The Changing B1G Basketball Landscape

If you're looking ahead to next season, it's prudent to start with the reigning champion of the conference...and with IU's recent defections, it makes even more sense to do so.

We all know IU will look different in 2013. I read someplace that they're the first program to ever lose four 1,000 point scorers in one off-season.  That'll leave a mark. So is it more amazing that four guys that reached the millennial mark are all gone in the same off-season, OR that a team that had four 1,000 point scorers (on one starting five) never got past the Sweet 16? You guys can discuss that  question amongst yourselves.

What we do know is that it's difficult to lose four starters...regardless of whom those starters are.  It's even tougher when a team loses its heart and soul; IU has lost both.

We had a ton of IU fans assure us that Zeller was going to stay because he needed to develop.  Bad news, friends: Crean's system wasn't helping him develop...in fact, it seemingly was making him worse.  It seems that we weren't the only ones who thought this.  Ex-IU player and coach, and current radio/TVpersonality, Dan Dakich encouraged Zeller to go pro as a way to help him develop.  Zeller wasn't used effectively and his bad habits weren't coached out of him.  As the season progressed, his shoulder got lower and lower when he drove...and officials were all but forced to call the charge on the 7 footer whose shoulder height would have made a running back jealous.

Zeller told the press that he had planned all along to go pro after his Sophomore year...but IU fans told us a different story.  We were told that his parents valued academics so much that he wouldn't leave until he had graduated...He has 35 credit hours remaining. Some told us that he just loved the school too much to leave.  It sounds like he really liked IU, but he loved his teammates, namely those leaving and graduating...so that made his decision easier.

A word of unsolicited advice to my IU friends and anyone else who wants to adamantly predict the actions of another person: It's not a good idea to try to guess what's in another person's head, especially an 18/19 year old kid.

Zeller wisely chose to leave...and in his decision's wake, IU fans were seriously asking, "Won't IU be better without him?" Many continued, "He was too soft." I mean, why wouldn't someone want to stay and play in front of fans like that??? Ammiright?

Zeller was a very good college basketball player...and now that he's no longer at IU, I hope he does OK on the next level; glad he's gone, wish him no ill will.  Afterall, he officially made an excellent decision yesterday.  All that said, I'd guess that three years ago, the average IU fan would have thought that if Zeller only went to the Sweet 16, his career would be judged as a bit of a failure...BUT, IU fans and media alike are spinning the defections to the NBA as nothing but a positive.  That's kind of fun to watch.

But, IU is just one of the programs in the B1G that will be ravaged by attrition this off-season.

Here is how the top of the conference will change next season:

IU
2013 starting five:
Zeller (So. C)*
Watford (Sr. F)
Oladipo (Jr. G)*
Hulls (Sr. G)
Ferrell (Fr. G)

2014 projected starters:
Vonleh (Fr. F)
Hollowell (So. F)
Sheehey (Sr. G/F)
Abell (Jr. G)
Ferrell (So. G)
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aOSU
2013 starting five:
Williams (So. C)
Thomas (Jr. F)*
Thompson (So. F)
Smith (Jr. G)
Craft (Jr. G)

2014 projected starters:

Williams (Jr. C)
Ross (Jr. F)
Thompson (Jr. F)
Smith (Sr. G)
Craft (Sr. G)
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MSU
2013 starting five:
Nix (Sr. F)
Payne (Jr. F)
Dawson (So. F)
Appling (Jr. G)
Harris (Fr. G)

2014 projected starters:

Payne (Sr. F)
Dawson (Jr. F)
Valentine (So. G)
Appling (Sr. G)
Harris (So. G)
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Wisconsin
2013 starting five:
Berggren (Sr. F/C)
Breusewitz (Sr. F)
Evans (Sr. F)
Brust (Jr. G)
Jackson (So. G)

2014 projected starters:
Dekker (So. F)
Kaminsky (Jr. F)
Gasser (Jr. G)
Brust (Jr. G)
Jackson (So. G)
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Michigan
2013 starting five:
Morgan (Jr. F)
Robinson (Fr. F)
Hardaway (Jr. G)
Sauskas (Fr. G)
Burke (So. G)*

2014 projected starters:
-McGary (So. C)
Morgan (Sr. F)
Robinson (So. F)
Stauskas (So. G)
Albrecht (So. G)

-McGary is still deciding if he'll stay or go to the NBA
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Other notes:
-Illinois graduates two guys who started for most of their careers in Paul and Richardson...and they lose an additional role player starter in McLaurin. In addition to these guys, three more guys have decided to transfer out of the program.
-Iowa returns four starters.
-Minnesota will hired Richard Pitino after reportedly being rejected by two or three coaches; will return three starters.  As of right now, Minnesota has an incoming class of zero.
-Northwestern hired Collins after Carmody continued NU's tradition of never making the NCAA tournament. They lose two starters, but Crawford will return from injury.  If I were a betting man, I'd put a quarter on Sobolewski being formed into an unlikable Hurley, Collins, Wojohowski type of player.
-Nebraska opens their new arena and looks to continue some of their improvement from the end of the season...loses two starters.
-Penn State loses only their sixth man...Chambers incoming class is one of the strongest for PSU since they entered the conference.  BUT PSU, during that same period has never had a player rated higher than 3-stars.
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The Forces of Good:
-Purdue's incoming Freshman class of Stephens (IL), Smotherman (IN) and Scott (IN) were all named to their all-state teams.
-Painter noted that he hopes everyone will return who is able to...of course, Purdue will lose Byrd and Anthrop to graduation.
-Rumors around Purdue transfers and defections are still just rumors...but the one that seems to have the most credence still, is Marcius. His locker has been cleaned out and he's been less involved in team activities, we've heard...Painter expressed that he wants him back, and told him so in his post-season interview.

