3/23/07 - Sweet 16 Preview Day 2

Can the 2nd day of Sweet 16 games possibly live up to the excitement provided last night? For those of you who have been looking for a Cinderella, you have two of them to cheer for tonight. Butler is a major underdog against Florida, and UNLV is the lowest seeded team left in the Tournament. Let's take a look at tonight's action and what to expect. Butler vs. Florida 6:10 PM The first game tonight has a good chance of being a bit lopsided. On paper, you have the defending National Champions against the 2nd place team from the Horizon League. Butler has gotten here by beating Old Dominion in the 1st round and then upsetting 4-seed Maryland in the 2nd round. These are the same Bulldogs who defeated Purdue earlier this season, a team that gave Florida all it could handle last weekend. Butler plays solid defense and commits the least amount of turnovers per game than anyone in the nation. If the Bulldogs can make some early 3's and keep this game close at halftime, we could be in for another barn burner. With that being said, I look for the Gator's interior offense and athleticism to be too much for Butler. Prediction: Florida 70 Butler 59 Vanderbilt vs. Georgetown 6:27 PM Georgetown is possibly the most balanced team left in the field. The Hoyas are very efficient on offense, add in you trademark Georgetown defense, and make the Hoyas my pick to cut the nets down in Atlanta. Vanderbilt is a team that has lived and died by the three-pointer this season, and so far in this Tournament, Vandy has been living nicely. The Commodores take over 40% of their shots from behind the 3-point line. Georgetown showed me in their Big East Tournament run that they can win with an uptempo game (vs. Notre Dame) or a slower defensive battle (vs. Pittsburgh). I'd be stunned if the Hoyas do not advance to the Elite 8, and probably even further. Prediction: Georgetown 68 Vanderbilt 61 UNLV vs. Oregon 8:40 PM UNLV, the lone Cinderella in this year's Sweet 16 field, looked very impressive in their 2nd round upset of Wisconsin. The Runnin' Rebels are going to need more hot shooting tonight to pull off another shocker against 3-seed Oregon. The Duck's defense and rebounding, or lack thereof, has been their Achilles' heel all season long. If UNLV can shoot the 3 like they did against the Badgers, 10 for 20, this game will be close. Oregon likes to run and will be looking to keep the Rebels running tonight. The faster the pace of this game, the more advantage it will be for the Ducks. Prediction: Oregon 73 UNLV 65 USC vs. North Carolina 8:57 PM Led by Junior Nick Young, USC enters tonight's game against 1-seed UNC off two very impressive victories. The Trojan's are the best defensive team in the Pac-10 without UCLA written across the front of their uniforms. They will need that defense against a very efficient North Carolina offense. The Heels will also capitalize on USC's inability to rebound consistently and hang on to the ball, the Trojan's average 15 turnovers a game. The pace of this game will be very uptempo and exactly how UNC coach Roy Williams will like it. This should be a fun one to watch, especially if you are wearing Carolina Blue. Prediction: North Carolina 82 USC 70

