Preview: Michigan at Purdue - WIN THE BIG TEN TITLE

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Preview: Michigan at Purdue - WIN THE BIG TEN TITLE

Preview: Michigan vs. Purdue - STOP A.J. HAMMONS EDITION

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

Check out the game preview linked below:

Preview: Michigan vs. Purdue

Way Too Early Bracketology (Big Ten Style)

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

In the craziness that is college basketball, ESPN has released their first projected bracket for the 2014 NCAA Tournament.  There are plenty of flaws and valid criticisms in any of these brackets and especially on one this early.  Not all of the players have made their NBA announcements, players could be suspended or kicked off teams, 2013 recruiting is not completely finished, and there is always the concern about offseason injuries.  Despite all of these criticis
ms, I'm going to take a quick look at the bracket and specifically the Big Ten teams projected to make the tourney.

#1 Seed - MSU
The Spartans (who are likely to be the preseason Big Ten favorite) are the highest projected Big Ten team in this bracket projection.  They ended up being a #3 seed in the last NCAA Tournament and bring back everybody except Derrick Nix.  Adreian Payne has not made his NBA decision yet, but many believe he will return to East Lansing after a great season.  To me, this is a tricky projection.  On one hand, they have a ton of proven players and proven starters.  Picking against a team that returns 4 of 5 starters from a squad that nearly won the Big Ten is not typically a good idea.  However, there are some very big concerns about this team.  Of course, the first is whether Payne will return.  If he opts to go to the NBA, there is no way MSU deserves to be projected this high.  For this, I'm going to just assume he returns.  The next question is about who occupies the 5th starting spot.  They have a few other big men, but none have been that great and will be a big downgrade from Nix.  They also have a few guys like Trice that could make a push for the spot, but does Tom Izzo want to go with a smaller lineup and where does that leave MSU's bench?  They have very limited bench production and pulling one of their best bench players for a starting role is going to force guys like Harris and Appling to play some major minutes.  Essentially, they have to either bite the bullet of putting a weaker production guy into the starting lineup or have a virtually non-existent bench.  They are good enough to beat the most teams even with this problem, but against the very best?  I'm not convinced.  Verdict: Too High

#2 Seed - Michigan
The Wolverines return from their national title game appearance with some major departures in Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr.  However, they also bring in some highly touted recruits in point guard Derrick Walton and wing Zak Irvin.  Plus, bench players like Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht have another year under their belts to help make up for the lost production from Burke and Hardaway.  The team also returns 3 starters in Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III, and Nik Stauskas.  All of these players will be entering their sophomore seasons looking to improve on their game.  Plus, solid depth upfront in Jordan Morgan, Jon Horford, and Max Bielfeldt will help.  This team has major question marks at the point and how to make up for a ton of lost production, but they certainly have all the weapons they need to recover.  Will they be as good as last season?  Probably not, but if Derrick Walton is even close to what he has been projected to be, the Wolverines should be a pretty good team.  This may be an optimistic view, but with an easier Big Ten, improved depth, more experience, and some great recruiting, this projection probably isn't too far off.  Verdict: Good Projection

#2 Seed - Ohio State
Similar to Michigan, the Buckeyes are looking to replace their best player going into next season.  They still bring back some big weapons in Aaron Craft and LaQuinton Ross, but for a team that struggled at times offensively, losing the team's best offensive player is not a good sign.  The Buckeyes are bringing in some solid wing players, but I still am not sure how this team will replace Deshaun Thomas.  Their bench was pretty weak last year and they don't seem to have the answer in their incoming recruiting class.  They're good players, but not built for Thomas' role.  The guys best lined up are Ross and Sam Thompson, but both were very inconsistent last season.  Unless one of these two guys break out, look for the Buckeyes to rely heavily on defense to feed their offense and an offense that lacks a "go to" scorer.  I underestimated Matta's abilities coming into this past season, but can they really compete with the best teams?  As much as it may bother some Michigan fans, they probably are going to end up close to this projection.  Their defense is just so good that it can carry them.  I wouldn't select them for a deep tourney run, but they certainly can earn this projection.  Verdict: Good Projection

#4 Seed - Indiana
The Hoosiers are experiencing some major offseason losses.  They lose 4 of their 5 starters and the best two players on their team.  However, they hold onto their talented point guard Yogi Ferrell and bring in one of the best recruiting classes in the nation.  They have a legitimate replacement for every major player they lost in this recruiting class and that doesn't even take into account talented bench players like Will Sheehey and freshmen like Jeremy Hollowell and Hanner Mosquera-Perea who barely played at all last season.  Whether Big Ten fans like it or not, Indiana is here to stay.  There is just too much talent in this recruiting class and off the bench for nobody to be productive.  Will they take a step back from this season?  Most likely, but they were also ranked #1 before this season.  How they're going to deal with their scholarship issues will be interesting to watch, but expect this team to be able to battle with many of the Big Ten powers, especially at home.  Verdict: Good Projection