But if he leaves, I guess I can't blame him. In spite of playing hard and being extremely productive down the stretch of the regular season, Hammons still started in the CBI.  Marcius might have taken that as a bit of a sign that his effort and productivity mattered less than Hammons potential, which is a shame.

If you follow us on Twitter, you might have seen AJohn's sentiment that he's looking forward to coming back and being a part of a team that gets much better in the off-season. BUT, his body language were indicative of a guy that struggled with consistency, focus and toughness at times. On top of that, he, along with Hale and Lawson, were rumored to be guys that didn't see eye-to-eye with Painter.

Keep in mind, all of those rumors are mere conjecture...But their lack of playing time during the last ten games of the season is something that was on display for all to see. We'll see what happens, I guess.
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BS' Early Prognostication

Here's the way I see the B1G shaking out in 2014 (as of right now):
1. aOSU
When was the last time you saw a Bucknut line-up with all Juniors and Seniors?? They'll be monsters.

2. MSU
Lots of returning talent...but MSU will be a much smaller team (top-to-bottom) than most Izzo squads.

3. Michigan
UM will have shooting, experience and good size...but even if McGary returns, they still lose a lot. Burke made everybody better and Hardaway did a lot of different things that helped the team.

4. Iowa
We all know Coach Fran is a pretty good coach.  Well, good coach plus a ton of veterans equals success.

5. Purdue
A few years ago, who would have thought a top-5 finish would be viewed as a success? In the wake of '13, in a tough conference, a top-5 season will probably mean Purdue will be ranked in the top-25...all while leaning heavily on Sophomores and Freshman.  A 21-23 win season should act as a stepping stone for a good one in '15. Painter really needs the team to get back to basics and needs them to win now.

6. Wisconsin
I never bet against Bo Ryan being in the mix for the B1G title...until now.

7. Indiana
Sheehey will go from annoying sixth man, to the guy that IU needs to be all-conference.  If he can make the leap, IU will be in the top third of the conference, if not, IU will struggle.  Also, Ferrell will need to play like UM's Burke for IU to be anywhere near where they were in '13.  All that said, IU will have a lot of talent on the roster, but their lack of leadership will hurt.

8. Illinois
Losing seven players in one season, regardless of how much they played, is a difficult pill to swallow for any program.  The Illini will need Bertrand, Abrams and Egwu to take big strides in the off-season in order for Illinois to make the tournament again in 2014. Illinois might get 20 wins next season...but how they get there will be much different than this season.  Don't look for Illinois to start out quickly next fall.

9. Minnesota
There will be growing pains for Goldy next year.  They'll still have some athletes that make jaw-dropping plays, but Minnesota fans might miss Tubby come March as Minnesota goes to the NIT.

10. Nebraska
Miles' team scratches and claws to more progress, but stays in the bottom-third of the tough B1G.

11. Northwestern
The Collins era begins in a fashion that's familiar to Northwestern fans.

12. Penn State
The cavernous Bryce Jordan Center stays mostly-empty for yet another winter as Penn State struggles to run with the thoroughbreds of the nation's best conference.
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More Guessing...

All Conference Team:
McGary UM
Payne MSU
Marble Iowa
Harris MSU
Craft aOSU

2nd Team:
Dekker Wisconson
Sheehey IU
Smith aOSU
T. Johnson Purdue
Appling MSU



*Denotes POY candidate in 2013

Some More Observations From The Win over Northwestern



Pew pew! Matty knows the finger guns are always funny.

 There was no doubt a lot to like in Sunday's thumping of Northwestern at Mackey. The Boilers showed they weren't dead yet, despite recent evidence to the contrary. Terone showed major life in having perhaps his best actual shooting effort in quite some time -- perhaps ever as a Boilermaker. Sure, he's had streaks of point-scoring before, but going 4/5 from three-land? Never happened before. He's never had that high a percentage on that many shots -- he's never hit four in one game before. So that was very nice to see.

DJ Byrd also had a nice night, shooting 50% from the field and 100% from the line, while grabbing four rebounds and dishing five assists. That's the hustling DJ Byrd we know and love. And that's who he is. A guy who will get you 8-14 points each night, along with a lot of hustle, rebounds, assists and muscle. He's a combo, or a Leatherman, as Boilerdowd said. He's not a 20 ppg scorer. But it seemed like as the senior leader, he often felt like he had to be everything Rob Hummel was last year as a leader and hustler and primary scoring option, as well as a primary deep threat like Ryne Smith was... as well as a glass cleaner and defender like Chris Kramer was. I don't know any of this for fact, of course, but it sure seemed like DJ was trying to do it all and be the man the Boilers needed....and he was struggling under the weight of that pressure. Sound plausible?