3/22/07 - Coaching Carousel

With the surprising news that surfaced last night of Iowa Coach Steve Alford "probably" on his way out of Iowa City and heading to New Mexico, the Big Ten now has three coaching positions waiting to be filled. Let's take a look at each one and some possible candidates to fill those positions. Iowa Hawkeyes It should be interesting to see Iowa scramble to find itself a replacement for Alford. It was only a few days ago that Iowa AD Gary Barta had met with Coach Alford and lent him some support for next season while also looking for improvement. It seems very strange for a coach on the 4th place team in the Big Ten, and only one year removed from a 2nd place regular season finish and conference tournament championship, to be leaving for a school that just finished 4-12 this year and tied for last in the Mountain West Conference. Barta may have a tough sell on his hands as it looks like Alford decided anywhere is better than somewhere he is not wanted. A successful coach may find Iowa's fan base unappealing at this point. However, you can be certain that Dana Altman of Creighton will be on Iowa's list of possible replacements, as well as possibly Tennessee's Bruce Pearl, a former Iowa assistant under Tom Davis. But the Hawkeyes may not be too keen on bringing Pearl back and all of his baggage with Illinois and possible recruiting violations he helped surface when he was an assistant at Iowa. Michigan Wolverines After six seasons without a trip to the NCAA Tournament, Michigan fired Tommy Amaker after their loss to Florida State in this year's NIT. After spending his first years at Michigan on probation, Amaker never got Michigan back to the national prominence they enjoyed in the late 80s/early 90s (nonetheless cheating of course). The new coach will be taking over a program that is hungry for a winner and a program located in a hot bed for recruiting. It seems UNLV's Lon Kruger is towards the top of Michigan's list of possible candidates right now, but it is yet to be seen whether he would be interested in a return to the Big Ten. Also, I expect Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery to draw some attention from the Wolverines. Minnesota Golden Gophers After letting interim coach Jim Molarnari go after season's end, it appears the Gopher's are waiting around for the NBA season to come to an end and attempt to get Minnesota-alum Flip Saunders to leave the Detroit Pistons and become the Gopher's next head coach. Saunders visited the campus over the NBA's All-Star weekend, but denies speaking with anybody about the coaching position. Saunders remains adamant that he has no intention of becoming the next coach at Minnesota, but does want to see the program successful. Other candidates include Kruger, Lowery, Butler's Todd Lickliter, and Xavier's Sean Miller. With three openings and only so many coaches to go around, it should be very interesting to see who lands where this offseason and how all three of these searches affect each other. Needless to say, next year's Big Ten basketball season will definitely have a new flavor.

3/21/07 - Sweet 16 Preview

Since my bracket is already busted beyond repair, I decided to start fresh and make some predictions on the Round of 16. Of course we all miss the flavor that a true "Cinderella" brings to the table (1st time since 1999 no double-digit seed has made the Sweet 16), but with higher seeds advancing the games will hopefully be more entertaining. Here is my take on Thursday's slate: Tennessee vs. Ohio State 8:57 PM Whether it be inexperience or other flaws, the Buckeyes have displayed a habit this year of having trouble putting teams away. Earlier in the season that almost caused them a home loss versus these same Tennessee Volunteers. Of course that game was played without a healthy Greg Oden, and OSU is a much different team with the big man healthy and dominating the paint. After a huge scare in the 2nd round against Xavier, a game that honestly the Buckeyes should have lost, Ohio State is going to need to feed Oden early and often and take advantage of the weak Tennessee interior defense. Another key for OSU will be stopping Chris Lofton. The Vol's Lofton has scored 20-plus in each of Tennessee's wins this Tournament. He is a deadly shooter, probably the best in the game, and the Buckeyes let him get going early we could see the Big Ten's lone team in the Sweet 16 sent packing. Prediction: Ohio State 75 Tennessee 71 Southern Illinois vs. Kansas 6:10 PM Southern Illinois is one of the few mid-major teams left in this year's Tournament, and thanks to the Saluki's defense many think they have the best chance of the three mid-majors to advance. In their two victories, SIU is holding opponents to just 49.5 points per game. However, the Kansas offense they will face tonight is going to be a much tougher bunch to stop. Also, this Jayhawk defense is no slouch either. (Actually the best in the country, according to KenPom's defensive efficiency ratings.) Get ready for a low-scoring bruiser of a game! Prediction: Kansas 64 Southern Illinois 55 Texas A&M vs. Memphis 6:27 PM If you thought you knew the reasons for Texas A&M's success this season, you actually didn't. But don't worry, Ken Pomeroy lays it all out for you in his post from yesterday. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Aggies is right here. This looks to be one of the closest games of the evening, but the fact that Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts is at the very best not at full strength and with this game being played in San Antonio makes me lean towards the Aggies. Prediction: Texas A&M 70 Memphis 67 Pittsburgh vs. UCLA 8:40 PM All the talk surrounding this game is UCLA's coach Ben Howland going up against his former team. The Bruin's defense has been stellar in their two victories, holding a good Indiana offense under 50 points for only the 2nd time this season in the 2nd round. Pittsburgh should look to capitalize on their front court advantage against UCLA. The Panther's need a big game from big man Aaron Gray, both with scoring and also distributing the ball out of double teams to opening shooters. Prediction: UCLA 60 Pittsburgh 56

