supposed to be and what it needs to be.”
Her relationship with Amanda Cahill has blossomed into one of the best duos in all of college basketball. It’s important that while Buss gets so much attention, Cahill deserves her piece of the pie.
Amanda Cahill
Cahill has had to, at times, play in the shadow of Buss. While she has averaged double figures every season she’s been in Bloomington, Buss has always averaged more.
Even with that, Cahill has been just as important to this program as Buss. Cahill has transformed the 4-position for IU, being the ideal stretch-4 that Teri Moren has always wanted.
Cahill is averaging nearly 18 PPG and 8 RPG in the Hoosiers’ six-game win streak. On the season, Cahill is not only averaging 8.2 RPG this season, but she’s shooting the three-ball at 40 percent. She’s made more threes this season than Buss has.
Not only is Cahill effective in scoring, rebounding and shooting, but her decision making is top notch. Coach Moren is never afraid of Cahill taking a bad shot.
“There’s really not a bad shot she can take for our program or our team," Moren said. "She’s really headsy, makes good decisions normally. We just asked her to be more aggressive.”
Cahill has also reached milestones this season. She is just the third Hoosier to have 1,000 career rebounds (1,032 and counting, which is third all-time). She is also currently eighth on the all-time career scoring list at IU, with 1,706 points and counting.
Cahill, like Buss, has been incredible with the fans and has really been that face of the program along with Buss. It’s safe to say that this program won’t be the same without either one of these players, let alone both.
The Dynamic Duo
Why are these two so dominant together? They work so well together and have meant so much to the program. But why?
Their impact on Indiana goes beyond their play on the court. Moren took over the head coaching spot at IU four years ago and inherited these two stars as freshman. Moren has been able to watch them grow, not only in their games, but in their relationship with one another.
These two once-in-a-generation talents paired up with Alexis Gassion and led the Hoosiers back to the NCAA tournament in 2016, and after narrowly missing out on the NCAA tournament last season, they led the Hoosiers far in the WNIT.
This year has been different. At the beginning of the season, it was Cahill and Buss, and then who else? There was a sense of uncertainty around who would step up around the senior duo.
They’ve been monumental in the development of the freshman, such as Jaelynn Penn and Bendu Yeaney, and the improvement in junior forward Kym Royster’s play. After a 1-6 start in conference, the Hoosiers have rallied off six straight, and now sit at 7-6 in conference and 14-12 overall, thanks to the incredible play and leadership of the seniors.
“I always say this about seniors," Moren said. "When you get into January and almost February, they see their window closing. Every day it gets a little lower. I think the sense of urgency that seniors end up playing with towards the end of the season is different than they do at the beginning of their senior year.”
Saturday, February 17 at Noon
Every senior deserves to have a special senior day. Every senior deserves to walk out with their parents and be honored for what they’ve done at their respective program. Cahill and Buss deserve something extra special.
How do you properly acknowledge and thank two players like Buss and Cahill for what they’ve done for IU over the past four years? How do you thank two outstanding talents for their play on the court and their attitudes off the court?
By filling Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The capacity of the building is 17,222. The men’s team doesn’t get that for most of the season, so I’m not saying the place should be sold out. The average attendance for the men’s team is 15,387. The average for the women’s team is 3,090. There’s no reason that number can’t be at least doubled Saturday afternoon for two special players that don’t come around very often.
What are you doing this coming Saturday at noon? I’ll be at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall watching Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill play their final home game of their careers.
I look forward to seeing you there.
(02/15/18 7:35pm)
The two positions in the middle infield for Indiana baseball will be handled completely differently coming into 2018.
Last season, two main guys dominated up the middle. Tony Butler at second base and Jeremy Houston at shortstop. While Houston will return to his starting role at shortstop in 2018, second base remains a major question mark after Butler graduated, leaving a big hole on the left side of the infield.
Even with the loss of Butler, the continuation of Houston at short and a plethora of options for second base present a promising season in the middle infield. Let’s break it down.
Shortstop:
Houston was a highly heralded freshman last season, rated the No. 1 defensive shortstop out of Illinois and the No. 11 prospect out of the state by PBR when he came to Indiana.
Starting 48 games at shortstop, he missed 12 games due to an early season hamstring injury, but started every game he was healthy enough to play in.
Houston batted .232 during the 2017 season. He drove in 21 runs, with nine extra-base hits (including 2 home runs), and stole eight bases on 11 attempts. In the field, Houston had a .961 fielding percentage, turning 31 double plays.
[embed]https://twitter.com/IndianaBase/status/867399217182015489[/embed]
All of this production granted Houston a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2017.
After a year of experience at shortstop, the sophomore from Chicago is expected to have another solid season for the Hoosiers and be that guy his team can rely on at shortstop.
If the injury bug gets to Houston again in 2018, look to Colby Stratten to fill in for him.
Last season, Stratten started every game at shortstop while Houston was out and has a career fielding percentage of .988. He heads into his senior year looking to help out at either position in the middle infield.
For the most part, the shortstop position will be one of consistency for the Hoosiers, just like second base was a year ago.
[embed]https://twitter.com/IndianaBase/status/871815746824876032[/embed]
Second Base:
Second base was one of the most consistent positions last season with Butler starting all but one game there.
Butler led the team with a .314 batting average last season, driving in 30, knocking out four home runs and boasting a .454 slugging percentage. Most of his damage was done during Big Ten play, hitting .341 in conference games.
[embed]https://twitter.com/IndianaBase/status/863821118720921601[/embed]
Not only was he dominate at the plate, but his fielding will be missed as well. Butler had a fielding percentage of .988 and turned 40 double plays, the most on the team.
