Rush The Court

In the aftermath of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, we might have expected to learn a great deal about Big Ten teams as they matched up against foes that were generally their peers. In the big picture, however, what that means to the Big Ten race remains a mystery. Wisconsin appears to be a notch or two above everyone else despite losing to Duke. Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State each has its fair share of issues. There are seven or eight other teams that have decent chances to become NCAA Tournament teams. As we head into the slowdown of finals and the Christmas holiday season, here’s a brief snapshot of one takeaway per squad after their Challenge contests.

• Illinois: Taking 30 three-pointers probably isn’t a good idea for this team. Ahmad Starks and Aaron Cosby won’t combine to shoot 15.4 percent very often, but Nnanna Egwu shooting three bombs by himself probably isn’t a good idea for future success.
• Indiana: Emmitt Holt has been a borderline revelation, leading the team in scoring and giving Tom Crean another solid freshman to rely upon. Having only nine turnovers is something the Hoosiers should try to bottle for use all season.
• Iowa: Telling Mike Gesell that his former AAU teammate Marcus Paige is on the other team every single game might just get him to play like a First Team All-B1G selection.

• Maryland: Getting 1.07 points per possession against Virginia could be considered a moral victory without Dez Wells and Evan Smotrycz in the lineup. Check back on the Terps when they have their whole roster intact.
• Michigan: Ricky Doyle is quietly becoming the best big man on the Wolverines’ roster. Look for more minutes out of him as he continues to outplay Marc Donnal.
• Michigan State: No bad losses for Sparty to this point, but no more opportunities for a quality non-conference win. Much like Maryland, check back when this team is fully healthy to make a complete judgment.

• Nebraska: Terran Petteway and Shavon Shields scored 46 of the team’s 70 points in Tallahassee. A third option needs to emerge soon or the Huskers will be in trouble.
• Northwestern: Other than saying that falling behind by a 20-2 margin at home is never a good idea, the Wildcats need to figure out a way get back to a lock-down defense, since they are still light years behind where Chris Collins wants them on the offensive end.
• Ohio State: Things looked much better in the second half against Louisville, but can Shannon Scott shake off a horrible game where he spent most of the last 20 minutes on the bench due to ineffectiveness?
• Penn State: DJ Newbill continues to make his case for postseason honors, leading the team in scoring for the eighth straight game. The defense is still a mess at times, and letting players like Joey van Zegeran do whatever they want inside does not foretell good times in league play.
• Purdue: AJ Hammons is starting to come along, but he doesn’t really need to be a go-to scorer for this team anymore. The Boilermakers won’t lose too many games if Hammons and Isaac Haas combine for 28 points and 12 rebounds like they notched against North Carolina State.
• Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights pulled off the upset off the event by beating Clemson on the road. Myles Mack bringing eight assist/zero turnover nights to bear will help Rutgers win many more games than they’re supposed to.
• Wisconsin: Duke is really good, so it’s not panic time in Madison. But Sam Dekker continues to not live up to the hype (five points on only five shots), whether because of injury or something else. If he’s not healthy all season, the Badgers could really stumble.