With Big Ten play underway beginning on Friday night, take a tour of the league to help you know what to expect for the 2021-22 conference slate.
(All stats through Thursday games unless otherwise noted)
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: G- Ayo Dosunmu (20.1 ppg), G- Adam Miller (8.3 ppg), F- Giorgi Bezhanishvili (5.1 ppg), C- Jermaine Hamlin (1.0 ppg)
Who is back: C- Kofi Cockburn (26.8 ppg), G- Trent Frazier (8.4 ppg), G- Andre Curbelo (9.3 ppg), G- Da’Monte Williams (3.7 ppg), G/F- Jacob Grandison (10.5 ppg), F- Coleman Hawkins (9.7 ppg), G- Austin Hutcherson (3.7 ppg), C- Brandon Lieb (1.3 ppg)
Freshmen: F- Ramses Melendez (4.2 ppg, 4-star, No. 93), G- Luke Goode (3.6 ppg, 4-star, No. 100), G- Brandin Podziemski (.3 ppg, 4-star, No. 107)
Transfers in: F- Omar Payne (2.6 ppg), G- Alfonso Plummer (13.9 ppg)
THE COACH:
Brad Underwood is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Fighting Illini. He has had many other stops along the way, including beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Hardin-Simmons in 1986-87. However, Illinois is his third stop being a head coach, including stints at Stephen F. Austin from 2013-16 and Oklahoma State in 2016-17.
Underwood won three Southland regular season and tournament championships at Stephen F. Austin and was a three time Southland coach of the year. In 2014, he even won the Joe B. Hall coach of the year.
Looking into his time at Illinois more specifically, he is 76-58 with one NCAA Tournament appearance and one Big Ten Tournament championship.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 24-7 (16-4, 2nd in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 21-10 (13-7, 4th in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 12-21 (7-13, 10th in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 14-18 (4-14, 11th in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 20-15 (8-10, 9th in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 2/2/2021: 75-71 OT (Illinois Win)
- 12/26/2020: 69-60 (Illinois Win)
- 3/1/2020: 67-66 (Illinois Win)
- 3/7/2019: 92-74 (Indiana Win)
- 1/3/2019: 73-65 (Indiana Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
2/5/2022, 12:00 PM EST, Bloomington, IN
THE START:
- Record: 6-2 (1-0 Big Ten)
- KenPom offense: No. 23
- KenPom defense: No. 26
- Top-100 wins: Kansas State, Notre Dame, Rutgers
Illinois’ turnover rate of 23.4 percent is No. 322 in the country, and that is cutting into their opportunities on offense where they have a top-85 effective field goal percentage and top-10 offensive rebounding rate. The Illini played their first three games without All-American big man Kofi Cockburn.
IOWA HAWKEYES
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: F- Luka Garza (24.1 ppg), G- Joe Wieskamp (14.8 ppg), G- CJ Fredrick (7.5 ppg), F- Jack Nunge (7.1 ppg)
Who is back: G- Jordan Bohannon (11.4 ppg), F- Keegan Murray (24.6 ppg), F- Patrick McCaffery (11.4 ppg), G- Joe Toussaint (6.3 ppg), G- Connor McCaffery (1.1 ppg), G- Tony Perkins (8.3 ppg), G- Ahron Ulis (3.7 ppg), F- Josh Ogundele (.8 ppg), F- Kris Murray (11.7 ppg)
Freshmen: F- Payton Sandfort (8.3 ppg, 3-star, No. 171), C- Riley Mulvey (2.0 ppg, 3-star, No. 205)
Transfers-in: F- Filip Rebraca (6.1 ppg)
THE COACH:
Fran McCaffery is in his 12th season as the head coach of the Hawkeyes. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Penn in 1982-83. However, Iowa is his fourth head coaching job, including stints at Lehigh (1985-88), UNC Greensboro (1999-05), and Siena (2005-10).
McCaffery won one SoCon Tournament championship at UNC Greensboro, three MAAC regular season and tournament championships at Siena, and was the MAAC Coach of the year in 2009.