In this game, you saw DJ do what he does. If someone else -- i.e., Terone or Hammons -- can dump in some points, DJ can be the player he is when he's at his best, which in turn makes this team better. So that was nice to see.

Another thumbs up goes to Coach Matt Painter, who it appears to us has decided to have the guys play who work the hardest and listen the best. Thus you saw Dru Anthrop get a lot of first half minutes, culminating in 17 overall (his most as a Boilermaker). You also saw Sandi start the game and get more minutes (16) than AJ Hammons (12). Was this a message to Hammons to work harder? Perhaps. If it is, I'm more than fine with it. I like Hammons a lot and love his game and have often found myself giddy with what he can become. But if Painter doesn't think Hammons is listening -- or, more critical if you're a Boilermaker, if he isn't working hard enough -- then I've got zero problem with Coach sitting the freshman down.

Related to that, I also think Matt is doing a good job of the thing that many fans of teams in down years pin their fading hopes to -- Hey, at least these guys are getting minutes. With guys like Ronnie Johnson, who is still prone to turnovers and moving a bit too spastically fast, the minutes are piling up and that's a good thing. It's exactly what Lewis Jackson did in his early years at Purdue and it led to him being so indispensable as a junior that he came back from an injury in February that year rather than sitting the whole year and redshirting.

I don't think anyone looked at the game with the Mildcats as a reason to be bullish on this year's team, but let me be a wet blanket anyway....Northwestern is not very good and they were dreadful on Sunday night. They looked like the Purdue teams that have been blown out this season by IU twice, Illinois once and, effectively, even this Northwestern team earlier this month. The Cats couldn't hit anything in the first half. Yet, down 18, they rattled home a three in the final seconds of the first session to cut the Boiler lead to 40-25. Still commanding, yes, but the Boilers had been up 29-9, and a 15-point lead is... how shall we put this... blowable.

Yet the Boilers continued to step on the purple throats in the second half, actually outscoring the Cats there by more than in the first half. As the Panda pointed out, the Boilers had their best shooting day in a while, cashing in at 53% from the field and 47% from three. Northwestern, on the other hand, shot an abysmal 29% and 22% from the field and three, respectively. Mercy, that is awful.

In addition, the free throw shooting situation continues to be bleak -- the Boilers canned just 57% of their shots from the line. That is just not getting it done and no matter how much these guys improve, consistently poor shooting from the line will limit them from ever growing into the team we hope they can be. It's really that critical.

And one more thing to note that I was less than pleased with -- the turnovers. No, not those delicious turnovers, but the kind that lead to fast breaks the other way (or in the case of Northwestern, slow breaks with bricks the other way). The Boilers turned the ball over 15 times against only 11 by the Cats.

So the Boilers shot terribly from the line and turned the ball over almost 50% more than their opponent and yet still won by more than 30. That should tell you just how atrocious Northwestern was.

In the end here, I'm not trying to be, as I joked, the wet blanket. There was a lot to like in this game and I think that no matter what, there's something to be said for the Boilers continuing to show up for games. Winning against anyone in the conference by 30 means you did an awful lot right, and there are countless examples in recent years of very talented teams who, once they realized their season was circling the drain, mailed it in (see 2012 Illinois Illini for further reading).

These wins feel really good for all of us, no matter what kind of season the team is having. You could make a very fair argument that the Boilermakers could finish the Big Ten season at .500 (would require one upset, plus winning two games against teams with currently the same record in the conference). At this point in the campaign, you look for small victories and steps forward where you can find them -- that would be a nice one to have.

Likability/Hatability: Big Ten Basketball Coaches Edition

Tom Crean's hissy-fit-like pseudo-handshake with Bo Ryan served as yet another reminder that he's a classless child who we could not be happier is not the coach of our team. It got me to thinking, though: how does Tommy stack up against the other coaches in the conference on the likability/hatability scale? Let's see.


Wisconsin's Bo Ryan

Coach Bo looks like a goblin and is goofy and over-the-top in his demonstrative, work-the-refs sideline demeanor. This sort of makes it easy to hate on ol' Bo. However, in postgame interviews and press conferences, he's a much quieter, softer-spoken man than you might expect. There's not much to suggest Bo does anything that skirts the rules -- he simply recruits big, goofy white kids who Wisconsonites love and teaches them to play winning, Big Ten basketball.

Verdict: Hard to hate, also hard to like, though.

Michigan's John Beilein

Beilein always appears to be coaching hard, yet his sideline antics don't tend to rub us the wrong way. In fact, we wish Coach Painter was a little more fiery, so it would be hard for us to bash Beilein too much.

Of course, it's Michigan basketball, which always winds up breaking some rules when they're good. Maybe B will reverse the trend.

Verdict:: Likable, for a Michigan coach.