3/19/07 - NCAA Tournament Results

So after four days and two rounds of games in the NCAA Tournament we now have 16 "sweet" teams left. Thanks to some very close losses and a miracle comeback by Ohio State, the Big Ten has only one team left playing. But what do all of these results mean? Should we be impressed with the quality of play from Big Ten teams like Michigan State, Purdue and Indiana, who all gave more than a little scare to "Power" #1 and 2 seeds North Carolina, Florida and UCLA? Or as in year's past, does the fact that Ohio State is the lone member of the Sweet 16 show us a continuing decline of quality teams from the Big Ten? What if I told you that neither were true? I was listening to Billy Packer this morning on the Tony Bruno Show on Sporting News Radio, when he kept referring to the NCAA Tournament as the "ultimate report card of a team's performance." I usually don't need to think very long in order to disagree with Packer, but that quote really struck me as wrong. We (and by "we" I mean talking heads like Packer, ESPN's "experts", sportswriters, and fans) all put way too much stock into a team's performance in the NCAA Tournament. In today's age of college basketball it has never been more true that any team can beat anybody on a given day. All it takes is one game for a team to be uncharacteristically cold or extremely hot to send a high seed packing or a "cinderella" on to the next round. Early exits and deep runs in the tournament should not be weighted so greatly. Would anyone seriously argue that George Mason was one of the best 4 teams in the nation last season? Of course not. The Patriots just got hot at the right time and further proved that even the little guy can play with anybody this day and age. So many factors determine NCAA Tournament success, it really isn't a level playing field. Nothing is more important than seeding, and your tournament draw. Certain teams get matched up with teams that play a familar style as theirs, while others are forced to go against another team that plays a different tempo. Also, where these games are played has a major effect on the outcomes as well. I bet Michigan State feels they may still be playing if North Carolina had to travel to Detroit to play them instead of the Spartans going to Winston-Salem. And yes UNC was rewarded for their play in the regular season, but do you think Ohio State is going to be very happy if they have meet Texas A&M in the Regional Final in San Antonio? The "best team" or #1 overall seed very rarely wins the NCAA Tournament. Whether they get knocked out in the Championship game or the 2nd or 3rd round doesn't mean they weren't the best team throughout the season. They got the #1 overall seed for a reason, they deserved it. All it means is that this is college basketball, the most unpredictable of all major sports. There is a reason why we call it "Madness" and this is why we love it so much. This makes the NCAA Tournament the most entertaining sporting event in the world. But as far as Billy Packer's "ultimate report card", I'd rather judge a team on 30+ games rather than 6 or less. Billy can do whatever he wants, but tell him I quit listening.