#5 Seed - Wisconsin
Ah, the pesky Badgers.  Somehow, they stay relevant every year under Bo Ryan.  Unless the NCAA can get some of the rule changes through like shortening the shot clock, expect Wisconsin to be right in the mix of things next season.  The problem is that they are losing a ton heading into this season.  They lose Berggren, Evans, and Brusewitz.  They are going to need some younger guys to step up and play physical in the frontcourt.  All the writing on the wall says to write this team off, but I've learned my lesson on Wisconsin.  They will find a way to stay relevant and do just enough to be in contention for the Big Ten in the last few weeks of the season.  Wisconsin has finished 4th or better in the Big Ten in every year under Ryan.  That's 12 seasons.  However, their play doesn't carry that well outside of the conference where referees actually have to call the game of basketball.  Seeing this and a probable drop in conference strength, this might be a tad too high.  Verdict: Too High

#7 Seed - Iowa
The Hawkeyes were the dark horse pick for the Big Ten this season.  Unfortunately for them, they didn't really live up to the hype (if you believe darkhorse teams get hype).  They were unable to record marquee wins and ended up being relegated to the NIT Tournament where they finished as the runner-up.  In all honesty, this team should have made the tourney this season, but the selection committee decided to pick less deserving teams, but that is a different debate.  Iowa brings pretty much everything back and should be able to beat up on a lot more teams this season with more experience and with all the talent that left the Big Ten this offseason.  I think they will make the tourney, but I also think people are getting a little too carried away with this projection.  Iowa has improved, but they still aren't going to beat many top teams.  More, but not many.  Without those wins, they aren't going to become a #7 seed.  Verdict: Too High 

#11 Seed - Illinois
I was actually shocked to see the Illini put here at first.  They are the last Big Ten team projected to make the NCAA Tournament.  They had a good year under first year coach John Groce, but they lose virtually everything from their team.  They do bring in some big time recruits in the backcourt to help make up for Brandon Paul and DJ Richardson, but that's still going to be a challenge.  The more I look at this team though, the more I believe they can make it back to the tourney.  Groce is a good coach and knows how to use his talent.  I actually think they may end up higher than this when all is said and done.  Losing Paul is huge, but I think the recruiting will pay off.  Verdict: Too Low  

Not Selected - Purdue
How the Boilermakers were not projected to the NCAA Tournament is beyond me.  This team brings back a ton of talent and were massively improved during the season.  They were extremely young and that's why a huge portion of their losses came early in the year.  Take away a bunch of their early losses and this team probably would have been close to the bubble this year.  They are not going to lose those type of games next year and have a very talented roster.  Verdict: Way Too Low

Postgame Thoughts: Michigan at Purdue

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

A big win for Michigan as they keep their Big Ten hopes alive:

Postgame Thoughts: Michigan at Purdue

Preview: Michigan at Purdue

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

Michigan needs two wins to repeat as Big Ten Champions:

Preview: Michigan at Purdue

Week 3 Big Ten Update

I'm going to be starting a new recurring post on the blog updating the Big Ten on a regular basis.  Most fans are able to keep up with Michigan and maybe a couple of the other top teams like Indiana, Ohio State, and MSU, but a lot can get lost in between.  As a result, I'm going to post on a weekly basis (hopefully) to keep everyone updated on what's going on around the Big Ten.  Mainly, I'm going to address some of the main events, where the teams stand, and analyze what that means for the conference and Michigan.

I will start with the obvious, the rankings.  Not a lot changed in the most recent set of rankings.  The Big Ten currently has three teams in the Top 5, four in the Top 25, and two teams that are currently receiving votes (#26 & #27).  That is extremely impressive for one conference, especially at the top end.  So far, none of the ranked Big Ten teams has lost since the new set of rankings and only one of the teams receiving votes lost (Minnesota to Duke).  This basically means that the ranking position of the Big Ten teams will largely remain the same.  MSU and Wisconsin might be able to move up with some help, but most of the things will be the same, for now.

