Conference Play Primer: The Big Ten

Favorite: Ohio State

The favorite in the Big Ten is pretty easy to identify right now. Ohio State is playing as well as anyone in the country -- in fact, they overtook Duke as the No. 1 team in Kenpom's rankings. Offensively, this group is terrific. Their offense is based around the play of Jared Sullinger, the freshman big man that is on the short list for first team all-american. He's a bully on the block that plays with the strength and the savvy of a veteran. Its not just Sullinger, however. David Lighty, William Buford, and Jon Diebler are all capable of going off for 25 points if the situation calls for it. Dallas Lauderdale blocks shots, Aaron Craft has proven to be a solid point guard as a freshman, and DeShaun Thomas is instant offense coming off of the bench. The thing that is so impressive about this team, however, is that every player understands and has bought into their role. The Buckeyes are going to be a tough team to beat.


Player of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

The a Player of the Year thus far is probably Sullinger, but seeing as I just talked about the Buckeyes, let's mix it up a bit, eh? Northwestern's John Shurna has been terrific this season. He's averaging 23.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 3.4 apg. (Those numbers would be better if he didn't miss half of Northwestern's last game against Mt. St. Mary's with an ankle injury.) He's shooting 61.1% from the field and an absurd 62.3% from three, taking more than five per game. He's a huge reason that the Wildcats have gotten off to this 9-1 start. The problem? Northwestern still hasn't beaten anybody. This is a program that has never made the NCAA Tournament, and with guys like Michael Thompson and Drew Crawford around Shurna, this may be the year. We will get a real feel for the legitness (I know that's not a word, but it should be) of Northwestern after their first three Big Ten games -- at Purdue, home for Michigan State, at Illinois.

All-Conference Team:

• G: Demetri McCamey, Illinois: 15.7 ppg, 7.5 apg, 49.2% 3PT
  
• G: E'Twaun Moore, Purdue: 19.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.8 spg
  
• F: Jon Leuer, Wisconsin: 19.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 50% 3PT, 1.8 bpg
  
• F: John Shurna, Northwestern: 23.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.4 apg
  
• C: JaJuan Johnson, Purdue: 19.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg
  

Biggest Surprise: Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minnesota had a bit of hype coming into the season, but not enough to warrant much consideration nationally for the top 25. Boy, did we miss on that. The Gophers blew through the Puerto Rico Tip-Off and, at one point in the season, climbed all the way into the top ten. The biggest reason has been the addition of Trevor Mbakwe, a strong, athletic power forward that is a perfect complement to Ralph Sampson and Colton Iverson, as he is averaging 13.3 ppg and 9.8 rpg on the season. Minnesota hit a rough patch in December, dropping a home game to Virginia, as they dealt with their starting point guard Al Nolen, their best perimeter defender and distributor, sitting out. With Nolen in the lineup, and guys like Blake Hoffarber and Rodney Williams having good seasons on the wing, this team can compete with anyone in the conference.


Biggest Disappointment: Michigan State Spartans

The Spartans are currently 8-4 on the season. Not a great start, especially by a team that was considered Duke's biggest challenger in the preseason. MSU has a bad habit of starting a season out slowly, and all of their four losses have come to teams currently ranked in the top 13 nationally. The bigger issue, however, is how the Spartans have looked in those losses. They are not playing like typical Tom Izzo clubs. Their defense is not where it needs to be and they aren't competing on the glass like we've come to expect out of Sparty. I have complete faith that Izzo will turn this thing around. There is just too much talent on that roster not too.

Teams to keep an eye on:

• Illinois: There is talent up and down this lineup, led by Demetri McCamey, who is arguably the best back court player in this league. But Illinois has been, well, Illinois -- they settle for too many jumpers and are too soft on the interior.
• Wisconsin: Jon Leuer has been unbelievable early in the season, Jordan Taylor's filled Trevon Hughes' shoes, and Bo Ryan is still coaching this team. The Badgers will always be in the discussion with him at the helm.
• Purdue: The Boilermakers have arguably the best 1-2 punch in the conference in JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore. They defend as well as anyone in the country. If they continue to get solid performances out of their role players, this team will make a lot of noise this winter.

