Jan. 7, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

One Week Down: After one week of conference play, Wisconsin (2-0), Ohio State (2-0), Penn State (2-0), Michigan State (1-0), Indiana (1-0) and Purdue (1-0) are all undefeated in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are 2-0 to start conference play for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign. The Badgers and Buckeyes both opened last season with 2-0 records. The Spartans will be looking for their second conference victory of the season when they host Purdue on Tuesday. Coincidentally, The Boilermakers will also be seeking their second conference win in the contest. Michigan State's conference record of 1-0 has boosted its overall winning streak to 10 games. The last time the Spartans opened the conference slate with a 2-0 mark was during the 2004-05 season. Purdue has not opened a conference season with a 2-0 mark since doing so in its 2002- 03 outing. Indiana will be vying for its first 2-0 start since the 2005-06 campaign when the Hoosiers travel to Michigan on Tuesday.

Foreshadowing?: Wisconsin, Ohio State and Penn State all jumped out to 2-0 records, which is generally a sign of good things to come. Over the last 10 seasons, Big Ten teams that started 2-0 have ended the year above .500 in conference play on 21 of 27 occasions (77.8 percent), including Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin last season. In four of the last eight seasons, a 2-0 start has led to a share of the Big Ten crown for Michigan State (2000), Illinois (2001), Indiana (2002) and Ohio State (2002, 2007). Since the 1997-98 campaign, teams that began the season 0-2 have finished at .500 or below on 22 of 27 occasions (81 percent). The only exceptions include the 2006-07 Illini (9-7), the 2001-02 Spartans (10-6), the 2002-03 (12-4) and 1998-99 Badgers (9-7), the 1997-98 Hoosiers (9-7) and the 2006-07 Illini (9-7) and Spartans (8-8), who went 0-2 to open the season. Michigan State's Winning Ways: The Spartans are off to the best start at 13-1 since going 12-1 to open the 2000-01 campaign. That team went on to share a piece of the Big Ten crown and appeared in the Final Four, finishing the season with a 28-5 overall record and 13-3 in conference play. Michigan State has also won 10 games in a row this year, which is the Spartans' longest winning streak since the 2005-06 season when they won 11 straight.

Coaching Milestones: With Wisconsin's two Big Ten wins last week, Bo Ryan moved ahead of Rollie Williams (Iowa, 1930-43, `51) and Forrest Anderson (MSU, 1954-65) to rank 28th with 70 conference wins. Ryan is two wins shy of tying Iowa's Bucky O'Connor (1952-58) for 27th on the all-time list. Ryan is also three wins away from coaching in his 700th career game. Ohio State's Thad Matta will coach in his 250th contest when the Buckeyes host Iowa on Wednesday. Minnesota's Tubby Smith is looking for his 400th career win as he's coached in 398 victories.

Old Friends Reunited: Iowa's Todd Lickliter and Ohio State's Thad Matta will meet head-tohead on Wednesday in Columbus for the first time as Big Ten head coaches. Lickliter was an assistant coach at Butler University, his alma mater, in 1988-89 when Matta was a junior starter for the Bulldogs. Matta returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach prior to the 1996-97 season and served as Butler's head coach in 2000-01. Lickliter rejoined the Butler staff in 1999-00, working as an assistant coach with Matta and then as an assistant under Matta in 2000-01. When Matta was named head coach at Xavier University following the 2001 season, Lickliter took over as the head coach at Butler, holding that position for six years before taking the head position at Iowa following the 2007 season. Both Lickliter and Matta earned conference Coach of the Year recognition at Butler.

Territorial Squads: It's never easy to win on the road and this season is no different as four teams are undefeated in their home arenas. Indiana and Michigan State are both 9-0 and will look to keep their streaks alive when they host Ilinois and Purdue, respectively, later this week. IU's nine wins at Assembly Hall this season are good enough to maintain the fourth-best homecourt win streak in the country with 26 dating back to the 2005-06 season. Memphis leads the nation with 40 straight home wins. Penn State is 8-0 while Minnesota is 7-0 entering this week's play. The Gophers welcome Northwestern to "The Barn" on Wednesday as they look to keep their streak intact. Minnesota travels to Bryce-Jordan Arena on Saturday, as the Nittany Lions put their home-court win streak on the line. The Gophers' current streak is their best since the 2004-05 season when they won eight straight from Dec. 11, 2004 to Jan. 12, 2005. PSU's eight wins at home equal its best start at home since the 1998-99 campaign.

Return to Sender: Four Big Ten squads are averaging 5.00 or more blocks per game. Michigan leads the conference swatting the opposition's offensive attack 5.50 times per game. Michigan State is averaging 5.36 blocks per contest, while Minnesota ranks third with 5.15 bpg. Ohio State rounds out the group, averaging 5.14 blocks per contest.

