Big Ten Notebook
Jeff House, Staff Writer
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT BRACKETOLOGY
Days three and four in Indy will bring us to our last four teams and a champion. Let’s take a look at how the Final Four will play out in the Big Ten…
Game 8: #1 vs. #4: Ohio State vs.
Michigan
HOUSE: Ohio State
Michigan will roll into the Conseco Fieldhouse at 10-9 in the Big Ten and 20-12 overall, capturing the 4th seed and will “upset” Illinois in the “four-five” game for the right to face the mighty Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes, who stumbled slightly prior to last couple weeks, have now won four in a row to close out the regular season and regained the Nation’s and Big Ten’s No. one ranking. In their last four games, the Buckeyes were unstoppable, averaging 86.5 ppg and won by over 22 points in each game. Offensively and defensively, OSU has great balance and is playing as well as they have played all season right now.
Those gaudy numbers for OSU won’t necessarily translate into a cakewalk to the championship game in this matchup against the Wolverines. Michigan lost by nine in Columbus on February 3rd, but took a three-point lead in to the locker room at the half. The Buckeyes took control in the second half, outscoring Michigan by a dozen to win. The game was too much Jared Sullinger who dominated the paint with 19 points and 15 rebounds.
For the Wolverines to pull off the upset or stay close they will have to contain the paint and Sullinger as they did on January 12th in Ann Arbor holding the big fella to 12 points before falling 68-64.
Ohio State is just too much for Michigan. The Wolverines, however, have proved down the stretch in winning six of their last eight, with their RPI of 56 and a SOS of 18 - they also earned the four seed in the conference tournament and winning their first round game they deserve to be in the NCAA tournament.
Game 9: #2 vs. #3: Purdue vs.
Wisconsin
HOUSE: Wisconsin
This is the game on radars across the Big Ten landscape. Purdue and Wisconsin split during the regular season in two classic defensive battles. Purdue is the only team in the country to NOT allow 70 points this season. These two teams are two of the best defensive teams in the conference, Wisconsin – first: 59.1 ppg, and Purdue – third: 61.0 ppg.
Big Ten Player of the Year JuJuan Johnson and All Big Ten first teamer E’Twaun Moore are consistently dominant for Purdue, but the difference maker for the Boilers vs. the Badgers on February 16th was Lewis Jackson. Jackson has had a tremendous junior season for Purdue. After scoring only one point in the Boilermakers seven-point loss to Wisconsin on February 1st, Jackson lit up the Badger defense for 18 and five assists to give Purdue the split in the season series.
Jordan Taylor has added an explosive dimension to the Badger offense down the stretch and Big Ten First teamer Jon Leuer can be counted on every night, but if you remember it was the Ryan Evans show that gave the Badgers their come from behind victory over Purdue. Purdue led 59-58 with under a minute to play...but Wisconsin made all the plays during the game’s final minute. They outscored the Boilermakers 8-0 while going 2-2 from the floor, and 4-6 from the line. Purdue missed all 4 of its shots in the game’s final 51 seconds and also turned it over. Evans hit a foul line jumper to give Wisconsin the lead. Evans then sealed the victory with :25 to play when he made the defensive play of the game… a block on E’Twaun Moore’s drive to the basket.
In this matchup, I'll take the Badgers. The Big Ten regular season finale at Ohio State for the Badgers (93-65) gives me a little concern, but Jon Diebler shooting seven-for-eight from three (OSU 14/15 as a team – hitting 14 in a row after Diebler missed the first one) on senior night was just too storybook and not the norm for this Wisconsin defense. On a neutral court, in a tournament setting Wisconsin facing Purdue (thankfully not the Buckeyes) this is a better match up for the Badger defense.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP DAY
Game 10: #1 vs. #3: Ohio State vs.
Wisconsin
HOUSE: Wisconsin
Did I mention Wisconsin NOT facing the Buckeyes? I should have said, not facing them YET.
You could not ask for a better Big Ten Championship game storyline.
First… Ohio State’s first loss of the
2010-11 season?... a 71-67 at Wisconsin on February
12th. The Buckeyes held a 47-32 lead when the
Badgers went on a 15-0 run to steal the victory. Jordan
Taylor took control of the game and provided the most exciting 13
minute stretch in the Big Ten this season with 21 points on six of
seven shooting, and assisting on four other baskets -- three of
them 3-pointers.
Second… as part of Ohio State’s first loss was the infamous “quote” that aggravated the Buckeye faithful… Coach Bo Ryan’s, “We won the game, deal with it.” Spurring OSU to print up some 14,000 scarlet towels for the end of season rematch the read, ‘DEAL WITH IT!” (Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Athletics)
Third… Ohio State vs. Wisconsin on the last day of the regular season, senior night in Columbus, the scarlet towels and Ohio State absolutely torched Wisconsin, 93-65. The Buckeyes set and NCAA record for making 14 of 15 threes (93.3%), including 14 in a row. Down the hall, Wisconsin had to take in all the festivities while sitting in their locker room.
Now we get the rematch to the rematch, and we get it for the Big Ten Tournament Championship.
Look out!
For Wisconsin the keys will be to get Josh Gasser, Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil going early. The trio had 17,16 and 10 points for the Badgers, respectively, in their win. Jordan Taylor, who had scored 21 of his 27 points to lead the comeback in the second half of the first meeting, will have to play big again.
Ohio State cannot count on 14 of 15 threes, but they can count on Buford, Lighty, Sullinger, Craft and Diebler nearly every night. The Buckeye lineup featuring these five has grown better and better throughout the season. The quintet average nearly 64 of OSU’s 78 ppg this season and Craft leads them in assists with 4.7 a game.
On a neutral court… I’m going with the Badgers and my selection as Big Ten coach of the year Bo Ryan.
It will be a tremendous game. Call in sick, fire up the grill and get ready for the trip to Indianapolis! The Big Ten Tournament is going to be fantastic.
Enjoy!
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This is our last notebook for the 2010 – 11 season. Thank you to all who have followed the Big Ten Notebook this season; it’s been a great deal of fun.
Be sure to jump over to Secondary Break for all our NCAA tournament coverage. Also, visit my AllBasketballReview.com site this off-season for news, notes and basketball ideas.
