February 6, 2012 - 2:31pm
Around the Big Ten, Week 5
BY BEN ESTES
In the Big Ten last week, most teams had a mixed bag of results. Several teams collected desperately needed wins over the weekend after dropping a game earlier in the week, while others flipped the script, picking up a big midweek win before falling later in the week.
Indiana and Michigan State fit that first description perfectly. The Hoosiers traveled to Ann Arbor hoping to sweep Michigan, having won the teams’ first matchup in early January in Bloomington. But the Wolverines remained perfect at home, winning 68-56.
And the Spartans suffered a loss at Illinois on Tuesday in what was one of the uglier games of the conference season. Neither team could hit a shot, doing little to help the Big Ten shake its reputation as a boring league. Michigan State was hampered by the performance of star forward Draymond Green, who played through illness and was ineffective before eventually exiting after he injured his knee.
But both teams turned it around over the weekend. Indiana won at Purdue, 78-61, on Saturday, meaning coach Tom Crean picked up his first conference road victory over a non-Penn State opponent during his tenure with the Hoosiers. And for the Spartans, Green came back with a vengeance on Sunday against Michigan, nearly outrebounding the Wolverines by himself en route to a 64-54 win that ended Michigan’s three-game winning streak in the series.
Elsewhere, both Iowa and Northwestern went 2-0. The Wildcats’ successful week — which included a win at Illinois on Sunday — puts them back in the conversation for the first NCAA Tournament bid in school history.
Finally, Ohio State affirmed its status as the best team in the league with a 58-52 win over Wisconsin in Madison. Forward Jared Sullinger scored 24 points and collected 10 rebounds to earn Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, sharing the distinction with Northwestern’s John Shurna.
Fellow Wildcat Dave Sobolewski was also honored, receiving Co-Freshman of the Week honors for the first time this season. He was joined by Iowa’s Aaron White, who won the award for the third time.
The upcoming week’s slate is highlighted by the first meeting between Ohio State and Michigan State on Saturday. Other big games include Illinois traveling to Indiana on Thursday and Purdue squaring off with Northwestern at home on Sunday.
Michigan plays at Nebraska on Wednesday and hosts the Fighting Illini on Sunday.
Here are the current Big Ten standings, with a team’s AP Poll ranking preceding it and its seed in the latest projection of ESPN’s Bracketology coming after.
1). No. 3 Ohio State (8-2), 1-seed
2). No. 11 Michigan State (7-3), 2-seed
t-3). No. 21 Wisconsin (7-4), 4-seed
t-3). No. 22 Michigan (7-4), 4-seed
5). No. 23 Indiana (6-6), 4-seed
t-6). Illinois (5-5), 8-seed
t-6). Purdue (5-5), 10-seed
t-8). Minnesota (5-6), 12-seed
t-8). Iowa (5-6)
10). Northwestern (4-6)
11). Nebraska (3-8)
12). Penn State (2-9)
