MSU Makes A Statement; Ohio State, Wisconsin Struggling

Every Monday, I'll try to update this thing with a look back at the weekend's slate of games and a look ahead to the first batch of games this week. Expect a similar post Friday for the weekend slate.

First, here's a few thoughts on last weekend's outcomes:

A Look Back...

• I really felt Michigan State made a statement win at Ohio State, on national television no less. Everybody knows the Spartans have talent, but Ohio State is no slouch, either, and to win in this conference on the road is tough. Kalin Lucas is one of the most underrated point guards in the country and powers their fast-paced offense. As he goes, Michigan State goes. Great win for Sparty.
• On the flip side, Ohio State seems to be struggling a little bit. Looking ahead to March, they have some quality wins (at Miami, Notre Dame, Butler) but also have some head scratchers (see: West Virginia). They really miss the on-court presence of David Lighty, who continues to be out-of-action because of his foot injury, but the Buckeyes need to get some more wins to improve their chances of making the dance.
• Speaking of struggling, what has happened to Wisconsin? Losing four games in a row hasn't happened in years for Bo Ryan and the Badgers need to regroup quickly. Trevon Hughes has been turnover prone lately, Jason Bohannon has not been hitting his shots and Joe Krabbenhoft can't stay out of foul trouble. The only bright spot for Wisky is the play of senior forward Marcus Landry, who continues to be near-automatic in the low post. The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Badgers; they host red-hot Purdue Tuesday night in Madison.
• Is Penn State really this good? They are 16-5 on the season and pose perhaps the best inside-outside threat in the Big Ten in sophomore Talor Battle and senior Jamelle Cornley. They were on display in the Nittany Lions' colossal comeback against Iowa Saturday night, scoring at will against Iowa's defense. Down 14 with a little over four minutes left, coach Ed DeChellis had a simple game plan: get the ball down low to Cornley and let Battle fire away from long range. Needless to say, it worked. Cornley completely over-matched whoever was guarding him and played more like a fullback than a forward while Battle's mix of crossover and hesitation moves made Jeff Peterson look silly.

A Look Ahead...

Here are the games on the docket for the first half of the week:

TUESDAY:

Purdue at Wisconsin, 8 p.m., ESPN
Wisconsin really needs a win to snap their four-game slide. After starting the conference slate 0-2, Purdue has rattled off five straight wins. Matt Painter has the Boilers really playing well.
Prediction: Purdue. All you have to do is look at momentum. Yes, Wisconsin is tough to beat inside the Kohl Center, but one team is going forward while the other is stuck in reverse. Remember, they beat the Badgers in Mad-town last year. I'm going with Purdue.

WEDNESDAY:

Michigan at Ohio State, 5:30 p.m., BTN
This rivalry may not garner as much attention as if it were being played on the gridiron, but it's still Ohio State-Michigan. I think only one of these teams will make the Big Dance, so this game could be the difference maker in terms of who is dancing in March and who isn't. Ohio State won the first match-up in Ann Arbor.
Prediction: Ohio State. I can't see Ohio State losing to both Michigan State and Michigan in the same week, both at home. Give me Ohio State.

Indiana at Northwestern, 7:30 p.m., BTN
Northwestern's monstrous week last week (wins over ranked opponents Minnesota, Michigan State) gave them a lot of momentum and despite the road loss to Michigan, they cannot overlook Indiana. Though they still don't have a win in conference play, Tom Crean has the Hoosiers hungry and they will get somebody down the road.
Prediction: Northwestern. The Hoosiers don't have a good defensive answer for Kevin Coble. His height (6'8") and versatility provides a huge match-up problem for Indiana, plus I think Northwestern's slow-it-down, zone-laden defense will cause Indiana to beat themselves.

THURSDAY:

Michigan State at Iowa, 6 p.m., ESPN
This is a clash of styles. Michigan State runs an up-tempo game, trying to score as fast as possible nearly every time down the floor, whereas Iowa plays more in the half-court and slows the game down. Whoever can control game tempo will win this game, but don't count Iowa out, especially not at home. The Hawkeyes shocked Michigan State last year in Iowa City.
Prediction: Michigan State. The loss to Northwestern really seemed to light a fire under the Spartans, while the loss to Penn State might have mentally drained the Hawkeyes. Michigan State has too much talent and they won't take Iowa lightly like they may have done last year.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Illinois at Minnesota, 8 p.m., BTN
Outside of Penn State, Illinois has been the conference's biggest surprise. They enter their game at Minnesota ranked for the first time since the Dee Brown days, so it will be interesting to see how they fare on the road in a hostile environment like The Barn. Minnesota is also ranked, and they can go 11 or 12 deep.
Prediction: Minnesota. This one was a tough one to decide. On one hand, Illinois is playing very solid basketball right now. Their guard tandem of Demetri McCamey and Chester Frazier really handle the ball well, don't turn it over much and create offense for themselves and others. Plus, the play of the Mikes, Tisdale and Davis, has been a big surprise. Minnesota has struggled in recent outings at Northwestern and at Indiana, but they return home, a place they haven't been much the last two weeks. Like Illinois, Minnesota plays a balanced scheme, can go inside or out but as I said above, the edge they have is in their depth. I'm picking Minnesota in a slight upset, but I expect this game to be very competitive.

With the midway point of the conference season nearing, I'll hand out some awards later in the week.