By far, the best college basketball team in the state of Illinois right now is a program where most of the people involved with the team want to fire the coach. Speaking of the Illini and Bruce Weber of course. That says a lot about the state of college hoops in the Land of Lincoln. The Illini look like the state’s only NCAA Tournament team this season; juxtapose that with Indiana in 2000, when the Crossroads of America got seven teams in the big dance.

These are lean times indeed. Especially in Chicago where UIC (7-16, 3-10 in conference), Loyola (5-18, 0-13), Chicago St. (2-20) and DePaul (11-12, 2-9) have combined to go 25-66, 5-32 in conference. This is beyond pathetic and laughable. For fans to say that college hoops is really down here is a tremendous insult to the direction of down. I didn’t even include CSU’s conference record in there, because I don’t even know what conference they’re in.

But at least I know that their program actually exists, and I know where it is; giving me superior local hoops knowledge than most fans.

“Chicago’s Big Ten Team,” Northwestern may have never been to a NCAA Tournament in their entire history, but this year’s group could play themselves back on the bubble with a winning streak. Even though they’re located in Evanston, you have to include them in the Chicago pool to help augment the city’s winning percentage. They have to be considered the second best team in the state. Universities in this city have been playing terrible ball for many years, but this year truly takes the cake. Then when you combine how ridiculously bad the teams in the rest of the state are, looking at their records becomes one big disgusting glob.

DePaul is in dead last in the Big East. Loyola is dead last in the Horizon League, UIC is only one spot better. And we’re not done yet. Downstate, Bradley, located in Peoria is 1-12 in conference, 6-19 overall is dead last in the Missouri Valley. One spot ahead of them is SIU at 5-8 in league play, 8-16 overall. The Salukis were a fixture in the big dance last decade and even made a couple sweet sixteens. Today Salukis coach Chris Lowery joins Weber in the extremely low job security situation. SIU, like DePaul has some history, so the fact that both have been down for awhile is killing basketball in the state.

The third best team in the state comes from the Mo Valley: Illinois St. who are 15-9, 7-6 in league play. Maybe they can win “Arch Madness,” the league tournament and give the state a second tourney team?

And for completeness of this article I should mention that Northern Illinois is 2-19, Eastern Illinois is 9-14, SIU-Edwardsville is 7-14. But hey Western Illinois is 13-9!

Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports

A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; and he’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too.

It is kind of hard to believe that Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament is only five weeks away.  It is becoming time when college basketball teams are separating themselves as either tourney contenders or pretenders.  Here is The Sports Bank‘s latest Bracketology?  I have more than held my own the past couple of years against ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and with my extreme college hoops nerdom, plan to do so again this year.  Check back every week for an update.

UPDATED: 2/6/12

SOUTH REGIONAL-Atlanta

AT LOUISVILLE
1. Kentucky 23-1 (SEC)
16. UNC-Asheville 18-7 (Big South)/Mississippi Valley State 11-11 (SWAC)

8. Notre Dame 15-8 (BE)
9. Illinois 16-7 (B10)

AT PORTLAND
5. San Diego State 20-3 (MWC)
12. VCU 20-5 (CAA)/N.C. State 17-7 (ACC)

4. St. Mary’s 22-2 (WCC)
13. Nevada 19-4 (WAC)

AT  OMAHA
6. Mississippi State 18-5 (SEC)
11. California 18-6 (P12)

3. Kansas 18-5 (B12)
14. Oral Roberts 21-5 (Summit)

AT COLUMBUS
7.  Virginia 18-4 (ACC)
10. Kansas State 16-6 (B12)

2. Michigan State 18-5 (B10)
15. Akron 16-7 (MAC)

MIDWEST REGIONAL- St.Louis

AT LOUISVILLE
1. Ohio State 20-3 (B10)
16. Norfolk State 16-8 (MEAC)

8. Wichita State 20-4 (MVC)
9. New Mexico 19-4 (MWC)

AT COLUMBUS
5. Louisville 18-5 (BE)
12. Miami FL 14-7 (ACC)

