Tobacco Road Report

We found out a lot about the Big Ten this week, more than you might think. Wisconsin's win over Ohio State may have said more about OSU than the Badgers. Kelvin Sampson has Indiana playind defense that hasn't been seen in Bloomington since you-know-who roamed the sidelines. Here's our thoughts on the top three teams in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin 72, Ohio State 69
This one wasn't as close as the score indicated. Ohio State (13-3, 2-1) is never really out of a game given their ability to hit the three point shot, but the Badgers (16-1, 2-0) tied Ohio State in knots for 35 minutes.

We at TRR were very surprised to see Ohio State use so much 2-3 zone. In some ways it makes a lot of sense -- it keeps Oden close to the basket where he can clog the lane, alter shots, and gather rebounds. It also protects Oden from too much foul trouble. Unfortunately, it also played right into Wisconsin's hand by keeping the pace slow and minimized Ohio State's advantage on perimeter defense.

On the offensive end, Oden isn't active enough. He's not properly sealing his defender in the lane and he's not receiving any picks. Post entry passes are simply horrid and we'd beat OSU up over this, but it's a lost art across much of college basketball. Thad may want to think about running specific plays for Oden in the early going. Over all, we think Ohio State may be overrated in the sense that it will take another ten games for the Buckeyes to learn how to play with Oden in the lineup.

Wisconsin and Bo Ryan get the most out of the talent that they have. They rarely beat themselves and their level of efficiency sets a high bar for opponents. Their 40-2 record at home under Ryan versus the Big Ten is a phenomenal record. The Badgers have the inside line right now for the Big Ten title.

Indiana 85, Purdue 58
Indiana (11-4, 2-1) put the defensive pressure on Purdue (12-5, 1-2) from the start, causing 17 turnovers and generally humiliating the Boilermakers in front of the faithful in Bloomington. The win pushes Indiana to 2-1 in conference play and comes a few days after blowing out Michigan State at home.

For the first time in many years Indiana is playing with the type of defensive intensity that has underpinned teams of Hoosier's past. Kelvin Sampson has always been known as a defense-first coach and it looks like the Hoosiers have taken on Sampson's mindset. If Indiana keeps holding home court advantage the Hoosiers are in a strong position to hold the 3rd position in conference.

Just how bad was it tonight for Purdue? The Official Wife of TRR was overheard commenting, "Do you see that guy on Purdue's bench? He's crying. What's that all about?"