Looking into his time at Iowa more specifically, he is 223-152 with five NCAA Tournament appearances.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 22-9 (14-6, 3rd in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 20-11 (11-9, 5th in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 23-12 (10-10, 6th in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 14-19 (4-14, 11th in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 19-15 (10-8, 5th in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 2/7/2021: 67-65 (Indiana Win)
- 1/21/2021: 81-69 (Indiana Win)
- 2/13/2020: 89-77 (Indiana Win)
- 2/22/2019: 76-70 OT (Iowa Win)
- 2/7/2019: 77-72 (Iowa Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
1/13/2022, 9:00 PM EST, Iowa City, IA
THE START:
- Record: 7-1, 0-1 Big Ten
- KenPom offense: No. 3
- KenPom defense: No. 98
- Top-100 wins: Virginia
Iowa put their name on the map with a road win against Virginia this week. Their profile looks familiar, with high level offense and questionable defense, and that could ultimately prove to be an unsustainable model after losing Garza and Weiskamp.
Iowa lost to Purdue in their Big Ten opener.
MARYLAND TERRAPINS
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: G- Aaron Wiggins (14.5 ppg), G- Darryl Morsell (9.0 ppg), F- Jairus Hamilton (6.5 ppg), F- Galin Smith (3.7 ppg), C- Chol Marial (1.6 ppg), G- Aquan Smart (1.4 ppg)
Who is back: G- Eric Ayala (13.5 ppg), F- Donta Scott (10.4 ppg), G- Hakim Hart (7.0 ppg), G- Marcus Dockery (0 ppg), F- James Graham III (2.0 ppg)
Freshmen: F- Julian Reese (7.8 ppg, 4-star, No. 59), F- Ike Cornish (4-star, No. 113)
Transfers-in: G- Fatts Russell (12.3 ppg), F- Qudus Wahab (11.6 ppg), G- Xavier Green (1.4 ppg) G- Ian Martinez (4.6 ppg), F- Simon Wright (.6 ppg), F- Pavlo Dziuba (1 ppg)
THE COACH:
Maryland and Mark Turgeon announced a mutual parting of ways on Friday. Turgeon was in his 11th season as the head coach of the Terrapins. Assistant coach Danny Manning will run the program for the remainder of the season.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 17-14 (9-11, 8th in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 24-7 (14-6, 1st in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 23-11 (13-7, 5th in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 19-13 (8-10, 8th in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 24-9 (12-6, 2nd in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 1/4/2021: 63-55 (Indiana Win)
- 1/26/2020: 77-76 (Maryland Win)
- 1/4/2020: 75-59 (Maryland Win)
- 1/11/2019: 78-75 (Maryland Win)
- 1/22/2018: 71-68 (Indiana Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
1/29/2022, 2:30 PM EST, College Park, MD
2/24/2022, 7:00 PM EST, Bloomington, IN
THE START:
- Record: 5-3
- KenPom offense: No. 77
- KenPom defense: No. 43
- Top-100 wins: Richmond, Vermont
The Terrapins have struggled to score the ball against high major competition thus far, scoring just 55 and 58 points in losses to Louisville and Virginia Tech, respectively. The also lost on their home court to George Mason. The main culprit — Maryland is shooting just 26.8 percent from three.
MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: F- Isaiah Livers (13.1 ppg), F- Franz Wagner (12.5 ppg), G- Mike Smith (9.0 ppg), G- Chaundee Brown (8.0 ppg), F- Austin Davis (5.4 ppg)
Who is back: C- Hunter Dickinson (13.3 ppg), G- Eli Brooks (15.0 ppg), F- Brandon Johns Jr. (5.3 ppg), F- Terrance Williams II (5.1 ppg), F- Jace Howard (1.0 ppg), G- Zeb Jackson (0 ppg)
Freshmen: F- Caleb Houstan (8.7 ppg, 5-star, No. 10), C- Moussa Diabate (8.4 ppg, 5-star, No. 16), G- Frankie Collins (2.6 ppg, 4-star, No. 46), G- Kobe Bufkin (3.2 ppg, 4-star, No. 45), F- Isaiah Barnes (0 ppg, 4-star, No. 115), F- Will Tschetter (0 ppg, 3-star, No. 139)
Transfer-in: G- DeVante’ Jones (6.7 ppg at Coastal Carolina)
THE COACH:
Juwan Howard is in his third season as the head coach of the Wolverines. Before arriving at his alma mater, he was an assistant coach for the Miami Heat from 2013-19.
Howard has won one Big Ten regular season championship and Big Ten coach of the year award, both in 2021. He also won multiple coach of the year awards that year.
