Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, February 14, 2014
Something strange happened last night: There was no chaos in the Big Ten. No upsets. No unranked teams winning on the road vs. ranked teams. And, as you know, that?s not normal. So, instead of zaniness, we got a dose of predictable outcomes: Michigan State whipped Northwestern in East Lansing, and Wisconsin took care of business in the Kohl Center vs. Minnesota.
Ho-hum. In MSU?s triumph, Adreian Payne continues to show no ill effects from being out for an extended stretch with a foot injury. In fact, the big fella looked to be in midseason form vs. NU with 20 points and 14 rebounds.
Northwestern coach Chris Collins apparently is impressed with Payne and Spartans. In fact, the Wildcats Wunderkind thinks MSU is the best team in the nation ? when healthy. I?m not gonna argue.
The win by the Badgers showed that things may be coming together for this mercurial team. To the point: Wisconsin may be coming to the realization that it needs to play tough, aggressive hoops on every possession. Embrace who you are, Bucky.
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| Big Ten Standings (through 2/14) | ||
| Conference | Overall | |
| W-L | W-L | |
| Michigan State | 10-2 | 21-4 |
| Michigan | 10-2 | 18-6 |
| Iowa | 7-4 | 18-6 |
| Wisconsin | 7-5 | 20-5 |
| Ohio State | 6-6 | 19-6 |
| Nebraska | 5-6 | 13-10 |
| Minnesota | 5-7 | 16-9 |
| Northwestern | 5-7 | 12-13 |
| Purdue | 4-7 | 14-10 |
| Indiana | 4-7 | 14-10 |
| Penn State | 4-8 | 13-12 |
| Illinois | 3-9 | 14-11 |
| View Full Standings | ||
Turns out, Michigan coach John Beilein was a bit hacked by an Ohio State pregame video which took a few swipes at the Wolverines.
"I hope Michigan never does that," Beilein said on his radio show Wednesday. ?We're not going to do that as long as I'm here."
I guess Ohio State?s idea of ?fun? doesn?t jibe with Beilein?s.
Speaking of Beilein, he is a bit surprised his team is leading the Big Ten with six games to go. Join the club. Who isn?t shocked?
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Nice story from David Jones of Pennlive.com on Tim Frazier. What a gutsy player whose comeback from an Achilles tendon injury has been remarkable. Yep, he?s my favorite Big Ten player.
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Michigan received a blow when it was announced recently that rising tight end Jake Butt injured an ACL during winter conditioning.
He looked good as a true freshman last season, making 20 catches for 235 yards and two TDs. This is a big blow, as Butt?s emergence allowed Devin Funchess often to flex out. New offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who likes to use tight ends, already is facing a big challenge ? and not one ball has been snapped.
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Looks like things are getting hot for Indiana coach Tom Crean. Yes, no one felt the Hoosiers would win the Big Ten. But most did think IU would make the tourney. Probably not gonna happen a year after the team was a No. 1 seed. Indiana is 14-10 overall and 4-7 in the Big Ten, losing at home to the likes of Northwestern and Penn State. Ugh.
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Ohio State's LaQuinton Ross has gone from X-factor to the only factor for a team that struggles in the halfcourt and with shooting.
As Bill Livingston of Cleveland.com points out, sometimes, it is hard for coach Thad Matta to keep Ross on the floor. He makes basic mistakes, such as picking up his dribble against the sideline, where he can be trapped, or making unforced errors with uncertain passes. Smooth, as opposed to explosive, he is still almost indispensable because he can score on a team of inconsistent shooters. I would have thought OSU would have had more offensive options. Nope. This team is just hard to watch on offense-and it doesn?t appear to be going anywhere.
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OK, this is the final word on the Gary Andersen-Cleveland Browns flap. If he says he wasn?t interested in the Browns, he deserves to be taken at his word, OK? OK. Besides, it says a lot about Andersen?s coaching acumen if Cleveland wanted to talk to a guy who was just one season removed from coaching Utah State. And, admit it: You would have taken the call, too.
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TWEETS THAT MATTER
Another night, another step up in the #B1G standings for #Husker hoops. Now 6th alone after Minnesota & Northwestern losses. #NuthinNew
— Dirk Chatelain (@dirkchatelain) February 14, 2014
My take: The amazing story continues.
If you don't like the new 10-second rule, don't use popularity of cfb as argument. Game was booming long before no-huddle showed up.
— Tom Shatel (@tomshatelOWH) February 13, 2014
My take: Rule looks to slow down offenses, I think.
Izzo: "I'm hoping within a week Keith comes back. … hoping some time in early/mid-20s of Feb. that Branden is back."
— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) February 14, 2014
My take: Spartans need to make sure they are ready for NCAA tourney.
Travis Trice hasn't turned the ball over since replacing Appling at the point. Three games w/o a turnover. That's incredible at that spot.
— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) February 14, 2014
My take: A real unsung hero.
https://twitter.com/NickMedline/status/434148749065986048
My take: Sounds good.
https://twitter.com/NickMedline/status/434145197165772800
My take: Same story, different game for NU at Michigan State last night.
Big Ten standings are a mess. So many teams with 7 or 8 conference defeats already. Top-heavy with MSU and Michigan.
— Jeff Washburn (@JeffWashburnJC) February 14, 2014
My take: Yep.
Ohio State and Wisconsin clearly are the best of the rest after MSU, Michigan and Iowa. Minnesota can't defend. The other 6 aren't real good
— Jeff Washburn (@JeffWashburnJC) February 14, 2014
My take: Yep.
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| About Tom Dienhart | BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section. |
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