- Was anyone else surprised to learn that recent NU walk-on Austin Nichols is black? I definitely had him pegged as a whitey.
- Look, I love Drew Crawford as much as any 'Cat fan, but some people need to calm down a bit when discussing him leaving early for the NBA. I don't think he's even on the radar screen of any NBA scouts, as indicated by this big board that doesn't even have him in the top 100 prospects. I guess there's a very small chance that if he keeps developing, he could be considered a first round pick after his junior year and leave then, but I wouldn't bet on it. I know NU fans haven't seen a freshman like him in a long time if ever, but let's keep our heads please.
- Wisconsin's performance last night against Michigan State was one of the most flawless displays of basketball I have ever seen. That was about as close to a perfect game as a team can come, what an impressive win. And with Kalin Lucas leaving the game with what looked like a serious ankle sprain, the Spartans no longer look like such a lock to win the conference. Of course, I stupidly picked Michigan State against the spread last night, I knew it was a bad idea at the time but did it anyways. Thankfully I continued my hot streak of picking Northwestern games accurately, so my overall record didn't take too big of a hit.
Season Records
Big Ten games: 17-18-2
Northwestern games: 12-2
Penn State at Ohio State (-14.5). 5:30 PM, BTN
I strongly dislike giving this many points in a conference game, but I can't pick against Ohio State here given how dominant they have been at home with Turner healthy, and given how bad Penn State is.
Pick: Ohio State
Illinois at Iowa (+4.5), 7:30 PM, BTN
Their stinker at Michigan notwithstanding, Iowa has been playing pretty well lately, and Illinois has not shown they can win big on the road even against the bottom of the league. It wouldn't surprise me too much if Iowa won, as this is a trap game for Illinois with a home date against Michigan State looming Saturday.
Pick: Iowa