Each week there are ten conference games in the Big Ten. Five games occur during the week, while the other five are played on the weekend. Minnesota and Indiana were the two teams from the conference that only played one game this week, since the conference has an odd number of teams at 11. Both these teams lost their only game this past week, while Iowa was the only team to lose both their games and this was only by a combined six points. Purdue and Northwestern both had big weeks, going 2-0 in their respective games. The other six teams all went 1-1 on the week, with Michigan being the only team to win on the road in that group. Some may call the Big Ten as conference with great parity. While this may be partially true, I think it has more to do with the great depth of the league and improvement at the bottom of the conference.
Teams play in hot and cold spurts, as do players. This week's topic describes players that are playing well, and those that are not. As it so happens, and unintentionally I might add, I selected players from only five teams for this article. I will highlight five players who are hot and five who are not. Purdue, Michigan State, Penn State, Michigan, and Iowa are the five teams that were chosen from: each having one player who is hot and another who is not. With only two weeks left in the conference season, before the Big Ten Tournament, teams may be relying on these players who have been playing exceptional basketball. But it is equally important for these players that have not been playing to their potential to step up, in order for their team to be at full strength. The players that are highlighted here were selected because of their recent play and trends over the past several weeks.
Who's Hot:
E'Twaun Moore, Guard, Purdue
After scoring a career-high 38 points in a win over Ohio State on Sunday, it is safe to say that E'Twaun Moore is hot. In fact, he was sizzling. Moore scored more points in that game than any other Big Ten player has scored in a conference game this season. He did not just start playing well Sunday though. Moore is averaging 25.5 points over the past four games, all of which Purdue won. He has shot 52.5 percent from the field in this stretch, along with a 57.7 three point percentage. Moore is averaging 18.6 points, which is 1.8 points behind JaJuan Johnson's average. If Moore were to somehow pass Johnson, he would become the first Boilermaker player ever to lead his team in scoring for four straight seasons. Moore was also highlighted on SportsCenter with the top play of the week. On this play, Moore threw up an acrobatic lay-up by doing an up-and-under through the defender and somehow made the shot. While scoring 38 points every night may be asking too much, do not be surprised to see Moore scoring 20-plus points from here on out. Between Moore and Johnson, Purdue has a dynamic duo that will make them a tough out in the NCAA Tournament.
Kalin Lucas, Guard, Michigan State
Through all of the Michigan State turmoil this season, one thing has remained steady: the play of Kalin Lucas. Although the 6-foot-1 senior guard may be a step or two slower than he was two years ago, in his Big Ten Player of the Year season, he has still managed to find ways to help himself and his teammates. Over the past seven games, Lucas has averaged 21.7 points. He has scored at least 14 points in all of those games, and dropped 25 on Illinois on Saturday night. While his three point percentage is only at 38.7%, Lucas makes up for it by getting to the foul line nearly five times a game and converting 80.2% of his attempts from there. While he leads the Spartans in scoring, he is also second in assists and steals behind do-it-all junior Draymond Green. At 7-7 in Big Ten play, MSU is squarely on the bubble. For Lucas' senior season to not be a complete disappointment, he will need to rally the Spartans in this final stretch to assure themselves at least a chance at yet another March run.
Talor Battle, Guard, Penn State
It is no surprise that Talor Battle is playing well. But the level that he is playing at right now is beyond good. He has been spectacular in hopes of getting Penn State to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in his career. While the chances of that look slim now, Battle still is playing his heart out. He has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, and is averaging 24.0 points over the past five games. Battle is 14-for-27 from the three point arc in the last two games, showing off his tremendous range. He is also second on the Nittany Lion team in assists behind Tim Frazier, while still averaging 4.4 rebounds. By season's end, Battle should become the top scorer in Penn State basketball history, an impressive feat. Battle cannot get Penn State to the promised land by himself though. He will need the help of his three fellow senior starters to get them there. Expect Battle to continue to play with the sense of urgency, knowing that this will be his last go around.
Tim Hardaway Jr., Guard, Michigan
After struggling to find his way early on in Big Ten play, Hardaway Jr. has definitely settled in. The freshman scored a career-high 30 points in an overtime win at Iowa on Saturday. He is averaging 22.0 points over the past three games, and has scored in double figures in nine straight. Hardaway Jr. shot 22-for-34 in that three game stretch, including 9-for-15 from three point land. He also made all seven free of his throw attempts in Saturday's game, and showed poise while playing in a tough road environment in the Big Ten. While Michigan is currently on the outside of the bubble, sweeping their final three regular season games could definitely change that. The Wolverines host Wisconsin and Michigan State, while also playing at Minnesota. Winning all three of those games would be a tall task, but is definitely not impossible. Regardless of what happens, Michigan has been a great surprise to the college basketball nation. Much of this can be credited to Hardaway Jr., who has also shown his athleticism with some explosive dunks over the course of the year. Michigan's future looks bright, since they have no seniors on their current roster and will therefore not be sneaking up on anyone next year.
