B1G Update

Another week gone by in the nation’s toughest basketball conference, and it continues to be a slug fest.  There is a heavyweight matchup every week, and so far the giants are beating each other up.  Wisconsin was primed to make the biggest leap in the standings, but fell in Iowa City.  It is looking more likely that the conference champion will end up with 4+ losses.

1.       Michigan (up 1)

Michigan’s win at Minnesota was the program’s first road win over a top 10 team since 1996.  The Wolverine’s offense got back on track, and gave another example that trying to run with this team is a recipe for disaster.  If Michigan is going to win the conference and lock up a number one seed they will need to win the next three games (Purdue, at Illinois, Northwestern).  It is a two week, minor, calm before the storm where the Wolverines could push for a top ranking.

2.       Indiana (down 1)

The Hoosiers had their first lack-luster week of the season.  They fell a half step behind Michigan on Tuesday night by losing at home, against Wisconsin.  Dan Dakich has mentioned numerous times that this Indiana team will be impossible to hold under 70, but the Badgers confused Tom Crean’s players all night and kept them to 62. Now the questions surface, can Indiana win a game against a talented and physical team.  We will get to see soon as Michigan State heads to Bloomington next weekend.

3.       Minnesota (no change)

The Gophers remain on this top tier perch, even after losing at Indiana and home against Michigan.  It is clear Minnesota is one of the most talented teams in the conference.  Their only major flaw is their turnover problems, and it will be hard to improve now that the non-conference season is over. 

4.       Ohio State (no change)

The Buckeyes traveled to East Lansing and a wrestling match broke out.  It turned out to be a close game that Ohio State lost on the road.  With the Big Ten officiating bias toward the home team, this is good news for Thad Matta’s thugs.  I am still hesitant to put this team onto the top tier because of their major offensive struggles.  Will they be able to find anyone as a 2^nd scoring option?  It doesn’t look like they will, which means they will have to hold opponents under 60 and hope Thomas can keep scoring 25+ points.  This doesn’t seem like a winning formula, especially on the road.

5.       Michigan State (no change)

The Spartans came away with a big win on Saturday night, but like Ohio State, the game just showed more of their weaknesses.  This basketball team continues to struggle with turnovers.  They continue to improve on the defensive end, and have morphed into one of the best in the conference.  I wonder how long they will be able to win games in the low 60s. We will find out more about the Spartans this week with road trips to Madison and Bloomington. 

6.       Wisconsin (no change)

Wisconsin followed up their dominant win against Illinois with a shocking win over Indiana.  Bo Ryan reared his rat faced head again to show he is a top coach in the conference.  If the staffs were ranked, Tom Crean and Ryan would switch spots.  The Badgers seem to be clicking on the offensive end, which is bad news for the rest of the conference.  I don’t know if they will be able to eke out enough wins to continue their streak of finishing in the top 4.  It will help that they only have to play Indiana and Michigan once.  Wisconsin is looking to move up the rankings this week with games against Michigan State and Minnesota.

7.       Iowa (no change)

The Hawkeyes finally got a quality conference win and closed a game out at the end.  I still think this is a borderline NCAA tournament team.  I think the conference will end up getting 7 teams into the bracket, and with Illinois playing so poorly, Iowa might have slid into this role. The next step for this team will be to get a decent win on the road.  However, it will take a few strung together quality wins for the Hawkeyes to move up in the rankings.

8.       Purdue (up 1)

The Boilermakers are coming together as a team.  While they lack top end talent, they will always play tough, physical defense.  This should be able to keep them in most games, and don’t be surprised if Purdue pulls off at least one shocking win that will affect the top of the standings.  The Boilermakers just destroyed West Virginia, but now have to travel to Ann Arbor where Michigan looks to avenge their only home loss last season.

9.       Illinois (down 1)

What can I say about the Illini?  They live and die by the three, and right now they are fading fast in conference play.  Illinois returned home after being embarrassed by Wisconsin, and Northwestern welcomed them with a double digit blowout in favor of the purple cats. Wasn’t it just a few short weeks ago that this team was in the top 10?

10.   Northwestern (no change)

Northwestern continues to play well for the talent level on the team, but their ceiling is so low that the win/loss column isn’t affected.  I guess they can just be proud there is still two teams below them.

11.   Nebraska (no change)

The Cornhuskers lock up the number 11 spot this season with a win in Happy Valley.  Shavon Shields is growing into one of the better freshman in the conference.

12.   Penn State (no change)

Poor Penn State.  Their small hopes of getting a B1G victory shrunk even more after losing at home against Nebraska.