So where does Coach Lemonis go without Butler at second base? Well, he has a few options.
First, Colby Stratten, who started 13 times in the middle infield a year ago, could be a good option. The senior is a utility player and could help out at both middle infield positions.
Another option is Matt Lloyd. Lloyd is Indiana’s primary closer out of the bullpen. However, the Hoosiers may need him to help out on the right side of the infield.
Lloyd led the team with a .358 batting average in conference last year while slugging .674, with 7 of his 11 home runs coming in Big Ten play.
[embed]https://twitter.com/IndianaBase/status/855856749819158528[/embed]
However, Lloyd and Lemonis both said that he will be day-to-day on whether or not he feels ready to play second base or first base, or if he needs to go DH for the day. That’s when Lemonis listed off a few other options for second base.
Cade Bunnell, a junior transfer from Madison Junior College, could see a good amount of time at second base. Bunnell also started 16 games his freshman year at Kansas State. Last season, Bunnell batted .291 and led Madison Junior College with eight home runs. He also added 37 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
The other two options are freshman Justin Walker and Cole Barr. Walker hit .345 in his four high school years was rated the No. 13 overall recruit from Indiana by PBR. Barr was rated the No. 14 recruit in Indiana by Perfect Game. Both Barr and Walker played mainly shortstop in high school but are candidates for the second base position this spring.
(02/13/18 10:18pm)
[embed]https://soundcloud.com/user-303673382/the-other-guys-004-my-word-for-2018-is[/embed]
Mark Timko joins Austin Render and Connor Hines to talk about all kinds of IU Athletics, including the recent success for both the men's and women's basketball teams and the new words for 2018 for the football team. They also discuss the greatness of curling in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Take a listen.
(02/12/18 4:51am)
The bottom of the conference continues to feast on themselves and get blown out by others. The middle of the Big Ten continues to be a confusing mess. The top of the conference just shifted around after this weeks Ohio State-Purdue and Michigan State-Purdue games. Ranking the Big Ten is like trying to do organic chemistry or calculus. It's not easy.
So here's how I see things stacking up right now in the Big Ten.
T11. Iowa (12-15, 3-11)
Last Week: 96-93 LOSS vs Michigan State; 82-64 LOSS at Ohio State
Previous Ranking: T13
T11. Rutgers (12-15, 2-12)
Last Week: 65-43 LOSS vs Indiana; 67-55 at Nebraska
Previous Ranking: T13
T11. Illinois (12-14, 2-11)
Last Week: 78-69 LOSS vs Wisconsin; 74-52 LOSS vs Penn State
Previous Ranking: T11
T11. Minnesota (14-13, 3-11)
Last Week: 91-85 LOSS vs Nebraska; 80-56 LOSS at Indiana
Previous Ranking: T10
Out of these four teams, none of them deserve to not to be last in the conference. They’ve all beaten each other. Here’s the craziness of this glob of four teams.
Iowa beat Illinois and Minnesota. Rutgers beat Iowa. Illinois beat Rutgers. Minnesota beat Illinois and Rutgers.
Try sorting that out. I don’t want to. That’s why they are all tied for last in the conference in my mind.
Also, these four teams would, as of right now, have to play on Wednesday of the conference tournament.
10. Wisconsin (11-16, 4-10)
Last Week: 78-69 WIN at Illinois; 83-72 LOSS vs Michigan
Wisconsin is lucky they aren’t in that group above. They have lost to Rutgers and Iowa, but have beaten Illinois twice, including this week on the road. They’re realistically the best team from that group because they have Ethan Happ and the others don’t, so they belong at No. 10. Happ went for 27 points, six rebounds and eight assists in their win over Illinois. He also shot 12-for-20 from the field. Brevin Pritzl is also back to his old form. He had 15 points at Illinois and 13 vs Michigan.
Previous Ranking: T10
9. Northwestern (15-11, 6-7)
Last Week: 61-52 WIN vs Michigan; 73-57 LOSS at Maryland
After the win over Michigan, I tried to map out a scenario that Northwestern squeaked into the tournament. Of course, that required winning out. So the loss at Maryland this weekend killed any of those hopes Wildcats fans may have had after a recent stretch of success. The Wildcats have four starters averaging double figure points per game, but they don’t have a bench that can contribute, which makes things tough when any of those four have off nights.
Previous Ranking: T7
8. Maryland (17-10, 6-8)
Last Week: 74-70 LOSS at Penn State; 73-57 WIN vs Northwestern
Maryland had great balance in Happy Valley, with five players scoring 10 or more points. The issue was none of these players could guard Lamar Stevens, who shot 10-of-12 from the floor for 25 points, leading Penn State to the win. I still would have liked to have seen this team finish the season with Justin Jackson. He is such a big loss for a team that had tournament aspirations heading into Big Ten play. He averaged 10.4 points per game last season and was already averaging 9.8 this season while battling continuous injuries throughout the season.
Previous Ranking: T7
7. Indiana (14-12, 7-7)
Last Week: 65-43 WIN at Rutgers; 80-56 WIN vs Minnesota
For the first time in a long time, there aren’t any losses on Indiana’s slate this week. Granted, they played Rutgers (on short rest) and a decimated Minnesota team that had to play without Amir Coffey and Dupree McBrayer Friday night. However, that was one of the best games IU has played as a team, with 21 assists on 30 field goals (70-percent). The emergence of Devonte Green has come a little late for the Hoosiers to make an NCAA run, but it is promising for the future of the point guard position at IU.
