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Official 2006 Big Ten Tournament Discussion Thread

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Penn State ousts Northwestern from tourney

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Geary Claxton had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Penn State's zone defense stymied cold-shooting Northwestern 60-42 in the first round of the Big Ten Conference tournament on Thursday.

The victory sent Penn State (15-13) into the quarterfinals on Friday against No. 7 Ohio State, the tournament's top seed. The Buckeyes beat the Nittany Lions 72-69 in the first round last year.

Northwestern (14-15), which lost to Penn State in both regular-season meetings this year, was the Big Ten's lowest-scoring and worst 3-point shooting team, yet six of the Wildcats' first eight shots were from long range. Northwestern tied a tournament record with 31 3-point attempts for the game but missed 12 straight during one stretch of the second half, when Penn State built a 26-point lead.

The Nittany Lions outscored the Wildcats 17-3 for a 55-29 lead before Northwestern started hitting from outside.

Two straight 3-pointers by Mohamed Hachad, who led Northwestern with 16 points, and another 3-pointer by Evan Seacat helped cut Penn State's lead to 17 points with just over a minute to go.

Travis Parker and Mike Walker added 10 points each for Penn State. Vederan Vukusic, the Big Ten's scoring leader at 19.4 points a game this season, had 10 points for Northwestern but played much of the second half in foul trouble.

Penn State, winning its first game in the tournament since 2001, hit three straight 3-pointers and raced to a a 13-3 lead before a fast-break layup by Hachad gave Northwestern just its second basket in the first 10 minutes of the game.

Two straight scores by Claxton gave Penn State its biggest lead of the first half at 29-14 before the Vukusic's first basket. A 3-pointer by Seacat and another layup by Hachad cut the lead to seven points, but Claxton's rebound tip with 4 seconds to go put Penn State up 31-21 at the half.

The Wildcats came within eight points early in the final period before Penn State began pulling away. The final score marked the Nittany Lions' largest winning margin in their tournament history.

Northwestern shot just 32 percent for the game and hit only seven of their 31 shots from behind the arc.
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TSUN, who is a bubble team that's lost 6 of their last 8, is down 49-43 to Minny with about 6 minutes left.

With Syracuse beating UConn and GW getting beat by Temple, the Vulvarines need a win to get that 7th spot from the Big 10.
 
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I am a bit bummed that Michigan lost, only in that I hope to see 7 big ten teams in the tournament. I am also annoyed that the Big East may now have 8 in where it looked, before Syracuse's triumph, that they may only get 7. It would be nice to have the most from any conference. . .

I would rather face Indiana than Michigan in the tournament, though, and it appears that we will have penn state then Indiana. . .
 
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Minnesota has no chance unless they win the conference tournament. They did however lock up a spot in the NIT. It seems like a lot of people think Michigan may still be in, but they need the probable at larges to win their conference tournaments. It'll be interesting who to pick between Colorado, Michigan, Florida State, Maryland, Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Creighton, Northern Iowa, and Missourri State. I personally don't know who I'd take there.
 
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Dispatch

3/10/06

PENN STATE 60 | NORTHWESTERN 42

Penn State confident it can keep up with OSU

Friday, March 10, 2006

Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> MICHAEL CONROY | ASSOCIATED PRESS Jamelle Cornley, a freshman from Brookhaven, fights for a rebound with Tim Doyle of Northwestern. Cornley averages 11.5 points but scored five against the Wildcats.


INDIANAPOLIS — Penn State was embarrassed at Ohio State the first week in January, losing 104-69 in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

Sixteen days later, except for a few minutes at the start of the second half that gave the Buckeyes an 11-point lead on the way to an 11-point win, the Nittany Lions played with them.

That has the Lions believing they can take down the Big Ten tournament’s top seed today in a quarterfinal in Conseco Fieldhouse. Penn State (15-13), the eighth seed, earned the chance by dominating ninth-seeded Northwestern 60-42 in the first round yesterday.

"We can play with anybody," said Penn State forward Jamelle Cornley, a freshman from Brookhaven. "It’s just a matter of coming out and executing."

