Big Ten Power Rankings: Focus On Areas Needing Improvement
Posted by KTrahan on January 18th, 2013This is the tenth installment of our weekly Big Ten Power Rankings which we will publish each Friday. This week’s voters were Deepak Jayanti, Joey Nowak and Kevin Trahan of the Big Ten Microsite.
In this week’s Big Ten power rankings we discuss each team’s week and look at the area each team needs to improve the most.
1. Michigan — After the loss to Ohio State, there were questions as to whether this young Michigan team could win big games on the road. That question was answered with a very impressive win at Minnesota. The Wolverines jumped out early and built on their lead in the second half, using stifling defense to turn the Gophers over and get points in transition. The loss to the Buckeyes was disappointing, but Michigan almost came back and won that game, and the Wolverines still looked like the better team at times. Wisconsin is technically leading the conference now, but Michigan looks to be in the best shape to win it. Area most needing improvement: It’s really tough to fault the Michigan frontcourt after how it played against Minnesota, but that group still needs to be more consistent after a weak showing against Ohio State. The Wolverines are guard-oriented and have a number of impressive shooters, but they still need to have stability inside.
John Beilein’s Club Appears to be the Class of the Big Ten
2. Minnesota — Should the Gophers be ranked ahead of Indiana despite losing to them in Bloomington? Minnesota’s three losses came to Duke, Michigan and IU, each of which definitely deserves to be ranked in the top 10 in the nation. But Indiana’s losses came to Butler and Wisconsin, two very good teams but not necessarily great at this point of the season. Because we are purely using that argument, the Gophers edge the Hoosiers slightly in this week’s power rankings. Area most needing improvement: Tough to pick a specific area of improvement for the Gophers but if we are really nitpicking, they could use more production from their bench. Maverick Ahanmisi (4.3 PPG) and Julian Welch (3.3 PPG) can give more breathing room to the starting guards during the tough Big Ten season by contributing more during the “easier” games. But most of it is out of their control because head coach Tubby Smith prefers a very tight rotation during the important games.
3. Wisconsin — The Badgers are rising fast through the rankings. If you weren’t convinced with their dominant win over the Illini, you should be after the stunner that they pulled off in Bloomington. But we’ll still keep them ranked at No. 3 for now because of their losses early in the season. Having said that, if they beat Iowa on the road, we may bump them up over Indiana. Area most needing improvement: This one is easy for the Badgers — free throw shooting. Ryan Evans is shooting 38% from the line and as a team and the Badgers as a whole shoot 62%. That is just unacceptable and very unusual for a Bo Ryan-coached team that’s known for their disciplined approach to the game.
4. Indiana — After Michigan’s loss to Ohio State, Indiana looked prime to take over the top spot in the Big Ten. However, the Hoosiers had their second disappointing loss of the season, this time to Wisconsin. Indiana let the Badgers control the pace of the game and couldn’t get in transition, which meant the Hoosiers never found any rhythm. IU will have a chance to rebound at Northwestern on Sunday, and while the Hoosiers still are a top candidate to win the Big Ten, they can’t have home losses like this one. Area most needing improvement: There isn’t a lot to pick out here, but the three-point shooting must be on for IU to win big games. Wisconsin did a good job taking away that threat. The Hoosiers must find a way to knock down big shots in the halfcourt when they can’t get in transition, including threes.
5. Ohio State — So after some of our doubts about Ohio State walking through its cupcake schedule came to fruition in a loss at Illinois, the Buckeyes have responded like a championship-caliber team. They were, at times, dominant against Michigan in a must-win home game and also handled Purdue. We all know how lethal Deshaun Thomas can be, but it’s always going to be about his supporting cast. They’re going to need Aaron Craft to fulfill his role as floor general to a greater extent, particularly in hostile environments like the one they’ll face Saturday in East Lansing. Area most needing improvement: Ohio State is one of just two teams (the other Purdue) with only one player ranking in the conference’s top 30 in scoring. Deshaun Thomas leads the Big Ten with 20.3 PPG, but he doesn’t have any help. It’s like a broken record, but the Buckeyes have to find another consistent scoring threat.
6. Michigan State — The Spartans took care of the business they needed to after dropping their conference opener by winning four straight against some of the conference’s lesser foes. Now, the gauntlet comes. It’s make-or-break time for a team that still has plenty to shore up on both ends of the floor. If Adreian Payne can play the way he did in the second half against Penn State — and help the team avoid any other off-the-court distractions the rest of the way — and Keith Appling continues to lead this team, the Spartans can make a push. But they must defend home court, starting Saturday against Ohio State. Area most needing improvement: The Spartans, at times, have been terribly turnover-prone (they’re 11th in the conference in turnover margin). They have some guys who are either too careless with the ball or, at times, moving at a different speed than the rest of the team. But they’ve demonstrated how good they can be when they’re not turning the ball over (like on Wednesday) and that’s an issue that must be remedied quickly.