3/17/07 - 2nd Round Preview

So after about four days of so-called "experts" and pundits complaining about the Big Ten getting six teams into the Big Dance, I think we can all agree the league proved deserving of those bids and maybe even more. Five of those six teams were victorious in Thursday and Friday's opening round games with Illinois being the only Big Ten team to fall. The story for Big Ten teams in the first round was defense. Note to all those "experts": Just because a league plays defense, doesn't mean the quality of its teams are any less. Only two of the six teams that were matched up against Big Ten teams in the first round scored more than 60 points. Texas A&M-CC (63) against Wisconsin and Arizona (63) against Purdue. And that 63 for Arizona was their 3rd lowest scoring output of the season. So next time you hear Billy Packer and Jim Nantz complaining about the quality of play during the Big Ten Tournament and the lack of any offense, just remember that fewer points are most often caused by great defense, not necessarily poor offense. Now let's take a look at each remaining Big Ten teams weekend matchups: Ohio State vs. Xavier Thad Matta's former team comes calling on Saturday and if the Buckeyes can win they will face the winner of Tennessee and Virginia in the Sweet 16. Indiana vs. UCLA After beating Gonzaga in the 1st round 70-57, the Hoosiers now take on the 2-seed UCLA Bruins. The winner of this game will face either Pittsburgh or 11-seed VCU. Michigan State vs. North Carolina MSU will need more of the defense they showed in a 61-49 1st round victory over Marquette to knock off 1-seed UNC. If the Spartan's pull off the upset, they will face the winner of USC and Texas. Wisconsin vs. UNLV Wisconsin survived a scare against Texas A&M-CC in the 1st round and now face another fast paced offense in UNLV. Should the Badgers win, they would face the Oregon/Wintrhop winner in St. Louis. Purdue vs. Florida Purdue held Arizona to only 63 points in their 1st round win over the Wildcats. The Boilermakers will be a significant underdog in their 2nd round game against #1 overall seed and defending champion Florida.

3/10/07 - Bubble Watch

So far the Big Ten's "Bubble" teams have done what was needed to improve their chances of going dancing. Unfortunately for all teams on the bubble around the country other conference tournaments are not going as planned. The losses last night by Xavier in the A-10 Semifinals and Nevada in the WAC have really thrown a wrench in the plans of some "major" conference bubble teams. Nevada is in as an at-large for certain, and it seems that Xavier has done enough throughout the regular season to take an at-large bid as well. That shrinks the open spots for those nervous bubble teams by two more bids. With that being said, let's take another look at those teams from the Big Ten that will be sweating come tomorrow afternoon. Indiana Hoosiers (RPI: 29 SOS: 44) The Hoosiers suffered a tough overtime loss at the hands of Illinois last night in the Quarterfinals. If Indiana would have won that game they would not be on my list of "bubble" teams and even now some very crazy things would have to happen today and tomorrow for the Hoosiers to be left out of the field. I have Indiana IN. Purdue Boilermakers (RPI: 41 SOS: 54) I said yesterday that if Purdue defeated Iowa they would be in the Tournament. Well Purdue not only beat Iowa, they dominated the game from the opening tip and ended with a very impressive 19 point victory. Impressive enough for the Boilers to get a precious invite to the Big Dance. A win today over Ohio State would secure their bid, but unless Purdue really lays an egg in their Semifinal matchup they will be IN. Michigan State Spartans (RPI: 23 SOS: 9) The Spartans didn't do themselves any favors last night with a double digit loss to Wisconsin. I still think Michigan State's numbers are too good for them to be left out, but they are certainly one of the last teams in the field. Compared to Purdue and Illinois, MSU has played the toughest schedule (in and out of conference) and have the most "signature" wins. As of this morning I have the Spartans IN, but it's very close. Illinois Fighting Illini (RPI: 31 SOS: 32) Illinois gutted out an overtime win over Indiana when they needed it most. With a loss last night the Illini would have probably been heading to the NIT. They have now beaten Indiana twice on the year and have looked good coming down the stretch (something the committee always likes to see). However, the Illini lost their only contest this year with Purdue and are lacking any significant "quality" win. They can get that win today versus Wisconsin in the 2nd Semifinal. Right now I have Illinois as one of the very last teams IN the field. If the field was set today, the Big Ten would get 6 teams into the Dance. But of course the field isn't being selected until tomorrow and a lot can change from now and then. Not only in the Big Ten, but as we saw yesterday, outcomes in other conferences can directly impact bubble teams all over the country. If you're a fan of one of these bubble teams here's who you are cheering against today: ACC-NC State (if the Wolfpack can continue their magic and win the ACC Tournament, you can say good-bye to yet another at-large bid.) Big XII-Oklahoma State (the Cowboys are creeping closer to a bid after a nice win over Texas A&M last night and a win today over Texas could be enough for them to take a bid.) C-USA-Houston (a Houston upset of Memphis today in the Conference USA Final would make the C-USA a 2 bid league and knock another bubble team to the NIT.) SEC-Everybody but Florida (Mississippi State, Arkansas and Mississippi are all trying to snatch up the SEC's automatic bid. Bubble teams would like to see Florida win the SEC tourney again this year and send the 3 teams from the SEC West home for good.)