Looking into his time at Michigan more specifically, he is 46-20 with one NCAA Tournament appearance.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 23-5 (14-3, 1st in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 19-12 (10-10, 9th in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 30-7 (15-5, 3rd in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 33-8 (13-5, 4th in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 26-12 (10-8, 5th in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES WITH IU:
- 2/27/2021: 73-57 (Michigan Win)
- 2/16/2020: 89-65 (Michigan Win)
- 1/25/2019: 69-46 (Michigan Win)
- 1/6/2019: 74-63 (Michigan Win)
- 12/2/2017: 69-55 (Michigan Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
1/23/2022, TBD, Bloomington, IN
THE START:
- Record: 4-3
- KenPom offense: No. 27
- KenPom defense: No. 16
- Top-100 wins: Buffalo
Not the start many were expecting with losses to Seton Hall, Arizona and North Carolina. But this is a young team with a ton of talent that could gel as the season progresses. Turnover margin has been a major problem thus far.
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: F- Aaron Henry (15.4 ppg), G- Joshua Langford (9.7 ppg), G- Rocket Watts (7.7 ppg), G- Foster Loyer (4.2 ppg), F- Thomas Kithier (2.4 ppg)
Who is back: F- Joey Hauser (5.7 ppg), F- Gabe Brown (13.0 ppg), G- Malik Hall (9.8 ppg), F- Julius Marble II (6.8 ppg), F- Marcus Bingham Jr. (10.6 ppg), G- A.J. Hoggard (6.0 ppg), F- Mady Sissoko (1.3 ppg)
Freshmen: G– Max Christie (8.3 ppg, 5-star, No. 19), F- Pierre Brooks (1.7 ppg, 4-star, No. 60), G- Jaden Akins (5.3 ppg, 4-star, No. 52)
Transfers-in: G- Tyson Walker (5.1 ppg)
THE COACH:
Tom Izzo is in his 27th season as the head coach of the Spartans. He began his coaching career as head coach at Ishpeming High School from 1977-79.
Looking into his time at Michigan State more specifically, he is 649-256 with 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, 10 Big Ten regular season championships and six Big Ten Tournament championship. He also has eight Final Four appearances and has won the National Championship once, in 2000.
Izzo has also won numerous Big Ten and National Coach of the year awards throughout his Hall of Fame career.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 15-13 (9-11, 8th in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 22-9 (14-6, 1st in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 32-7 (16-4, 1st in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 30-5 (16-2, 1st in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 20-15 (10-8, 5th in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES WITH IU
- 3/2/2021: 64-58 (Michigan State Win)
- 2/20/2021: 78-71 (Michigan State Win)
- 1/23/2020: 67-63 (Indiana Win)
- 3/2/2019: 63-62 (Indiana Win)
- 2/2/2019: 79-75 (Indiana Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
2/12/2022, 3:30 PM EST, East Lansing, MI
THE START:
- Record: 6-2
- KenPom offense: No. 61
- KenPom defense: No. 2
- Top-100 wins: Butler, Loyola-Chicago, UConn, Louisville.
The Spartans have put together some nice early season wins, with their only losses coming to top-five teams (Kansas and Baylor). High end early season play by 7-footer Marcus Bingham is encouraging, but turnovers from the point guards is an area of concern.
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: G- Marcus Carr (19.4 ppg), C- Liam Robbins (11.7 ppg), G- Gabe Kalscheur (9.2 ppg), F- Brandon Johnson (8.9 ppg), G- Jamal Mashburn Jr. (8.2 ppg), G- Both Gach (6.8 ppg), G- Tre’ Williams (5.8 ppg), F- David Mutaf (3.3 ppg), G- Martice Mitchell (1.3 ppg), C- Sam Freeman (1.1 ppg), F- Jarvis Omersa (1.7 ppg)
Who is back: C- Eric Curry (6.8 ppg), F- Isaiah Ihnen (0 ppg)
Freshmen: C- Treyton Thompson (0 ppg, 3-star, No. 181)
Transfers-in: F- Jamison Battle (17.5 ppg), E.J. Stephens (11.0 ppg), G- Luke Loewe (6.2 ppg), G- Payton Willis (16.3 ppg), Sean Sutherlin (9.2 ppg), C- Charlie Daniels (1.5 ppg), G- Abdoulaye Thiam (1.3 ppg), Danny Ogele (0 ppg).