Compiled 2012-2013 Big Ten Predictions

Every season comes with a flurry of predictions and rankings and this year is no different.  Right now, the best conference in college basketball is the Big Ten and they have received their fair share of preseason rankings and hype.  Well, everybody wants to know the team that will reign victorious at the end of the season.  It's a difficult challenge, but I'm going to be attempting to predict the Big Ten.  I will undoubtedly be wrong by the end of the season, but here's my best guess:

 Nebraska Cornhuskers--(12th in B1G) This team is going to be horrible.  I'm sorry I have to say it, but it's going to be true.  Will they be horrible by national standards?  No, but they are going to be pummeled by the Big Ten.  The Cornhuskers finished in last place at the end of last year and they've taken significant steps backward from that team.  They not only lost their best players, but they also fired their head coach.  I wouldn't call this a trainwreck because Nebraska is still adjusting to the major challenge of Big Ten basketball, but this is not going to be a pretty year for Nebraska.

 Penn State Nittany Lions--(11th in B1G) This is a team that I think has a chance to develop into a semi decent squad in the coming years.  They are a long way from vying for a Big Ten title, but they have a few pieces to help them get back to respectability.  Point guard Tim Frazier will lead the way again and he should have another big year.  They have a few decent pieces and recruits that should help him out and I definitely like the coaching that has occurred with the Nittany Lions.  They are a team that keeps fighting until the finish and I think they might have a chance at being the Iowa of last season.  Still a doormat to most of the big teams, but they might get an upset here or there.

Game Review: Purdue

What a way to open up conference play.

The Wolverines stepped into Ross-Ade Stadium with a .500 record (2-2) and a lot of criticism coming from both fans and media. A lot of the noise was directed towards quarterback Denard Robinson, as it goes with any team, but a lot of it was amplified because of the impact he can have on the game.

On Saturday, Denard “Shoelace” Robinson was back to being the football player we all know and love. He only dropped back to pass 16 times, completing 8 of those, but that was probably more than enough for a Michigan team that made up its mind early to establish the running game.

That they did.

Robinson led the Wolverines in rushing yards with 235, but it’s not necessarily the total yards that has me impressed. Denard did a great job of just getting the job done. He knew he had to bounce back after a terrible performance at Notre Dame, and what better way to do that than average nearly 10 yards per carry?

Week 6 Big Ten/AP Rankings

Yesterday was a day of upsets, beatdowns, and quirkiness. Florida State, LSU, and Georgia all lost. Michigan is back into the Top 25 after a dominating performance by Denard Robinson over Purdue. Nebraska has fallen out of the poll for the second time this year after a humiliating, blowout loss to Ohio State . Northwestern took a huge fall after losing to Penn State, showing us that their 5-0 record was really just hype.

A few things stood out to me for the Big Ten games yesterday--1. Never count Denard out. Yes, he had a poor performance against Notre Dame  . Yet, after a bye week and knowing he had to take control, he did. Breaking the rushing record for a Big Ten QB was great, but winning  Michigan's first Big Ten game, and doing it on the road was even greater. 2. I think most people are aware that Ohio State is still undefeated, and is still not going to the postseason. The Buckeyes seem to be using this season as a statement, and it's a loud one by Urban Meyer. 3. Michigan State's win over Indiana could be construed as 2 things--they're not as good as anyone thought or, 2. Indiana is getting better. I'm tending to lean more towards the former point. Now onto the poll:

Week 6 Notes and Predictions

Week 6 of the 2012 season is coming up, and Michigan is back after the long bye week to face Purdue (a bye week seems even longer when it's Michigan not playing). Michigan will be playing yet another tough road game but please keep in mind that they are 3 point favorites in this one. I'm never one to put emphasis on point spreads (not much of a gambler), so I'm not putting much stock into it. However, if we played Savannah St. and were say...56 point favorites...I might then just buy into it for a game or so. Nevertheless, that isn't Purdue. So...on with the predictions:

Michigan at Purdue --Michigan is coming off of the bye week at the most important time. Denard Robinson has taken a hit both locally and nationally for the poor job against Notre Dame. Michigan's defense had a few bright spots a couple weeks ago, and against Purdue they will need to sustain most of that momentum. Purdue doesn't have any dominant players, but they do have a few good ones. A balanced attack against their defensive line and keeping turnovers down is what needs to happen. Needs to. Winner: Michigan

Preview And Prediction: Purdue

Welcome back! The bye week is always the roughest part of the season for fans, but we dragged through it once again to enter conference play. This year, the Wolverines will open things up on the road against an underrated Purdue team that is off to a 3-1 start.

The past is in the past, so we should probably leave it at that. Denard Robinson has promised more of himself for the rest of this season, and I don't have a reason to not believe him. As for the other woes, hopefully a week off gave Brady Hoke and his staff enough time to sharpen things up.

Remember, Brady Hoke said he wants to win the Big Ten Championship. Two losses in the non-conference schedule does not count for a single thing from this point on.