Minnesota's Tubby Smith

Tubby has a surly side, but for the most part, you rarely hear anything negative about this guy outside of Lexington (and even then it's because he only won one title there). He's got that grandfatherly, kind old man appearance, but he also can coach some ball. Minnesota was perfect for him after Kentucky because the expectations aren't any more than compete now and then and make the tournament most of the time. At a lot of schools, there would have been some serious coaching seat heat on Tubby over the past few seasons, but there hasn't been much flak out of Minneapolis, likely because everyone wisely realizes they're Minnesota and aren't getting a bigger name there than Tubby Smith.

Tubby doesn't embarrass himself or his school on the sidelines and despite some leniency on thugs like Trevor Mbakwe, he seems to run a decent program.

Verdict: Likable.

Indiana's Tom Crean

A phony, embarrassing, over-the-top doofus who is such a sore loser he can't even respectfully shake hands or conduct a radio show without being a surly prick, all the while quoting scripture on Twitter and somehow putting together top recruiting classes despite never having won a thing. He's a lousy game coach and has been exposed by Brad Stevens, Bo Ryan and almost Tubby Smith so far this season. There is truly nothing likable about this clown and in our opinion it's only as matter of time before it's revealed that he has crossed lines he shouldn't have.

Verdict: Hatable.

OSU's Thad Matta

Matta isn't the kind of guy who acts out on the sidelines or comes off as a poor loser or obnoxious guy. That said, we have issues with him because of a "guilt by association" mentality. He's the coach at a school that is known to play ball, if you know what I'm saying and I think you do I'm talking about cheating. Wait, what?

Matta, as noted, isn't an embarrassment to the conference in terms of his demeanor, but he's also not a real good coach. Why do I say that? Look at the talent that has gone through there and look how few actual title runs the Bucknuts have made.

Verdict: So-so.

MSU's Tom Izzo

Izzo is a guy who we, like many of you, used to really like. We thought he represented the Big Ten well and was a stand up guy. But then more and more happened to chip away at St. Tom's image, at least in our eyes. There's no doubt he's an excellent coach -- his many Final Four banners back that up -- but Tom's judgement and clear willingness to look the other way when his thugs are acting like, well, thugs, is something we just cannot forgive.

Verdict: Getting more hatable.

Illinois' John Groce 

This article says John Groce is "everything Illinois could have hoped for." I guess they were hoping to continue Bruce Weber's recent legacy of mentally-soft teams who melted down in key spots. Harsh? Sure, but just look at the evidence. As for Groce, though, it's far too early to know if he's a hatable or likable guy. He did well at Ohio and was an assistant at OSU before that, as well as at Butler. So really, it's hard to figure this guy.

Verdict: Jury still out.

Iowa's Fran McCaffery

Fran is a tough name to go through life with as a male, I would think. Coach Fran seems to us to be a decent enough guy and, again, as you can tell is often our barometer, he doesn't do anything that embarrasses his program or his players. Iowa is struggling to climb their way back to respectability and it has seemed for a few years as though they were close to breaking through. Maybe if they got really good Fran would take on some hatable characteristics, but as of now we have no real problems with him.

Verdict: Likable

Northwestern's Bill Carmody

What does it say about the basketball program at Northwestern that Carmody has now been there for going on 13 years and has yet to make a NCAA tournament? As most of you know, Northwestern has never made the NCAA tourney, which, if you're ever going to concern yourself with conference pride, this should bother you.

Carmody was successful at Princeton in the '90s, taking the Tigers to the NCAA tournament twice, including winning a game in '98. Nothing jumps out at us in terms of him being an unlikable guy, other than the fact that he can't nudge the Mildcats to a tourney berth even once.

Verdict: Likable as a harmless kitten.

Nebraska's Tim Miles

Miles has worked his way up the coaching ranks to get to his current Big Ten position and we can honestly say we hope he does well at Nebraska. Miles seems like a good guy and an easy person to root for. As with Groce, we haven't seen enough of him to have developed any ill will (and you all know how easy it is for us to do that), but maybe eventual success will change that.

Verdict: Likable

Penn State's Pat Chambers

Chambers has a significant project ahead of him. PSU has never been a basketball hotbed, and that was only amplified when Ed DeChellis bolted to become the head coach at Navy -- actually choosing Navy over a Big Ten program. Could it be that DeChellis worried about job security? Possible. Or maybe he saw the writing on the wall after six seasons and felt building a winner in Nappy Valley would be nearly impossible.

Regardless, Chambers has come in and tried to do his best. The Lions play hard but have struggled to find any success. Again, Chambers is new to the conference so we're undecided about him.

Verdict: Jury remains out.

Matt Painter, Evil Genius? Boilers Win, 68-61

"Wait, I thought they fired Weber."

No means no, Illini seniors!

They'll have one more shot to beat the Boilermakers in their college careers in February, but on this night, the Purdue Boilermakers looked like they grew up a bit and that perhaps the angst of the pre-con might have been worth it just a bit.

Purdue hung with the 11th-ranked Fighting Illini in the first half, shaking off some of Illinois' best punches and keeping the game close. DJ Byrd even had an open look at a transition three in the final seconds of the first half that would have given the Boilers a lead, but the 33-31 halftime score was still an improvement for a team that has struggled to compete with even moderate competition this season.