The Izzone Will be Rocking This Weekend vs. OSU
7. Illinois — Tough week for the Illini as they got thumped in Madison and at home against Northwestern. The loss to Wisconsin was not completely surprising in hindsight because the Badgers are a very good team (ask the Hoosiers) but it was interesting to see how clueless the Illini were on the offense. For the loss to Northwestern, there are no excuses. Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson need to find alternative ways to score, otherwise they will drop in the polls (and our power rankings!) and may even be considered a bubble team in early March. Area most needing improvement: The Illini guards need to move the ball more before hoisting shots from beyond the arc. They can continue to rely on the long-range shot because they don’t have an inside presence but they need to improve their ball movement.
8. Iowa — After two heartbreakers at home and a blowout loss at Michigan, Iowa finally picked up a Big Ten win with a 70-50 drubbing of Northwestern in Evanston. The Hawkeyes have started to get more contributions from Melsahn Basabe and Aaron White, who both starred against the Wildcats, and now a big test looms against Wisconsin. The Badgers are 4-0 in the conference, but Iowa swept them last year, and the Hawkeyes had success when they were able to get in transition. Saturday’s home game against the Badgers is big, since a match-up with Ohio State in Columbus is next. Area most needing improvement: With Basabe stepping up and Adam Woodbury giving good minutes from time to time, Iowa’s problems in the frontcourt have improved. Now, the Hawkeyes must find a way to be more consistent from beyond the arc. Josh Oglesby seems to be getting in more of a groove, but Iowa could use some other players — namely Mike Gesell and Devyn Marble — to step up from beyond the three-point line.
9. Northwestern — Just when everyone thought Northwestern’s season was over, the Wildcats go to Champaign and beat Illinois by 14. The game was never in doubt, as Bill Carmody’s team controlled it from start to finish. Carmody had called on his veterans to step up and they did so in a big way — Reggie Hearn had 22 points, Jared Swopshire had 12, Alex Marcotullio had 12 and Dave Sobolewski had 10. The veterans will need to continue to step up as the young guys continue to learn, but NU proved that it won’t always be an easy out in Big Ten play. Area most needing improvement: Even in the win at Illinois, Northwestern’s frontcourt struggled. Both freshman centers had rough games — Mike Turner had zero points and five fouls, while Alex Olah had just two points. Both have shown bright spots, but they’ve yet to be successful on a consistent basis.
10. Purdue — Considering the talented players on this team, it’s amazing how badly this team shoots the ball. Purdue ranks 232nd in the country in field goal shooting (42 percent) and 213th in overall scoring (66.1 PPG). But their rebounding and defense keep them in games, and they could find themselves heating up a little bit toward the end of January. Area most needing improvement: The Boilermakers have plenty enough talent that they’re going to find themselves in plenty of games down the stretch. But in order to pull those out, they’re going to need to make free throws. And, as it stands, they’re the No. 11 team in the conference in free throw percentage (63 percent, ahead of only Wisconsin).
11. Nebraska — If there were ever a year for moral victories, this would be it. Tim Miles has a tough rebuilding project in Lincoln, but he’s done a solid job so far this year even though the Huskers are still looking for their first Big Ten win. Nebraska played toe-to-toe with Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State, and the Huskers have a chance to pick up their first Big Ten win this weekend against Penn State. Don’t expect Miles’ team to make any noise in the league race, but they could play spoiler for someone. Area most needing improvement: Nebraska’s defense has been very impressive this year, but the offense has really struggled. The Huskers don’t have anyone who can consistently score points, which is why they’ve struggled to hit big shots down the stretch in their upset bids.
12. Penn State — Could it be? The chance at the Nittany Lions’ first Big Ten win of the season this weekend? It has to be. Penn State won’t get a better chance than Saturday at an easy victory with Nebraska coming to town. Beyond that, nothing will come easy. D.J. Newbill and Jermaine Marshall continue to be one of the best tandems in the conference, but get no help beyond that. Area most needing improvement: Where to begin? How about with the most important statistic for this conference: defense. The Nittany Lions are last in scoring defense and 3-point defense, and 11th in field goal percentage defense. This season has to be all about growth, and that’s a good place for Patrick Chambers to start.
