Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings

It may be early in the college basketball season, but the Big Ten pecking order has already begun to take shape. Star-laden Purdue is no surprise at the top of the rankings, but they are joined by a Wisconsin squad that is better than anyone expected, and Northwestern, after losing senior star Kevin Coble and sixth man Jeff Ryan for the season, has been impressive in victories over Notre Dame, Iowa State, and NC State.

The entire conference got a major prestige boost last week by winning the Big Ten/ACC Challenge 6 to 5, the Big Ten's first victory in the decade-old series. Wisconsin and Illinois clinched the win with inspiring efforts against Duke and Clemson.

These power rankings are based on the votes of seven Bleacher Report featured columnists. Thanks to Dan Karell, Tim Cary, Nick Mordowanec, Kevin Lindsey, Aaron Morse, and Jameson Fleming for contributing votes and commentary! If you are interested in voting, please send me a message.

Here are the rankings. Numbers in parentheses reflect a team's ranking in the B/R Top 25, Pomeroy Index rating (go to www.kenpom.com for more - a great site for basketball fans!), and record.


1. Purdue (#5 B/R, #8 Pomeroy, 7-0)

Mark Fodor: Purdue has lived up to the hype, with big wins against Tennessee and Wake Forest headlining an unbeaten start. An upcoming road game at Alabama is the Boilermakers' sole remaining test before the start of conference play, although West Virginia comes to West Lafayette on New Years Day for what should be a great matchup.

Veterans E'Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson, Robbie Hummel and Chris Kramer have been playing together for years, and have their sights set on a Big Ten title.


2. Wisconsin (#21, #37, 6-1)

Nick Mordowanec: Wisconsin had a nice win against Duke in the Challenge, although I think the Blue Devils weren't that great to begin with.

MF: Predicted to finish ninth in the Big Ten before the season began, the Badgers have taught us all an important lesson; you can never count out a Bo Ryan team. Do-everything guard Jason Bohannon and senior Trevon Hughes have paced Wisconsin to a strong start including quality wins against Duke, Maryland, and Arizona.


3. Ohio State (#13, #6, 7-1)

MF: An upcoming road game against #20 Butler (Saturday, noon) will tell us exactly how much Thad Matta is going miss Evan Turner this season.

Kevin Lindsey: The loss of Turner to a broken back will undoubtedly hurt, but the Buckeyes stay high on the list as the cupboard in Columbus is not bare. Jon Diebler will lead the way, and three other players are averaging over ten points a game.


4. Michigan State (#11, #44, 7-2)

NM: The Spartans drop to number four after playing poorly against North Carolina.

MF: For a team that wants to return to the Final Four, Michigan State has not looked good early. Their best win was a close one against Gonzaga in East Lansing, and that young UNC team dominated most of the way against a more experienced Spartans squad.


5. Northwestern (#32, #77, 6-1)

MF: The Wildcats are the surprise of the Big Ten season in early play. After battling their way to an NIT berth last year, Northwestern expected to play well, led by star forward Kevin Coble. It didn't quite work out that way. Coble was lost to a season ending foot injury in practice, but the 'Cats haven't even thought about folding in his absence.

Senior point guard Michael "Juice" Thompson has stepped up big time, averaging over 17 points a game and pacing a feisty group of no-name Wildcats to a strong start including wins against three major-conference opponents and the Chicago Invitational Tournament title.


6. Illinois (#26, #75, 7-2)

KL: The Illini's 23 point comeback against Clemson in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge was epic and historic. Freshman D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul have shown maturity beyond their years.

MF: Despite an epic fail in the Las Vegas Invitational, where Illinois fell to Utah and Bradley, those freshman and double-double machine Mike Davis are giving this team some fight. Good size and a veteran point guard in Demetri McCamey make this a squad that will contend in Big Ten play.


7. Minnesota (#33, #12, 6-3)

KL: Nice comeback with a blowout of Brown at home. C Ralph Sampson III had his best game of the season, and Gophers fans hope it is a sign of good things to come.