4. Murray State 23-0 (OVC)
13. Middle Tennessee 21-4 (Sun Belt)

AT PITTSBURGH
6. Indiana 18-6 (B10)
11. BYU 20-6 (WCC)

3. Marquette 19-5 (BE)
14. George Mason 19-6 (CAA)

AT OMAHA
7. Vanderbilt 16-7 (SEC)
10. Memphis 16-7 (CUSA)

2. Missouri 21-2 (B12)
15. Belmont 17-7 (A-Sun)

EAST REGIONAL-Boston        

AT PITTSBURGH
1. Syracuse 23-1 (BE)
16. Long Island 17-7 (NEC)/Stony Brook 15-7 (AEC)

8. Temple 17-5 (A10)
9. Harvard 20-2 (Ivy)

AT ALBUQUERQUE
5. Creighton 21-3 (MVC)
12. Minnesota 17-7 (B10)

4. Florida State 16-6 (ACC)
13. Long Beach State 17-6 (Big West)

AT NASHVILLE
6. Southern Miss 20-3 (CUSA)
11. Cincinnati 16-7 (BE)

3. Florida 19-4 (SEC)
14. Cleveland State 20-4 (Horizon)

AT GREENSBORO
7. UConn 15-7 (BE)
10. Iowa State 17-6 (B12)

2. Duke 19-4 (ACC)
15. Bucknell 18-6 (Patroit)

WEST REGIONAL-Phoenix

AT GREENSBORO
1. North Carolina 20-3 (ACC)
16. UT-Arlington 17-5 (Southland)

8. West Virginia 16-8 (BE)
9. Alabama 15-7 (SEC)

AT PORTLAND
5. Wisconsin 18-6 (B10)
12. Seton Hall 15-8 (BE)/Xavier 15-8 (A10)

4. UNLV 21-4 (MWC)
13. Iona 19-5 (MAAC)

AT NASHVILLE
6. Michigan 17-7 (B10)
11. Washington 16-7 (P12)

3. Georgetown 18-4 (BE)
14. Davidson 17-5 (Southern)

AT ALBUQUERQUE
7. Gonzaga 18-4 (WCC)
10. St. Louis 18-5 (A10)

2. Baylor 21-1 (B12)
15. Weber State 18-4 (Big Sky)

Wrong Side of the Bubble:
Purdue 15-8 (B10)
Oregon 16-7 (P12)
Colorado 16-7 (P12)
Central Florida 17-6 (CUSA)
Arkansas 16-7 (SEC)
UMass 17-6 (A10)
Arizona 16-8 (P12)
Ohio 19-4 (MAC)

Multiple Bid Conferences:
Big East (9)
Big Ten (7)
ACC (6)
Big 12 (5)
SEC (5)
A10 (3)
MWC (3)
WCC (3)
CAA (2)
CUSA (2)
MVC (2)
Pac-12 (2)

Click here for a list of RPI and SOS

David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank.  He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities.  David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu.  He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.

You can follow him on Twitter at DavidKay_TSB.

WCC (3)
CAA (2)
CUSA (2)
MVC (2)
Pac-12 (2)

In what essentially turned into a three-point shooting contest, Northwestern was able to beat Nebraska in the battle from beyond the arc, taking down the Huskers 84-74.

The Wildcats shot 45.2 percent from three (14-31) and 12 of their first 13 shots came from beyond the arc. The Huskers relied on the three as well, hitting on 11 of 26 shots for 42.3 percent on the night.

Because both teams relied heavily on low-percentage shots, Thursday’s game was full of runs. Every time Northwestern grabbed a lead, Nebraska would fight back, but the Wildcats were able to hold on at the end.

“Basketball is always a game of runs,” Northwestern forward Drew Crawford said. “Teams are going to make their runs when they’re down. They made a great run, they were knocking down shots, but we were able to stay composed and run our offense and that got us back into things.”