3/9/07 - Friday's Preview

Thursday's Opening Round action in the Big Ten Tournament produced no surprises as all three top seeds advanced to the Quarterfinals. The slate is now set for what should be a very exciting three days of basketball at Chicago's United Center this weekend. All four games on Friday have huge implications for the NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten has more "bubble" teams than any of the other major conferences, and after today's action we will hopefully have a clearer picture of which teams are in and which are going to be left out. 1.Ohio State vs. 8.Michigan Michigan did what they needed to yesterday by knocking off Minnesota and holding the Gophers to a Big Ten Tournament record low 40 points. The Wolverines are playing for their NCAA Tournament lives right now, and a victory over top-ranked Ohio State could very well be enough to lift Michigan into the Big Dance. A Buckeye victory should seal up a #1 seed in the NCAAs no matter what else happens this weekend. If Ohio State can win the Big Ten Tournament, they would have a very good shot at being the overall #1 seed in the bracket. 4.Iowa vs. 5.Purdue The second game today is basically a play-in game for Purdue. If the Boilermakers can beat Iowa and advance to the Semifinals, they can feel safe on Selection Sunday. A loss and Purdue can begin preparations for a home NIT game. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, will need at least two wins this weekend to get back into NCAA discussion. Should Iowa beat Purdue and then knock off Ohio State tomorrow, they will find themselves right on the bubble. 2.Wisconsin vs. 7.Michigan State This matchup is probably the most anticipated of the four games on Friday. After last Saturday's classic between these two teams in Madison, the Spartans are certainly looking for some revenge. After knocking off a pesky Northwestern team yesterday, MSU seems to have moved to "lock" status as far as the NCAAs are concerned, but a victory over the Badgers will make Sunday much more comfortable for Izzo and company. Wisconsin needs to prove that they can play at a high level without Brian Butch. A couple of wins this weekend would help the Badgers secure at least a 2-seed in the Big Dance and possibly give the Big Ten a second #1 seed on Selection Sunday. 3.Indiana vs. 6.Illinois Win or lose, it will be very difficult for the committee to leave Indiana out of this year's tournament, but I have seen some "Bracketologists" with the Hoosiers still on the bubble. A win over Illinois would certainly cement Indiana's spot in the Big Dance. Many have also penciled the Illini into the NCAAs after Thursday's win over Penn State. I think for Illinois to feel secure they need a win over the Hoosiers tonight. A loss to Indiana and it will be a very long couple of days in Champaign waiting for Sunday's Selection Show.