MF: Tubby Smith's Minnesota squad may have been overhyped in the preseason, when they were ranked in the top 20. A win over Butler in the 76 Classic gives them an out of conference victory to hang their hats on, but their next three games against decent opponents (Portland, Texas A&M, Miami) resulted in losses.

With four in a row against soft opponents at home (starting with a win tonight against Morgan State), Minnesota has a good chance to get it together heading into conference play.


8. Penn State (N/R, #143, 6-3)

MF: Penn State and G Talor Battle finished last year with an NIT title. That's the bright side. They also lost a ton of scoring as seniors Jamelle Cornley, Stanley Pringle, and Danny Morrissey all graduated. That's the not-so-bright side. The result is a young team in flux. They did beat Virginia in the Challenge, but followed that victory up with a road loss at Temple in which they scored only 42 points.

The Nittany Lions will go exactly as far as Battle can carry them.


9. Michigan (N/R, #121, 4-3)

MF: The Wolverines were ranked #15 by ESPN in the preseason. Manny Harris is a great player, and Michigan has some good talent around him. But after a few early wins against weak opposition, Harris and Co. got crushed by Marquette in the Old Spice Classic, starting a three-game losing streak that included narrow losses to Alabama and Boston College.

They play Utah tomorrow, and go on the road to Lawrence, Kansas to face the nation's #1 team on Dec. 19. Utah is a must-win, and just avoiding a blowout against the potent Jayhawks may be a moral victory.


10. Indiana (N/R, #173, 4-4)

MF: Tom Crean's Hoosiers are stacked with young talent, and got a huge 74-64 win tonight against Pittsburgh in the Jimmy V Classic. Freshmen Christian Watford and Maurice Creek have legitimate major-conference skills, and junior Georgetown transfer Jeremiah Rivers looks like the real deal as a big, smart, physical point guard. Indiana also benefits from a deep bench - there are at least ten players who can contribute, and possibly more.

The key for them is going to be hanging tough both in games, where they tend to lose focus late, and in the lengthy conference season. Can Rivers and senior guard Devan Dumes emerge as vocal leaders for this team? If they can, and the young fellas can keep scoring, Indiana may surprise some people.


11. Iowa (N/R, #151, 3-6)

KL: The Hawkeyes haven't had two consecutive wins this season. They face both Northern Iowa and Iowa State this week.

MF: Iowa just got blown out by Northern Iowa 67-50. UNI is a good team, but you never want to lose state bragging rights to a directional school. On the upside, coach Todd Lickliter is out of the hospital after surgery yesterday. He might have wanted to stay in there, the way this team is playing. You can pencil in the Hawks for the #11 spot all season long.

There you have it. Thanks again to everybody that voted and sent in comments! We'll do it again before Christmas.

PS- Armchair Superstars - I would also love your votes in this... Snuffles, Ryan, Tim, this means you!

New Bears Offensive Coordinator

While I think it is high time Lovie and Co. get the hell outta Chicago, I'm not sure that the McCaskey's are ready to do that just yet. Recent reports of Charlie Weis and Mike Martz have been flying around as the rumored next offensive coordinator of the Bears. Listen, if the Bears are going with Lovie Smith than all but four coaches need to be fired, and that includes Lovie firing himself as the Defensive Coordinator. The four guys are:

Darryl Drake WR Coach - He doesn't draft them, he just coaches them, and I'd say he's done an excellent job considering what he is working with.

Rod Marinelli D-Line Coach - He does seem to have this team getting pressure more consistently. I think actual talent would help him. And I think Tommie can return to form next year as long as he stays healthy for the rest of this year and doesn't require any offseason surgery. That way he can work out and regain some of that power he once had, and stay in shape.

Bob Babich LB Coach - I would not have wanted him back after last year's performance as the D-coordinator. However, considering that he just got done with a game where his linebackers played darn good and there were 0 starting LB's from earlier this season, I'd say he's done a darn good job.

Dave Toub Special Teams Coach - This guy is awesome. I understand he called that lousy fake field goal, but if it weren't for great discipline by the Rams player Greg would have taken that to the house. Also, you run a fake what? Like once or twice a year? His special teams consistently are one of the best in the league, thus he deserves to stay.


That means the remaining spots are open for next year.

