Feb. 11, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

No. 1 is a Lonely Number: Purdue became only the second team to defeat Wisconsin at the Kohl Center during Bo Ryan's tenure, earning its ninth win in a row and securing the conference lead. Purdue is 10-1 in Big Ten play for the first time since the 1987-88 season. With a 19-5 overall record, the Boilermakers are off to their best start since going 19-4 during the 1997-98 season. The Boilermakers are led by a tandem of freshmen--E'Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel, averaging 11.2 and 10.9 points per game, respectively. On the boards, Hummel leads, pulling down 5.7 caroms per contest. The Boilers rank first in conference-only games in three-point field goal percentage (41 percent), blocks (4.61 per game) and assists-to-turnover ratio (1.24).

Top Conference Teams Meet in Key Matchups This Week: The top four teams in the Big Ten will square off in pivotal matchups this week that could change the landscape of the conference's leaderboard and have Big Ten Tournament seeding implications and an outright conference title on the line. Things get started on Tuesday with a tilt in West Lafayette as conferenc-leader Purdue hosts fourth-place Michigan State. On Wednesday, third-place Wisconsin travels to Bloomington to meet second-place Indiana. It does not get any easier for the Hoosiers, as they host the Spartans on Saturday.

The Roaring 20's: Indiana and Michigan State have each racked up 20 wins this season. IU's Kelvin Sampson is now one of only two coaches who have posted 20 victories each of the last 11 years, joining Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), who has accomplished the feat 12 straight seasons. The Hoosiers have posted 28 20-win seasons since the inception of the program. This is the earliest IU has reached 20 wins in a season since the 1992-93 campaign, when the Hoosiers won their 20th game on Feb. 6 against Iowa. MSU's Tom Izzo has guided the Spartans to nine 20-win seasons in his 13-year tenure. This is also the earliest MSU has reached 20 wins in a season since the 1998-99 season, when the team won its 20th game on Feb. 6 against Iowa.

One Win Away: Wisconsin and Purdue are each one win away from a 20-win season. The Badgers have won at least 19 games in each of Bo Ryan's seven seasons. Prior to the 2001-02 season (Ryan's first), UW had just four 19-win seasons in 103 years. Wisconsin has produced eight 20-win seasons since its inception. The Boilers have won at least 19 games 21 times in the 109-year history of the program. A 20-win season would give third-year head coach Matt Painter the second of his tenure after finishing the 2006-07 campaign with a 22-12 record.

White Hot: In addition to scoring 21 points Sunday against Ohio State, Indiana's D.J. White grabbed 13 rebounds for his 15th double-double in his last 19 games. Of his 13 rebounds, six were on the offensive end; the second time in the last three games he has grabbed six offensive boards. It also marked the 10th time in White's career that he surpassed the 20-point, 10-rebound mark in a game, seven of those coming this season. White is the conference's leading rebounder, averaging 10.7 boards per contest. He is the second-leading scorer in the conference, producing 17.6 points per game. The preseason All-Big Ten honoree has garnered conference player of the week accolades four times this season and is on the midseason list for both the Wooden and Naismith awards.

Race for the Scoring Title: Indiana's Eric Gordon and D. J. White are neck and neck in the sprint to the conference scoring title. Gordon has led the Big Ten all season, currently averaging 21.3 points per game in overall statistics and 19.8 ppg in conference-only games. White follows closely, averaging 17.6 points in all games and 19.5 points per contest in conference matchups. Ranked first and second in the Big Ten in scoring, the Hoosier duo bids to become the first Big Ten teammates to finish first and second in scoring since Michigan's Glen Rice and Gary Grant finished first and second in the conference in 1987-88.

Nation's Top Teams: Four Big Ten squads are ranked in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls this week. Michigan State is the highest-ranked team checking in at No. 10 in the AP poll and ninth in the Coaches poll. Indiana ranks 13th and 12th, respectively as the Hoosiers continue to be ranked among the top-15 to date. Wisconsin rounds out the nation's top 15 appearing as No. 15 in the AP poll and 14th in the Coaches poll. After being ranked for the first time this season in last week's AP poll, Purdue makes a back-to-back appearance, checking in at No. 19. In addition, the Boilermakers debut in the Coaches poll at No. 23 for the first time this season. The Big Ten is tied with the Big 12 as each conference has four representatives in both of this week's polls. The Big East leads all conferences with five teams appearing on both polls.

Morrissey and Neitzel Earn Academic All-District Honors: Penn State's Danny Morrissey and Michigan State's Drew Neitzel have been selected to the 2007-08 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team. The red-shirt junior guard claims PSU's first All-District II recognition since Tyler Smith in 2002. The Nittany Lion basketball team has had six selections in its history. MSU senior guard Neitzel is an All-District IV selection, marking the fifth time a Spartan has been tabbed. To be nominated, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher. Morrissey and Neitzel are now eligible for Academic All-America honors which will be announced in early March.

2008 Senior CLASS Award Finalists: Michigan State's Drew Neitzel has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, presented annually to a senior basketball player who excels both on and off the court. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bring. The award was conceived by sportscaster Dick Enberg, who continues to serve as Honorary Chairman. The winner will be announced during the men's Final Four weekend.

30-Plus Point Performances: Illinois' Demetri McCamey became the latest Big Ten standout to record 30 or more points this season. McCamey tallied a career-high 31 points against Indiana on Feb. 7 in a double overtime game. During the 2007-08 season, five different players have tallied 30-plus point performances, including Indiana's Eric Gordon, who leads the conference with three games of 30 or more points. Northwestern's Kevin Coble, Ohio State's Jamar Butler and Michigan State's Raymar Morgan have all put up 30 or more points. Coble has the best performance of the quintet, scoring 34 versus Michigan on Jan. 12.