Crawford finished with 21 points, including four three-pointers, while fellow forward John Shurna finished with 28. The duo combined for over half of its team’s points, as only four other players received playing time for the Wildcats.

Northwestern was able to get to the free throw line 29 times against the Huskers and the Wildcats made 24 of those shots, which ended up being the difference in such a high-scoring game.

“You’re not going to go on the road and give up 84 points and beat anybody; I mean, Nebraska’s not,” Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. “Give them credit for making shots. They made 24 free throws. That just tells you we’re fouling too much and defensively we weren’t doing the things we needed to do.”

To Northwestern coach Bill Carmody, how his team won didn’t matter, but getting that win was important for the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament hopes, following a three-game losing streak. His team faces a much tougher test Sunday, as it heads to Champaign to take on Illinois.

“I’m happy to get a win, but now we have to move on,” he said. “When you in, you move on and when you lose, you move on.”

(Guest post by Kevin Trahan of bigtenorbust.com, purplewildcats.com and the Daily Northwestern.)

Happy National Signing Day. Northwestern’s 21 commits (the largest class of the Pat Fitzgerald era) hail from 10 states. The Wildcats signed 13 of their 21 players from three states—five from Pennsylvania, four from Illinois and four from Ohio. Scout ranks the class 5th in the Big Ten, 44th in the nation. Those numbers are higher than usual in Evanston.

In addition, Northwestern announced this past weekend the addition of highly touted wide receiver Kyle Prater (Maywood, Ill./Proviso West), who is transferring to Northwestern from USC. More on Prater here. His presence beefs up the class quite a bit. And there’s some top prospects in it, we’ll highlight the highlights of it.

Let’s start with the jewel of the class.

IFEADI ODENIGBO (pronounced if-AH-dee o-DEN-uh-bo)

6-3 • 217

Centerville, Ohio • Centerville

Projected Position: Outside Linebacker

High School: ESPN.com four-star (ESPNU 150), Under Armour All-American and SuperPrep All-America selection Ranked as No. 51 overall prospect by ESPN.com … Ranked sixth-best defensive end and No. 1 player in the Midwest Region and Ohio by ESPN.com … Ranked No. 5 linebacker, No. 9 defensive end and No. 109 overall prospect nationally by Scout.com … Ranked No. 99 in the Rivals.com Rivals 100 … SuperPrep All-Midwest selection, ranked as No. 20 overall prospect in the region and No. 19 linebacker in the nation … Ranked No. 98 overall prospect in the nation, eighth nationally among linebackers and fifth overall prospect in Ohio by 247Sports.

Odenigbo spurned Ohio State after the coaching change in order to come to Evanston. He will major in economics and hopes to maybe one day get a MBA, Kellogg, the university’s prestigious business school.

ADAM DePIETRO (pronounced da-PEET-ro)

6-5 • 270

Lancaster, Pa. • Lancaster Catholic

Projected Position: Offensive Tackle

High School: ESPN.com three-star, SuperPrep All-Midwest offensive lineman … Ranked 14th best player in Pennsylvania and 46th nationally among offensive tackles by ESPN.com … Ranked 18th among Pennsylvania players and 65th nationally by Rivals.com … Ranked 26th among all Northeast players by SuperPrep.

MALIN JONES (pronounced MAY-lin)

6-0 • 205

Naperville, Ill. • Joliet Catholic

Projected Position: Running Back

High School: Rivals.com three-star running back … Ranked 10th overall player in Illinois and 26th nationally among running backs by Rivals.com … Regarded as the 23rd-best running back in the nation and 11th-best prospect in Illinois by 247Sports … Ranked 42nd running back nationally by Scout.com … Ranked 42nd best player in the Midwest by SuperPrep, earning All-Midwest honors … No. 33 player in the state and No. 87 running back in the nation, according to ESPN.com

GREG KUHAR (pronounced KOO-har)

