I am going to go as far as to say that there were absolutely no surprises in Week 1 of Big Ten Basketball. Your officially standings (as of 1/3) are:
Big
Ten Standings
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||
Team
|
Conf. Record
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Overall Record
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Illinois
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2 - 0
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12 - 3
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Purdue
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2 - 0
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13 - 1
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Ohio State
|
1 - 0
|
14 - 0
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Michigan State
|
1 - 0
|
9 - 4
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Michigan
|
1 - 1
|
11 - 3
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Penn State
|
1 - 1
|
8 - 5
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Wisconsin
|
1 - 1
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11 - 3
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Iowa
|
0 - 1
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7 - 6
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Northwestern
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0 - 1
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9 - 2
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Indiana
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0 - 2
|
9 - 6
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Minnesota
|
0 - 2
|
11 - 3
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Minnesota at 0-2 is probably the biggest eye-catcher, but when you look at their first two games, their record needs no further explanation. After a fairly average non-conference slate, their first two conference games were at Wisconsin and at Michigan State. On paper, Minnesota looks pretty much like the fifth best team in the league, and they are still right on track to finish there.
Matt Painter's squad has to be feeling pretty good about themselves right about now. Many people wrote the Boilermakers off after Robbie Hummel went down, but after dismantling Michigan and Northwestern Purdue sits atop the Big Ten. Granted, they didn't play the toughest opening week, but the took care of business against weaker opponents.
Michigan State has, in my opinion, played the toughest schedule in the country. The Spartans have played six ranked teams in their first 13 games (Minnesota is ranked in the latest Coaches' Poll, but not the AP, and Washington is ranked in the AP, but not the coaches), compiling a 2-4 record against them. You have to wonder if playing such a brutal schedule will help strengthen this team for the end of the season, or just burn them out by tournament time. At this point it is all speculation. I want to believe that Tom Izzo will have his team primed and ready to go come March, but if you can't consistently beat ranked teams in November and December, will they really be able to do it later in the year?
This just in: Indiana is bad. The once proud Hoosier program fell to the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions at home. Indiana has not beaten a major conference team this season, and also dropped a home game to Northern Iowa. Tom Crean needs to get the program turned around, and fast.
This week, your beloved Buckeyes play at Iowa (during the Sugar Bowl, no less), and at home against Minnesota. Ohio State had better not take Tubby Smith's team lightly, but if they come into the game focused they should come out with a victory. The first "real" test I see for this team is on January 22nd at Illinois.
That's all for now faithful Buckeye fans. Now let's have ourselves a pig roast Tuesday night.