I might argue that Illinois was a bit of a soft 13-1, but a nearly top ten team is what its record says it is. Hey, until Big Ten play starts anyway, and then they turn back into Bruce Weber's team that lost 12 of 14 to conference foes to end last season.

We, like many of you, were a bit downtrodden about how this season had gone so far for our Boilers. However, one thing that we also pointed out at times was that this program was due for some serious bumps in the road and some youth. With youth and inexperience comes mistakes and growing pains. And those pains have showed this year. That said, we also felt like this is where you give Matt Painter the benefit of the doubt that he has earned and see what he can mold this very young squad into -- and how long it takes him to mold them. Whether this season turns into a pleasant surprise or not, tonight showed that, as Monty Python might say, they're not dead yet.

Speaking of those for whom reports of their demise have been greatly exaggerated, DJ Byrd rose from the ashes of a rocky start to do what we all need him to do -- be a senior leader. Perhaps DJ finally allowed himself to stop feeling the pressure to be Robbie Hummel or a big-time scorer or whatever. But tonight he began hitting clutch shots again, making the plays you need from a senior, and just illustrating to everyone else what kind of hustle is needed to win games in the Big Ten season. DJ had 15 points on 5/11 shooting, including 4/9 from three. He only got to the line once, but it was YOOOOGE, as it effectively sealed the win after a late score while being nearly tackled as the Illini tried in vain to keep him from making a bucket.

Of course, the play that made everyone fall in love with the Byrdman again was his hustling, sliding time out call with just over 20 seconds to go. Jacob Lawson -- who had just nearly been clotheslined by what should have been called an intentional or flagrant foul (and Bo Boroski was there, so you know...) -- missed both his free throws, and on the second one, DJ Byrd chased it towards the corner and, while sliding on both knees, grabbed it just as he slid to a stop, called timeout and then toppled out of bounds.

Let's just clear up something here about the naysayers on twitter and elsewhere claiming that wasn't a legit timeout -- it was. The ones they did away with were the nonsense ones where a guy is literally in the air flying out of bounds and calls timeout. This was not that. Watch it again if you need to. It may be only a partial second, but DJ grabs the ball, turns and calls time, all while teetering and then falling on his side. He was grounded and was not in the air. I won't argue with you that it was close -- but it was definitely one you could term a judgement call for the official and this time DJ got the benefit of the judgment. I'd say he deserved one.

Terone Johnson had himself really a player-of-the-game kind of night, with a career-high 25 points, plus 9 rebounds. Terone continues to be the go-to scoring guy and is turning more and more into the reliable, consistent fill-it-up guy. He reminds me a lot of E'Twaun in that sense that most of his scoring isn't all that memorable, but then you look at the scoresheet and there he is -- everywhere. Quiet confidence with a salty side. Yet another likable Boilermaker.

Jacob Lawson was the third Boiler in double-digits, with ten points in 22 minutes. He was 3/5 from the field, including a couple of rattling dunks, and 4/6 from the line, which would be good except he missed two critical ones that are only forgotten now because of DJ's manly play. Lawson also had seven rebounds and we at BS have always been fans of his -- good to see him not only starting, but getting serious minutes at crunch time.

I remember not long ago -- and on the JJ/E'Twaun teams -- how we would lament the Boilermakers' complete inability to rebound, despite some size and athleticism. Now here we are and one of Purdue's strengths is rebounding, as they're 21st in the nation, averaging over 40 boards a night. Tonight was no different, as they outrebounded the Illini, 38-31.

Tonight, the Boilers outrebounded their opponent, hung with them at the line (63% for Purdue, 64% for Illinois), and shot better than them from the field (41% to 36%). That's a formula I like. The Boilers also had only ten turnovers to Illinois' nine, but I will say it felt as though all ten of the Boilers' were in the final two minutes.

One more thought about winning these tough games -- good teams fight back and find ways to win and bad teams often find ways to fold down the stretch, as we've seen from Purdue earlier this season (and at times early last year). Winning these games takes more than just spurts of playing well and a few rebounds. The Boilers pushed their lead out to ten (61-51) with two and a half minutes to go and then the Illini responded with back to back threes to make it just a four point game. The Boilers had some sloppy play in there, including a couple of turnovers and a shot clock violation, but then they bore down and ground out a prototypical Matt Painter/Purdue Big Ten victory. I would love to see blowouts and not these kinds of nail-biters, but it's just rarely the way in this conference and for this team. For tonight anyway, it felt like our Boilers were back on track. Let's hope it continues.

1-0.

Choo-choo, muthas.

Growing up?

More About Blanketly Rooting For Your Conference

My esteemed co-editor addressed this on Friday, but since more content is always better than less content on a Web site when you're competing for readers with sites linked to Google and SEO, and because...well, I feel like it... here's  little more on our thoughts around being a stooge err, I'm sorry, fan who roots for the Big Ten simply because Purdue is in it.