6-3 • 275

Concord Township, Ohio • St. Edward

Projected Position: Defensive Tackle

High School: Rivals.com four-star and ESPN.com three-star honoree … Ranked 19th overall player in Ohio and 19th nationally among defensive tackles by Rivals.com … SuperPrep All-Midwest honoree … Ranked No. 52 nationally among defensive tackles by Scout.com

CONNOR MAHONEY

6-4 • 260

Malvern, Pa. • Malvern

Projected Position: Defensive Tackle

High School: ESPN.com three-star honoree … Ranked 64th nationally among offensive guards and 33rd overall player in the state by ESPN.com … Ranked No. 68 overall as a three-star offensive guard in the nation by Scout.com … Ranked No. 56 overall prospect in the state by 247Sports

Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports

A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; and he’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too.

The Big Ten is having one of the most memorable basketball seasons we’ve seen in some time. The conference leads the country with five top-25 teams and ranks number one in the RPI/Sagarin ratings.

Along with being regarded as the best conference in the nation, the Big Ten is full of intriguing stories. Here are the top five on the year thus far:
1.) Welcome Back Indiana Hoosiers

Not sure anyone, but Head Coach Tom Crean saw this one coming. The Hoosiers are ranked #20th in both polls and have a 17-7 record with wins over big-dawgs Kentucky and Ohio State. Yeah, they may 5-5 in the conference, but not even the Buckeyes are running away with the Big Ten title.

This Hoosiers team is nothing like you’ve seen the past few years, mostly because they can fill up the scoreboard. Just ask the Hawkeyes who yielded 103 points to the Hoosiers in a loss this past weekend. Indiana leads the conference with a robust 79.5 points per game.

2.) Big Ten is the Best Conference in the Country

From top to the bottom, the Big Ten has been the most competitive conference in the nation. Only the Big Ten has six teams with 16 or more wins and nine teams with an RPI in the top 51. Moreover, the Big Ten is the only conference in America to have each and every one of it’s teams ranked in the top 131 in RPI.

This should bode well for the conference come tourney time, meaning the Big Ten will most likely see eight or nine teams go dancing.

3.) Draymond Green for Player of the Year

Everyone’s player of the year in the preseason was Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger. No disrespect to Sully, but Green has been better. Green has eleven double-doubles to Sullinger’s nine and has been instrumental in helping the Spartans reach the top ten in both polls. He also has 14 games of double-digit rebounds to Sullinger’s nine. Granted Sullinger hasn’t been healthy all season, that’s more of a reason to give Green the award at the end of the season.

Mark your calenders for February 11th because it marks the first meeting between Green and Sullinger when the Spartans travel to Columbus.

4.) Cody Zeller is No Boy, But Rather a Man

Who knew Zeller would have this much of an impact when he committed to play in Bloomington? He’s no doubt the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year, but more importantly he’s the key to the Hoosiers resurgence in 2012 (see story one). His inside game has opened it up for the Hoosiers sharpshooters on the perimeter.

He’s rough around the edges and can definitely improve on the defensive end, but what else can you expect out of a freshman. If Zeller decides to stay around another year or two, he will be the talk of the conference for some time to come.

5.) Conference Title Still Up for Grabs

What makes Big Ten basketball even more exciting is the fact that four or five teams are still in the mix for the conference title. While the Buckeyes appear to be the cream of the crop, they are not invincible, evident from their two road losses at Illinois and Indiana. They have another tough road venture when they travel to Wisconsin this weekend to take on the Badgers who sit just one game back in the standings. Michigan State is only a half game back from the Buckeyes while Michigan is a full game back. For these four teams, a strong finish in the conference could mean a number one or two seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Honorable Mention: Could this be the year that Northwestern Goes Dancing?, Minnesota’s Mbakwe Out for the Year, Badgers Do it On Defense Again

What do you think of these story-lines in the Big Ten this season? Did I miss something significant? Let me know by commenting below!

Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.