THE COACH:
Ben Johnson is in his first season as the head coach of the Golden Gophers. He has had many other stops along the way, including beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Dayton in 2005-06. However, Minnesota is his first head coaching job. From 2018-21, he was an assistant at Xavier.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 14-15 (6-14, 13th in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 15-16 (8-12, 12th in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 22-14 (9-11, 7th in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 15-17 (4-14, 11th in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 24-10 (11-7, 4th in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 2/17/2021: 82-72 (Indiana Win)
- 3/4/2020: 72-67 (Indiana Win)
- 2/19/2020: 68-56 (Indiana Win)
- 2/16/2019: 84-63 (Minnesota Win)
- 2/9/2018: 80-56 (Indiana Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
1/9/2022, 12:00 PM EST, Bloomington, IN
2/27/2022, 6:00 PM EST, Minneapolis, MN
THE START:
- Record: 6-0
- KenPom offense: No. 181
- KenPom defense: No. 50
- Top-100 wins: None
Is the 6-0 start smoke and mirrors? Minnesota is expected to be the league cellar dweller, but while they haven’t played any top-100 teams, they have taken care of the ball and played respectable defense. Three straight against top-50 teams should tell us if they might be better than expected.
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: G- Teddy Allen (16.5 ppg), G- Dalano Banton (9.6 ppg), G- Shamiel Stevenson (5.5 ppg), G- Thorir Thorbjarnarson (3.9 ppg), F- Yvan Ouedraogo (3.4 ppg)
Who is back: G- Trey McGowens (6.3 ppg), F- Lat Mayen (4.9 ppg), G- Kobe Webster (8.5 ppg), F- Derrick Walker (10.1 ppg), F- Trevor Lakes (0.3 ppg), C- Eduardo Andre (4.5 ppg)
Freshmen: G- Bryce McGowens (18.5 ppg, 5-star, No. 28), F- Wilhelm Breidenbach (3.5 ppg, 4-star, No. 102)
Transfers-in: G- Alonzo Verge Jr. (15.0 ppg), G- C.J. Wilcher (7.5 ppg), G- Keon Edwards (0.5 ppg), G- Keisei Tominaga (8.3 ppg)
THE COACH:
Fred Hoiberg is in his 3rd season as the head coach of the Cornhuskers. He began his coaching career as head coach of Iowa State from 2010-15. Nebraska is his third head coaching job, as he coached the Chicago Bulls from 2015-18.
Hoiberg won two Big 12 tournament championships at Iowa State and was named Big 12 coach of the year in 2012.
Looking into his time at Nebraska more specifically, he is 19-48 with no NCAA Tournament appearances.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 7-20 (3-16, 14th in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 7-25 (2-18, 14th in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 19-17 (6-14, 13th in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 22-11 (13-5, 4th in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 12-19 (6-12, 12th in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 1/10/2021: 84-76 (Indiana Win)
- 3/11/2020: 89-64 (Indiana Win)
- 1/18/2020: 82-74 (Indiana Win)
- 12/13/2019: 96-90 OT (Indiana Win)
- 1/14/2019: 66-51 (Nebraska Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
12/4/2021, 12:00 PM EST, Bloomington, IN
1/17/2022, 6:00 PM EST, Lincoln, NE
THE START:
- Record: 5-3
- KenPom offense: No. 110
- KenPom defense: No. 94
- Top-100 wins: None
While they don’t have any top-100 wins yet, Nebraska is more talented than they’ve been recently and Hoiberg has this team playing better defense. They gave good tests to Creighton and N.C. State and will pull off a few upsets in Big Ten play fueled by their aggressive, wide-open offense.
NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: F- Miller Kopp (11.3 ppg), G- Anthony Gaines (3.9 ppg)
Who is back: G- Chase Audige (12.3 ppg in 2020-21), F- Pete Nance (17.3 ppg), G- Boo Buie (16.7 ppg), C- Ryan Young (11.9 ppg), F- Robbie Beran (5.9 ppg), G- Ty Berry (8.9 ppg), G- Ryan Greer (6.9 ppg), C- Matthew Nicholson (2.0 ppg)
Freshmen: F – Casey Simmons (4.4 ppg, 4-star, No. 101), G- Julian Roper (3.7 ppg, 3-star, No. 149), G- Brooks Barnhizer (0 ppg, 3-star, No. 151)
Transfers-in: F- Elyjah Williams (4.0 ppg)
THE COACH:
Chris Collins is in his 9th season as the head coach of the Wildcats. He began his coaching career as an assistant in 1998 for the Detroit Shock of the WNBA. Prior to arriving at Northwestern in 2013, he was an assistant at his alma mater, Duke, from 2000-13.