Penn State won three of its past five conference games to finish the Big Ten season 6-10, its best record in five years.

Also for the first time in five years, the Lions are not the No. 11 seed in the tournament.

"I think we’re a little better defensively. I think we’re a little better offensively" than they were the last time they played the Buckeyes, Nittany Lions coach Ed DeChellis said after his team shot 46.5 percent from the field against the Wildcats, limited them to 32 percent and limited Big Ten scoring champion Vedran Vukusic to 10 points.

"About three weeks ago, we figured out how to share the ball a little more and how to go inside-out a little more. I think we’re playing with a little more confidence. . . . We had three very good days of practice and they were looking forward to the tournament."

Five of Penn State’s top six players are in their first or second year in the program.

"Every game I think we get (more) mature and I think we get better,"

Cornley said. "We’re a lot more patient. We make the extra pass. I think we pass up good shots for great shots now. I think we’re a better team as far as executing."

Ohio State coach Thad Matta and assistants John Groce, Alan Major and Dan Peters scouted the Penn State game from the stands. Matta echoed DeChellis’ opinion of his team.

"Those young guys are gaining a lot more confidence," Matta said. "They are obviously more confident than the first time we played them. I think they’re playing really good basketball. We’ve got to defend them and keep the heat on them and hopefully make a shot or two."

[email protected]
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Dispatch

3/10/06

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT

Loss leaves Michigan on bubble

Friday, March 10, 2006


ASSOCIATED PRESS
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DARRON CUMMINGS | ASSOCIATED PRESS Daniel Horton of Michigan tries to drive on Rico Tucker of Minnesota in a Big Ten tournament first-round game.


Minnesota 59, Michigan 55 — Minnesota tried to hand Michigan a win yesterday in Indianapolis, but the Wolverines refused to take it and now they might be refused an NCAA Tournament bid.

The Golden Gophers made just 5 of 12 free throws in the final minute of their first-round Big Ten tournament game but still held on for the win.

The Wolverines (18-10) are on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament spot. They entered the game ranked 37 th in the Ratings Percentage Index but have lost seven of their past nine games.

"We don’t necessarily know," Michigan forward Graham Brown said. "We’re not in any committees, we’re not on any boards who make that kind of decision. We’re preparing for the best. If we get the opportunity to do so, we’re going to have to regroup and get ready to go. We have a chance."

Maurice Hargrow has 15 points and Zach Puchtel a career-high 15 rebounds for Minnesota (15-13), which plays Iowa today in a quarterfinal.

Dion Harris scored 16 and Daniel Harton 14 for Michigan.

"I’m certainly disappointed in us," Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "We have not played a good stretch of basketball as of late. It was a winnable game for both teams, the way the game was structured possession by possession."

The Gophers took their first lead, 33-31, on two Hargrow free throws with 14:45 left. They increased it to 47-38 on a dunk by Dan Coleman and never trailed again.

Leading scorer Vincent Grier struggled early, but coach Dan Monson said the Golden Gophers did the necessary things to make up for it.

"Other players have to be able to help your guys who have been there all year," he said. "I don’t think we played particularly great offensively, but it was one of our better defensive efforts."

Minnesota outrebounded Michigan 37-35 and forced 21 turnovers.

"I’m just proud of the effort, and I think it’s indicated by the fight they had for rebounds," Monson said. "They’re (Michigan) so athletic and big inside."

Michigan State 70, Purdue 58 —

Maurice Ager scored 20 points, redshirt freshman Goran Suton had a career-high 12 and Michigan State held off Purdue in a first-round game.

Suton, whose previous high was nine points, had two big rebound baskets after the Boilermakers cut a 15-point deficit to six in the closing minutes.

The Spartans then got their last six points at the free throw line, including the final two by Ager with 37 seconds left.

The win sent sixth-seeded Michigan State (21-10) into a quarterfinal today against No. 9-ranked Illinois, the third seed and defending tournament champion which has reached the final the past three years, winning in 2003 and 2005.