OTHER BIG TEN BASKETBALL RELATED ARTICLES:

- David Kay’s latest Bracketology with EIGHT Big Ten teams dancing
- Paul Banks’ latest Big Ten Power Rankings

It is kind of hard to believe that Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament is only six weeks away.  It is becoming time when college basketball teams are separating themselves as either tourney contenders or pretenders.  Here is The Sports Bank‘s latest Bracketology?  I have more than held my own the past couple of years against ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and with my extreme college hoops nerdom, plan to do so again this year.  Check back every week for an update.

UPDATED: 1/30/12

SOUTH REGIONAL-Atlanta

AT LOUISVILLE
1. Kentucky 21-1 (SEC)
16. UNC-Asheville 16-7 (Big South)/Mississippi Valley State 9-11 (SWAC)

8. Southern Miss 19-3 (CUSA)
9. Illinois 15-6 (B10)

AT COLUMBUS
5. Wisconsin 17-5 (B10)
12. BYU 18-6 (WCC)/Notre Dame 14-8 (BE)

4. Murray State 21-0 (OVC)
13. Middle Tennessee 20-3 (Sun Belt)

AT  NASHVILLE
6. Florida State 14-6 (ACC)
11. New Mexico 17-4 (MWC)

3. Georgetown 16-4 (BE)
14. Davidson 15-5 (Southern)

AT ALBUQUERQUE
7.  California 17-5 (P12)
10. Wichita State 18-4 (MVC)

2. Baylor 19-2 (B12)
15. Weber State 16-4 (Big Sky)

MIDWEST REGIONAL- St.Louis

AT LOUISVILLE
1. Ohio State 19-3 (B10)
16. Norfolk State 16-6 (MEAC)

8. Kansas State 15-5 (B12)
9. Memphis 15-6 (CUSA)

AT PORTLAND
5. St. Mary’s 21-2 (WCC)
12. Oregon 16-6 (P12)/Ole Miss 14-7 (SEC)

4. Creighton 20-2 (MVC)
13. Nevada 18-3 (WAC)

AT PITTSBURGH
6. Virginia 17-3 (ACC)
11. Xavier 14-7 (A10)

3. Marquette 18-4 (BE)
14. George Mason 18-5 (CAA)

AT OMAHA
7. Michigan 16-6 (B10)
10. Alabama 13-7 (SEC)

2. Missouri 19-2 (B12)
15. Akron 14-7 (MAC)

EAST REGIONAL-Boston        

AT PITTSBURGH
1. Syracuse 22-1 (BE)
16. Long Island 15-7 (NEC)/Stony Brook 13-7 (AEC)

8. Temple 15-5 (A10)
9. Harvard 18-2 (Ivy)

AT NASHVILLE
5. Indiana 17-5 (B10)
12. UMass 16-5 (A10)

4. Florida 17-4 (SEC)
13. Iona 17-5 (MAAC)

AT COLUMBUS
6. San Diego State 18-3 (MWC)
11. St. Louis 16-5 (A10)

3. Michigan State 17-4 (B10)
14. Cleveland State 18-4 (Horizon)

AT GREENSBORO
7. UConn 14-6 (BE)
10. Iowa State 15-6 (B12)

2. North Carolina 18-3 (ACC)
15. Bucknell 17-6 (Patroit)

WEST REGIONAL-Phoenix

AT GREENSBORO
1. Duke 18-3 (ACC)
16. UT-Arlington 15-5 (Southland)

8. West Virginia 15-7 (BE)
9. Minnesota 16-6 (B10)

AT PORTLAND
5. Vanderbilt 16-5 (SEC)
12. Washington 14-7 (P12)

4. Gonzaga 17-3 (WCC)
13. Long Beach State 16-6 (Big West)

AT ALBUQUERQUE
6. Louisville 17-5 (BE)
11. Purdue 15-7 (B10)

3. UNLV 20-3 (MWC)
14. Oral Roberts 20-4 (Summit)

AT OMAHA
7. Mississippi State 17-5 (SEC)
10. Seton Hall 15-6 (BE)