Looking into his time at Northwestern more specifically, he is 123-136 with one NCAA Tournament appearance.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 9-15 (6-13, 12th in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 8-23 (3-17, 13th in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 13-19 (4-16, 14th in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 15-17 (6-12, 10th in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 24-12 (10-8, 5th in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 2/10/2021: 79-76 2OT (Indiana Win)
- 12/23/2020: 74-67 (Northwestern Win)
- 1/8/2020: 66-62 (Indiana Win)
- 1/22/2019: 73-66 (Northwestern Win)
- 12/1/2018: 68-66 (Indiana Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
2/8/2022, 9:00 PM EST, Evanston, IL
THE START:
- Record: 5-2
- KenPom offense: No. 39
- KenPom defense: No. 55
- Top-100 wins: None
With one of the best turnover rates in the country (12.6 percent / No. 9) and good 3-point shooting (37.9 percent), Northwestern appears to be a tough out. But with losses to Wake Forest and Providence and no top-100 wins, they’ve yet to prove that they can knock off upper-end teams.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: G- Duane Washington Jr. (16.4 ppg), G- CJ Walker (9.5 ppg), G- Musa Jallow (2.9 ppg)
Who is back: F- E.J. Liddell (21.3 ppg), G- Justice Sueing (6.0 ppg), F- Kyle Young (8.5 ppg), G- Justin Ahrens (8.1 ppg), F- Zed Key (10.9 ppg), F- Seth Towns (3.8 ppg in 2020-21), G- Jimmy Sotos (2.4 ppg), G- Meechie Johnson Jr. (6.9 ppg), G- Eugene Brown III (3.5 ppg)
Freshmen: G- Malachi Branham (6.1 ppg, 4-star, No. 37), F- Kalen Etzler (0 ppg, 3-star, No. 150)
Transfers-in: G- Cedric Russell (3.0 ppg), G- Jamari Wheeler (5.3 ppg), C- Joey Brunk (1.3 ppg)
THE COACH:
Chris Holtmann is in his 5th season as the head coach of the Buckeyes. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Taylor University, in 1997. Prior to arriving at Ohio State in 2017, he was head coach of Butler from 2014-17. He also was head coach of Gardner-Webb from 2010-13.
Holtmann was the Big South Coach of the Year in 2013, Big East Coach of the Year in 2017, and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2018.
Looking into his time at Ohio State more specifically, he is 92-46 with three NCAA Tournament appearances.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 21-10 (12-8, 5th in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 21-10 (11-9, 5th in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 20-15 (8-12, 8th in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 25-9 (15-3, 2nd in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 17-15 (7-11, 10th in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 2/13/2021: 78-59 (Ohio State Win)
- 2/1/2020: 68-59 (Ohio State Win)
- 1/11/2020: 66-54 (Indiana Win)
- 3/14/2019: 79-75 (Ohio State Win)
- 2/10/2019: 55-52 (Ohio State Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
1/6/2022, 7:00 PM EST, Bloomington, IN
2/19/2022, 12:00 PM EST, Columbus, OH
THE START:
- Record: 5-2
- KenPom offense: No. 8
- KenPom defense: No. 49
- Top-100 wins: Duke, Seton Hall
After a couple early missteps against Xavier and Florida, the Buckeyes put everyone on notice with a win over No. 1 Duke. While they’ve been highly efficient on the offensive end, OSU hasn’t been turning teams over on defense which means if you make shots, you can beat them.
