Around the Big Ten: Notes, quotes and fast facts from around the league

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By Steve Batterson | Tuesday, January 8, 2008 1:02 AM CST | () comments

Not a perfect ending

A perfect road trip didn’t have a perfect ending for Penn State basketball coach Ed DeChellis.

The Nittany Lions did open Big Ten play with wins at Northwestern and Illinois, staying nearly a week in the Land of Lincoln before returning home after Sunday’s win over the Fighting Illini.

“We took the team to the movies on Friday night in Champaign and after my wife picked me up at the airport, she reminded me that I hadn’t taken her to the movies in a couple of years,’’ DeChellis said. “I’m sure I’ll end up paying for that, but otherwise it was a great trip.’’

DeChellis said that because Penn State is on break, there really was no need to return to State College, Pa., after Wednesday’s game at Northwestern. Instead, the group practiced Thursday at Evanston, Ill., then bussed to Champaign, Ill., for Sunday’s game.

The Nittany Lions worked out at the Assembly Hall on Friday and Saturday and spent some “quality team time’’ together before extending their winning streak to seven games with an effort which illustrated that this is a different Penn State team.

“Their guards give them quickness that they haven’t had the past few seasons,’’ Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. “Everybody knows about (Geary) Claxton and (Jamelle) Cornley, but (Talor) Battle and is really making them go.’’

Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said the improved surrounding cast makes the Nittany Lions (10-4) more difficult to defend.

“They’ve had some good guards in the past and Claxton and Cornley are better with experience, but they can all run now and that really helps them,’’ Carmody said.

Hoosiers miss Bassett

Although he said it seemed a little strange to have a weekend off so early in the conference season, Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson said the bye might have come at a good time for the Hoosiers.

Indiana is without its most experienced guard, Armon Bassett. The Big Ten’s second-best 3-point shooter is dealing with bone chips in an ankle that kept him off the court in the Hoosiers’ final non-conference game and limited him to 3 minutes Wednesday at Iowa.

“It’s something he will have to have surgery on at some point, but we need his experience on the floor,’’ Sampson said. “We missed it at Iowa and not having him is a big blow for us.’’

Sampson said Bassett is doubtful for tonight’s game at Michigan.

A welcome addition

With the paperwork complete, Weber finally was able to welcome Kentucky transfer Alex Legion to the Illinois program on Monday.

“It’s a nice, unexpected addition to get a top 25, 50 player added to the freshman class. He was obviously known as a scorer in high school and that is obviously something we need,’’ Weber said.

“We could use him now, but because he won’t be eligible until (the end of the fall semester next season), all we can hope is that he works hard to improve other areas of his game.’’

T-time

Michigan State’s Tom Izzo picked up a technical in Saturday’s win against Minnesota for protesting a charge called under the Spartans’ basket.

Izzo said he would like to see the NCAA institute a semi-circle around the rim where blocks and charges could not be called, similar to one in use in professional basketball.

“If nothing else, I feel like that would make it an easier game for the officials to work. There definitely would be some benefit to it,’’ Izzo said.

By the numbers

6

Number of Big Ten teams that have attempted fewer free throws than the 270 that Indiana has made this season

5.5

League-leading average number of blocks Michigan is recording per game, an effort led by Ekpe Udoh’s average of 2.86 a game

Around the league

Illinois: The Fighting Illini’s ongoing three-game losing streak at the Assembly Hall is Illinois’ longest since the end of the 1998-99 season, when Illinois last its final three Big Ten home games to finish 3-13 in the league.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes expect their largest crowd of the season when Michigan State visits on Saturday. Around 3,000 tickets remain available for the 7:30 p.m. game.

Northwestern: Kevin Coble, the Wildcats’ leading scorer and rebounder last season, has rejoined the team after spending the first semester with his family as his mother underwent cancer treatments.

Wisconsin: With a win at Michigan last week, the Badgers became the first Big Ten team to collect three road wins this season. Wisconsin is 10-4 on the road over the last two seasons.

This week’s best

Matchups of interest in the Big Ten during the week:

Today: Indiana at Michigan, 6 p.m., ESPN

Wednesday: Iowa at Ohio State,

6 p.m., Big Ten Network

Thursday: Illinois at Wisconsin,

8 p.m., ESPN

Saturday: Michigan State at Iowa, 7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network

Sunday: Illinois at Indiana,

3:30 p.m., WHBF, Ch. 4