Teams to forget about:

• Indiana: Tom Crean has been cleaning up on the recruiting trail, landing seemingly every high-major talent in the state of Indiana. The problem with that? He is getting commitments from kids in the class of 2014, while his team is losing games at home to Penn State this season. Cean needs results, not recruits.
• Penn State: I love Talor Battle. Jeff Brooks has been good this season as well. But a team that can lose at home to Maine is not a team that can compete with the big dogs in the Big Ten.
• Michigan: John Beilein always has teams that are difficult to play against because of the system that he runs. The problem is that this season, he just doesn't have the talent level to be effective with that system. To make matters worse, his best player -- Darius Morris -- was benched at the start of Tuesday's game against Purdue.
  

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Does Northwestern have a National Player of the Year candidate?

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

I know that Northwestern lost to St. John's last night, their first loss of the season.

I also know that the loss to St. John's is especially brutal for a Northwestern team that hasn't played anyone worth a damn this season unless you consider Georgia Tech and Creighton (without Gregory Echenique) worth a damn.

And I'm fully aware that the Wildcats could find themselves at the bottom of the Big Ten by January 6th as they open conference play at Purdue, at home for Michigan State, and then at Illinois.

With all of that in mind, I'm still willing to throw this out there: John Shurna has to be in the discussion for first team all-american and (Gasp!) National Player of the Year.

He has to be.

When you put up the numbers he has put up, it is a requirement.


Through nine games this season, Shurna is averaging 24.4 ppg, which leads the Big Ten by a wide margin. He's shooting 62.9% from the floor, which is impressive in and of itself until you consider he is also shooting 62.5% from three, hitting 30 of his 48 attempts on the season. His effective FG% is 78%, tops in the country. His offensive rating is 135.5, good for third among players that have at least a 24% usage rate.

Whether you are using regular statistics or advanced statistics, its pretty easy to see that Shurna is having an incredible season.

Do I expect this to keep up?

Not at all.

Its ludicrous to expect a kid to perform the same way against Ohio State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff or Wisconsin and Texas Pan-American. Its just not going to happen. The schools in the Big Ten will be bigger, they will be more athletic, they will be better defensively, and they will know more about what Northwestern wants to do offensively than any team the Wildcats have played.

That said, St. John's has some athletes. They have some size. They are a pretty good defensive team. And Shurna still torched them to the tune of 28 points on 10-17 shooting and 4-6 from three. Granted, Northwestern lost, but that was more a result of the Wildcat's inability to stop the Johnnies in the paint than Shurna's ability on the offensive end of the floor.

Do I think Shurna will win the National Player of the Year award?

Its doubtful, especially when guys like Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, and Derrick Williams have played just as well, in not better. Hell, Shurna will have his work cut out for him winning the Big Ten Player of the Year award. Apparently Ohio State has some freshman named Jared Sullinger who is pretty good.

But when we talk about early favorites for the award, Shurna has played well enough that he at least deserves a mention.
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Kevin Coble will not return to the Northwestern basketball program

Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody cannot catch a break.

Just one season after finding out that star forward Kevin Coble would miss an entire year with a foot injury, Carmody will once again be forced to play without the 6former second team all-Big Ten selection. Earlier this evening, Coble announced that he will not be rejoining the Wildcats this season.

"The recovery of my foot is most important and extends far beyond my basketball career," Coble said in a press release. "I will continue to follow my surgeon's rehabilitation schedule and have been told by my surgeon that I will have a full recovery. I will not be transferring to another school and with that, will be finishing the last of my classes at Northwestern this fall."

Coble will finish up his classes at Northwestern, graduating in December with a Political Science degree.

Kevin Coble will not finish up his final year of eligibility at Northwestern.
(photo credit: Daylife)

By all accounts, this was really a punch in the gut for Carmody, who had no idea Coble was considering leaving the team. (Ed. Note: My twitter feed lied; Carmody was expecting it.)

"We wish Kevin nothing but the best in his future endeavors," Carmody said. "We want to thank him for his contributions to the program over the past four years."

The Wildcats are the only team from one of the Big Six conferences that has never played in the NCAA Tournament. Last season was going to be the year they finally broke through. They were bringing back quite a bit of talent from a 2009 team that won 17 games, including eight of their last 14 in Big Ten play, and knocked off the likes of Minnesota, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Purdue. But before the season even started, second team all-Big Ten selection Coble went down with a foot injury that would sideline him for the year.

Even without Coble, last season was about as close as Northwestern has ever gotten, winning 20 games and staying in bubble consideration until the final weeks of the regular season. This led many, including us, to believe that next season would finally be their year to go dancing.