Without further adieu, here are the top keys for both teams on Saturday.

Purdue Players To Watch

Michigan enters Week 6 of the 2012 season and travels to West Lafayette, Indiana to play against the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue comes into the game at 3-1, and had a tough defensive output against Marshall last week, allowing 41 points to the Thundering Herd. That's not to say they don't have good moments as well, barely losing to Notre Dame by 3 points.

It's tricky to figure out which team is going to be the one to show up on the field. Robert Marve is out for awhile with re-tearing his left ACL, so it's been up to Caleb TerBush to carry the team. They're not a bad running team. being ranked at 33rd in the nation, but they don't dominate either. Here's a few players to keep an eye on:

Week 5 AP/Big Ten Rankings

Week 5 AP rankings are out, and it shows that yesterday was a big one in college football. Geno Smith and West Virginia survived a shootout against Baylor, racking up over 1,500 yards between the two teams. Smith passed for almost 700 yards and 8 TDs, practically vaulting himself into the front spot of the Heisman trophy race. Louisville survived in a torrential downpour against Southern Mississippi. LSU looked to be quite mortal against the Towson Tigers in a game that the score was a lot closer than just 38-22.

Ohio State shut down Michigan State's vaunted running game, and following the loss against Ohio State, State's defensive coordinator, Pat Narduzzi, made complaints concerning "doctored" game tape from Meyer. Northwestern improved to 5-0, while Minnesota came in undefeated and were exposed against Iowa. Purdue gave up a lot of points against Marshall while Illinois was blown out again versus Penn State, probably giving them the title of worst in the Big Ten next to Indiana. Nebraska had their biggest comeback ever against Wisconsin, setting Wisconsin back to 3-2 on the season. Here's the poll:

The Top 3 Trap Games For Michigan Basketball In 2012-2013

Every year, there are some tough opponents on the schedule for Michigan and its basketball team.  Typically, they come in games against teams like Indiana, Michigan State, and Ohio State.  However, there are also some tough games that are not easily predicted.  Michigan's game against Iowa last year comes to mind.  Michigan was easily favored and frankly, was a better team than Iowa.  Despite this, Iowa dominated Michigan at home and gave the Wolverines one of their worst losses of the season.

Typically, most refer to these as "trap" games because they are unexpected challenges along the way.  I do admit that it is virtually impossible to predict a true trap game (I mean, you shouldn't know when a trap is coming, right?), but I'm going to give it my best shot to select the teams and games that are most likely to fill the trap game role for Michigan basketball this year.  Just to specify, this does not mean I am predicting any of these teams to beat the Wolverines.  Michigan should and will most likely be favored against every one of these teams.  What I'm simply trying to do is select a few games that could present the most unexpected challenge.  Let's look at the top traps games for 2012-2013:

Instant Analysis: 2012-2013 Michigan Basketball Schedule

Michigan basketball officially released their schedule for this season and much of the reaction was immediate.  We had a good idea of what was coming with some of the earlier announcements such as the game against North Carolina State, but there are a few surprises, both good and bad, in the Big Ten schedule that could make things interesting over the course of the season.  I'm not going to breakdown every game and every specific part of the schedule, but I am going to look at a few key segments and make some general comments about what I think could play out this year.

Non-Conference
There are a few things worth mentioning here.  Overall, there will probably only be a few games that get ample attention from the media.  Despite this, there are still 3 very exciting match-ups and the Preseason NIT, which includes teams like Pittsburgh, Kansas State, and Virginia.  All three could be quality opponents and Michigan will have the chance to play them.  So even if you are a bit concerned by the lack of "big name" teams on the schedule, don't fret because there are plenty of opportunities to see some solid match-ups in the non-conference schedule.

Introducing 2014 Prospect Vincent Edwards

One of the more versatile players in the 2014 class is Vincent Edwards.  He plays small forward for Middleton, Ohio and has been starting to pick-up some serious attention from bigger programs and Michigan during the summer.  Michigan still has no commitments for the 2014 class and Edwards has the potential to change that in the future, if things go right for the Wolverines.

The first thing to note when analyzing Edwards is his impressive shooting ability.  He's an extremely difficult player to defend because he can shoot from just about anywhere on the court.  TripleDoubleProspects even staets that "you cannot leave him open within 25 feet".  This is true not only because of his shooting ability, but because he also has a great ability to attack the basket at a moment's notice.  Along with this, he has solid speed and is great in transition.  He's just one of those players that has the type of "feel" it takes to make it work in transition.  His defense is solid and I even saw a few plays where he single-handedly stopped a sure-fire scoring drive because of his great defensive play.  He is 6'7", which goes a long way towards helping his rebounding, but that's not the only reason he's good at rebounding.  If you watch him play, he fights desperately for every rebound, which makes a big difference.  One interesting thing to note is the fact that he can easily play multiple positions on the court.  TripleDouble thinks he can play point guard.  I'm not sure if he would be solid at the college level at the position, despite some good passing skills, especially in transition, but I could definitely see him moving around the wing.

