HOOPS INSIDER

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Kevin Huerter and freshman Bruno Fer- nando. That would be a solid core group for 2018-19. (LW: 8). 9. Northwestern (15-
HOOPS INSIDER

INSIDE ONE OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL’S PREMIER CONFERENCES | COMPILED BY PATRICK STEVENS, SPECIAL TO GATEHOUSE MEDIA STORY OF THE WEEK

RANKING THE LEAGUE *

Ohio State trips up twice: Given the modest expectations of the Buckeyes into the season, few would have guessed they would win 13 of their first 14 conference games. A correction was bound to occur at some point, and it did last week as Chris Holtmann’s team fell at Penn State and Michigan to tumble out of first place in the Big Ten. Let’s not get too carried away; Ohio State had been 6-0 in league play outside of Columbus, and it was facing two teams in the postseason hunt. The Buckeyes’ excellent season won’t be tarnished by a bad week, but it could cost them the top seed in the conference tournament.

STOCK RISING

STOCK FALLING

Michigan State: It’s all worked out on the floor by the end of the season for the Spartans, who took over sole possession of first place in the Big Ten when Ohio State fell to Michigan on Sunday. Michigan State has won 10 in a row coming into the week, a run extended when the Spartans rallied from a 27-point deficit to defeat Northwestern on Saturday. Tom Izzo’s frontcourt of Miles Bridges, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Nick Ward was always pretty much a given, but the exceptional play of guard Cassius Winston of late has Michigan State looking like the national title contender most assumed it would be by year’s end.

Northwestern: After showing a little spunk earlier in the month, the Wildcats look like they’re in the midst of a collapse. It isn’t a mail-it-in meltdown, but rather the sort of situation in which a team doesn’t have anything in the tank toward the end of games. After a listless game at Maryland, the Wildcats squandered a late lead in an overtime loss at Rutgers, managed only 11 points in the second half against Michigan State and then wasted another halftime lead in a rematch with Maryland. Forget the NCAA Tournament; this isn’t even an NIT team.

1. Michigan State (26-3): A couple No. 1 seeds — in the Big Ten and the NCAA tournaments — are now within sight for the Spartans. (Last week: 2) 2. Ohio State (22-7): The Buckeyes lost a couple times, but it doesn’t diminish the season they’ve enjoyed so far. They’ll likely be a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the conference etournament. (LW: 1) 3. Purdue (24-5): After three frustrating losses in a row, the Boilermakers survived a visit from Penn State to get back in the win column. (LW: 3) 4. Michigan (22-7): The Wolverines aren’t facing bubble questions like they did at times last year, but it was still a good sign that they knocked off Ohio State to gain a season split with the Buckeyes. (LW: 5) 5. Nebraska (20-9): There’s a week to go in the regular season, and the Huskers are hanging their hat on a defeat of Michigan at home. They have work to do next week in New York. (LW: 4)

WEEKEND SPOTLIGHT

6. Penn State (19-10): Closing in on a 20-win season, but that alone won’t be enough to get the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Patrick Chambers. (LW: 6) 7. Indiana (16-12): The Hoosiers have won four in a row, escaping any possibility of playing on the first day of the Big Ten tournament and sealing a winning record in the regular season. (LW: 7) 8. Maryland (19-11): Amid the injury frustration, the Terrapins have gotten fine seasons from sophomores Anthony Cowan Jr. and Kevin Huerter and freshman Bruno Fernando. That would be a solid core group for 2018-19. (LW: 8) 9. Northwestern (15-14): The Wildcats say goodbye to their one-season home away from home this week, and not a moment too soon. Northwestern was just 4-4 in Big Ten home games after Monday’s loss to Maryland. (LW: 9) 10. Wisconsin (13-16): Signs of life from the Badgers, who won back-to-back games for the first time since late December and early January. (LW: 12) 11. Illinois (13-15): Snapped a four-game slide by defeating Nebraska on Sunday. The Illini isn’t good, but it might be the most dangerous of the four teams stuck playing on the opening day of the league tournament. (LW: 13)

Penn State guard Tony Carr (10) holds off Purdue forward Matt Haarms (32) as he shoots in the first half Sunday in West Lafayette, Ind. [MICHAEL CONROY/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]

Penn State at Nebraska

Weekend slate All times Eastern Sunday, 5:15 p.m. EST, Pinnacle Bank Arena, Time Game TV Lincoln, Neb., BTN SATURDAY Everyone who thought in October a Penn Noon Michigan at Maryland ESPN State-Nebraska basketball game would be the highlight game of the final weekend SUNDAY of the Big Ten regular season, raise your 1 p.m. Michigan State at Wisconsin CBS hands. Both teams are on the outside look3 p.m. Illinois at Rutgers BTN ing in with regard to the NCAA Tournament, 4 p.m. Minnesota at Purdue Fox Sports 1 and both teams absorbed tough losses on 7:30 p.m. Northwestern at Iowa BTN Sunday — albeit in different ways. Penn State produced a strong showing at Purdue just a few days after hammering Ohio State before tumbling to the Boilermakers. Nebraska, which had won six in a row, tripped up against struggling Illinois to absorb a result that could derail its tournament hopes. The winner of this game heads into the Big Ten tournament with a solid triumph, but both Tony Carr and the Nittany Lions and James Palmer Jr. and the Cornhuskers will have work to do when they reach New York. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK • G Tony Carr, Penn State: Dropped 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game on Ohio State and Purdue as the Nittany Lions split two games.

• F Bruno Fernando, Maryland: Averaged 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks as the Terrapins fell at Nebraska and then defeated Rutgers.

• F Ethan Happ, Wisconsin: Scored 21 points and added 12 rebounds, two assists and three steals in the Badgers’ upset of Purdue.

• G Cassius Winston, Michigan State: Posted averages of 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in the Spartans’ triumphs at Minnesota and Northwestern.

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12. Rutgers (13-16): For all of their offensive shortcomings, the Scarlet Knights never give up. That helped them rally past Northwestern and put a scare into Maryland despite facing a big deficit last week. (LW: 14) 13. Iowa (12-17): Have given up at least 74 points in all but one conference game this season. (LW: 10) 14. Minnesota (14-15): From 13-3 to under .500, with two games to spare. That’s not an easy feat. (LW: 11) *Through Feb. 19

NUMBERS OF NOTE

28 Points for Illinois’ Leron Black in the Illini’s 72-66 defeat of Nebraska on Sunday, a career-high. It was Black’s fifth 20-point game of the season and the sixth of his career.

9 Made 3-pointers for Indiana’s Robert Johnson in Saturday’s defeat of Iowa, tying the school record set by Rod Wilmont in 2007 and matched by Matt Roth in 2009.