Not only do the Wildcats return five of their top six scorers -- including rising junior John Shurna, who averaged 18.4 ppg and 6.2 rpg last seasons, and rising senior Michael Thompson, one of the more underrated point guards in the Big Ten -- but Coble was supposed to finally be healthy and ready to join Shurna in what was going to become one of the most versatile front courts in the conference.

Instead, Northwestern will once again be without Coble, but that does not mean that the Wildcats season is over. Shurna and Coble are essentially the same player -- 6'8" forwards that can shoot, get to the basket, and pass, a perfect skill set for a forward in Carmody's Princeton-style offense. Shurna is a bit thinner and rangier, more athletic, and probably more perimeter oriented than Coble, but there are no promises these two would have complemented each other on the court.

Shurna is also well on his way to being one of the best players in the Big Ten, and he should continue to develop given he spent last week in Vegas with the national teams. Thompson is an underrated player at the point. Drew Crawford was selected as the Big Ten freshman of the year. Luka Mirkovic and Alex Marcotullio also return, while freshman JerShon Cobb, a top 100 recruit, should be able to fill in Jeremy Nash's shoes.

This is essentially the same Northwestern team, just a year older. They weren't that far away last season. The Big Ten is loaded this year, with three or four top ten teams, so the Wildcats will have their work cut out for them if they do want to go dancing.

But don't consider it a lost cause.


This is the part where we speculate as to why Coble decided to leave.

Its possible that he was concerned about how he would project as a pro playing alongside Shurna, and I don't think it is out of the question that Coble has an eye on Europe after he graduates in December. Another thing to notice is that Coble thanked the university, the administration, the fans, and his teammates in his statement, but made no mention of the coaching staff. I'm sure there are those who will question his decision to make this announcement at such a late date as well.

But isn't it possible that Coble simply didn't like basketball all that much? I mean, this is a kid that has a PoliSci degree from Northwestern, so he clearly has enough brains for a career outside of hoops. He also spent the first nine games of his sophomore season in 2007 with his mother back in Arizona while she battled breast cancer.

This kid is more than just a basketball player. Maybe he felt that it was time to move on, that he wasn't willing to risk further injury to his foot.

Maybe it took him until the end of July to finally make that decision.

And if that is the case, is it really all that bad?

Kevin, we wish you the best wherever life takes you. Hopefully, you'll be supporting your former Wildcat teammates along the way.

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11/30 - College Hoops Week in Review: Feast Week Rehashed

Maybe it is just us, but Feast Week is easily our favorite week of the season outside the month of March.

Meaningful games and twelve straight hours of basketball in November? For an entire week? Can we make this a holiday tradition? Does anyone else like the idea of gift week in mid-December?

All kidding aside, beyond the fact that this week gives us sports fans something to watch when the Lions are getting blown out on Thanksgiving day, college hoops junkies get a chance to see a number of teams that are going to be a factor come March.

(photo credit: ESPN)

Without Feast Week, would you know that Iona has the horses to compete in the competitive MAAC this season? Or that the Gaels have a seven footer named Jonathon Huffman that is a lights out three point shooter? Or that Portland will beat some good teams with their shooting, but will struggle against athletic teams that pressure on the perimeter and crash the glass?

Probably not.

Hit the jump for a recap of all the Feast Week tournaments.

Feast Week MOP: Klay Thompson, Washington State

Thompson has certified himself as the early favorite for Pac-10 player of the year. In three games in the Great Alaska Shootout, Thompson averaged 29.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.7 apg, and 2.0 apg while shooting 56.9% from the floor and going 14-24 from deep. He also spent a lot of time defending the best perimeter player on the floor and was a big reason the Cougars were able to hold San Diego's dynamic point guard Brandon Johnson to just 13 points (on 4-12 shooting) and 2 assists. What is most impressive is that Thompson is doing this while team's know that he is the only guy that is a real threat offensively in the half court. There may not be a more dangerous play in the country coming off of a screen than Thompson, who proved that fact on Saturday night. He set a Great Alaska Shootout record with 43 points against San Diego.