3/8/07 - Tournament Preview - Part II

#1-Ohio State Surprisingly #1 seeds have not faired very well in Big 10 Tournament play. 1-seeds have a record of 5-4 in the Quarterfinals against the 8/9 winner and the #1 has won the Tournament only twice (Michigan State-'99, Illinois-'05) in its nine year history. The Buckeyes will face the Michigan/Minnesota winner on Friday and if they win either Iowa or Purdue on Saturday. Despite previous lackluster performances by #1 seeds, I think many who have followed the Big 10 this year would be stunned if OSU was not in the Championship game on Sunday. They are the heavy favorites in this tournament for a reason, and a Big 10 Tournament title would no doubt lock up a #1-seed in the NCAA Tournament for the Buckeyes. #4-Iowa This stat may also surprise some readers. Iowa coach Steve Alford has the most Big Ten Tournament wins (13) and the best winning % in Big Ten Tournament games (13-5, .722) out of all active Big Ten coaches. If not for a 2-point loss last week at Penn State, many would be trumpeting the Hawkeyes as another Big Ten bubble team. The defending Big Ten Tournament Champions match up nicely with Quarterfinal opponent Purdue (Iowa beat Purdue 78-59 in their only meeting this season), but really have their work cut out for them if they want to make it back-to-back Championships. And anything less than another Tournament Championship will only improve Iowa's seeding in the NIT. #5-Purdue Purdue comes into this weekend desperately needing at least one win. Depending on whose bracket you look at, the Boilers are either one of the very last teams in the NCAAs or one of the last four out. Friday's game is setting up to be a "must win" for Purdue's NCAA Tournament hopes. A win against Iowa would most likely send the Boilermakers to the Big Dance and most likely give them another crack at top-ranked Ohio State. However, historically #5-seeds have not seen much success in the Big Ten Tournament. They are only 3-6 in Quarterfinal games, and no #5-seed (0-3) has ever made it past the Semifinal round. #2-Wisconsin The biggest story for the Badgers this weekend will certainly be how they play without starter Brian Butch. In Wisconsin's first game without the big man they were a last second Kammron Taylor 3-pointer away from their only home loss of the season against Michigan State. Big Ten Player of the Year Alando Tucker may have to take on even more of the offense (he already takes 29% of the Badger's shots) to lead Wisconsin deep into the Tournament. A #1-seed in the NCAAs is also up for grabs for the Badgers, and with Michigan State likely being their Quarterfinal opponent, don't be surprised to see Wisconsin heading home before the weekend. #3-Indiana Indiana should feel comfortable with their bid to the NCAAs no matter the outcome of this weekend's action. The Hoosiers finished 10-6 in conference, good enough for 3rd place outright, and since the expansion to 64 teams, no 3rd place team in the Big Ten has ever been left out of the Big Dance. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, they are definitely in the much tougher lower-half of the bracket. Indiana will face the winner of Illinois-Penn State on Friday and then most likely Wisconsin or Michigan State on Saturday if they win. If the Hoosiers can make it to Sunday's Championship Game, they will have certainly earned a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. Big Ten Tournament Championships - by Team Illinois - 2 ('03, '05) Iowa - 2 ('01,'06) Michigan State - 2 ('99, '00) Michigan - 1 ('98)* Ohio State - 1 ('02) Wisconsin - 1 ('04) *-Due to NCAA violations, Michigan was on probation and did not receive the Big Ten's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament

3/7/07 - Tournament Preview - Part I

A team-by-team breakdown of this weekend's Big 10 Tournament. Today I will be focusing on the teams in Thursday's opening round games. Check back tomorrow for a look at the #1-5 seeds with 1st-round byes. #8-Michigan The Wolverines finished the season with a nice home win over Michigan State followed by a close, but very disappointing loss to Ohio State at home. With a 8-8 conference record, Michigan no doubt has some work to do if they plan on playing NCAA Tournament games next week. The good news is 8 seeds are 7-2 in opening round games since the beginning of the Big Ten Tournament. However, Michigan needs to get at the very least 2 wins this weekend in order to get back into the bubble discussion. #9-Minnesota In last year's opening round game, then 10-seed Minnesota defeated Michigan 59-55 before losing to eventual Tournament Champion Iowa on Friday. The Gophers have dropped 8 straight conference games to end the regular season and finish with a 3-13 record in Big 10 play. Those 3 wins were over Purdue (Jan. 3rd), Penn State, and Northwestern. Minnesota has not been within 10 points in a game since February 10th, a 2 point loss to Michigan at home. I think Minnesota matches up decently with Michigan, but I also think Gopher fans should expect a very short stay in Chicago. #7-Michigan State This year's Spartans have been the definition of the Home/Away, Jekyl/Hyde, Big 10 team. MSU finished the regular season at .500 with a 7-1 home record and a 1-7 record on the road. Thanks to the toughest in-conference schedule and some nice non-conference wins, most "Bracketologists" have the Spartans in the Dance as of now. Historically there may be some concern in East Lansing, looking at the fact that 7-seeds are only 3-6 all-time in opening round games. Those concerns are no doubt lightened by the fact that MSU's first round opponent in lowly Northwestern. Out of the six teams playing on Thursday, Michigan State probably has the best chance to hold up the trophy on Sunday. A win over Northwestern would set up a very fun rematch of their last second loss Saturday at Wisconsin. #10-Northwestern In their only meeting this season, Northwestern lost to Michigan State 66-45 at MSU. The Wildcats can take some confidence in the fact the 7/10 game has been most likely to produce a 1st round upset in Big Ten history. 10-seeds are 6-3 all-time in their match-ups with 7-seeds. But no 10-seed has ever made it past a 2-seed and advanced to the semifinal. I have no reason to hide that I will be personally cheering for the upset tomorrow, just so I can have the pleasure of watching Wildcat senior Tim Doyle dominate from his spot on top of Northwestern's 1-3-1 zone defense for just one more game! #6-Illinois After losing at Iowa to end the regular season, Illinois has found themselves smack dab in the middle of the "Last 4 in/Last 4 out" territory. A couple of wins this week would certainly help their cause and impress the selection commitee when it matters most. The bad news for Illinois is that I see this matchup as being the most likely to produce an early upset in this year's tournament. Coming into this Thursday I see Penn State as one of the best 11-seeds of recent memory. But if the Illini can get past the Lions, things could shake down very nicely for them to make a deep run into the weekend. #11-Penn State The Nittany Lions have to be one of the best 2-14 teams in Big 10 history. A lot was expected from this bunch before the 2006-07 season, but for many reasons this Penn State team has never gotten things rolling. They have played 2 very tight games this year versus the top-ranked team in the country, Ohio State, and have shown at times, the ability to hang with anybody. However, in the 9 year history of the Big 10 Tournament, an 11-seed has won their 1st round game only once. That was Illinois in 1999 during their miraculous run to the championship game. This is a very dangerous team that could spoil the hopes of many Illini. Penn State has absolutely nothing to play for other than a Big 10 Championship.

3/6/07 - All Big Ten

The 2006-07 All Big Ten Basketball Teams were released today as selected by Big Ten coaches and the media. Wisconsin's Alando Tucker was named Player of the Year by both the coaches and media. The rest of the teams are listed below. As Selected by Big Ten Coaches PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Alando Tucker - Wisconsin DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Greg Oden - Ohio State FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Greg Oden - Ohio State SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Daequan Cook - Ohio State COACH OF THE YEAR: Thad Matta - Ohio State FIRST TEAM Adam Haluska - Iowa Drew Neitzel - Michigan State Greg Oden - Ohio State Carl Landry - Purdue Alando Tucker - Wisconsin SECOND TEAM Warren Carter - Illinois D.J. White - Indiana Mike Conley Jr. - Ohio State David Teague - Purdue Kammron Taylor - Wisconsin THIRD TEAM Shaun Pruitt - Illinois Roderick Wilmont - Indiana Tyler Smith - Iowa Dion Harris - Michigan Geary Claxton - Penn State HONORABLE MENTION Rich McBride - Illinois Lawrence McKenzie - Minnesota Tim Doyle - Northwestern Jamar Butler - Ohio State Ron Lewis - Ohio State Jamelle Cornley - Penn State Brian Butch - Wisconsin As Selected by Big Ten Media PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Alando Tucker - Wisconsin FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Greg Oden - Ohio State COACH OF THE YEAR: Thad Matta - Ohio State FIRST TEAM Adam Haluska - Iowa Drew Neitzel - Michigan State Mike Conley Jr. - Ohio State Greg Oden - Ohio State Alando Tucker - Wisconsin SECOND TEAM D.J. White - Indiana Geary Claxton - Penn State Carl Landry - Purdue David Teague - Purdue Kammron Taylor - Wisconsin THIRD TEAM Warren Carter - Illinois Shaun Pruitt - Illinois Roderick Wilmont - Indiana Tyler Smith - Iowa Dion Harris - Michigan HONORABLE MENTION Earl Calloway - Indiana Dan Coleman - Minnesota Lawrence McKenzie - Minnesota Tim Doyle - Northwestern Jamar Butler - Ohio State Daequan Cook - Ohio State Ron Lewis - Ohio State Jamelle Cornley - Penn State Michael Flowers - Wisconsin