2. Kansas 17-4 (B12)
15. Belmont 15-7 (A-Sun)

Wrong Side of the Bubble:
Dayton 14-7 (A10)
Cincinnati 15-7 (BE)
Stanford 15-6 (P12)
N.C. State 15-7 (ACC)
Arkansas 15-6 (SEC)
VCU 18-5 (CAA)
Wyoming 17-4 (MWC)
Central Florida 15-6 (CUSA)

Multiple Bid Conferences:
Big East (8)
Big Ten (8)
SEC (6)
Big 12 (5)
ACC (4)
A10 (4)
Pac-12 (3)
MWC (3)
WCC (3)
MVC (2)
CUSA (2)

Click here for a list of RPI and SOS

David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank.  He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities.  David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu.  He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.

You can follow him on Twitter at DavidKay_TSB.

In Tuesday’s 66-64 loss to Michigan, Purdue senior Robbie Hummel missed a big shot at the end of the game to send the Boilermakers to their second straight loss and third in the past four games.

(Guest post by Kevin Trahan of bigtenorbust.com, purplewildcats.com and the Daily Northwestern.)

On Saturday, he made sure he didn’t repeat that performance, sinking Northwestern with a tough floater with 8.1 seconds left en route to a 58-56 win.

“I thought it was a very interesting game, the kind of game where nobody could get good feel and put a stretch together to put the other team away,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “Obviously, anytime you have a guy like Hummel you want the ball in his hands to make a decision or make shots.”

The Wildcats dominated most of the stat sheet, out-shooting the Boilermakers 57 percent to 50 percent and out-rebounding them by 14. However, turnovers were key, as NU turned the ball over 16 times to Purdue’s five.

“Our ability to turn them over a little bit and not turn the ball over really balanced possessions,” Painter said. “Our ability to play in transition in second half really helped us.”

Although they didn’t turn the ball over, the Boilermakers struggled to get good looks on offense against the Cats’ 1-3-1 zone. However, they also played well defensively, shutting down NU’s “Princeton offense.” Because of NU’s confusing offensive and defensive styles, Painter went with a more experienced lineup.

“We have a lot of respect for what they do on offense and defense,” he said. “ We didn’t want to throw a young guy in there against the Princeton offense or the 1-3-1.”

With both teams struggling, offensively, the game came down to mistakes. NU played with a lot of energy — Painter credited the Cats with “hustle rebounds” — but turnovers sent them to a third straight loss.

“It was another tough loss for us,” NU coach Bill Carmody said. “I mean, the whole thing, the stat sheet, it comes down to turnovers.”

Pat Fitzgerald is having a great non college football Saturday. He got a big w this afternoon as Northwestern University announced the addition of transfer wide receiver Kyle Prater to the Wildcats program.

A product of nearby Proviso West High School (not to be confused with Proviso East, which produced Illini legend Dee Brown) Prater comes home after redshirting one season at USC. Prater battled injury and caught one pass for 6 yards.

He’s HIGHLY decorated though.

A ridiculously good receiver during his high school career, Prater was named a Parade and Super Prep All-American as well as the Super Prep All-Midwest Offensive MVP in 2009. As a senior, Prater recorded 64 receptions for 1,151 yards (18.0 yards per catch) with 13 touchdowns, building on a junior season in which he caught 60 balls for 948 yards and nine scores.

“This is one of the best days in my life for me and my family and I’m just happy to be back close to home, my family and my support group,” Prater said.

“I’d like to thank USC and their administration for my release. I have the utmost respect for USC and the coaching staff, players, fans and everybody I was in touch with there. This Northwestern degree will take me far and help me become a better person. The dynamics of the school and the team have shown me a lot and I’m just happy to be a Wildcat.”

That quote comes from a press statement and not an audio interview by the way.

GOTTA LOVE NCAA RULES:

“Since Prater is currently taking his official visit at Northwestern, NCAA rules prohibit the media from interviewing him while on Northwestern’s campus.”

Prater took in the NU home college basketball game versus Purdue today. The Boilermakers survived 58-56.

