Trying to stay on top of college basketball is a full time job, a full time job that people like Jay Bilas get paid for. I’m not Jay Bilas, but I’m going to try and break down the week in Midwestern college basketball.
There were some interesting headlines, but the ball being played here in the heartland isn’t getting the press that the ACC or Big East sees; yet it’s clear that there are some contenders this year, namely Michigan State and Minnesota. Michigan is back on the rise and we’ll see if Purdue can battle back from injury woes and early losses to pop out of a slump.
One of the teams that hasn’t been in the news for a number of seasons may soon have fans in Ann Arbor smiling about something. Michigan got three quality wins this week against Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. The Wolverines are 3-1 in the conference and are starting to show their depth and talent. An emotional win last Sunday against the Illini started the week, then an overtime victory over the Hoosiers, topping it off with a win against Iowa is making Big Ten coaches and fans take note. Remember, this team beat Duke early in December. If they can stay hot in conference play, the legacy of quality Michigan basketball might be alive and well again.
Across the state, the Spartans are putting Tom Izzo back on the minds of basketball fans. Izzo has always been among the nation’s elite but recently hasn’t gotten past the Sweet 16 since 2005. Izzo’s high intensity team got two wins this week, one over Ohio State and another out of conference at Kansas. This year’s team seems to be emerging as the favorite to win the Big Ten, with the cooling off of the Boilmakers.
Which brings me to Purdue.
The preseason predictions had these guys making serious waves, but they aren’t making the kind of headlines they want to. They already have two in-conference losses and dropped an away game against the unranked Nittany Lions early in the week. Without starters Robbie Hummell and Chris Kramer, the Boilmakers offense stalled in the first half and couldn’t crawl back. They bounced back to beat Wisconsin but have put themselves in an early hole.
In The Barn, though, the Gophers are making some serious noise. Minnesota has only one loss on the year, to Michigan State, their first in conference game. The Tubby Smith era has just begin but they have got to be happy with three conference wins already. They took care of the Buckeyes, squeaked out a comeback against Iowa, then went into Happy Valley and wiped the floor with Penn State. This team will challenge for the Big Ten title for sure; they are confident and have a coach in place who has proved that sometimes a change of scenery can be a good thing.
The rest of ‘em? Well, Illinois and Wisconsin are the ones to watch, but they have proved to be hot and cold. We can wait for the news on those.
I’m no Jay Bilas, but at least this way you know who won what.
