Editor’s note: Big 10 of the Big Ten is a collection of tidbits from around the conference. This weekly feature provides a recap from the previous slate of games and also serves as a preview to the upcoming basketball week.
Indiana’s opus
Indiana defeated then-No.1 Michigan on Saturday night to surge back to the No. 1 ranking. Indiana surrendered its No. 1 ranking after losing to Butler on Dec. 15, but has only lost one game since then and reclaimed the top spot.
Oladipo watch
The best player in the Big Ten not named Trey Burke had another fine performance against Michigan, but his most memorable play was a missed shot. Running one of many fast breaks, Oladipo was the recipient of a poor lob pass and nearly salvaged it with a one-armed cocked back alley-oop dunk barely rattled out. Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind., might have caved in from the noise if Oladipo connected on the dunk.
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Michigan’s freshmen struggles
Maybe it was that raucous crowd, but two Michigan freshmen that normally contribute substantially on offense sputtered against Indiana. Glenn Robinson III went 1-for-6 from the field and Nik Stauskas was 3-for-10 from the field and 1-for-5 from 3-point land.
Tom Crean’s crazy week
If steamrolling Michigan didn’t provide enough excitement for Tom Crean, he then flew to New Orleans to watch the Super Bowl. His wife, Joani, is the sister of Jim and John Harbaugh, the two coaches whose teams competed for the NFL championship.
In case you missed it
Austin Hollins hit a three with 11.6 seconds remaining to lift No. 18 Minnesota to a 62-59 win over Iowa on Sunday. Minnesota scored the last seven points of the game.
Five teams reach 20 wins
Two of the nation’s first five teams to reach 20 wins are from the Big Ten. Michigan reached the milestone after defeating Northwestern last week, and Indiana caught up after defeating the Wolverines in Bloomington.
Putting up numbers
Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Ohio State are all averaging more than 71 points per game this season. Indiana and Michigan are both ranked in the top 20 nationally, with the Hoosiers sitting at No. 2 with 83.8 points per game.
Where are the stats?
While the Big Ten continues to draw praise from the rest of the country and currently has two teams ranked in the top three, there’s not one player from any conference school that’s ranked in the top five nationally in points, assists, rebounds, steals or blocks.
ESPN the Mag at Michigan-Ohio State
Ohio State traveled to Michigan on Tuesday night in the rematch of one of Michigan’s two losses. Michigan avenged the loss with a 76-74 overtime win. ESPN the Magazine’s crew was on hand for its “One Day, One Game” issue in which the magazine flies in its writers and photographers for a comprehensive breakdown of that one game. The last issue documented the showdown between Alabama and LSU in college football last November.
Game of the week
No. 3 Michigan travels to the Kohl Center to play Wisconsin on Saturday. Michigan will be hungry after losing its top spot in the rankings, but the Badgers rarely go down easy at home.
Ethan and Thomas can be reached at [email protected].