Melsahn Basabe, Forward, Iowa
Although Basabe has played excellent in his freshman season, he has been criticized due to his inconsistency. Playing inconsistent is not a new phenomenon for freshman in college basketball though. Basabe has started to find his way the past few weeks, averaging 13.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in a five-game stretch. Basabe scored in double figures in all but one of those games, and picked up double-doubles in two of them. He leads the Hawkeyes in rebounding and blocked shots, while being their second leading scorer behind Matt Gatens. Although Iowa has not had the success of say Michigan this season, they are still a very young team like the Wolverines. They only play one senior in their rotation, and the sky seems to be the limit for Basabe. He is a great athlete, as well as a great steal for Iowa. When Fran McCaffrey took the job at Iowa, Basabe decommitted from Siena to come play in Iowa City. The biggest negative trait he currently possesses is that he tends to get into foul trouble. He fouled out, while only playing 17 minutes in a loss to Minnesota last week. If he can stay on the floor and out of foul trouble, Basabe will be a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten for the next three years.
Who's Not:
Ryne Smith, Guard, Purdue
For the first four Big Ten games this season, Smith averaged 17.0 points. He shot 18-for-27 (66.7%) from three-point range in that four game stretch and had become Purdue's third scoring option. Since then, over the past twelve games, he has only scored in double figures once. He has been held scoreless three times, and is only 2-for-11 from behind the arc in the past four games. Granted, he is not getting as many open looks, but he has been unable to knock down the few looks he does get. A positive to take away from Smith's play though, is that he has not committed a turnover in six games, and has only turned the ball over three times in Big Ten play. As a guard, who does a fair amount of ball handling, this is a remarkable statistic. Fortunate for Smith, Lewis Jackson has stepped in as Purdue's third scorer. But unlike Smith, Jackson is not a threat from deep. If Smith can find his stroke, Purdue will be loaded on the offensive end.
Durrell Summers, Guard, Michigan State
Summers started his senior season strong, scoring in double figures in 14 of the first 15 games. Since then, Summers has struggled mightily. He hasn't scored in double figures since Jan. 30 against Indiana, where he buried 17 points. This current stretch of poor play has encompassed five games, in which Summers has averaged 5.8 points. He is shooting 25.7% over the course of these games, and the once athletic slasher has turned completely into a jump shooter. Summers will be the first to admit he has played poorly, saying that he is "like a D-League college player." He also has not been distributing the ball out either as he only averages 0.5 assists. In last Tuesday's loss to Ohio State, Summers only played 16 minutes. This was by far the least he has played in any game this season. For Michigan State to make the NCAA Tournament, Summers will need to elevate his game. Otherwise, they will miss out on the Big Dance after making two straight trips to the Final Four. Summers can surely gain more confidence in his shot and overall game if he starts taking the ball to the basket and showing off his tremendous leaping ability, like he has done for the past few seasons.
Andrew Jones III, Forward, Penn State
Jones' statistics are nearly identical over the past three seasons. He averages 6.0 points and 5.6 rebounds, nothing to be ashamed of. While this shows consistency, it also shows lack of improvement since his sophomore year. Jones does not shoot all that often, but is a career 54.8% shooter. He has only averaged 3.2 points and 3.0 rebounds over the past five games, after starting off the Big Ten season strong with 16 and 12 point efforts in home upsets over Michigan State and Illinois, respectively. He also had games where he pulled down 10 and 14 rebounds consecutively, against Iowa and Wisconsin. Jones was only able to play 15 minutes in a win over Minnesota last week because he picked up two quick fouls to start the game. Then on Sunday, he went 0-for-1 from the field, scored one point, grabbed one rebound, and dished out one assist in a loss to Wisconsin, where he was virtually invisible out there. Jones has shown explosiveness and a knack for picking up offensive rebounds during his career. Penn State does not need him to be a big time scorer, but if he can start doing some of the dirty work then this team will be much better off.
Zack Novak, Forward, Michigan
Novak was highlighted as a sneaky scorer just four weeks ago, because of his consistent scoring efforts. The junior, who averages 8.9 points, has recently fallen into a slump. He has not scored more than ten points in any of his past six games, and is averaging 5.3 points in this stretch. He is 0-for-9 from behind the arc in his past two games, and shot a miserable 0-for-10 from the field this past Saturday against Iowa. While Novak is not a great scorer, he can usually be counted on to make the open three pointer or get an offensive rebound put back. He does continue to rebound phenomenally for his 6-foot-4 stature, averaging 5.5 rebounds in this same six game stretch. On the season, he is averaging 5.9 rebounds. As an upperclassmen, something that Michigan's lacks, Novak is a leader for this team. If he can get back to his consistent play that was evident earlier this season, maybe Michigan can sneak into the NCAA Tournament. And if not, expectations for this season have already been greatly surpassed and as they say, "There's always next year."
Eric May, Forward, Iowa
After averaging 9.0 points last year and making the All Freshman Team for the Big Ten, Eric May was expected to follow up with a great sophomore season. While it has not been a total disappointment for him, his scoring average is down to 8.3 points this year. Over the past four games, May has scored two, five, two, and three points, respectively. This comes out to an average of 3.0 points, not nearly enough for the guy who may be Iowa's best athlete. May is not a great outside shooter, but he had success taking the ball to the basket last season and has sometimes shied away from doing that this year. He only averages 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists, so scoring was definitely the strength in his game. May only played 18 minutes, while fouling out in Iowa's loss to Michigan on Saturday. Whether this is just a sophomore slump or lack of confidence, May will need a better junior season if the Iowa program is to be turned around. May has all of the tools to be a good player in this conference, which he showed off by scoring in double figures for six straight games back in November and December. May has great hops, and has often been the beneficiary of great passes that he stuffs down on an alley-oop. Expect May to start playing better for the remainder of the season, assuming that he still gets his regular playing time.