One Week Down: After one week of conference play, Wisconsin (2-0), Ohio State (2-0), Penn State (2-0), Michigan State (1-0), Indiana (1-0) and Purdue (1-0) are all undefeated in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are 2-0 to start conference play for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign. The Badgers and Buckeyes both opened last season with 2-0 records. The Spartans will be looking for their second conference victory of the season when they host Purdue on Tuesday. Coincidentally, The Boilermakers will also be seeking their second conference win in the contest. Michigan State's conference record of 1-0 has boosted its overall winning streak to 10 games. The last time the Spartans opened the conference slate with a 2-0 mark was during the 2004-05 season. Purdue has not opened a conference season with a 2-0 mark since doing so in its 2002- 03 outing. Indiana will be vying for its first 2-0 start since the 2005-06 campaign when the Hoosiers travel to Michigan on Tuesday.

Foreshadowing?: Wisconsin, Ohio State and Penn State all jumped out to 2-0 records, which is generally a sign of good things to come. Over the last 10 seasons, Big Ten teams that started 2-0 have ended the year above .500 in conference play on 21 of 27 occasions (77.8 percent), including Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin last season. In four of the last eight seasons, a 2-0 start has led to a share of the Big Ten crown for Michigan State (2000), Illinois (2001), Indiana (2002) and Ohio State (2002, 2007). Since the 1997-98 campaign, teams that began the season 0-2 have finished at .500 or below on 22 of 27 occasions (81 percent). The only exceptions include the 2006-07 Illini (9-7), the 2001-02 Spartans (10-6), the 2002-03 (12-4) and 1998-99 Badgers (9-7), the 1997-98 Hoosiers (9-7) and the 2006-07 Illini (9-7) and Spartans (8-8), who went 0-2 to open the season. Michigan State's Winning Ways: The Spartans are off to the best start at 13-1 since going 12-1 to open the 2000-01 campaign. That team went on to share a piece of the Big Ten crown and appeared in the Final Four, finishing the season with a 28-5 overall record and 13-3 in conference play. Michigan State has also won 10 games in a row this year, which is the Spartans' longest winning streak since the 2005-06 season when they won 11 straight.

Coaching Milestones: With Wisconsin's two Big Ten wins last week, Bo Ryan moved ahead of Rollie Williams (Iowa, 1930-43, `51) and Forrest Anderson (MSU, 1954-65) to rank 28th with 70 conference wins. Ryan is two wins shy of tying Iowa's Bucky O'Connor (1952-58) for 27th on the all-time list. Ryan is also three wins away from coaching in his 700th career game. Ohio State's Thad Matta will coach in his 250th contest when the Buckeyes host Iowa on Wednesday. Minnesota's Tubby Smith is looking for his 400th career win as he's coached in 398 victories.

Old Friends Reunited: Iowa's Todd Lickliter and Ohio State's Thad Matta will meet head-tohead on Wednesday in Columbus for the first time as Big Ten head coaches. Lickliter was an assistant coach at Butler University, his alma mater, in 1988-89 when Matta was a junior starter for the Bulldogs. Matta returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach prior to the 1996-97 season and served as Butler's head coach in 2000-01. Lickliter rejoined the Butler staff in 1999-00, working as an assistant coach with Matta and then as an assistant under Matta in 2000-01. When Matta was named head coach at Xavier University following the 2001 season, Lickliter took over as the head coach at Butler, holding that position for six years before taking the head position at Iowa following the 2007 season. Both Lickliter and Matta earned conference Coach of the Year recognition at Butler.

Territorial Squads: It's never easy to win on the road and this season is no different as four teams are undefeated in their home arenas. Indiana and Michigan State are both 9-0 and will look to keep their streaks alive when they host Ilinois and Purdue, respectively, later this week. IU's nine wins at Assembly Hall this season are good enough to maintain the fourth-best homecourt win streak in the country with 26 dating back to the 2005-06 season. Memphis leads the nation with 40 straight home wins. Penn State is 8-0 while Minnesota is 7-0 entering this week's play. The Gophers welcome Northwestern to "The Barn" on Wednesday as they look to keep their streak intact. Minnesota travels to Bryce-Jordan Arena on Saturday, as the Nittany Lions put their home-court win streak on the line. The Gophers' current streak is their best since the 2004-05 season when they won eight straight from Dec. 11, 2004 to Jan. 12, 2005. PSU's eight wins at home equal its best start at home since the 1998-99 campaign.

Return to Sender: Four Big Ten squads are averaging 5.00 or more blocks per game. Michigan leads the conference swatting the opposition's offensive attack 5.50 times per game. Michigan State is averaging 5.36 blocks per contest, while Minnesota ranks third with 5.15 bpg. Ohio State rounds out the group, averaging 5.14 blocks per contest.