NU has recently produced a NFL QB in Mike Kafka and lots of pro RBs (Jason Wright, Tyrell Sutton, Noah Herron, Damien Anderson etc.) but have been lacking at that final offensive skill position. They haven’t produced any next level receivers, maybe Prater will be the first.

In re-opening his recruiting, Prater narrowed it down to NU, the Illini and the Wisconsin Badgers.

Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports

A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio shows all across the world. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too.

This what #9 Michigan State has given up in scoring in their four losses: 67 to North Carolina, 74 to Duke, 81 to Northwestern, 6o to Michigan.

In their 16 wins, they’ve held everyone under 70 with the exception of Lehigh; a game they won 90-81. The losses to the Wolverines and Tar Heels were much more on the offense than the D, but the pattern is still obvious: when the Spartans play defense like a traditional Tom Izzo team is known to do, they are elite.

They look like an Elite Eight, Final Four team. But when they have those occasional defensive lapses, which have been few and far between, they look like an ordinary team.

Purdue was victorious in their last two trips to East Lansing so to get blown out 83-58 yesterday was surprising. And you could say the Spartans’ defense was the best it’s been all year in that game. They harassed Boilers star Robbie Hummel into having his worst game of his college basketball career (0-11 from the the floor, 0-6 from 3) and Purdue suffered the worst loss of Hummel’s career.

Of course, the Spartans had a helping hand in shutting down a player as celebrated as Hummel: weather, followed by vehicle delays forced the Boilers to really be sleep deprived.

But this win was built on lessons learned in MSU’s very humbling loss at Northwestern.

“We didn’t lose that game on the offensive end, we lost it on the defensive end, we’re not allowed to give up 81 points, it’s ridiculous,” Tom Izzo said after the defeat. And he talked about making sure the loss stung enough so his young players learned from their mistakes.

“I wanted them to remember why we didn’t win this game. I wanted it to be fresh in their minds while we’re on the court. The freshmen I wanted them to know that this is not accpetable and Brandon Wood to understand that you came here to try and get in the tournament cause you didn’t think you could do that, part of the reason is you didn’t help Valpo do that, you have got to man up in the big games,” MSU Coach Tom Izzo said.

“And I wanted them all to know that we have t be more consistent if we’re going to win game sn the road when the margin for error is very slim, no matter if we were 4-0 or 6-0 or 8-0,” he continued.

What did MSU in in the Northwestern game was the Princeton Offense and all it’s back door cuts. Other people in the league don’t really run Bill Carmody’s system so I wouldn’t expect too many future MSU opponents to duplicate it. Still it’s a red flag in their defense.

Freshman guard Obie Trice on the Princeton offense:

‘coming in i thought we were really prepared, we did a good job against it in practice, but tonight we kind of fell apart.”

It was mostly the freshmen and Valparaiso transfer Brandon Wood who got beat on the back door cuts. The veterans knew how to stop from getting back-doored. Sophomore guard Keith Appling talked about the anxiety of getting back-doored.

“In the back of our minds, the whole time guys were kind of worried about getting back-doored. So we just wanted to stay as solid as we possibly could, sometimes it works sometimes it didn’t,” he said.

So what’s the key to not getting beat on the back-side cuts that often lead to easy lay-ups?

“You can never relax, because at any given point in any given game, someone can cut back, and you just gotta be in a defensive stance and always ready to snap your neck,” Appling responded.

Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports

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With conference play underway, we begin to get a better feel for how college basketball teams stack up in our Bracketology?  I have more than held my own the past couple of years against ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and with my extreme college hoops nerdom, plan to do so again this year.  Check back every week for an update.