Previous Ranking: T7
6. Penn State (18-9, 8-6)
Last Week: 74-70 WIN vs Maryland; 74-52 WIN at Illinois
Good week for Penn State, but that could realistically be their last win of the season. Their remaining schedule is the toughest in the conference.
vs Ohio State, at Purdue, vs Michigan, at Nebraska
While it won’t be easy, it does set them up for a crazy run that would include some really good wins and quickly jolt them back into NCAA consideration. But I think they may need to win out. Also, shoutout to Lamar Stevens, who as mentioned earlier, went for 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting in their win over Maryland last week.
Previous Ranking: 6
5. Michigan (20-7, 9-5)
Last Week: 61-52 LOSS at Northwestern; 83-72 WIN at Wisconsin
Previous Ranking: T4
4. Nebraska (19-8, 10-4)
Last Week: 91-85 WIN at Minnesota; 67-55 WIN vs Rutgers
The battle for the double-bye in the Big Ten tournament. Nebraska has the head-to-head with their 72-52 win over Michigan earlier in the season. I wouldn’t expect them to relinquish the fourth spot, with Maryland, Illinois, Indiana and Penn State on the schedule, with Illinois being the only road game.
Michigan bounced back with a good road win at Wisconsin, their fourth true-road win of the season. However, the disappointing loss to Northwestern could have ended their chance at the double-bye in the tournament. This coming weekend will be a huge game for Michigan and the Big Ten when Ohio State comes to town. It’s a revenge game for the Wolverines after surrendering a double-digit lead at Ohio State earlier this season.
Previous Ranking: T4
3. Purdue (23-4, 12-2)
Last Week: 64-63 LOSS vs Ohio State; 68-65 LOSS at Michigan State
Previous Ranking: 1
2. Ohio State (22-5, 13-1)
Last Week: 64-63 WIN at Purdue; 82-64 WIN vs Iowa
Previous Ranking: 3
1. Michigan State (24-3, 12-2)
Last Week: 96-93 WIN at Iowa; 68-65 WIN vs Purdue
Previous Ranking: 2
Alright time to dissect the top 3. The committee made quite the statement putting Purdue on the one line and Michigan State on the 3 and Ohio State on the 4, even though Purdue just lost to both MSU and OSU this week.
Purdue is still a good team. Let’s get that out there right away. Two one-possession losses to the top two teams in the conference isn’t season-ending. It does, however, eliminate them from winning the Big Ten, barring a miracle.
Ohio State controls its own destiny and more. With the win over MSU earlier in January, the Buckeyes essentially have a two-game lead over both Purdue and MSU. However, they do still go to Penn State and Michigan this week, and then head to Bloomington to finish the season in two weeks.
Michigan State is my number one team because they have the most talent in the Big Ten. Ohio State may have the best player, and Purdue may have the best team, but Michigan State has the most talent. Any given night, Bridges or Jackson or Ward or Winston could go off. And it’s scary. Bridges stepped up and knocked down the biggest shot of the season for Michigan State this past weekend. And while they’ve struggled a little lately, they’ve now won eight in a row and are in a good spot to win the conference with a few slip-ups from Ohio State down the stretch.
What does all this mean? The Big Ten tournament will be a lot of fun.
(02/10/18 3:48am)
Indiana wins its second straight game with an 80-56 win over Minnesota. The Gophers were short-handed, playing without Dupree McBrayer and Amir Coffey due to injury. Indiana was paced by Juwan Morgan who lit up the stat sheet with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, while Devonte Green also scored 19 points to go with 7 assists. The Hoosiers are now 14-12 on the season and 7-7 in conference.
Players:
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/962159869309669376[/embed]
Archie Miller
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/962160560153522176[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/962162918530961409[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/962164607963090944[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/962166011830112257[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/962168084432916480[/embed]
(02/06/18 10:25pm)
[embed]https://soundcloud.com/user-303673382/the-other-guys-003-indianarutgers-nick-foles-and-winter-olympic-excitement[/embed]
The Other Guys, Austin, Connor and Jacob, are back for week 3. This week they take a look the Indiana/Rutgers game and talk about whether or not IU basketball can finish the season strong and whether or not they are excited for the Winter Olympics. Take a listen to see what the guys have to say this week.
(02/06/18 4:13am)
Indiana stopped its four game losing skid in New Jersey Monday night with a 65-43 win over Rutgers (12-14, 2-11 Big Ten).
It was just a normal night for Juwan Morgan, who scored 24 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. However, this is almost expected at this point. Hoosier fans expect to see Juwan give everything he has, and that usually results in a solid night.
Here were three things not named Juwan Morgan that stood out in the Hoosier victory.
1. The Defense
Everyone knows that Archie Miller’s staple is defense. His teams aren’t going to run the score up on you or try and get as many possessions as possible. His teams are going to try and out defend you and out hustle you.
Indiana put that blueprint on display Monday night, holding Rutgers to 43 points and 24-percent from the field.
“I thought defensively, we were pretty good,” Miller said postgame. “It gave us a chance to get out in transition and do some things.”
Rutgers’ 43 points was the least points scored on IU this season. Northwestern scored only 46 points against Indiana.
This was the lowest points allowed for Indiana against a Big Ten team since Iowa also scored just 43 against the Hoosiers in 2008.
2. Robert Johnson and the Undershirt
Tom Pritchard, freshman year Victor Oladipo, Juwan Morgan. What do all these players have in common? They all wore undershirts when playing for IU.
Add Robert Johnson in New Jersey. Johnson pulled out the red undershirt with the red shooting sleeve en route to 19 points, shooting seven-of-13 from the field and three-of-six from the three-point line.
Johnson made his first three shots of the game to help IU grab an early 11-3 lead. The Hoosiers would never trail.
