A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
On Sunday at 6:00 ET, the 17th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (16-5, 4-5) return to Bloomington to face the Iowa Hawkeyes (11-10, 3-5) on the Big Ten Network.
As always, Jerod, Ryan, and Andy will be here with another episode of The Assembly Call as soon as the game ends with instant analysis and fan reaction. [Read more...]
On Thursday at 9:00 ET, the #17-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (16-4, 4-4) travel to Madison to take on the #25-ranked Wisconsin Badgers (16-5, 5-3) on the ESPN2.
As always, Jerod, Ryan, and Andy will be here with another episode of The Assembly Call as soon as the game ends with instant analysis and fan reaction.
In episode #19 of The Bottoms Line College Hoops Talk Podcast, host Andy Bottoms is joined by Raphielle Johnson of CollegeHoopsNet to discuss all the latest news and events in college basketball.
This week’s episode features a thorough look at the world of college basketball with hot topics from all BCS conferences discussed as well as some notable mid-majors as well.
On Sunday at 12:00 ET, the #13-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (15-4, 3-4) hope to halt a three-game losing streak when they return home to face on the Penn State Nittany Lions (10-10, 2-5) on the Big Ten Network.
As always, Jerod and Andy will be here with another episode of The Assembly Call as soon as the game ends with instant analysis and fan reaction.
On Wednesday at 7:00 ET, the #13-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (15-3, 3-3) will try to break a two-game losing streak when they travel to Lincoln to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-8, 1-5) on the Big Ten Network.
As always, Jerod, Andy, and Ryan will be here with another episode of The Assembly Call as soon as the game ends with instant analysis and fan reaction.
IU-Nebraska Gameday InfoAfter losing to both Minnesota and Ohio State last week, the Hoosiers are trying to get back on track, particularly on the defensive end. A matchup with the Huskers gives them a great chance to do just that with Nebraska scoring a league-worst 0.84 points per possession in conference play. That said, the schedule-makers certainly didn’t do the Huskers any favors in their first Big Ten campaign with their first eight games coming against Ohio State and Wisconsin twice plus matchups with Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan State.
From an efficiency standpoint, there aren’t many positives when you look at Nebraska’s tempo-free stats. They rank 177th in effective field goal percentage, 241st in turnover rate, 272nd in offensive rebound percentage, and 274th in free throw rate. They make just 32.4 percent from beyond the arc, and their low free throw rate doesn’t allow them to take advantage of how well they shoot from the stripe.
The Huskers are slightly better on defense, allowing 1.02 points per possession in league play. While their defensive rebounding percentage looks decent for the season, Nebraska is second-worst in the league during conference play. They do defend the three-point line well, which might make it difficult for the Hoosiers to get back on track from beyond the arc after hitting just 11-of-39 (28.2%) in their last two games.
LSU transfer Bo Spencer leads Nebraska in scoring with 14.8 points and 3.7 assists per game. While the scoring numbers look nice, Spencer isn’t particularly efficient. He’s taken 96 three-pointers despite hitting just 31.3 percent from deep, and his eFG% is a pedestrian 45.5%. He does have a solid assist rate and is a factor on the defensive end.
Nebraska has six other players scoring between 6.4 and 10.4 points per contest. Guard Toney McCray (10.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg) is the team’s top three-point threat and had a string of seven straight double-digit scoring efforts snapped against Wisconsin on Sunday. The other perimeter player to watch is Dylan Talley (9.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.0 apg). He has six double figure games to his credit and will be playing his fourth game since returning from a thigh injury.
Inside, the Huskers rely on Jorge Brian Diaz and Brandon Ubel. Diaz (9.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg) also recently returned from a foot injury, but he scored at least eight points in his first 10 games this year. The 6-foot-11 junior is also adept at blocking shots, as evidenced by his 9.4 block percentage. Ubel (6.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is the team’s best offensive rebounder, and given IU’s struggles there in recent games, they need to find him when shots go up.
