Michigan, Ohio State Sit Atop Big Ten. In Basketball.
It’s disappointing that Michigan, which has been sidelined by virus issues since Jan. 22, can’t return one game sooner.
The No. 3 Wolverines were scheduled to host No. 6 Illinois on Thursday.
That would have been really interesting.
As the Big Ten—anointed as the best doggone league in the land—builds toward what ought to be a very exciting finish—a few things stand out.
Michigan last played on Jan. 22 at Purdue, where it notched a 70-53 win. Except for an 18-point blowout loss at Minnesota, The Wolverines (13-1, 8-1) have been a model of impressive consistency.
Officially, No. 6 Illinois (13-5, 9-3) is in second place. And there's a lot to like about the Illini. But the other Big Ten team I am most impressed with at this point is No. 4 Ohio State (16-4, 10-4), which has won five in a row and nine of its last 10, including tough road wins at Illinois and Iowa.
What’s cool about both Michigan and Ohio State is how well they play together. I don’t know who to be more impressed with, Juwan Howard and his veteran assistant, longtime St. Joe’s coach Phil Martelli (shown above, left). Or Chris Holtmann (right), who has built a tough squad in Columbus. The Buckeyes wring everything out of their roster.
Michigan and Ohio State. In basketball. Who knew?
That said, a lot of things can still happen. For one, the Illini still have trips to Ohio State and Michigan left, assuming the Ann Arbor postponement is rescheduled.
For another, when the Wolverines return to the court at Noon on Sunday at Wisconsin, we don’t know what the impact of a 23-day layoff will be.
We don’t know which Badgers will show up, either.
No. 21 Wisconsin (14-6, 8-5) has split its last three games—and has looked pretty flatfooted during that stretch. The Badgers, who spent a big chunk of the season as a top-10 team, have been sinking lately due to poor shooting and the inability to overcome their traditional issue with athleticism.
When they hunker down, that doesn’t matter. When they don’t, they are very average.
In this very loaded Big Ten, there are several teams behind Michigan and Ohio State that could finish with a flourish—or fizzle.
Leading that group is enigmatic Illinois, which has one of the best outside-inside tandems in the country. When Ayo Dosunmu, a good first-team All-America bet, and Kofi Cockburn, tracking for second or third team, are on, the Illini can play with anyone. That’s especially true because they are surrounded by a good but somewhat inconsistent cast.
Illinois’ issue? Sometimes the Illini, especially Dosunmu, play like this is a dress rehearsal. They need a little more sense of urgency. If they find that, their ceiling is as high as any team in the Big Ten. If not—well, ask my fretting Illini friends. Illinois can leave them frustrated.
The storyline about Brad Underwood launching into impassioned halftime rants is not a great look when it happens too often. It's beyond dangerous in one-and-done college hoops.
Wisconsin, as I have already mentioned, needs to shoot the ball better. It also needs Nate Reuvers and Micah Potter to eat their spinach and give the Badgers a little more oomph near the basket. On the plus side, 6-9 sophomore Tyler Wahl and 6-5 freshman Jonathan Davis give Wisconsin a promising future.
Another Big Ten team that has been sinking lately is Iowa, which was a top-five team that was getting a lot of Final Four love until its recent skid. The Hawkeyes have lost four of their last five—and their flaw may be the most difficult to repair.
Iowa (13-6, 7-5) is not a good defensive team. And a lot of that is because many Hawkeyes don’t have the physiques, or feet, for defense. Trying harder would help, but would only go so far, it appears.
Elsewhere, Purdue (13-7, 8-5) is playing very well, considering its youth. And Indiana (10-8, 5-6) looks like it’s playing its way into the NCAA tournament. The Hoosiers are 3-4 in their last seven, but two losses (Illinois and Wisconsin) were in overtime. And they have beaten Iowa twice in that stretch.
Archie Miller will need to keep IU moving forward to mute the unrest. It’s understandable that disappointed Hoosier fans expect more. What they also need to understand is that the days when Indiana ruled Big Ten basketball the way Ohio State rules Big Ten football are gone.
Yes, Indiana can be a premier program again with the right coach. And yes, Miller doesn’t look like that guy. But IU doesn’t have the advantages it once did. Mainly because so many other schools care about basketball more than they once did. And they are backing that up with facilities and dedicated effort.
The other thing is, this is a tough league. I’ll reserve pronouncements on its greatness for a later date. Because Big Ten teams are going to beat each other up. And because NCAA tournament upsets change perceptions. A lot.
And finally, here are the latest Big Ten projections for the NCAA tournament bracket from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. He has nine of 14 teams making the tournament, with a 10th still very much in the hunt.
At this point, Michigan and Ohio State look like No. 1 seeds. But in a league as deep as the Big Ten, things can change fast.
The Big Ten’s NCAA teams and projected seeds: Michigan 1, Ohio State 1, Illinois 2, Iowa 4, Purdue 5, Wisconsin 5, Rutgers 6, Minnesota 9, Indiana 10. . . Penn State in First Four Out.