It is very early in the Big Ten Conference race...
However, as the games are completed, week by week and win by win as well as loss by loss, the number of Big Ten wins minus the Big Ten losses will tell us who contends and who pretends. With only four conference games completed, it is still entirely too early to tell. Yet, this will all start becoming very clear during the next few weeks of conference play. Easily, when seven to nine games have been completed for each conference member, it will start becoming evident how well or how poorly each team is playing, how well each team is coached, which teams defend and which teams play offense, which teams can convert free throws, which teams can take care of the ball and which teams can dig deeply and win close ball games. The most important element in making a run for a Big Ten Championship pretty much boils down to which team can win on the road in Big Ten play. It is a given that the home court advantage must be preserved, defended and maintained through out the Big Ten Season. So, obviously, being able to steal some wins on the road becomes essenial and will become very evident in the Big Ten win minus the Big Ten losses columns.
You may laugh and scoff at a system for evaluating Big Ten Basketball Prorams that looks entirely at the Big Ten wins minus Big Ten losses factor. But, really, in the end, what other form of comparison, contrast or discussion could possibly tell you any more? Just check the current standings: they show which teams are competing and which teams are not competing.
Here is eveything we know about the Big Ten Conference at this point in time:
Big Ten
STANDINGS W-L Pct
Purdue.............. 4-0 1.000
Ohio State.......... 3-0 1.000
Illinois............ 3-0 1.000
Wisconsin........... 2-1 .667
Michigan State...... 2-1 .667
Penn State.......... 2-2 .500
Michigan............ 1-2 .333
Minnesota........... 1-3 .250
Northwestern........ 1-3 .250
Iowa................ 0-3 .000
Indiana............. 0-4 .000
At this point in the Big Ten season( January 9, 2011), these findings tell us which teams are contending early and which teams are pretending early. Now, it wll be up to the coaches and the players to make their cases by either winning or losing more Big Ten basketball games.
I like a team to do well that manages to find ways to win the games they SHOULD win, even when they only play well enough to win. So, I say that OSU WILL be contending all seson long. Watch to see which of the teams in the top half of the standings find ways to win big games on the road...even "tough games" on the road. Watch the teams currently in the bottom half of the standings to see IF they are able to defend their home courts against ALL comers. Ohio State, Illinois and Purdue are starting to "bank" a little cushion early. In Big Ten play...that is a very good thing, no matter how they look in getting that cushion.