Defensive Coordinator
Offensive Coordinator
Defensive Backs Coach
Offensive Line Coach
QB Coach
Running Backs Coach
If there is a tight ends coach than him too.


Now, as to what this article was truly about. While the rumors have been swirling about the Bears' next offensive coordinator (Weis or Martz) a third name will be uncovered tonight, on Monday Night Countdown by Adam Schefter. So far he has given us hints: it is a college coach with NFL experience and current ties to some Chicago Bears players. The likely guy I think is Jeremy Bates, but the thing about him is that he will likely go where ever Shannahan goes. But who knows.

Northwestern Gets Auburn in Outback Bowl

Bowl matchups were finalized tonight, and the Wildcats jumped Wisconsin in a surprise move, landing in the Outback bowl against the 7-5 Auburn Tigers and their first-year head coach Gene Chizik.

I'm very excited about this matchup. For one, it's the best bowl the 'Cats have played in since '97 (Citrus Bowl vs. Tennessee). For two, Auburn and Northwestern have never played each other. And third, this is a winnable game. I'm sure Auburn will be favored, since they are from the almighty unstoppable SEC, but I have faith in my Wildcats.

Fitz will have the guys ready to go. And Auburn doesn't do anything particularly well this year.

Anyway, it's a New Years Day game, so it will be one heck of a showcase for Northwestern, especially if they can pull out a W. More analysis coming soon.

The other Big Ten bowls:

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Orange Bowl: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech
Capital One Bowl: Penn State vs. LSU
Outback: NU vs. Auburn
Champs Sports Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Miami
Insight Bowl: Minnesota vs. Iowa State
Alamo Bowl: Michigan State vs. Texas Tech

Glory Week: Heisman Hopefuls Come To Play

What a great week of College Football matchups. I really wish the Big Ten would suck it up, add a twelfth team, and go for the title game setup, because it has now been two weeks of college football action with no sort of Midwestern coverage (well, except Wisconsin @ Hawaii, Illinois @ Cincinnati, Illinois vs. Fresno State).

On that note, Wisco @ Hawaii is tonight at 11:30 on ESPN2. Sweet.

Anyway, the slate of championships and huge games this weekend includes the final regular season games of many Heisman hopefuls. Let's take a look at who's in action and what they've done to state their cases for Heisman hardware.

The Civil War: #7 Oregon vs. #16 Oregon State, Thursday. Oregon won 37-33.

This was a great game to watch. The Beavers led through much of the evening, and were hoping to get revenge for last year's drubbing at the hands of the Ducks, who denied them a Rose Bowl berth.

No such luck. The Pac-10's second leading rusher, sophomore Jacquizz Rodgers, went for 64 yards and a touchdown, giving him twenty TDs and 1,377 ground yards on the season. Rodgers was a trendy dark horse Heisman pick in the preseason, and has had a great year. However, I don't think this showing was nearly enough for him to leapfrog fellow Pac-10 running back Toby Gerhart for a spot in the top four Heisman finalists.

Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, another Heisman dark horse, had yet another solid game in passing for 201 yards with a TD and an INT. His yearly totals look pretty good, with 2,066 passing yards, a 15:5 TD:INT ratio, and another 12 touchdowns rushing to go with an impressive 659 yards.

Still, I think his team's strength at running back, with freshman LaMichael James (166 yards against the Beavs, over 1,400 on the season) and The Mad Puncher, LeGarrette Blount, have hurt his chances, because he's had to share the ball so much. Still, with a 10-2 record and a Rose Bowl bid coming, Masoli is a lock to battle Stanford's Gerhart for the Pac-10 MVP award.

Central Michigan 20, Ohio 10

Okay, let's talk about real dark horses. Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour has led the Chippewas to an 11-2 season and, by the way, is also the NCAA all-time leader in combined passing, rushing, and receiving touchdowns with 148. He broke Chad Pennington's (from??) mark in this game.

LeFevour gets no Heisman love because he plays in the MAC. But you have to give him some credit for beating Michigan State earlier this year and playing tough games on the road at Arizona and Boston College. Not to mention, CMU beat good MAC teams - Temple, Ohio, Bowling Green and Northern Illinois all have winning records, and all felt the wrath of the LeFevour this season.