“Rob, I thought stepped up and made a couple big ones tonight,” Miller said.
Since the Notre Dame game, where Johnson scored 20 points on five-of-10 from beyond the arc, Johnson has scored in double figures in 12 of the 15 games. He has scored 20 or more four times in that stretch and has made a three pointer in all but two games in that stretch as well.
Johnson is playing with much more confidence than he was early in the season, and that’s leading to not only more made threes, but more drives to the basket for layups and floaters.
3. New Starting Lineup
Miller tweaked the starting lineup Saturday when Freddie McSwain was inserted in place of Justin Smith. Tonight, Miller made another switch, starting Devonte Green over Josh Newkirk.
Green played 30 minutes while Newkirk played just 15. Green ended the game with nine points to go with four assists.
“That’s the one thing Devonte’s actually really done a nice job with probably in three of the last four games is being able to get some guys some easy ones,” Miller said.
Green had a good game in his first start in some time. Meanwhile, McSwain had another solid game on the glass in start number two for the senior. McSwain grabbed nine rebounds and made all four of his free throws after going 0-for-4 from the line against Michigan State.
Miller told reporters before the season it wasn’t about who starts the game but it’s about who finishes the game. However, he has made a lot of changes to his starting lineup lately.
“That lineup deserved to be on the floor to start the game, from a productivity perspective,” Miller said.
BONUS. The Short Turnaround
It’s been well documented that the Big Ten is killing their quality of basketball by sandwiching these games into one fewer week of the season. Tonight was Indiana’s third two-day turnaround in as many weeks.
The Hoosiers came out hot against Illinois, but their tired legs caught up to them in the second half and both teams couldn’t shoot, producing an ugly game that was very difficult to watch.
Last week, IU came out very flat against a well-rested Ohio State team and was blown out from the start.
This time around, IU was ready even with the short turnaround.
“We talked a lot about coming in here tonight and just trying to establish an effort level and a toughness level that wasn’t there last week,” Miller said. "I thought our guys did a nice job responding in that way.”
What’s Next?
Indiana will come back home to take on Minnesota and Illinois in the next week. The Minnesota game is on Friday night at 7:30. The Hoosiers are looking to sweep the season series against the Golden Gophers.
“We’re just looking forward to Minnesota,” Miller said, “We dropped our last two conference games at home and that bothers us.”
(02/05/18 7:00pm)
Fourth. That’s where Indiana was in the Big Ten two weeks ago after a 71-68 win over Maryland on January 22. The Hoosiers had just won four of their last five games, with the loss at East Lansing the only blemish on Indiana’s card since January 2. The Hoosiers were 12-8 and 5-3 in the Big Ten.
Since then, the Hoosiers have lost four straight to Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State, and now sit at 12-12, 5-7 in the Big Ten.
There are many places for people to point fingers. Indiana is virtually out of any postseason competition unless they can get hot down the stretch. And that’s just to make the NIT. But what is the reason for this recent slump?
Here are some of the things that have gone wrong for the Hoosiers in the last two weeks.
Indiana’s Shooting Percentages
This is a bad shooting team. It’s as simple as that. Even in the four wins in the five game stretch in early January, Indiana was still shooting just 43-percent from the floor.
Indiana was also shooting 33-percent from beyond the arc and 66-percent from the free throw line.
None of these are good percentages by any means, but they are better than the stats you’re about to see from the four-game losing streak the Hoosiers are currently on.
Since the Maryland win, Indiana is still shooting 43-percent from the field, but their 3-point percentage has dipped to 26-percent and their free throw percentage is down to 61. Who knew Indiana’s free throw shooting could get worse?
Somehow, even with these shooting woes, Indiana found themselves in three of the four games, with shots at the end against Illinois and Michigan State. That’s why this isn’t the only reason IU hasn’t won any of their last four.
Opponent’s Shooting Percentages
It’s not a good combo when IU shoots 29-percent and Michigan State shoots 49-percent. Well, that type of combination of IU’s bad shooting and opponent’s good shooting has happened throughout this losing streak, especially the last two games.
Indiana’s opponent shooting percentage in their losing streak is 50-percent, compared to 40-percent during the four wins earlier in the month.
Part of this could be the rebound battle. Excluding the Michigan State game where Indiana racked up 53 rebounds, Indiana is averaging 28 rebounds a game. That is nine rebounds per game down from their 37 per game in their four wins before the losing streak. All the extra rebounds for the opponents could be giving them better and higher-percentage looks at the basket.
You won’t win many games shooting poorly, and you’ll win even less games when your opponent shoots well. This all doesn’t matter when the Big Ten schedules poorly.
Two-day Turnarounds
It’s well documented that the Big Ten decided to move the conference tournament up a week to have it at Madison Square Garden. It has also been well documented that this has greatly affected the schedule, and as a result, the quality of games in conference play.
Two of Indiana’s four losses in this losing streak have come two days after a hard-fought game. The Illinois debacle came just two days after a down-to-the-wire home win over Maryland.
Then, on Sunday, IU played Purdue tough all the way to the end and lost a heartbreaker. They were then forced to go to Ohio State two days later to play the Buckeyes. That game was ugly from the tip and Indiana never stood a chance.
Indiana just played Michigan State Saturday night in a game that went all the way to the last heave. Now the Hoosiers will travel to New Jersey to take on Rutgers, who also played a down-to-the-wire game with Purdue Saturday. That means this game will be loads of fun (hint the sarcasm).
What’s next?
Like I said earlier, the postseason is a stretch at this point. The NIT is the best bet for the Hoosiers, but they still have to rally down the stretch.
