IT'S MADNESS!

March is finally here, and you know what that means, college hoops fans! Time to get mad!

This is my favorite month of the season precisely for that reason. Teams from every conference are grappling to make the Field of 65 and the best college basketball is played this month. As far as the Big Ten is concerned, there's three teams sitting at the top that should be pretty safe bets to earn Top-Five seeds in the Big Dance. But as far as teams 4-8 go, any of them have legitimate chances to make it. How will it shake out? We'll find out in the next 13 days...

For now, though, I want to have a little fun and give out my All-Big Ten Awards. In reality, they are announced next week prior to the Big Ten Tournament, but here are some people that, at least in my mind, deserve some recognition:

Most Improved Player: Mike Davis (ILL). This award could really go to any number of players, ranging from Purdue's JaJuan Johnson, Minnesota's Lawrence Westbrook, Iowa's Jake Kelly or even his own teammate, Mike Tisdale. But Davis has shown that he can consistenly hit that mid-range jumper and grab some rebounds. If he can fill out and add some more weight, he should be a true threat in his final two seasons.

Freshman of the Year: Matt Gatens (IOWA). This one is a tough one to give out, because there aren't too many candidates. Indiana's Tom Pritchard, Ohio State's William Buford and B.J. Mullens could also nab this award, but Gatens has been a solid force for the Hawkeyes in a season that hasn't had too many bright spots. He's the only Iowa player to start every game (29-29), averagine 11.0 ppg and 3.9 rpg (both second on the team). He's one of the best freshmen three-point shooters in the country (42%) and he's a 90% foul shooter.

Coach of the Year: Bruce Weber (ILL). It goes back to Illinois' vast improvement over last year's struggles. He has righted the ship, and with their strong recruiting class coming in next year, they look to stay near atop of the Big Ten for years to come.

Sixth Man of the Year: Chris Allen (MSU). Again, not too many candidates to choose from. Allen is Michigan State's given sharpshooter, draining 43 three-balls on the season and averaging 9.0 points. He's also logging close to 20 minutes a contest despite starting only five of Michigan State's 29 games this season.

And finally...


Player of the Year: Manny Harris (MICH). We've had this discussion all season, between Harris, Ohio State's Evan Turner and Penn State's Talor Battle. All three of these guys are deserving, but Manny Harris is an all-around player, getting it done in every statistical category.
This Week's Picks:
Tuesday
Michigan State at Indiana (6 p.m., ESPN) -- Michigan State shouldn't have too much of a problem with Indiana. They've been excellent on the road this season in the Big Ten.
Ohio State at Iowa (8 p.m., BTN) -- Iowa's played well at home as of late and almost beat Ohio State in Columbus earlier this season. They can get the Buckeyes, but Ohio State will no doubtedly be hungry after a 25-point road loss last weekend to Purdue and their tournament hopes hanging by a thread. If Iowa is healthy, they can stay in the game.
Wednesday
Northwestern at Purdue (5:30 p.m., BTN) -- Northwestern remembers letting one slip away against Purdue earlier this season in Evanston, but if Purdue, who is in line for a top-seed in the NCAA Tournament keeps its eye on the ball, they'll take care of Northwestern at home.
Wisconsin at Minnesota (7:30 p.m., BTN) -- This is an excellent match-up with a huge win on the line for both teams. Hopefully this one is as good as the first meeting when Minnesota stole one in overtime in Madison.
Thursday
Illinois at Penn State (8 p.m., ESPN) -- On the flip side, I think every fan hopes this game ISN'T like the first meeting, a 38-33 win by Penn State in Champaign. Penn State has been very good at home and Illinois will need to bring its "A" game. I think they get it done on the road.

Record: 42-10

Quick note to wrap up. I'll give out my All-Big Ten awards later this week (Wednesday maybe?) so be on the look out for that. Also, as per my job, I am travelling with the Iowa women's basketball team to the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis this Thursday and may be out of contact with the blog. I'll try to keep updated, but it depends how Iowa does.