Klay Thompson was on fire throughout the four day tournament.
(photo credit: AP)

First Team All-Feast Week:

• Manny Harris, Michigan: Michigan lost their last two games in the Old Spice Classic, but it wasn't because Manny Harris didn't show up. In the three games in Orlando, Harris averaged 22.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 5.7 apg, and 2.7 spg. Evan Turner may have a challenger for most complete player in the Big Ten.
• John Shurna, Northwestern: Everyone thought Northwestern's season was a lost cause when they lost Kevin Coble, but this John Shurna kid looks pretty good. He only outplayed Luke Harangody and Craig Brackins while averaging 24 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 4.0 apg in leading Northwestern to a title in the Chicago Invitational. Not a bad introduction to the nation.
• DJ Kennedy, St. John's: Are the Johnnies back? They won the Hoop Group Classic in Philly this weekend, beating Siena and Temple (in what was basically a road game) en route to the title. Kennedy was the best player on the floor for St. John's as he averaged 19 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 3.5 apg.
• Lazar Hayward, Marquette: Hayward, along with his front court counterpart Jimmy Butler, was a huge reason that Marquette was able to make a run to the finals of the Old Spice Classic. In three games in Orlando, Hayward 22.7 ppg and 7.3 rpg, but more importantly created match-up problems all over the court.
  
• Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia: The Mountaineers won the 76 Classic in Anaheim, and Butler was the biggest reason why. Butler averaged 18.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 3.3 apg, which included a 15 point second half that carried WVU to a win against Texas A&M, while earning MVP honors.

Second Team All-Feast Week

• Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga: Bouldin didn't put up the greatest numbers out in Maui, but he consistently made the big plays that helped the Zags bring their first title back to Spokane. He averaged 15 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, and 2.0 spg.
• Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech: Delaney was borderline unstoppable during the Philly Hoop Group Classic, as he averaged 28.0 ppg in two games. That included a 32 point outburst against Temple in a game where the Hokies managed just 50 as a team.
• Jon Scheyer, Duke: Scheyer is never going to put up the best numbers playing the point for Duke, but, as Coach K said after the UConn game, Scheyer is the most important player on the Blue Devils roster. He proved it in two games in MSG this week, averaging 17.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 5.0 apg while committing just his first three turnovers of the season. If you include the two first round games from two weeks ago, Scheyer averaged 16.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 5.0 apg with a 6.7:1 assist:turnover ratio.
• Chris Singleton, Florida State: Singleton won the MVP of the Old Spice Classic as he went for 18 points and 10 boards in the final against Marquette. Not only did he give FSU a huge lift in the second half, he was a big reason that Lazar Hayward struggled to find a rhythm in the final. For the tournament, he averaged 15.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, and 3.0 spg.
• Keion Bell, Pepperdine: Bell earned a national reputation in the fall for being a dunker, but through seven games he has shown he is much more than just his vertical. In three games during the World Vision Basketball Challenge, Bell averaged 26.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 4.7 apg while winning tournament MVP.

TOURNAMENT RECAPS

76 Classic

• Champ: West Virginia over Portland
• MVP: Da'Sean Butler
• Three Key Storylines:
  
  - UCLA's struggles continue as they lost three games in this tournament to mid-majors - Butler, Long Beach State, and Portland by 27.
  
  - Portland, a team some think may be the third best WCC, reaches the finals as they knocked off UCLA and Minnesota, a win that will look very good come Selection Sunday. The same can be said for Texas A&M, who knocked off Clemson and Minnesota.
  
  - West Virginia finally got Devin Ebanks back into uniform, and he didn't disappoint, scoring 14 points and 9 boards in his debut on Friday.

CBE Classic

• Champ: Texas over Pitt
• MVP: Damion James
• Three Key Storylines:
  
  - Pitt may be without Jermaine Dixon and Gilbert Brown, and they sure are going to miss the four starters that are gone, but the Panthers are going to be able to compete with anyone simply because they play defense and they play hard.
  
  - Texas lost guard Varez Ward for the season with a torn quad muscle he suffered in warmups. Ward was much improved this season, and was a starter for Rick Barnes. The Longhorns are deep in the back court, but losing Ward could still hurt this team.
  
  - How much longer is Todd Lickliter going to be allowed to try and rebuild Iowa?
  

Chicago Invitational Challenge

• Champ: Northwestern over Iowa State
• MVP: John Shurna
• Three Key Storylines:
  
  - A lot of people thought Northwestern had a chance to make to NCAA Tournament for the first time ever before Kevin Coble got hurt. With John Shurna out playing Craig Brackins and Luke Harangody, they may still have a chance.
  
  - We know about Craig Brackins, but with Lucca Staiger and Marquis Gilstrap developing into solid offensive threats, the Cyclones may be end up being able to compete in the Big XII.
  
