In the most surprising news of the year… Evan Turner was named Big Ten Player of the Year. The entire collection of All Big Ten rosters were released this evening and you can find the list here.

DeShawn Sims was named to the second team while Manny Harris was given a spot on the third team. The first team consisted of Demetri McCamey, Kalin Lucas, Robbie Hummel, E’Twaun Moore, and the aforementioned Turner.

Sticking on the subject of DeShawn Sims, Mike Rothstein put together a great piece chronicling the changes in Peedi’s life over the last four years.

For the more analytical types, KJ compiled a final table of his Points Over Replacement Per Adjusted Game (PORPAG) ratings and the Big Ten Geeks also put together a wonky All Big Ten team.

Here’s the latest commit diary:

I can’t believe its February. As it stands now we have 8 games left before the playoffs, and an overall record of 16-8. Our coaches tell us frequently that this is the start of the best years of our lives and we need to take advantage while we can. That reality is starting to set in, but we need to finish the season strong and obtain some good momentum come playoff time.

I am coming off a calf injury that is now pretty much fully healed and I am able to play comfortably. Since we came back from Christmas break we have played a lot of games in a short amount of time. We had a good road win at Worcester Academy, who has a real good scorer in Billy Baron. Billy is going to be playing for his dad, and with my teammate Kyle Cain next year at the University of Rhode Island. He gave us some trouble but thankfully we took care of business and came out with the win.

We beat Phillips Exeter at home tonight by 40 and have a couple more games that we should win coming up. It’s hard to believe but it already starting to get warmer (anything above 30 is warm to me at this point), and we are going to have to push through injuries and fatigue and finish the regular season with some more wins. With the departure of a few guys, for various reasons, we are now down to 10 players. Despite of that everyone else has picked up the slack and it doesn’t seem like we have missed a beat. We are in a good position right now and just need to stay sharp and take advantage of the little time we have left.

I set this up so that the in-game comments can live at the top of the page. Preview is here. Jon Horford scouting report is here. Tip off is 4:35 PM EST on the Big Ten Network.

From my point of view, one of Purdue’s biggest problems has been their lack of quality point guard play. Has this been a problem? What is the latest on Lewis Jackson and what is Purdue doing to make up for their lack of a true point guard?

6’5 freshman Kelsey Barlow recently replaced senior Keaton Grant at point and had a solid game (12 pts, an assist and 2 TO’s). Barlow should do an adequate job while Lewjack recovers. To be completely honest he reminds me a lot of Manny Harris as his size creates mismatches against other PG’s. He’s not quite pulling the triple doubles like Harris yet though, haha. Unfortunately, TO’s are the risk when starting a freshmen at PG.

Grant can still help out at point. Despite losing the starting spot, he’s still an all-around good player capable of doing a lot of thing good (but nothing great). He’s more of a shooting guard that takes the ball up. Behind them is former walk-on Mark Wohlford. He can provide 6-8 minutes of efficient basketball.  Between the three of them, the point guard position is average. Obviously we are anxious for Lewjack to return, but it’s not our #1 concern among our other issues the team is facing.

Lewjack is still in recovery mode and there’s been speculation that he might be available in early February. But obviously nobody knows this early how long it will take…  People have tossed around the word red-shirt, but if he is made available the day before the NCAA tournament, I’d put money on him playing.

What will it take for Purdue to catch 6-0 Michigan State and get back in the conference title race after dropping 3 games last week?

Oh man, it’ll definitely be an uphill battle. I can say with confidence that two things NEED to happen if Purdue wants compete with MSU for the BTT. First, Johnson needs more involved offensively and on the boards. He averaged only 6 pts and under 6 rebs during Purdue’s 3 game losing streak. Secondly, someone needs to step up on the bench. (Newly benched) Keaton Grant, Ryne Smith, D.J. Byrd, and Patrick Bade haven’t been shooting very well and this puts a lot of pressure on the starters.

Redshirt freshman John Hart, who usually only sees mop-up time, put on a show in Champaign. He scored 14 pts, which is 8 more points than he has had all season. A lot fans are hoping he could help bridge that gap and earn his way into the rotation.

Kramer will obviously draw the Harris match-up, while Johnson will match up with Sims. Both Kramer and Johnson are tremendous defenders, how do you see these battles playing out?

I think both of those matchups will be a lot of fun to watch. With Kramer seeing limited minutes due to a sore ankle, I’d have to give the edge to Harris. Kramer’s lateral foot- speed has been hindered and I think Harris will be able to exploit it.

