The Big Ten’s John Beilein and Bill Carmody are proponents of the Princeton Offense, sometimes confused by the likes of Jay Bilas with a slowdown game. This week, the Wildcats and Wolverines both put up some pretty impressive offensive numbers, 75 and 87, respectively . The Michigan/Purdue game last night was a joy to watch as both teams played good defense, but also put on an offensive display that is rare in the Big Ten. The Wildcats generally score in the high 50’s or low 60’s, but in Bloomington on Wednesday night they lite up the scoreboard with 75 points.
First in Forty
Yes, that is right! The Wildcats had not won in Bloomington since 1968, a 40 year draught of wins in the Assembly Hall. Carmody may have been a teenager. Northwestern got off to a terrible start but clawed back in to take a comfortable lead at the half. Northwestern usually relies on scoring by Coble and Moore, but Wednesday they had five players with 10 or more points. Moore led the scoring with 17 with Tompson chipping in 16.
They also received strong play from Mirkovic in the paint, a rare strength with the Cats. They shot 56 percent both overall and from the three point strip. They did not abandon their defense, holding the Hoosiers to 53 points, who shot 42.9 percent and made only 3 from the three point strip. For the Cats, this was a must win to keep any tournament hopes alive. It was a nice bounce back from the awful game they played Sunday night in Minnesota.
Michigan Excels in Exam
The Wolverines may well have sealed their invitation to the NCAA with an impressive win over Purdue by a score of 87 to 78. Though this was not a typical Big Ten score, both teams played hard on both ends of the court. For Purdue, it is clear that Hummel is back to full strength. The Boilermakers are known for their engineering prowess and they designed a back brace that allows their star to play hard and not suffer back pains. The bad news for Purdue fans is that Calasen was battling the flu and was unable to suit up for the game. In addition, J. Johnson who is having a great year got into early foul trouble and sat most of the game on the bench.
The absence of these two performers showed up as a huge defensive liability in the paint as Sims had a career game with 29 points. Harris added 27 points. Michigan shot 63 percent for the game and many of these shots were by Sims who was able to work free with some impressive post moves. In addition, the patented Princeton backcuts were successful throughout the game. Novak and Douglas, two freshmen known for their three point shooting, excuted a number of laser passes to their teammates for a easy scores.
With Harris and Sims and their marvelous athletic talents, the Princeton offense and defense is a feast to basketball afficionados. Kudos to Beilein for his successful teaching as the Wolverines wrote an impressive exam in their must win against Purdue. They have two tough road games, Madison and Minneapolis, respectively, to finish the season.
Illini Rain on Tubby’s Parade
Minnesota is a different team on the road. Minnesota needs another good win to seal an invitation to the Big Dance. They have two big games at home, Wisconsin and Michigan. Two wins would certainly put them into the tournament, but a split also may seal their invitation, particularly if they have a strong game or two in the Big Ten Tournament. Illinois, despite a record low 33 points against Penn. St. last week, again played very effective defense, but found some scoring with Davis (14), Meacham (13), and McCamey (10).
Frazier, clearly in the lead for the Conference defensive player of the year, contributed 6 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. His 5 points including a three at a critical point in the game was a bonus. The Illini are one game from a 24 win season. They finish out the season with a home game against the Spartans and an away game in Happy Valley. The Illini defense held the Gophers to one three pointer. This is quite a turnaround for a team that struggled to win 16 and only 5 wins in the Big Ten last year. They are solidly in second place and could move into a tie if Purdue and Michigan State should these two falter in their remaining games.
The Illini could provide a major aid with an upset of Michigan State. The Illini are in the tournament this year and more wins will only add to their resume for a higher seeding. Damian Johnson had a monster game for Minnesota with 18 points, 5 steals, and 3 blocks. Hoopraker has commented on his defensive skills in the past.
Original Story:
http://hoopraker.com/2009/02/27/princ...