Tempo will be something to watch given the contrast in styles with IU wanting to get up and down while the Huskers want to grind it out. At the same time, the Hoosiers have to take better care of the basketball. They are 10th in turnover rate in league play, while that is one area where the Huskers have played well on the defensive end. Consequently, the play and decision-making of Jordan Hulls and Verdell Jones will be critical for Indiana.
While Nebraska has excelled at defending the three-point line, they have allowed a high percentage from two-point range, so the Hoosiers would be well-served to attack inside through Cody Zeller, who posted 39 points and 14 rebounds in two games last week. They also need Christian Watford to get back on track after going just 5-of-20 in the two losses.
Regardless of the individual matchups, it is imperative for IU to come out with the same aggressiveness and intensity that propelled them to a 15-1 start. They have not been getting nearly as many deflections on the defensive end and have failed to consistently show toughness in competing on the glass and for loose balls. Their level of effort and awareness will go a long way toward determining the outcome of this game.
As we have seen in the early going, the Big Ten offers very few opportunities to pick up road wins, but if the Hoosiers want to contend for a conference title, this is one they have to win. After a dismal first half in Columbus, IU showed fight in the second half against the Buckeyes, which has to carry over in the early going against Nebraska. The Huskers don’t come in with much confidence offensively, but if the Hoosiers don’t tighten up their defense and allow them to hang around, things could get interesting in Lincoln.
Listen to Andy tonight on The Assembly Call. Follow him on Twitter at @AndyBottoms.
Use this number to call in and provide your thoughts on-air or to listen on your phone.
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On Sunday at 4:30 ET, the #8-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (15-2, 3-2) travel to Columbus to take on the #5-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (15-3, 3-2) on CBS.
As always, Jerod, Andy, and Ryan will be here with another episode of The Assembly Call as soon as the game ends with instant analysis and fan reaction.
Since we’ve reached the halfway point of the season, I wanted to break down the contenders for Big Ten Player of the Year. I think it’s fair to say this list has some significant changes compared to what I would have put together prior to the season.
A number of college basketball bracketologists released updated projections on Tuesday, and while it’s easy to argue the merits of doing this so early, it certainly makes for some interesting discussion and helps gauge where teams stand as conference play gets rolling.
I’ll be releasing my own projections starting next week, but for now I thought it would be worthwhile to look at how Big Ten teams are shaping up with as many as nine of them in some of these mock brackets.
Before the season began, did you think Indiana would be ranked higher than Michigan State when the Hoosiers traveled to East Lansing to open up the Big Ten season? I know I didn’t, but they are.
Tonight, the 15th ranked Hoosiers travel to their own personal house of horrors, The Breslin Center, to face 17th ranked Michigan State. It is the first Big Ten game for both teams.
Indiana enters the game an unblemished 12-0 while Michigan State is 11-2, having reeled off 11 straight victories after starting 0-2 with losses to North Carolina and Duke.
As always, we will be hosting The Assembly Call IU Postgame Show, which starts as soon as the final buzzer sounds.
The Toms, Izzo and Crean (Photo credit: Kevin Fowler, LansingStateJournal.com)
Indiana is one of three Big Ten teams currently in the top 6 of Ken Pomeroy’s rankings. Michigan State is 14th. Kenpom’s projections for the game have Indiana losing 71-69 with a 43% chance of coming away victorious.
If the Hoosiers are able to find a way to win, it would be their first win in the Breslin Center since Calbert Cheaney was wearing #40. Tonight, he’ll be on the bench watching Cody Zeller wear #40.
Of course the biggest storyline for Indiana is injuries. Coming out of the Hoosiers’ win over UMBC, there were question marks about Will Sheehey, Derek Elston, and Verdell Jones.
Elston should be fine to play, but he will be forced to wear a protective mask due to the nose surgery he had to undergo after taking a stray elbow from Victor Oladipo.