UPDATED: 1/23/12

SOUTH REGIONAL-Atlanta

AT LOUISVILLE
1. Kentucky 19-1 (SEC)
16. UNC-Asheville 14-7 (Big South)/Mississippi Valley State 7-11 (SWAC)

8. Southern Miss 17-3 (CUSA)
9. Dayton 14-5 (A10)

AT COLUMBUS
5. West Virginia 15-5 (BE)
12. Iona 15-4 (MAAC)

4. Indiana 16-4 (B10)
13. Mississippi 13-6 (SEC)/Oregon 15-5 (P12)

AT  NASHVILLE
6. Vanderbilt 14-5 (SEC)
11. Minnesota 15-5 (B10)

3. Georgetown 16-3 (BE)
14. Middle Tennessee 19-2 (Sun Belt)

AT ALBUQUERQUE
7. Florida State 13-6 (ACC)
10. California 16-5 (P12)

2. Baylor 17-2 (B12)
15. Weber State 15-3 (Big Sky)

MIDWEST REGIONAL- St.Louis

AT LOUISVILLE
1. Ohio State 17-3 (B10)
16. Norfolk State 15-5 (MEAC)

8. Temple 13-5 (A10)
9. Alabama 13-6 (SEC)

AT PORTLAND
5. St. Mary’s 19-2 (WCC)
12. Iowa State 14-5 (B12)

4. Creighton 18-2 (MVC)
13. Long Beach State 14-6 (Big West)

AT PITTSBURGH
6. Virginia 15-3 (ACC)
11. Central Florida 15-4 (CUSA)

3. Marquette 16-4 (BE)
14. Belmont 13-7 (A-Sun)

AT OMAHA
7. Michigan 15-5 (B10)
10. New Mexico 15-4 (MWC)

2. Kansas 16-3 (B12)
15. Akron 12-7 (MAC)

EAST REGIONAL-Boston        

AT PITTSBURGH
1. Syracuse 20-1 (BE)
16. Long Island 14-6 (NEC)/Stony Brook 12-7 (AEC)

8. Illinois 15-5 (B10)
9. Harvard 15-2 (Ivy)

AT NASHVILLE
5. Florida 15-4 (SEC)
12. St. Louis 15-4 (A10)/BYU 17-5 (WCC)

4. Murray State 20-0 (OVC)
13. Davidson 14-4 (Southern)

AT COLUMBUS
6. UConn 14-5 (BE)
11. Xavier 13-6 (A10)

3. Michigan State 16-4 (B10)
14. Cleveland State 17-4 (Horizon)

AT GREENSBORO
7. Mississippi State 16-4 (SEC)
10. Louisville 15-5 (BE)

2. Duke 16-3 (ACC)
15. Bucknell 15-6 (Patroit)

WEST REGIONAL-Phoenix

AT OMAHA
1. Missouri 18-1 (B12)
16. UT-Arlington 13-5 (Southland)

8. Wisconsin 16-5 (B10)
9. Wichita State 17-3 (MVC)

AT PORTLAND
5. San Diego State 17-2 (MWC)
12. Purdue 14-6 (B10)

4. Gonzaga 16-3 (WCC)
13. Nevada 16-3 (WAC)

AT ALBUQUERQUE
6. Kansas State 14-4 (B12)
11. Cincinnati 15-5 (BE)

3. UNLV 18-3 (MWC)
14. Oral Roberts 18-4 (Summit)

AT GREENSBORO
7. Seton Hall 15-4 (BE)
10. Memphis 13-6 (CUSA)

2. North Carolina 16-3 (ACC)
15. George Mason 15-5 (CAA)

Wrong Side of the Bubble:
Stanford 15-5 (P12)
N.C. State 15-5 (ACC)
Marshall 13-6 (CUSA)
Colorado State 13-5 (MWC)
Arkansas 14-5 (SEC)
Colorado 13-6 (P12)
Northwestern 12-7 (B10)
Texas 12-7 (B12)

Multiple Bid Conferences:
Big East (8)
Big Ten (8)
SEC (6)
Big 12 (5)
ACC (4)
A10 (4)
CUSA(3)
MWC (3)
WCC (3)
MVC (2)
Pac-12 (2)

Click here for a list of RPI and SOS

David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank.  He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities.  David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu.  He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.

You can follow him on Twitter at DavidKay_TSB.