And as far as the Sims/Johnson battle, I’d have to give the edge to whoever can stay out of foul trouble. Johnson’s biggest defensive asset, shot blocking, also happens to be his biggest liability. When he gets in foul trouble he’ll either plays less aggressive or get benched. If Simms got JJ into foul trouble, he’d have a significant advantage. Conversely, if JJ manages to stay out of foul trouble early, he can be explosive on both offense and defense. Officially, I am going to call it a wash.

If you were game planning versus Purdue, what are two weaknesses that you would try to exploit?

Just two? That could be tough…. The first ‘weakness’ is Purdue’s ability to stop dribble penetration. Quicker guards like Turner and McCamey had no difficulty driving the lane and making Purdue pay. The second weakness is Purdue’s lack of depth. When the starters are benched due to foul trouble, the bench hasn’t given little to no production on offense.

Last year Purdue and Michigan split their two match-ups. The first involved the Kramer/Harris elbow incident and the second saw Harris and Sims explode in one of Michigan’s best performances of the year. We only get to play each other once this year, what’s your prediction for Saturday’s result?

This is a big game for Purdue and they are at a crossroad (sorry for the lame cliché). While a Purdue victory guarantees no future success, a loss at home would be emotionally devastating. Considering UM is coming off a tough loss against UW, and Purdue has some confidence to build off of, I give the edge to the Boilermakers. It’ll certainly be a good game, but I think Purdue wins the marathon. 68-62.

Basics

Who: Michigan (8-7) vs. Indiana (7-8)
Where: Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, MI
When: Jan. 14th, 9:00 PM EST
TV: ESPN / ESPN360.com
Radio: MGoBlue, WWJ 950 AM/WTKA 1050 AM
Line: Michigan by 13.5
Stats: Live TFS
Opposition Blog: Inside the Hall
Pomeroy Profile

Days after losing their leading scorer, freshman Maurice Creek, Indiana rallied and knocked off Michigan, 71-65. The difference in the first match-up was Indiana’s ability to get to the line. Michigan committed several ticky tack fouls and Indiana posted an impressive free throw rate of 59%, the worst Michigan has given up all year.

In the first match-up, Sims and Harris were underwhelming combining for 25 points on 9 of 23 shooting and pulling down only 4 rebounds.  Verdell Jones, Christian Watford, and Devan Dumes provided the bulk of the scoring for the Hoosiers but it was Jeremiah Rivers’ scoop layup in traffic that put the game out of reach.

Michigan looks to get back on the winning track after last weekend’s disappointing collapse versus Northwestern.  A home win over Indiana is a must for just about any team in the conference and Michigan is no different.

Through 4 games of the 5 game stretch that many deemed must wins, Michigan is only 2-2. One thing is certain, after tonight it doesn’t get any easier. Michigan hosts UConn and then heads to Wisconsin and Purdue before the Spartans come to town on January 26th.

Indiana’s strength on offense is getting to the free throw line (44.2% FTR), the problem is that they only shoot 66% from the charity stripe. They turn the ball over a lot, although they won the turnover battle in their first matchup with Michigan, and shoot a mediocre 48.9% effective field goal percentage. They do shoot 36.1% from three point range but only take 27.3% of their shots from three point range.

Indiana’s defense is a bit more impressive. They hold opponents to an eFG% of 45.8 and force turnovers on 23.1% of opponents’ possessions. However, they give up a lot of free throws (FTR 44.9%) and are mediocre on the defensive glass (66.5 DR%).

Listening to Tom Crean speak, it appears that Indiana is content with matching Michigan’s size, rather than trying to go big and overpower them. That means we will likely see a lineup of Verdell Jones III, Jeremiah Rivers, Jordan Hulls, Christian Watford, and Tom Pritchard. Watford is a versatile four man who can score inside and out. Verdell Jones is the guy who can create in the backcourt and killed Michigan the first time around with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.

Vegas likes Michigan a lot in this one, calling them 13 point favorites, while KenPom says Michigan by 9. I expect much better performances from DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris at home, but I have a tough time assuming any game will be an easy victory for Michigan.

The key for Michigan is to keep Indiana off the free throw line, take care of the ball, and get DeShawn Sims involved early and often. If they manage that, they should be ok against an Indiana team that not only hasn’t won a road game this year, they’ve only played one.

Question of the day: How many non-student fans show up for this one? A 9PM tip against a low-level Big Ten team after a disappointing home loss is the recipe for a very weak crowd.