  - Along those same lines, we know what Ben Hansbrough can provide, but will Tim Abromaitis continue to play at this level as the competition increases.
  

Great Alaska Shootout

• Champ: Washington State over San Diego
• MVP: Klay Thompson
• Three Key Storylines:
  
  - Klay Thompson averaged 29.7 ppg in three games. If he can keep producing anywhere near that well, Wazzu has a shot of getting a bid to the dance.
  
  - Oklahoma lost their first two games in this tournament, and won their third despite Willie Warren being held out by Jeff Capel.
  
  - San Diego picked up two wins in the tournament, including one over Oklahoma. Brandon Johnson looks like he can really play. Can the Toreros win enough games to make the tournament?
  

Legends Classic

• Champ: Florida over Rutgers
  
• MVP: Erving Walker
• Three Key Storylines:
  
  - After beating Florida State and Michigan State in the span of a week, Florida should be getting the hype that Syracuse got after their run through the CvC. They won't. They won on HDNet. Syracuse won on ESPN.
  
  - How good is Mike Rosario? He scored 20 in the first half of Rutgers opener against UMass, but he scored just 16 over the rest of the two day tournament.
  
  - Against Florida, Michigan State committed 23 turnovers and made a number of silly, costly fouls down the stretch. Is this really a team coached by Tom Izzo?
  

Maui Invitational

• Champ: Gonzaga over Cincinnati
  
• MVP: Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray
• Three Key Storylines:
  
  - Cincinnati has the talent, the toughness, and the size to make a run at a top three spot in the Big East. But will they be enough of a team?
  
  - Apparently, Gonzaga has some strength on the interior this season, as Robert Sacre and Elias Harris were able to hold their own against a very big Cincinnati team.
  
  - Greivis Vasquez still has yet to find his stride. He is shooting just 32.9% from the floor and 26.1% from deep on the season, and in the three games this week, he was just 13-37 from the field and 4-15 from deep. He had 11 assists and 11 turnovers.
  

NIT Season Tip-Off

• Champ: Duke over UConn
  
• MVP: Jon Scheyer
• Three Key Storylines:
  
  - If Derek Glasser and Eric Boateng can perform like they against LSU, the Sun Devils may just be good enough to make the NCAA Tournament.
  
  - UConn is athletic. UConn can block shots. But UConn is not strong inside, and not a good rebounding team this season.
  
  - Duke is for real this season, as their back court is playing some great basketball right now and their front court seems to be living up to the potential.
  

Old Spice Classic

• Champ: Florida State over Marquette
• MVP: Chris Singleton
• Three Key Storylines:
  
  - Manny Harris, who averaged 22.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 5.7 apg, and 2.7 spg, looks like he may be having a good enough season to make a run at the Big 10 player of the year award.
  
  - Siena and Niagara may not be the runaway favorites in the MAAC. Iona gave Florida State all they could hand in the opener, took Baylor to OT in the second round, and yesterday knocked off Creighton.
  
  - Xavier goes as Jordan Crawford goes. In the win, he had 22 points on 8-12 from the field and 4-5 from three. In the two losses, Crawford was a combined 10-39 from the floor while averaging 12.5 ppg.
  

Match-ups of the week:

• 12/2 - 7:00 pm: Siena @ Georgia Tech
• 12/2 - 7:00 pm: Pitt @ Duquesne
• 12/2 - 8:00 pm: Northern Iowa @ Iowa State
• 12/2 - 8:00 pm: Arkansas @ Oklahoma
• 12/2 - 8:00 pm: Oklahoma State @ Tulsa
• 12/2 - 9:00 pm: UNLV @ Arizona
• 12/2 - 9:00 pm: Washington State @ Gonzaga
  
• 12/2 - 9:30 pm: Missouri @ Vanderbilt
• 12/3 - 7:00 pm: Washington @ Texas Tech
• 12/3 - 10:30 pm: Baylor @ Arizona State
• 12/5 - 12:30 pm: UNC @ Kentucky
• 12/5 - 3:30 pm: St. John's @ Duke
• 12/5 - 5:30 pm: Wake Forest @ Gonzaga
• 12/5 - 9:00 pm: Washington State @ Kansas State
  
• 12/5 - 11:00 pm: Iowa State @ Cal
• 12/6 - 1:00 pm: South Carolina @ Clemson
• 12/6 - 5:30 pm: Kansas @ UCLA
• 12/6 - 7:30 pm: Villanova @ Maryland
  

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