As best I can tell, the latest update on Sheehey and Jones is this from Tom Crean’s recent press conference (via Inside The Hall):
On the team’s health:
“There is really nothing new to report. Will and Verdell stayed back and got some extra treatment before heading out for Christmas and they continue to get better.”
So that’s that. We’ll just have to see who suits up tonight at 6:30.
If I were to guess, I’d say Verdell plays and Sheehey doesn’t, but I am basing that on nothing more than watching Sheehey on the sidelines last week and the lack of any catastrophic news regarding Jones’ injury. I hope they both play, but more importantly I hope they come back 100%, whenever that is.
I know that we all want to get off to a good start in the Big Ten season, and it will be tough to do against Michigan State, Ohio State, and Michigan even at full strength; but even if we go 1-2 or 0-3, it’s not the end of the world. This is a good, mentally tough team that – I think – can overcome a slow Big Ten start and still get to 10, 11, or even more wins. There is no reason to sacrifice the long-term to rush guys back who aren’t fully healed.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go. The nonconference schedule was great, and far more enjoyable than I ever could have imagined, but now it’s time for conference play. The Hoosiers have only won eight games in conference play under Tom Crean, even regressing last year from four wins to three; 12-0 against non-Big Ten teams is nice, but the real season starts now. Hopefully it gets off on the right foot tonight.
As soon as the final buzzer sounds, the postgame show begins. Feel free to listen right here:
Use this number to call in and provide your thoughts on-air or to listen on your phone.
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Our postgame chat will start late in the 2nd half and continue on throughout the postgame show. We may or may not have a moderator tonight, but feel free to talk amongst yourselves, and the hosts will pop in from time to time to see what the hot topics are.
Maybe it was the sheer volume of annoying “Road Test Saturday” promos I saw a couple weekends ago, but I started to wonder why the notion existed that playing non-conference road games was worthy of such special billing. After doing some research this weekend, I no longer need to wonder.
What I found is a staggering lack of road games for college basketball teams from major conferences.
In episode #13 of The Bottoms Line College Basketball Podcast, host Andy Bottoms is joined by Rob Dauster and Troy Machir of Ballin’ Is a Habit to discuss all the latest news and events in college basketball.
The 13th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge tips of on Tuesday, and after 10 years of disappointment the Big Ten is looking to extend its own winning streak to three.
For the first time, both leagues have the same number of teams, so there are 12 games on this year’s slate. (In the event of a 6-6 tie, the Big Ten will retain the Commissioner’s Cup in case you were wondering. Spoiler alert: That shouldn’t be an issue.)
I first looked at the Big Ten back in May, but with the season now days instead of months away, the time has come to revisit the 12 teams vying for the title. The top two teams are pretty clear cut, but the middle of the pack could go any number of ways.
With a last-second Hail Mary, Michigan State shook up the Big Ten standings. This week the Spartans hope to establish themselves as clear-cut favorites to make it to the Big Ten Championship Game.
The obvious answer to this question is, “Well, most schools aren’t in the Big Ten.”
One could just as easily ask, “Why isn’t Cincinnati in the Big Ten,” or, “Why isn’t Ball State in the Big Ten?” (Actually, don’t be surprised when you see my “Why isn’t Iowa State in the Big Ten?” article.)
But Notre Dame is different.
Not only is Notre Dame situated near the center of the Big Ten’s geographical footprint, but it also has existing football rivalries with Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue.
Notre Dame is third on the list of the all-time winningest college football program, joining Big Ten schools Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State in the top ten. (I’m focusing on football because football was largely responsible for the formation of the major athletic conferences and because football continues to drive conference expansion and realignment today.)
The Big Ten, more than any other major conference, cherishes and guards its academic reputation. And Notre Dame, by almost any measure, is an academically elite institution.
More significantly, the Big Ten wants Notre Dame.
The richest conference in America—a league that dominates the region in which Notre Dame resides and whose members get to be part of a prestigious collective of top-flight research universities—has been courting Notre Dame for two decades, and America’s favorite Catholic football-playing university has consistently responded, “No thanks. We’re good.”
Why?