His final stats? 3,043 pass yards on 285-401 attempts (71.1%). 27 touchdowns versus 6 interceptions. Oh, and 174 rush attempts, yielding 701 yards (4.0ypc) and an impressive 14 TDs. Those numbers stand up against anybody in the country.

SEC Title Game: Florida 13, Alabama 32

This was a game featuring two true Heisman threats in Florida's Tim Tebow and Alabama's Mark Ingram. Tebow, who already has one stiff-arm trophy in his display case, didn't play terribly. He totalled 247 passing yards and 63 on the ground, with a touchdown and a pick.

But this game illustrated Florida's problems with the running game beyond Timmy, as nobody else carried the ball more than twice. Tebow will not be repeating as the Heisman winner, but at least he has a BCS bowl in his immediate future to make his case to NFL scouts.

His 30:4 TD:TO ratio for the year is extremely impressive, and between that and his name, I wouldn't be surprised if he is one of the finalists.

Mark Ingram, on the other hand, took advantage of this Heisman showcase. Already touted as a possible winner, the sophomore carried 28 times for 112 yards against a supposedly stout Florida defense, racking up three TDs. He also broke a huge 69-yard pass play on a dumpoff near the line of scrimmage, one of his pair of receptions in this game.

You can go ahead and pencil Ingram in for a spot in New York. His stats on the year?

221 carries for 1,429 yards, a 6.5 ypc average. 28 receptions for 289 yards, an 8.8per average. Fifteen total touchdowns. No fumbles. All while sharing time in the Crimson Tide backfield, and against tough competition including the SEC and Virginia Tech. This kid is for real.

*IN PROGRESS*
Big 12 Title Game: Nebraska vs. Texas

It's too bad Nebraska has no offense, because their defense has been suffocating all night. At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Huskers are finally driving and trail 10-6.

Golden Boy Colt McCoy has less than 100 yards and two interceptions, but he does have Texas' lone TD on a rush near the goal line. Ten rushes for -24 yards and a TD is nothing to write home about, however.

Season stats: 3,328 yards, 27 TD:9 INT, 71.8 completion pct., 561 rush yards, 11 rush TD.

I don't think Texas has been all that impressive in their undefeated run thus far, and Nebraska's D is giving Colt fits tonight. But is he a Heisman finalist? Probably. He could even win, if enough people vote on name recognition.

Meanwhile, Nebraska's amazing DT Ndamukong Suh, the keystone to the Husker's #3 ranked defense, has eight tackles and 3.5 sacks tonight. Shining on the biggest stage is the best way to impress Heisman voters.

Suh is approaching 80 tackles, at least 16 for loss, with at least 11 sacks, a forced fumble, an INT, and multiple pass deflections on the year. Oh yes, and 22 quarterback hurries. He's going to be a top-ten NFL pick. Heisman finalist? Maybe. He has a better chance if he can make a game-changing play in this fourth quarter. Really, Nebraska's entire defensive line is full of NFL prospects.

Georgia Tech 33, Clemson 27 (ACC Title Game)

The only Heisman hopeful in this one is Clemson's superb RB C.J. Spiller. If I had a vote, this is the guy that gets it. Even though his Wildcats are trailing tonight, Spiller is the reason they're still alive. He has FOUR touchdowns, on rushes of 3, 41, 36, and 9 yards. He is averaging almost ten yards per carry.

For the season, Spiller's pure rushing stats may not look that amazing. Including this game so far, he has 11 TDs and close to 1,100 yards. But C.J. is really a triple threat. He also has 32 receptions for 440 yards and four TDs, and has taken an amazing five kicks to the house.

If you're counting, that's over 2,000 all purpose yards and 20 TDs. Spiller IS Clemson this year.

I've gone way over my word count and haven't even mentioned Houston's Case Keenum, who lost at East Carolina today. Quite a weekend for college football!!

If you've made it all the way through this post, thanks for your patience. I swear, I'll get some pictures up soon. For now, it's time to watch the exciting conclusions of the Big 12 and ACC title games!