They do have the schedule to rack up some wins from here on in. Indiana’s remaining schedule has plenty of winnable games: at Rutgers, Minnesota, Illinois, at Iowa, at Nebraska, Ohio State.
For Archie Miller’s team that has struggled all season and has hit a huge speed bump these past couple weeks, the NIT would be a success. It would not only mean Indiana finished the season strong, but it would give a relatively young team some good postseason experience.
Once the seniors from this team leave, Juwan Morgan will be the only player that would have had any NCAA tournament experience, so any postseason experience will help this team for years to come.
Now Indiana will look forward to Rutgers. Miller knows his team needs to be ready to go tonight.
“Biggest deal is no excuses. It is what it is. We have to get off this floor, up, ready to go and find a way Monday night to play well,” Miller said.
Indiana has its problems, but they don’t have any excuses. Miller and company will look to fix their problems and their season tonight at Rutgers.
(02/05/18 5:17pm)
There's some clear separation at the top of the Big Ten. Purdue and Michigan State seem like the top two, while Ohio State can prove they belong as well in the coming weeks. Nebraska continues to climb, while Penn State and Northwestern are slowly making their way back into relevancy. And on the flip side, Indiana and Maryland start to drop further and further as they continue to lose games down the stretch.
Here's how things shake up in this week's Big Ten Power Rankings...
14. Iowa (12-13, 3-9)
Last Week: 94-80 WIN vs Minnesota; 82-58 LOSS at Penn State
I’ve been very hard on Iowa all season. While Rutgers and Illinois have struggled, they’ve been competitive, rarely ever blown out. Iowa however has been blown out frequently. In fact, seven of its nine Big Ten losses have come by double digits, including a 16-point loss at Rutgers. They have some talent and could make some noise next year, but it’s hard to be high on this team when they just simply don’t give the necessary effort game in and game out.
Previous Ranking: T11
13. Rutgers (12-13, 2-10)
Last Week: 91-60 LOSS at Illinois; 78-76 LOSS vs Purdue
Rutgers was hit with the two-day turnaround against Illinois, while the Illini had plenty of time to rest and prepare for Rutgers. The result: an ugly blowout that had Rutgers down as many as 41 at one point. To the Scarlet Knight's credit, they responded well Saturday when Purdue came to town. Corey Sanders put up 31, but it wasn’t quite enough. The Big Ten’s bottom level is really bad this year, but there is hope for some of these bottom dwellers in years to come. Rutgers now has another two-day turnaround when they play Indiana on Monday.
Previous Ranking: T11
T10. Illinois (12-12, 2-9)
Last Week: 91-60 WIN vs Rutgers; 75-67 LOSS at Ohio State
Illinois and Indiana are two very similar teams (with the same record). These are two teams that fight hard, have new coaches trying to implement new styles, but just don’t have the talent to win the big games. Illinois was the beneficiary of the poor Big Ten scheduling when they got Rutgers on short rest. But their performance at Ohio State was impressive, and a lot like Indiana, fought hard with a top team in the conference but couldn’t close the deal. There is a lot of promise for the future of Illinois basketball.
Previous Ranking: T11
T10. Wisconsin (10-15, 3-9)
Last Week: 74-63 LOSS vs Nebraska; 60-52 LOSS vs Northwestern; 68-63 LOSS at Maryland
The Kohl Center had been one of the toughest places to play in the country. Before this season, Wisconsin was 274-41 (.870) in the Kohl Center. They are just 9-5 at home this season, including a pair of embarrassing losses in December to Ohio State (83-58) and in-state rival Marquette (82-63). The Badgers have now lost five straight and eight of their last nine. However bad it is in Madison, props to Ethan Happ, who is averaging 17.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. However, he doesn’t have much help and Wisconsin has shown that this season.
Previous Ranking: 11
T10. Minnesota (14-11, 3-9)
Last Week: 94-80 LOSS at Iowa; 76-73 (OT) LOSS at Michigan
Minnesota is the hardest team in the Big Ten to figure out. Yes, they’ve lost five straight and eight of their last nine just like Wisconsin, but they’re in most of their games lately. Sandwiched in that stretch of nine games was a lone win, which was at Penn State, a borderline tournament team. They just went to Michigan and took them to overtime before losing by three. Yet they lost to Iowa by 14. Jordan Murphy (17.7 ppg) and Nate Mason (15.4 ppg) can only do so much for this team.
Previous Ranking: 10
T7. Northwestern (14-10, 5-6)
Last Week: 58-47 LOSS at Michigan; 60-52 WIN at Wisconsin
The Wildcats have quietly turned things around a little bit this season. They’re still not to the level that they were projected to be, but after losing four of five to start Big Ten play in 2018, they have won three of their last four, including road wins at Minnesota and Wisconsin. While those two teams aren’t good, it’s still a road win nonetheless. Bryant McIntosh moved to seventh on the Big Ten career assists list. Northwestern will have opportunities to make some noise this month with Michigan and Michigan State coming to town. Every other game is very winnable for the Cats.
Previous Ranking: 9
T7. Maryland (16-9, 5-7)
Last Week: 75-67 LOSS at Purdue; 68-63 WIN vs Wisconsin
While they competed pretty well with Purdue in West Lafayette, it wasn’t nearly enough. Then they struggled with Wisconsin at home, but a late surge pushed them past the Badgers. Before the Wisconsin game, this team had lost five of its last six, and even with the recent win, are pretty much done for the NCAA Tournament. They would have to steal some road wins at Penn State, Nebraska and Northwestern and beat Michigan at home if they want any shot at dancing come March.