First off, despite my little dig above, I am in no position to tell you who you can and cannot cheer for in any given sporting contest. If you want to root on Indiana while you attend Purdue, I can't -- and won't -- stop you. I can, however, think it's the wrong approach. It's like America that way: you're not obligated to follow my beliefs on hot button political issues, but you are required to at least respect my right to have such opinions.

We've taken some flak this past week (and other times) for refusing to blanketly root for the Big Ten in games not involving Purdue. We then attempt to explain ourselves (often in 140 character bites on Twitter) and yet the thicker-craniumed among you don't seem to understand. So we'll try again here.

Once again, you're entitled to cheer for whatever team, player or hairdo you like. But let me ask you this...Do we need to be actively rooting for a team in every single game? Can you just watch a basketball game to watch it? To see what happens? To be there for the moment of the tournament if it happens? Why is there this insistence among people that others must choose a side. This isn't the Presidential election. It's not Terminators versus the resistance. It's not ANWR. It's not gun control. It's just a basketball game.

If you're a fan of basketball in general and not really a fan of a team or program and rooting for a team (or against a team) makes it more interesting for you, then fine. But if you need this to keep your attention from wavering to shiny objects in the room, maybe you should just accept your fate as a sports gambler now. You'll love the casino sports books, where everyone is watching games like this.

My 64 year old mother was surprised to hear I was happy Indiana was losing to Kentucky over the weekend. "You're not rooting for the Big Ten?" she asked, aghast. So yeah, that's who is in the same boat as you folks who think you're somehow obligated to root for your conference out of some misplaced loyalty that even the schools themselves don't have.

Don't get me wrong. I don't want to see Kentucky win, either. But if Kentucky wins, as B-dowd pointed out, it's only a matter of time until they have to roll up the banner and put it in a storage closet. And more to the point -- and less snarkily -- what does Kentucky winning do to Purdue? I mean, if you want to relate the outcome of these games to your own favorite program, what does a Wildcats national championship do to you? Everyone knows they're the most talented team. Everybody knows they're the favorite. If they win, it's almost expected. Almost a, "well, we knew this was coming." If IU won it all or made the Final Four? You'd have to hear about it forevah!

"How's that feel??"

Okay, you might say, but what about BS' distaste for supporting brethren from MSU or OSU? Let me ask you this -- do you think the braindead media who incessantly refer to the Big Ten as slow, plodding, mediocre, etc., will ever stop doing that? Does it matter that the Big Ten is the best conference by any objective measure? Anyone who knows college basketball knows that and yet there's still a dumbass notion that the SEC is "quicker" or the Big East is "more competitive."  It's all nonsense, made up by lazy-ass sportswriters who are too terrible at their jobs to do even the tiniest bit of research. So does MSU/OSU winning a title or going to a FF change that? Of course it doesn't. It doesn't make Purdue look any better, if that's what you think. And beyond that.... I don't know what you think it does that's positive. Tom Izzo getting another banner and slipping further into the slippery muck that he's now comfortable in? Thad Matta -- a coach nobody has ever accused of being a good X's and O's guy -- getting an even stronger foothold in Big Ten country? Do you guys somehow think that OSU going to the Final Four and/or winning a national title is somehow good for your favorite program? Because it isn't.

The analogy I've used a number of times when dealing with SEC braindeads is that of pro sports. I'm a Yankee fan (yes, yes, I know -- just go with it for a moment), but do you think I cheer for the Red Sox to win if the Yankees are out (I know, this is fiction, but go with me here -- hey-yo!)? Why would anyone want to cheer on one of their rivals? One of the teams they see their boys do battle with usually multiple times a year? Because we don't want, what.... the Big 12 to win a championship? Who cares? I'd rather see the teams/programs that I hate with regularity suffer. Even the cynical and curmudgeonly among us -- what do we get out of seeing North Carolina or Kansas lose? We don't deal with those fan bases on a regular basis. OSU, MSU, IU, UM...those we do.

The best way I think I can explain our approach -- and I think B-dowd and I are similar in this way -- is each game is taken individually and evaluated. Could there be a scenario where we find ourselves actively rooting for IU? I suppose... like if the Soviet Union reformed and IU was playing for the honor of America and to stop communist aggression. That sort of thing.

Truth is, we've both found ourselves rooting for IU in football. When Coach Gum Throwy was there, you bet your ass we wanted to see them beat programs like Michigan. Yet if they were one win from a bowl season and were playing Michigan, it might be a different story.

Back to basketball, though. As the matchups are determined and often as the games draw closer, that's when we find ourselves gravitating to a side. And when the battles are between two truly unlikable characters or programs, well, I go back to what I said earlier: Why do we have to root for either? Can't we just see how the game goes? Maybe Rick Pitino will collide with Anthony Davis coming out of the tunnel, break his (Pitino's) nose and get blood all over this $3,000 suit and then the scoreboard will fall on Calipari. Who knows.

Our allegiance is to our alma mater. After that, it's all just noise.

Completely BS Big Ten Power Rankings

Giving it all we've got, Cap'n

In yet another infrequent feature here at BS, it's time for a look at the conference in the form of the Completely BS Big Ten Power Rankings. Assign them the value they deserve, as you always do with our opinions.