Pre-Game Links

• Wolverines need key victories this week
  "Michigan is a Top 25 team that hasn’t played Top 25 basketball," – Jay Bilas.
• Tom Crean Pre-Game Press Conference Video
• At last, Crawford has winning look
  Jamal Crawford playing well as a sixth man

—

Over Christmas break we had a tournament in Philadelphia. We ended up winning all 3 games pretty easily and took a championship trophy back to New Hampton. It’s not often that a player gets to play in a championship game at any level, so when the opportunity came about I was excited and ultimately glad we ended up winning. That ended the first part of the season on a high note (9-3).

Last week was our first week back from school we ended up splitting the two games we had and currently sit at 10-4. I pulled my calf in an earlier practice and it hasn’t allowed me to play the way i want to. I’m using this week to rest it because this will be the last opportunity to do so. From here on out the amount of game really picks up. We will either have the games in the week, or two followed by back to back games the next week. It won’t be easy but it will be fun, as long as we’re winning.

I have been watching a lot of Michigan games this year and definitely can see myself fitting in with what they are trying to do both offensively and defensively. As for the exact role I would fill I am unsure. I would envision myself setting and coming off screens on the perimeter and creating within coach’s offensive scheme. I am working hard in the weight room so I will be ready to defend Big 10 forwards and rebound hard on both ends. In reality I don’t know what the coaching staff has planned for me. I am just working hard now so when I get there it will be that much easier to do whatever they want me to do.

Basics

Who: Michigan (7-6) at Penn State (8-6)
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, State College, PA
When: Jan. 7th, 7 PM EST
TV: ESPN2
Radio: MGoBlue, WWJ 950 AM/WTKA 1050 AM
Line: Penn State by 2
Stats: Live TFS
Opposition Blog: Battle Does it Again
Pomeroy Profile

Michigan’s game at Penn State last year was as close as that team  came to hitting rock bottom. The blowout loss capped a three game losing streak in the midst of a terrible January stretch that saw Michigan start the Big Ten season 4-6. Michigan allowed Penn State to shoot an effective field goal percentage of 67% in what could only be described as a pathetic performance. To put that number in perspective, the worst eFG% that Michigan’s suspect defense has allowed an opponent to shoot this year is 58%.

The good news for Michigan is that Penn State is in rebuilding mode. Jamelle Cornley, Stanley Pringle, and Danny Morrissey have moved on and their replacements aren’t nearly as good. David Jackson, Jeff Brooks, Andrew Jones III, and Chris Babb round out the starting lineup around junior star Talor Battle.

Andrew Jones III is the Lions main option in the post. The 6’10” junior averages 6.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while making two pointers at 52.7% clip.

Surrounding Jones are a number of players who have developed from 3 to 4 points per game scorers to 7 or 8 points per game scorers in increased roles in Brooks, Jackson, and Babb. Ranging from 6’5 to 6’8, no one from this trio is particularly aggressive on offense (usage rates under 20%) but they are capable options on any given night.

Regardless of his surrounding cast, the key to stopping Penn State is stopping Talor Battle, who is averaging 21.5 points and 6 assists in Michigan’s last two games at the Bryce Jordan Center. Battle is one of only 4 players in the conference to use over 28% of his teams possessions (along Harris, Turner, and Hughes) and he has the ability to take over a game single handily. The question for Michigan is who draws the assignment of guarding Battle. I would expect Michigan to start with Stu Douglass as the most experienced and disciplined defensive guard in Michigan’s backcourt.

Penn State’s offense is solid but unspectacular. They do a good job of holding onto the ball (17.7% TO%, 39th) but are otherwise average. Their shooting (49.7% eFG), rebounding (32.5% OR%), and free throw numbers (FTA/FGA 35.8%) numbers are nothing to write home about.

On the defensive side of the ball, Penn State struggles to force turnovers (17.7% TO%), but is great at crashing the defensive glass (74.3% DR%) and keeping opponents off the free throw line (FTA/FGA = 25.1%). The best news for Michigan is that Penn State’s opponents not only tend to take a lot of three point shots, they make them at a 36.3% clip.

The key for Michigan, as in any game, is make your threes and get the ball to Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims early and often. Andrew Jones is a solid player but he is not the type of interior defender that should be able to stop DeShawn Sims on the block. Last year, Harris had one of his worst games of his career at Penn State and rebounded with a near triple double the second time around. It would be nice to see him put together a solid performance on the road.