Previous Ranking: T6
T7. Indiana (12-12, 5-7)
Last Week: 71-56 LOSS at Ohio State; 63-60 LOSS vs Michigan State
Not that Indiana should have won both these games, but one would have been helpful. However, Ohio State wasn’t very realistic with the two-day turnaround and Michigan State isn’t realistic with the size discrepancy (even though IU outrebounded MSU 53-29). The Hoosiers have played the most Top 25 teams of any team in the Big Ten (7), but are just 1-6 against them (overtime win over Notre Dame). Their 1-7 road record is also concerning, and it will be put to the test down the stretch with games at Rutgers, Iowa and Nebraska.
Previous Ranking: T6
6. Penn State (16-9, 6-6)
Last Week: 76-68 LOSS at Michigan State; 82-58 WIN vs Iowa
Penn State did what they were supposed to this week. They had a double-digit lead at Michigan State, but beating two top-tier teams on the road was too good to be true. Then they demolished Iowa over the weekend. The Nittany Lions are slowly creeping back into the discussion for the tournament. However, with their best non-conference win being against a Pitt team that is winless in conference, they will need to get to work down the stretch. They will have opportunities later, but this week features two must wins vs Maryland and at Illinois.
Previous Ranking: T6
T4. Nebraska (17-8, 8-4)
Last Week: 74-63 WIN at Wisconsin
A whole week off for Nebraska after their road win at Wisconsin Monday night. Mock brackets are starting to include the Cornhuskers in the tournament, or at least right on the edge. Like I’ve been saying, Nebraska has a really good chance at winning out, and may just have to in order to make the tournament. They’re also in contention for the double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament in a few weeks. Also, James Palmer Jr. went for 28 points and 8 rebounds at Wisconsin. It may be time to put him in the Big Ten POY race.
Previous Ranking: 5
T4. Michigan (19-6, 8-4)
Last Week: 92-88 LOSS at Purdue
I will never count out a John Beilein team in March, but this is February, and while they won twice this week, neither was pretty. With both games in their home arena, Michigan struggled to score against Northwestern and struggled to put away Minnesota, letting them send it to overtime where Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman saved the day for Michigan. Four of their last six are on the road, including both games this coming week, so we will learn more about the Wolverines as they head away from Ann Arbor.
Previous Ranking: 4
3. Ohio State (20-5, 11-1)
Last Week: 71-56 WIN vs Indiana; 75-67 WIN vs Illinois
Ohio State won twice this week, so why did they move down? Well, first off, Michigan State has looked good, and even when they haven’t, they still win and that’s scary. And second off, Ohio State has looked sluggish the past few outings and I’m starting to doubt them a little bit more. But the week is here. The game is here. They can prove me and all the other doubters wrong even by just competing with Purdue Wednesday night in West Lafayette. A good sign for OSU, Keita Bates-Diop went for a career-high 35 points and 13 rebounds against Illinois after scoring just 13 against Indiana.
Previous Ranking: 2
2. Michigan State (22-3, 10-2)
Last Week: 76-68 WIN vs Penn State; 63-60 WIN at Indiana
I’ve never seen a winning coach as upset and disappointed with his team as Tom Izzo was after their win at Indiana, a game in which they were outrebounded by 24, including a 25-3 discrepancy on the offensive glass. However, he said if there is a silver lining, it’s that his team played that poorly and still made plays to win. The Spartans have now won six straight, but with Purdue waiting for them Saturday, they are going to have to get better, because the product they put out at Assembly Hall this past weekend won’t cut it against Purdue.
Previous Ranking: 3
1. Purdue (23-2, 12-0)
Last Week: 75-67 WIN vs Maryland; 78-76 WIN at Rutgers
What was seen as possible an easy week for Purdue was much tougher than many anticipated. Maryland hung around with them at Mackey Arena, and then Rutgers gave Purdue all they could handle at The RAC. However, Purdue got their wins, but a concerning stat was that Isaac Haas was just two-for-five from the field for seven points and four rebounds at Rutgers. As they head into their biggest week of the season with Ohio State and Michigan State on the schedule, Haas will have to be more involved. The Big Ten can be won this week if the Boilers win. Oh, and by the way, they’ve won 19 straight and still haven’t lost on the continental United States.
Previous Ranking: 1
(02/04/18 5:12am)
Indiana lost another hard-fought nail-biter Saturday night at Assembly Hall 63-60 to 5th ranked Michigan State. The Hoosiers out-rebounded MSU 53-29, including 25-3 on the offensive glass. However, IU shot just 29% from the floor and couldn't get over the hump down the stretch.
Juwan Morgan:
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/960001431158820864[/embed]
Archie Miller
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Tom Izzo
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/960005978640080896[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/960008824743780353[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/960010586154307584[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/TheHoosierNet/status/960013088320839680[/embed]
For full postgame press conferences, check out these links.
Tom Izzo
[embed]https://youtu.be/6whLhNFvFMM[/embed]
Juwan Morgan/Freddie McSwain:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4SB_XmsRBA[/embed]
Archie Miller:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EC4vfQvsiE[/embed]
(02/02/18 5:53pm)
You won’t usually see him on the court. You won’t usually see his name on the box score. You won’t usually hear his name mentioned when people talk about IU basketball, seriously that is.
You really won’t see much of him throughout the season. However, what you’ll hear is his name screamed by at least one fan at every single IU game.
“We want Priller… We want Priller… We want Priller…”
You may watch IU basketball a lot and still be asking, “Who is this Priller guy?” Well, I’m here to help you.
High School Days
Richland High School was the start of Tim Priller’s basketball emergence. Priller helped guide Richland to a 19-11 senior season while averaging 17.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 1.2 BPG. Believe it or not, he also knocked down threes, shooting 51% from long range.