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: Myreon Jones (15.3 ppg), Izaiah Brockington (12.6 ppg), Jamari Wheeler (6.8 ppg), Trent Buttrick (3.0 ppg), Kyle McCloskey (0.6 ppg), D.J. Gordon (0.5 ppg), Patrick Kelly
Who is back: F- Seth Lundy (15.1 ppg), C- John Harrar (10.6 ppg), G- Sam Sessoms (14.3 ppg), G- Myles Dread (6.6 ppg), G- Dallion Johnson (2.8 ppg)
Transfers-in: G- Jaheam Cornwall (4.1 ppg), G- Jalen Pickett (9.6 ppg), F- Jalanni White (4.6 ppg)
THE COACH:
Micah Shrewsberry is in his 1st season as the head coach of the Nittany Lions. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Wabash in 1999. Prior to arriving at Penn State, he was an assistant coach at Purdue from 2019-21.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 11-14 (7-12, 10th in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 21-10 (11-9, 5th in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 14-18 (7-13, 10th in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 26-13 (9-9, 6th in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 15-18 (6-12, 12th in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 12/30/2020: 87-85 OT (Indiana Win)
- 2/23/2020: 68-60 (Indiana Win)
- 1/29/2020: 64-49 (Penn State Win)
- 12/4/2018: 64-62 (Indiana Win)
- 1/9/2018: 74-70 (Indiana Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
1/2/2022, 4:00 PM EST, University Park, PA
1/26/2022, 8:30 PM EST, Bloomington, IN
THE START:
- Record: 4-3
- KenPom offense: No. 89
- KenPom defense: No. 78
- Top-100 wins: None
It is hard to decipher a real clear identity with Shrewsberry’s team beyond the fact that they aren’t trying or aren’t able to turn teams over like Pat Chambers’ squads did before him. The Nittany Lions have been reasonably effective scoring the ball, especially from two-point range, but they are turning it over themselves at too high of a rate.
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: F- Aaron Wheeler (3.9 ppg), C- Emmanuel Dowuona (1.3 ppg)
Who is back: C- Trevion Williams (12.3 ppg), G- Jaden Ivey (15.4 ppg), G- Sasha Stefanovic (12.9 ppg), C- Zach Edey (16.9 ppg), G- Eric Hunter Jr. (3.6 ppg), G- Brandon Newman (9.9 ppg), F- Mason Gillis (4.0 ppg), G- Isaiah Thompson (7.4 ppg), G- Ethan Morton (0.6 ppg)
Freshmen: F- Caleb Furst (9.1 ppg, 4-star, No. 63)
THE COACH:
Matt Painter is in his 17th season as the head coach of the Boilermakers. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Washington and Jefferson in 1993-94. However, Purdue is his second head coaching job, including being the head coach at Southern Illinois in 2003-04.
Painter won one MVC regular season championship and was named MVC coach of the year in 2004.
Looking into his time at Purdue more specifically, he is 362-184 with 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, three Big Ten regular season championships and one Big Ten Tournament championship. He is also a four time Big Ten coach of the year and a one time National coach of the year.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 18-10 (13-6, 4th in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 16-15 (9-11, 10th in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 26-10 (16-4, 1st in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 30-7 (15-3, 2nd in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 27-8 (14-4, 1st in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 3/6/2021: 67-58 (Purdue Win)
- 1/14/2021: 81-69 (Purdue Win)
- 2/27/2020: 57-49 (Purdue Win)
- 2/8/2020: 74-62 (Purdue Win)
- 2/19/2019: 48-46 (Purdue Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
1/20/2022, 7:00 PM EST, Bloomington, IN
3/5/2022, TBD, West Lafayette, IN
THE START:
- Record: 8-0, 1-0 Big Ten
- KenPom offense: No. 1
- KenPom defense: No. 35
- Top-100 wins: North Carolina, Villanova, Florida State, Iowa
As much as you don’t want to hear it, this is the best team in the league by what appears to be a wide margin. Purdue’s potent inside-out offensive attack has them shooting 44.2 percent on 3-pointers and 61.7 percent on twos, both good for No. 2 nationally. If you are going to beat this team you had better outscore them, and that won’t come easy.
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: G- Jacob Young (14.1 ppg), G- Montez Mathis (8.3 ppg), C- Myles Johnson (8.0 ppg), C- Mamadou Doucoure (1.3 ppg)
Who is back: G/F- Ron Harper Jr. (16.1 ppg), G- Geo Baker (11.2 ppg), G- Paul Mulcahy (7.3 ppg), G- Caleb McConnell (5.1 ppg), C- Cliff Omoruyi (12.0 ppg), F- Mawot Mag (2.8 ppg), F- Jaden Jones (5.7 ppg), F- Oskar Palmquist (.7 ppg), F- Dean Rieber (.5 ppg)
Freshmen: G- Jalen Miller (2.0 ppg, 3-star, No. 188)
Transfers-in: F- Ralph Agee (3.5 ppg), F- Aundre Hyatt (7.1 ppg)
THE COACH:
Steve Pikiell is in his 6th season as the head coach of the Scarlet Knights. He began his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater, UConn, in 1991. In addition to being head coach at Rutgers, he was in the same position at Stony Brook from 2005-2016.