Breaking Down Michigan's 2012 Big Ten Schedule

Every season has its twists and turns.  Whether its new players, coaches, or stadiums, there are always some interesting changes.  One thing that typically stays the same, however, is conference play.  Yes, there are always some variations, such as location and timing, but for the most part, the teams on the slate are pretty similar, if not identical on a yearly basis.  With the Big Ten's new format, things have become even more interesting.  Not just because there are now more teams competing for the conference championship, but also because of the new division layout and more complex scheduling.

The reason the division layout and scheduling have become so important is because of the way the Big Ten has divided the teams.  This may seem obvious, but it's important to note how this process has occurred and the impact of the change.  Since the Big Ten has attempted to divide the conference based on long-term winning percentage, it has effectively separated the good and the bad teams.  On average, there should be two really good teams, two average teams, and two bad teams in each division.  In the long run, this will probably be true, but that's not always how it works out, especially when we're analyzing just one year.

The Top 3 Trap Games For Michigan Football In 2012

Michigan's 2012 schedule fixes to be one of the most difficult in Michigan football history.  Michigan gets to play 10 teams that made bowls last season, 2 rivalry games on the road, and 7 games away from Ann Arbor.  I recently compiled a list of the 5 toughest games for Michigan next season.  The list was filled with quality teams both on the road and at home, but what many have forgotten are the remaining 7 teams on the schedule.  Do they have a chance to beat Michigan?  Well, we're going to be breaking down the most likely trap games for 2012.

Trap games are just a term used to describe games that are likely wins on the schedule, but could easily be a loss if the team overlooks the opponents.  Michigan has several games with the "trap" element in 2012.  It actually took me a good bit of time to narrow the list down to just three teams.  Obviously, the games that I listed as the toughest for Michigan were immediately excluded, but with games against Air Force, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, and Iowa, there are many games that could be traps for Michigan.  Most assume that Michigan will be favored in at least 8 of its games so there is definitely a chance for at least an upset or two.  Let's check out the list.

Previewing Big Ten Football: Purdue

Purdue. It's a name that invokes classic football. Some people seem to forget Drew Brees played at Purdue. So did Kyle Orton, Shaun Phillips, Rod Woodson, Bob Griese, Jim Everett, and Mark Herrmann. So if there's a football fan that doesn't think too much about the Boilermakers and Purdue Pete, think again. Heading into the 2012 season, Purdue will also show how inconsistent they've been over the past couple of years since Joe Tiller retired.


Danny Hope is coming into his 4th season as the coach at Purdue. I know he was the offensive line coach at Purdue when Brees was there, but left shortly after for a coaching position at Eastern Kentucky.  Formerly a head coach there at Eastern Kentucky, he carries with him a record of 51-43. However, if you look closer, he's 16-21 at Purdue. Even with upset wins over Ohio State and Michigan, that still exhibits a losing record. In 2012, I don't think his win percentage will increase by much.

Introducing 2014 Prospect Bryant McIntosh

One of the wildcard recruits in the 2014 class is Bryant McIntosh.  Some of the players that Michigan is pursuing in 2014 have received great ratings across the board, such as Kevon Looney, Devin Booker, and Keita Bates-Diop.  However, McIntosh has received very inconsistent findings by the major scouting services.  Some say he's a point guard, some say he's a shooting guard.  Some say he's a 4* recruit, while others say he's only a 2* player.  These things tend to settle down as the recruiting services get more time to review the player and he matures, but this massive flux is quite interesting.


I have often been confused at the massive differences between recruiting services, but it seems even more evident in McIntosh's case.  ESPN, who is widely considered (and rightfully so) as the best at picking out basketball talent, has only positive things to say about McIntosh.  They've rated him extremely high and said that he's "tough" and plays with "swagger".  He is also labeled as a good shooter and as having a great feel for the game.  The only thing that currently plagues him, as it plagues most sophomores, is that he's relatively small.  He's not tiny by any means, but the main issue is strength.  Right now, I don't think he's even close to being big enough and having enough strength to make it through a full Big Ten schedule.  Of course, he will probably be a good bit bigger when he actually plays college basketball, but that is the one thing that might have given him such low rankings on some other scouting services.