As usual, we'll go from bottom to top. Like boilerdowd at a swingers convention.

12. Illinois -- The Illini are beyond a mess at this point. They're 1-9 in their last ten, Meyers Leonard is crying on the bench and complaining that people are mean to him on Twitter. This is a team that was ranked earlier in the year after a 10-0 start. Bruce Weber, a guy who took this program to the title game not so long ago, is lucky to still have a job, but won't for much longer.

11. Penn State -- They probably deserve to be higher in a BS power ranking since they crushed Purdue in Snappy Valley. However, the Nittany Kittens have shown little hiss otherwise, and get Purdue on the Boilers' Senior Night. Have fun with that.

10. Nebraska -- The newest members of the conference won our hearts with a win over IU but have otherwise not put up much of a fight in conference play.

9. Minnesota -- The Gophers have done what the Gophers do. They've hung around, beat some teams, gotten swept by Iowa and done just enough to not be completely overlooked at tourney time while also ensuring Tubby Smith still has a job. The bar is low in Minny.

8. Northwestern -- The dream of an NCAA tourney appearance took a serious hit last night as Northwestern - in true Wildcat fashion - found the banana peel against Michigan, blowing a seven point second half lead to lose a game at home that they had in their grasp. The Mildcats are now 16-11 (6-9) and have two road games (@ PSU and @ Iowa) in their final three, with the lone home date against OSU. Not looking good for the Cats to break the long string of tourney futility.

7. Iowa -- Our Most Hated Rival has quietly climbed back over .500 and with three winnable games in their four remaining has a chance at finishing at 17-14 (9-9), which I bet most Iowa fans would have signed up for (those who are literate enough to sign their own names, anyway). Fran has these guys playing hard and it shows.

6. Purdue -- Our Boilers are smack in the middle, much to Terry Hutchins' delight, as he predicted this before the season and we busted his balls for doing so. But the Boilers haven't done anything to earn a higher ranking than this from us. If the Boilers show some moxie and go 3-1 in their last four, they'll have shown everyone something and will finish at 10-8 in conference.

5. IU -- Despite still being a farce on the road, IU is a good team this year. They're 20-7 and can still hang their hats on the fact that they gave the #1 team in the nation their only loss. However, the Hoosiers won't be able to play BTT and NCAA tourney games in Ass Hall, so the ride will only go on so long.

4. Wisconsin -- Wisconsin does what Wisconsin does. Even with early season losses at home that stunned their fan base, the Badgers are still in the race for the conference and still ranked in the top 15  in the nation. Bo Ryan should get votes for Coach of the Year but I don't think he will. He's gotten everyone used to this. The next step in consistent Final Fours to get to the Izzo level.

3. Michigan -- The Wolverines have bared their teeth this season and not (yet) swooned to their typical late-season slide. They're 5-1 in their last six, including a big one over OSU and they're only a half game out of the conference lead with just three games to go, all of them winnable.

2. Michigan State -- The Spartans don't get the top spot from me despite being in first place by a half game, mainly because of a couple of weird losses, one to Northwestern and one to reeling Illinois. That game was a 42-41 loss, notable both for the fact that Purdue scored more than both teams combined against OSU and also for the fact that it might well be Bruce Weber's last win at Illinois.

1. Ohio State -- A scary-talented team, the Buckeyes could once again be a contender for the national title. Of course, with Thad Matta at the helm, they're more likely a Sweet 16/Elite 8 team that gets bounced by a higher seed. Yeah, I said it.

Thoughts? Agree/disagree?

BS Big Ten Awards

With the regular season drawing to a fitting close in Columbus last night, it's now time to hand out post-season awards. And as athletes everywhere know, no honor is more prestigious, more respected, than that which is bestowed upon him by the staff of Boiled Sports. Here we go.

1st Team All-Big Ten

JaJuan Johnson

Jared Sullinger

Jordan Taylor

E'Twaun Moore

Jon Leuer

2nd Team All-Big Ten

Talor Battle

Demetri McCamey

David Lighty

Jon Diebler

Christian Watford

Defensive POY

Aaron Craft

I don't like the guy a whole bunch...but isn't that the point? While no one doubts the defensive prowess of his teammate David Lighty, Craft's active hands, quick feet and annoying persona make him the ideal replacement for Chris Kramer at this spot.

POY

JaJuan Johnson

JJ's consistency and his ability to carry Purdue when no one else was stepping up was Herculean. Sure Moore has been great, but Moore had his worst stretch of his career in '11...and comparatively, Sullinger's supporting cast is filled with future (and current) pros.

COY

I think Painter absolutely killed himself in the eyes of the media on Saturday in Iowa City...but it's pretty difficult to ignore what he did with this team. They were picked to finish 4th or 5th in the conference by most in the national media and hover in the high-teens in the polls. Instead, Purdue was in the top-10 for large chunks of the season, and Painter's defensive system sprouted into a formidable offense this season.

Letdown Player(s) of the Year

This one is a three-way tie- Demetri McCamey, Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis. Coming into the season, these three struck fear into most of the league. By the end of the season, they had rolled over more than the stars of the Westminster Dog Show and showed hardly any leadership in the process. This trio is still talented...and all three might still play in the NBA...that's what has to be so tough to swallow for the Illini faithful.