Gary Ware scored 20 points for Purdue (9-19), which has never won the conference tournament and was seeded 11 th.
The Boilermakers led 20-19 on two Matt Kiefer free throws, but Paul Davis responded with a dunk to give the Spartans the lead for good with six minutes remaining in the first half.
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Friday, March 10, 2006
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3/10/06

By Todd Schulz - For Sporting News

Ohio State figures to become a contender next season when a nationally touted recruiting class -- headlined by prodigy Greg Oden -- will hit Columbus.

Coach Thad Matta sees no reason to wait. He has surrounded senior center Terence Dials with four guards and squeezed big production out of the small lineup. The let-it-fly Buckeyes are streaky, but when their gunners -- including seniors Je'Kel Foster and J.J. Sullinger and sophomore Jamar Butler -- are on, this team becomes downright scary and is one that could stick around for a while in the NCAA Tournament.

"Contesting them doesn't distract them enough," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo says. "The old, 'get a hand up late so it looks to fans, media and coaches like you've done a heck of a job' -- you haven't really bothered the shot. If it's a rhythm shot, it's going in."

Dials (6-9, 260) is strong enough to bull to the basket, where he finishes with a soft touch. He has averaged 19.4 points and 10.6 rebounds in the past seven games and is a big reason the Buckeyes closed out the Big Ten regular-season title.

Dials is Ohio State's lone presence in the post. The Buckeyes aren't a good rebounding team; the 6-5 Sullinger often has to play power forward.

Conversely, Sullinger creates matchup problems for defenders because of his shooting and penetration abilities.

Foster can score in bunches, and his quick hands allow him to rack up deflections and steals on defense. Butler is a vastly improved point guard and an efficient scorer and distributor.

Ohio State fans understandably are eager for Oden and Co. to arrive.
But this season is proof that there are worse ways to kill time.
Inside the Big Ten

OHIO STATE: As good as he is, C Terence Dials can be a black hole. Imagine how good this team would be with more inside-out looks.
Opponents with two solid post threats could hurt the Buckeyes.

ILLINOIS PG Dee Brown and the defense have brought the Illini a long way. But the play of the supporting cast -- sharpshooters Rich McBride and Jamar Smith and big men James Augustine and Brian Randle -- will determine how much further they go. Illinois is a terrible free throw shooting team.

IOWA The Hawkeyes start three seniors and two juniors. PF Greg Brunner is a bear inside, and C Erek Hansen -- a 6-11 string bean -- can be a difference-maker as a shot blocker. This team does its best work in the halfcourt game, where Gs Jeff Horner and Adam Haluska can catch and shoot. Iowa lacks speed on the wings.

WISCONSIN SF Alando Tucker can take a defender to the hole or stick a jumper in his face. PG Kammron Taylor has struggled with turnovers and is a streaky shooter. But he'll make the big shot. Coach Bo Ryan's swing offense -- which has guards in the post and big guys on the perimeter -- relies on creating mismatches that materialize easier against man-to-man defenses.

MICHIGAN This team is deep, experienced and explosive, but there's a big question about its desire to defend. PG Daniel Horton is dangerous if he makes good decisions. PF Courtney Sims can go off -- or not show up.

MICHIGAN STATE With four starters averaging at least 31 minutes, fatigue is a major factor. PG Drew Neitzel, in particular, may be wearing down. SF Shannon Brown is the team's best player and toughest competitor. Neitzel will get open 3-point looks, and he must knock those down. The Spartans will be hurting without 6-6 PF Matt Trannon (jaw).

INDIANA C Marco Killingsworth is a load on offense but isn't a great defender. The Hoosiers play small -- with rock solid Robert Vaden (6-6) at power forward -- and try to win with their perimeter shooting and athleticism
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Could someone possibly explain the logic behind having the winners of the last two games today playing the early game tomorrow. That doesn't make any sense to me. The Illinois-MSU game might not end until 11:30, but they have to play at 1:30 tommorow, giving them about 14 hours between games. In comparison, OSU will have about 26 hours and the winner of the IU-Wisky game will get about 24.
 
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