Pikiell won four America East regular season championships and one America East tournament championship. He also was a four time America East Coach of the Year and won the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award in 2020.
Looking into his time at Rutgers more specifically, he is 84-80 with one NCAA Tournament appearance.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 16-12 (10-10, 6th in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 20-11 (11-9, 5th in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 14-17 (7-13, 10th in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 15-19 (3-15, 14th in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 15-18 (3-15, 14th in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 3/11/2021: 61-50 (Rutgers Win)
- 2/24/2021: 74-63 (Rutgers Win)
- 1/24/2021: 74-70 (Rutgers Win)
- 1/15/2020: 59-50 (Rutgers Win)
- 3/10/2019: 89-73 (Indiana Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
3/2/2022, 7:00 PM EST, Bloomington, IN
THE START:
- Record: 4-4, 0-1 Big Ten
- KenPom offense: No. 122
- KenPom defense: No. 57
- Top-100 wins: Clemson
A miserable offensive start included a home loss to Lafayette as Rutgers can’t score from two or three. They are outside of the top-200 in both, and making just 26 percent from behind the arc. It is hard to believe Harper and Baker won’t eventually get it going on offense, but while Pikiell’s teams typically improve on the defensive end, Young and Johnson were their two best.
WISCONSIN BADGERS
THE ROSTER:
Who is gone: G- D’Mitrik Trice (13.9 ppg), C- Micah Potter (12.5 ppg), F- Aleem Ford (8.7 ppg), F- Nate Reuvers (8.3 ppg), G- Trevor Anderson (3.1 ppg)
Who is back: G- Brad Davison (15.3 ppg), G- Jonathan Davis (19.3 ppg), F- Tyler Wahl (9.3 ppg), F- Ben Carlson (2.1 ppg), C- Steven Crowl (8.6 ppg), G- Jordan Davis (2.6 ppg), F- Carter Gilmore (1.4 ppg)
Freshmen: G- Chucky Hepburn (6.3 ppg, 3-star, No. 124), F- Markus Ilver (1.7 ppg, 3-star, No. 146)
Transfers-in: C- Chris Vogt (.9 ppg), G- Jahcobi Neath (3.0 ppg)
THE COACH:
Greg Gard is in his 7th season as the head coach of the Badgers. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Southwestern High School from 1990-93. Prior to becoming head coach at Wisconsin in 2015, he was an associate head coach there from 2008-15.
Gard has won one Big Ten regular season championship, in 2020, along with the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2020 and the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award in 2016.
Looking into his time at Wisconsin more specifically, he is 125-71 with four NCAA Tournament appearances.
RECENT HISTORY:
- 2020-21: 18-13 (10-10, 6th in Big Ten)
- 2019-20: 21-10 (14-6, 1st in Big Ten)
- 2018-19: 23-11 (14-6, 4th in Big Ten)
- 2017-18: 15-18 (7-11, 9th in Big Ten)
- 2016-17: 27-10 (12-6, 2nd in Big Ten)
RECENT SERIES:
- 1/7/2021: 80-73 2OT (Wisconsin Win)
- 3/7/2020: 60-56 (Wisconsin Win)
- 12/7/2019: 84-64 (Wisconsin Win)
- 2/26/2019: 75-73 2OT (Indiana Win)
- 1/2/2018: 71-61 (Wisconsin Win)
2021-22 MEETINGS WITH INDIANA:
12/8/2021, 7:00 PM EST, Madison, WI
2/15/2022, 9:00 PM EST, Bloomington, IN
THE START:
- Record: 6-1
- KenPom offense: No. 60
- KenPom defense: No. 11
- Top-100 wins: Texas A&M, Houston, St. Mary’s, Georgia Tech
The Badgers were expected to fall down the standings this year, but not so fast my friend. They take care of the ball with just a 13.7 percent turnover rate (No. 12 nationally) and they make it really hard on teams to score against them inside the arc.
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