Priller was selected to the all-district first team in District 4-5A while at Richland. He also played AAU basketball with Deron Williams Elite.
His only offer was from Incarnate Word, so he waited until after his senior season to decide, when he got an offer from Tom Crean and the Hoosiers.
First Three Seasons
The 6’9 freshman came to IU a year after the Hoosiers had one of the best teams in a long time. He only played in eight games off the bench, logging 23 minutes all season. However, he became an instant fan favorite. He was tweeted about so much during Indiana’s season opener in 2014 that he trended nationally on Twitter.
He would play in 14 games his sophomore year, this time logging just 17 minutes. Then nine games his junior year, scoring 19 points and grabbing 11 rebounds all season. The constant all three years was the student’s love for this player some call “Shaggy.”
This guy has scored 25 points in three and a half seasons and has only played in 69 minutes of action. Why does he get all the attention and the love from fans?
February 28, 2017
The Hoosiers were free falling, while Caleb Swanigan and the Boilermakers were hitting their stride late in the season. The first stage of the rivalry had the infamous “blarge” call when the refs couldn’t decide between a block or a charge so they called both.
Thomas Bryant got in foul trouble. De’Ron Davis got in foul trouble. Crean looked to his bench and decided it was time. It was “Priller time.”
With 12:28 to go in the second half, Tim Priller entered the game, not to the chants of “We want Priller” and not because the game was out of hand. Indiana was down 10 with all sorts of foul trouble in the frontcourt and they turned to Priller, and to the dismay of all Hoosier fans watching, and even Boilermaker fans for that matter, he delivered.
He knocked down a jumper with 10:09 to play to cut the deficit to six. He then made a layup and two more free throws for a career high six points. He was subbed out with 7:06 to play.
However well he played in those 5+ minutes, it was the foul on Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan that made the biggest impact on the game and on Hoosier nation.
[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Tim-Priller-Highlights-vs.-Purdue.mp4"][/video]
Not only did he play well and grab the attention of Hoosier nation, he grabbed the attention of Dan Dakich, the color commentator on the call. It triggered this incredible remix of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.thehoosiernetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Dan-Dakich-Sings-Priller.mp4"][/video]
What’s He Doing Now?
Archie Miller hasn’t found the “We want Priller” chants as entertaining as Tom Crean did, or at least he doesn’t appeal to the students as often as Crean did. Some thought, maybe with a small lineup, we would see more of Priller this season. That hasn’t panned out quite yet.
After playing 27 minutes last year for Tom Crean, he has played in only two games this season and has logged just a total of 2 minutes of action.
No matter how often he plays, he will still always attract the attention of Hoosier nation. Whether it’s right or wrong that fans love him, he’s a very likeable guy. Hoosier fans will always take funny pictures of him on the bench, tweet whenever they see him on campus, and most importantly, chant “We want Priller” whenever the score gets even close to being a blowout.
“Shaggy” will always be the fan favorite, and his night on February 28, 2017 will live in infamy in Hoosier basketball history; the night Priller played, and played well.
(01/30/18 10:44pm)
https://soundcloud.com/user-303673382/the-others-guys-part-2-iupurdue-the-big-ten-and-nate-sudfeld
Austin Render, Connor Hines and Jacob Vinson are back for week 2. This week they look back at the IU Purdue game, break down the Big Ten as it stands right now and how Nate Sudfeld is one hit away from playing in the Super Bowl.
(01/29/18 8:16pm)
What a week in the Big Ten. Last week I felt like there was some clarity starting to form, but this week took all of that clarity away. Illinois got its first conference win over IU, while the Hoosiers went 1-2 in an important week for them. Amidst all the allegations and issues in East Lansing, the Spartans are playing great basketball. The Buckeyes suffered their first loss in conference play off an incredible shot from Tony Carr. And of course, Purdue is still rolling.
Here is how I see the Big Ten stacking up right now…
T11. Illinois (11-11, 1-8)
Last Week: 87-74 LOSS vs Michigan State; 73-71 WIN vs Indiana
It was bound to happen. This Illinois team, while heavily overwhelmed by the talent of other teams in the Big Ten, fights hard and competes to the very end. They were finally able to get a conference win Wednesday over Indiana. Freshman guard Trent Frazier and junior forward Leron Black are solid players and Brad Underwood has a team that never quits. None of these four teams at the bottom of the conference deserve to be above or below each other, so that’s why they’re all tied for 11th.
Previous Ranking: 14
T11. Iowa (11-12, 2-8)
Last Week: 85-67 WIN vs Wisconsin; 98-84 LOSS at Nebraska
Iowa doesn’t make any sense to me. I think they have talent to win games, you saw that against Wisconsin (although the Badgers are not themselves this year). However, they just can’t win the big games or beat anyone that they shouldn’t. Again, all these bottom four teams have beaten up on each other so they are all at tied.
Previous Ranking: 13
T11. Rutgers (12-11, 2-8)
Last Week: 60-54 LOSS vs Nebraska; 60-43 LOSS at Penn State
Really tough loss for Rutgers against Nebraska. Neither team could make a shot for a good portion of that game, but Nebraska, the team in line for a tournament berth, ended up prevailing. But I’ve said it every week when I talk about Rutgers in this, they are moving in the right direction. Corey Sanders is helping the Scarlett Knights lay a foundation to build off of in the coming years.