Players to Watch in '12

-Tim Hardaway Jr. ended his season very strong as the light seemingly went on about midway through the season. His supporting cast all returns as the Wolverines have literally no graduating players on the roster. Beilein's team should be at or near the top of the conference next season, and Hardaway will surely be part of the reason why.

-If William Bufford decides to return to aOSU, he'll be without Lighty, Diebler and Sullinger...plus, for the first time in a while, Matta won't have a guy on the roster who's supposed to be an instant-impact Freshman. Buford has been consistently graded well by scouts as a player that can play on the next level. Next season will be the year for him to show it a bit more.

-Rob Hummel's ability to get his game back to a high level is of utmost importance for Painter next season. It's tough to come back from one torn ACL, I'd think it'd be more-difficult to come back from two. That said, I think the biggest mistake his competition could make would be to discount his talent and importance to his team.

-From what I hear from my pals in Bloomington, Cody Zeller is seated at the right hand of our Lord...and being at such a place comes with expectation. He'll be the second-highest ranked recruit to enter the BT in '12...the question is how much difference will he mean to Tom Crean and Co?

Homestretch Power Ranking

As we talked about on the HH and ad nauseaum during this season, our wish is that Purdue will be playing its best basketball of the season come March. It looks like we might get our wish as they continue to roll along- they've been the really beating good teams and winning the games that they're simply supposed to. Plus, with the exception of DJ Byrd, pretty much everybody's healthy and Byrd is playing through multiple injuries (as he has most of the season).

With all that said, and in the wake of a nearly-unblemished February, here's what we think of the BT right now:

1. aOSU
The only way they lose this spot is if the Forces of Good win out and they stumble...but I don't see it happening. They reminded Illinois why they're on the bubble and who's in the lead in the conference a few days ago. It gets easier for them Sunday before a few tougher tests.

2. Purdue
I'm fond of this team for some reason...and the more they play, the more I like what I see. The media will tell you that it's JJ and Smooge carrying the squad- people that watch every game know that players like Byrd are really the lifeblood of Painter's system. Plus, it seems that everyone has not only accepted, but embraced their roles.

3. Wisconsin
Bo Ryan might rival Gene Keady (in his prime) as the best regular season BT coach I've ever watched. This season has followed Ryan's blueprint for success and Bucky is in great position for the NCAA tourney.

4. MSU
After beating Illinois and Minnesota, Sparty now has a chance to beat UM and help to pop three bubbles in a two week span. Plus, they host our Boilers Sunday and can affect the BT regular season race as they scratch and claw their way back to respectability and into the dance.

5. Penn State
A win over aOSU might be enough to get PSU into the dance...their quality wins are pretty astounding and the fact that they've played much better in conference would be taken into account by the committee.

6. Michigan
Even when they don't win these days, they compete...which is better than much of the conference this February. The middle of the BT seem to be competing for the most creative way to play themselves out of the dance...UM & PSU, conversely, both seem to be playing solid basketball.

7. Illinois
The loss to IU might have been the straw that completely broke this heartless camel's back. Poor Senior leadership, listless effort, poor shot selection and underwhelming rebounding effort for a tall, athletic team are the hallmarks of the Illini the last month and one-half.

8. Northwestern
They'll get to the NIT, but Thompson deserves to go out on a higher note than the record that the Wildcats currently have.

9. Minnesota
One win in the month of February is a sign of just how far this early conference leader has fallen. I can't see how they get into the NCAA tourney with the way they've played since Nolen went down.

10. Iowa
Clearly Iowa has run out of gas and their lack of depth is killing the at this point. Iowa has zero four-star athletes on the roster.

11. Indiana
The Hawkeyes record might be the same, but their situation is quite different. McCaffrey is a hands-on coach that focuses on Xs & Os and execution. Crean seems to be a pre-game motivator and in-game cheerleader and allows his assistants to worry about the details. The result this season is an underachieving, but talented squad. IU has probably won its last game of the '10/'11 campaign, and without another win, the Hoosiers will have one fewer win than '09/'10.

IU fans, our apologies. That win was huuuuuuge!

I had a discussion with a pal of mine who's currently at IU. He took exception with us giving them a hard time for storming the court after beating a middle-conference opponent who has now lost 3/4 and was barely ranked.

See, my beef is the fact that IU, and its fans, always talk about banners and national titles. We usually counter this banter by saying that 95% of IU's current undergrads weren't even born when the most-recent banner was won. No big deal- national championships are a big deal...whether you know anything about them and how they were won or not. But, those banners that IU fans always fall back on are getting dusty. So, the same athletic department marketing group that came up with the bestest video ever has decided to modernize the wall of Ass. Hall.

(Thanks to our pal Ian for this!!)

Hoosier faithful, it was a big win for you guys...but it absolutely wasn't what you guys made it into. You guys are either a smalltime program whose coach goes through the halls of the arena with his hands in the air after beating an OK team. Or, you're a big time program...you decide and let us know, we'll make fun accordingly.