My Heisman Finalists:

Mark Ingram
Ndamukong Suh
C.J. Spiller (just made another HUGE run midway through the fourth! 54 yards all the way inside the 10-yard line!)
Colt McCoy/Tim Tebow

Film Study 101: Hoosiers vs. Terps

Last night, while putting off my essay for class, I tried a little experiment. With MacBook in hand and remote nearby, I put on the DVR'd Indiana v. Maryland game from last night and tried to really dig in to the details of what, exactly, was happening.

As a non-athlete (at least not past high school) I have never really made a serious effort at Peyton Manning-style film study before. But here are a few unusual things that occurred to me in the first half (second half coming after I finish this paper!):

1) When the starters or top eight guys (including Dumes, Hulls, Elston) are in the game, defense was fairly good. Rivers was doing an outstanding job on Greivis Vasquez early in the game. Creek also played him tough, but both he and Dumes let General Greivis slip over screens to take open threes that really put Maryland back in the game.

Still, the zone was very solid with all of these guys. Capobianco and Jobe are defensive liabilities. I was pleasantly surprised at how hard Jordan Hulls worked on the defensive end, and also at how mobile Tom Pritchard looked at times.

2) Devan Dumes made at least two great leading passes (to Jones and Creek, I believe) that both ended up not counting in his favor thanks to misses or blocks. He looked very heady running the fastbreak on these occasions and also showed exceptional range from beyond the arc. If he's still not 100%, then he's going to be a factor for this team once he gets there.

3) Christian Watford is an amazing athlete. Elston has a similar game but just isn't as springy or dominant. Elston needs to capitalize on his chances - he hurried several putbacks which resulted in wasted possessions. Still, his energy is excellent.

4) Jeremiah Rivers made three Top-Ten caliber plays. His block near the 10-minute mark on Moseley, then his flying steal on the ensuing inbound and fast-break throwdown were all just awesome moments. Actually, make that four, because that twisting reverse layup early in the game was great, too.

5) Hulls looked solid coming in and running the offense. He is more of a three-point threat than Rivers, which could be an X-factor going forward.

6) Verdell Jones looks like a man without a position. He and Creek have very similar skill sets, but Creek may already be as good of a defender and a better three point shooter. Verdell needs to keep driving the basket and taking those pull-ups that he is so good at. He also needs to finish stronger. He failed to draw several should-have-been fouls near the hole. Still, his mistakes are down somewhat.

7) Pritchard, despite a lack of stats, actually played well in the first half alongside Watford. He's one of the team's best pick and roll options.

Anyone else watch the game? Agree? Disagree? Let me know below.

Kevin Coble and the Ewing Theory

I don't want to get too excited about this.

Seriously.

But Northwestern just took down the ACC's North Carolina State 65-53. Last week, they beat ranked Notre Dame and a good Iowa State team to win the Chicago Invitational Tournament.

This is a team that, after losing both 6-foot-8 star Kevin "Big Bird" Coble and top sixth man Jeff Ryan to freakish season-ending injuries, was supposed to be cooked. Done. Dead and buried.

Instead, they are currently 6-1 with their only loss coming to Butler. The Bulldogs will be a 2- or 3- seed come March. And Northwestern was actually in the game for at least a half. Juice Thompson, John Shurna (pictured), Jeremy Nash, and Luka Mirkovic can all really play. Hell, even Kyle Rowley has looked competent at center!

Is it maybe possible that the 'Cats are better without Coble to lean on? Or is this just a fluke? With four games left until the Big Ten season, all of them pretty much automatic W's except Stanford, a 9-2 nonconference schedule is a sure thing.

Anyway, just some food for thought... Northwestern bandwagon, plenty of seats available.

The Indiana Hoosiers' All-Decade Team: Assembly Hall Superstars 2000-2009

It sure has been a long ten years for fans of Indiana basketball. Just a decade ago, Bobby Knight was still working the sidelines in Bloomington. Since Knight's 2000 firing, Indiana has experienced a true roller coaster of highs and lows, leaving fans elated and/or throwing up in their mouths, sometimes in the same season!