3/4/07 - Tournament Time!

Here are the predicted odds for each round of the Big Ten Tournament, based on Ken Pomeroy's Pythagorean Winning Percentage's and log5 principles.

Big Ten Newspapers

Illinois Fighting Illini Peoria Journal Star Chicago Tribune St. Louis Post-Dispatch Decatur Herlad & Review Indiana Hoosiers Indy Star Indiana Daily Student Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette Iowa Hawkeyes Hawkeye Sports News Des Moines Register Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier Iowa City Press-Citizen Quad City Times Cedar Rapids Gazette Daily Iowan Michigan Wolverines M Live Detroit Free Press Detroit News Michigan State Spartans M Live Detroit Free Press Detroit News Lansing State Journal Minnesota Golden Gophers Minneapolis/St Paul Star Tribune Twin Cities Pioneer Press Northwestern Wildcats Chicago Tribune Chicago Daily Herald The Daily Northwestern Ohio State Buckeyes Columbus Dispatch Cleveland Plain Dealer Penn State Nittany Lions Penn Live Pittsburgh Tribune Review Pocono Record Philadelphia Daily News Centre Daily Times Purdue Boilermakers Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette Lafayette Journal and Courier Indy Star Wisconsin Badgers Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Hudson Star-Oberver Wisconsin State Journal The Badger Herald

3/1/07 - Wednesday's Recaps

Indiana 69 Northwestern 65 In a "must win" game for Indiana, Hoosier guard Roderick Wilmont came up huge. Wilmont set Indiana and Welsh-Ryan Arena records hitting 9 three-pointers on his way to a career-high 31 points. The Hoosiers took advantage of the open spots from Northwestern's 1-3-1 zone all night long. The Wildcats were led by Tim Doyle on his senior night. Doyle finished with 17 points and eight assists in the loss. Hoosier coach Kelvin Sampson says Doyle "is going to be first-team All-American in a men's league some day." Iowa 72 Penn State 74 So much for the discussion of whether Iowa should or should not be on the bubble. After last night's 74-72 loss at Penn State, the Hawkeyes are officially out, pending an unthinkable run at next week's Big Ten Tournament. Iowa was led in scoring again by senior Adam Haluska with 30 points and eight rebounds. Those 30 points probably locked up the Big Ten scoring title for the Hawkeye, but Haluska would have much rather taken the win. "I don't care about the scoring title," he said after the loss, Penn State's first win in 13 games. Minnesota 47 Purdue 66 Minnesota's dreadful Big Ten season came to an end last night in West Lafayette about as ugly as it began. The Gophers turned the ball over 14 times in its first 23 possessions and Purdue took full advantage. The Boilers jumped out to an early 21-6 lead and never looked back. Purdue is now one win away from that magical number of 20 wins and a step closer to getting themselves in the NCAA tournament. Carl Landry led the Boilermakers with 25 points, 12 rebounds and six steals on the night. Purdue ends the regular season on Saturday at home against Northwestern. Win that one, and the Boilers should be in the Big Dance.