Previous Ranking: 12
T11. Wisconsin (10-12, 3-6)
Last Week: 85-67 LOSS at Iowa; 76-61 LOSS at Michigan State
This has been one of the most disappointing Wisconsin teams in probably 20 years, considering they’ve been in the top four of the Big Ten for the last 17 seasons. They have Ethan Happ and he has no help, it’s as simple as that. Injuries and lack of talent have killed this team, and this wasn’t a fun week to be a Badger fan, being blown out twice, once by one of the worst teams in the Big Ten.
Previous Ranking: 11
10. Minnesota (14-9, 3-7)
Last Week: 77-69 LOSS vs Northwestern
It’s been a disappointing year for Minnesota fans. The expectations were high after last year’s surprising season and returning basically everyone. However, the losing Amir Coffey for a portion of the season due to injury and being without Reggie Lynch because of off the court issues, have killed this team more than we could have imagined. While they were struggling before the losses, they’ve gotten worse since, capped off this week by a loss to a struggling Northwestern team.
Previous Ranking: 10
9. Northwestern (13-9, 4-5)
Last Week: 77-69 WIN at Minnesota
We continue on the “most disappointing teams” list with Northwestern. Another team with high expectations and with everyone returning that has just fallen flat on its face. Senior guard Bryant McIntosh has been hurt at times, but that hasn’t been enough to mask the poor play all-around from this Northwestern team. Unless they have something special stored up for February, Northwestern will begin a new tournament drought this year.
Previous Ranking: 9
T6. Penn State (15-8, 5-5)
Last Week: 82-79 WIN at Ohio State; 60-43 WIN vs Rutgers
We are now to the group tied at sixth place, another group that I don’t feel can be separated. All three of these teams have competed with the best teams in the conference, including the Penn State win over Ohio State. I think Penn State has the best chance to make the tournament, especially with a big road win in Columbus this week. It won’t be easy though, with road games at Michigan State, Purdue and Nebraska and home games against Ohio State and Michigan.
Previous Ranking: 8
T6. Maryland (15-8, 4-6)
Last Week: 71-68 LOSS at Indiana; 74-68 LOSS vs Michigan State
This was a tough week for Maryland. They could have made some big strides toward a tournament berth with a good road win or a big upset at home. They competed well in both, but ultimately fell short twice. They still have RPI opportunities at Purdue, Nebraska and Penn State and a home game against Michigan. So all is not lost yet for the Terrapins, but they will need some February magic.
Previous Ranking: 7
T6. Indiana (12-10, 5-5)
Last Week: 71-68 WIN vs Maryland; 73-71 LOSS at Illinois; 74-67 LOSS vs Purdue
Really disappointing week for the Hoosiers. Most people thought they would go 2-1 with a loss to Purdue. The Maryland game was a big win for IU, but the letdown in Champaign was shocking and falling short vs Purdue was heartbreaking. The loss at Illinois was IU’s fourth RPI 137+ loss this season, and could have been the nail in the coffin for the NCAA tournament. However, they have beaten both Maryland and Penn State this year, so I kept them tied at sixth.
Previous Ranking: 6
5. Nebraska (16-8, 7-4)
Last Week: 64-59 LOSS at Ohio State; 60-54 WIN at Rutgers; 98-84 WIN vs Iowa
I like Nebraska. They played tough in Columbus, but showed at Rutgers that they could win ugly. That’s important for a potential NCAA tournament team. They can also score, as they showed against Iowa. James Palmer Jr. had another huge week for the Cornhuskers and could lead Nebraska to the tournament. Nebraska only has one game this week, at Wisconsin. They also don’t have any of the top teams left finishing with Wisconsin, Minnesota, Rutgers, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana and Penn State. Realistic chance to go undefeated or at least just one loss the remainder of the season for Nebraska.
Previous Ranking: 5
4. Michigan (17-6, 6-4)
Last Week: 92-88 LOSS at Purdue
This week actually increased my opinion on Michigan. They were neck and neck with Purdue each step of the way and shot lights out on the road. They scored 88 and lost. While the defense probably needs some work, I wouldn’t bet against John Beilein teams in February and March. Jordan Poole's sharp shooting off the bench is such a hidden weapon that most people don’t account for.
Previous Ranking: 4
3. Michigan State (20-3, 8-2)
Last Week: 87-74 WIN at Illinois; 76-61 WIN vs Wisconsin; 74-68 WIN at Maryland
It hasn’t been a good week for Michigan State, plain and simple. However, the basketball team did play well, taking care of the mediocre opponents sent their way this week with two road wins. They are starting to look more like the No. 1 ranked team we saw earlier this season. Let's hope all the controversy surrounding Tom Izzo, the program and the university off the court doesn't effect the team’s performance on the court.
Previous Ranking: 3
2. Ohio State (18-5, 9-1)
Last Week: 64-59 WIN vs Nebraska; 82-79 LOSS vs Penn State
Yes, they lost to Penn State at home. Yes, they now have a blemish on their once perfect Big Ten record. However, they don’t move in my rankings. I’m not going to move them down just because of one loss and I don’t like all the uncertainty going on in East Lansing right now. Keita Bates-Diop is still clutch and they lost because Tony Carr banked in a half-court shot at the buzzer. They are still good and that game at Purdue in a week is still a must watch.
Previous Ranking: 2
1. Purdue (21-2, 10-0)
Last Week: 92-88 WIN vs Michigan; 74-67 WIN at Indiana
Purdue proved yet again this week they are heads and toes above everyone else in the Big Ten. Yes, both games were close, but they won. They proved they can face adversity, both at home and on the road, and still find a way to win. This is one of the most talented Purdue teams they’ve ever had in West Lafayette. They can shoot the long ball, and they can dominate teams inside with Haas and Haarms. Their reputation in March is still cause for some doubt until they can prove they truly can win big games in March.
Previous Ranking: 1