A fairy-tale run to the national championship game in '02 under Mike Davis gave way to a series of early-round ousters, the departure of Davis (also known as "Not The General" by Knight faithful), the much-anticipated hiring of Kelvin Sampson and his cell phone collection, a ranking as high as eighth nationally in '08, the ensuing train wreck (I don't wanna talk about it), and the high hopes of the Crean era, which have been seasoned with a healthy dose of humble pie in the form of a 6-25 season, the worst in Hoosiers history.

Yeah, it's been one heck of a decade. So let's take a minute to recognize the players who have done the Cream and Crimson proud through both good and bad.


PG Tom Coverdale (1999-2003)

It seemed like Coverdale was at least thirty by the time he graduated from IU. During a lengthy four-year career, Tom accumulated 500 assists, averaging almost five per game. He is third all-time in Indiana history in the category, and his 178 dimes during the '01-'02 season marked the second-best passing season by a Hoosier.

He was also no slouch while taking his own shots. Coverdale scored over 1,200 points in his career, and his marks of 200-555 from behind the three point line make him second all-time in both categories.

His leadership was also key during the Indiana run to the 2002 title game, and he was named South regional MVP during that tourney.

Honorable Mention: AJ Guyton, Marshall Strickland, Earl Calloway

SG Bracey Wright (2002-05)

If you like me-first shooting guards, then this ten year period in Indiana history has got to be one of your all time favorites. Bracey averaged 17.6ppg throughout his three year career at the Hall, but his .405 shooting percentage indicated the sheer number of possessions Wright claimed in racking up all those points (#15 all-time in scoring).

Bracey gets the nod at SG because Eric Gordon was even more of a ball hog in his one year at Indiana (amazingly enough), and because Wright and Mike Davis actually won an NCAA tournament game (vs. Alabama, 2003), something Gordon couldn't manage.

Honorable Mention: Eric Gordon, Roderick Wilmont, Kyle Hornsby


SF Jared Jeffries (2000-02)

The tall, skinny, and talented Jeffries spent just two years at Indiana before jumping to the NBA. In his sophomore year, he was a second team All-American while averaging 15 points, 7.6 rebounds, and almost three combined blocks/steals per game. He was also the Big Ten MVP that year.

A Bloomington native, Jeffries started all seventy games of his too-brief collegiate career. (picture: we call this the "I shoulda stayed at Indiana!" shot.)

Honorable Mention: Robert Vaden


PF Kirk Haston (1998-2001)

A 'tweener for the All-Decade team, since he only played a season and a half of the 'oughts, Haston nevertheless earned this spot. During the '00-'01 year, Haston was a monster, and helped Mike Davis start out reasonably well in replacing the legendary Bobby Knight.

He averaged 19 points per game while stuffing the stat sheet in every category. He even added an outside shot to his repertoire, shooting almost 38% from beyond the arc on the way to being the first-round pick of the Charlotte Hornets in the 2001 NBA Draft.

Honorable Mention: Jeff Newton, A.J. Moye (led team in rebounds in 2004 despite being only 6'3" - that earns you a picture, man!)


PF/C D.J. White (2004-08)

I have to be honest: D.J. is my favorite player in Hoosiers history. He may not have won a championship, or even gone deep in the tourney, but he became Indiana's bulwark during a tumultuous four year career during which he played for three different coaches.

White averaged around 13ppg and almost 5ppg as a freshman before missing most of the '05-'06 year due to injury.

A solid junior year during which he was paired with the jumbo-sized Marco Killingsworth gave way to a senior season in which Indiana and Kelvin Sampson had some extremely high expectations. Throughout the awful mess that that season would become, White was Indiana's rock.

All he did was come to work every day and dominate every big man he played against. Twenty-two rebounds at Michigan. The sixth-best single season rebounding total in Indiana history. Meanwhile, DJ upped his scoring as well, hitting over 17 a game and showing off a solid jump shot to go with his dominant post moves.

His 17.4-10.6 (pt/reb) season average was, statistically, the best for anybody in the Cream and Crimson, ever. That includes Walt Bellamy, George McGinnis, and Alan Henderson.

Honorable Mention: George Leach, Marco Killingsworth.