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.

The Assembly Hall crowd in Champaign called for Bruce Weber’s head. Illini fans in B Section screamed “pack your bags” and “I can draw up a better offense.” This has gone on for years, except this time there was one major difference- No one in the orange and blue crowd stuck up for Bruce.

And this happened during one of this year’s signature wins, a victory over a top ten Michigan State team. Illini Nation seems to be totally fed up with Weber. He’s about as well liked as point guard Sam Maniscalco, who acts like a black hole in the offense. His field goal and three-point percentages are so low that on those rare occasions he hits a shot, it seems like a miracle has occurred.

Down at courtside on this night you could hear Weber screaming “MOVE MOVE MOVE!” Because there’s just no motion in his motion offense; a system that has produced only a .500 record in conference since the Champaign Campaign national runner-up year of 2005.  And Mansicalco is a big example of what’s wrong with Weber’s decision making: giving more playing time to grindy, hustle players instead of the talented ones.

And a lot of these players sit the bench because they come off as severe head cases. The senior trio that just graduated: Demetri McCamey, Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis resembled a group that genuinely feared success. The Mikes peaked their sophomore year and McCamey regressed massively in the middle of his senior year. Illini fans found these guys to be head cases, and some of what Weber would say in press conferences conformed to this script. The team itself fell way short of preseason expectations, and that killed Weber’s popularity.

The original knock on Weber was that he couldn’t recruit, but with time he got Jerrance Howard working for him on that front and Weber landed a few high profile prospects…who flamed out. Three top flight recruits: Alex Legion, Jereme Richmond, and Crandall Head, stayed for barely a season, if that. And their time on campus produced little to nothing. In Weber’s defense, Legion changed schools like 47 times during the wasted potential that was his joke of a college career.

Richmond, the only McDonald’s All-American recruited in Weber’s 8 years at Illinois turned out to be a psychopath/sociopath. And Head’s stats from his Illini career were so substandard, he made us forget that he was a top 100 national recruit/brother of Luther Head. These trends make you have to ask- why aren’t you recruiting better, more well-adjusted prospects with fewer mental and academic issues? Maybe the problem is with Weber? Maybe certain players with egos just can’t fit his system?

Illinois is among the top 15 all time in McDonald’s All-American recruits, and the state’s high schools are top ten all time in producing them.  Yet it looks certain that Weber will not land any more of them nor improve his poor record in recruiting the Chicago Public League’s top tier prospects. This is just unacceptable.

An excerpt from a must read column by Herb Gould of the Chicago Sun-Times

The clamor for change is apparent Downstate, where Illinois has had only one sellout, and in Chicago, where serious boosters and other alumni have been restless for quite a while. Mix in the Illini’s checkered record the last six seasons, and the case for change is apparent.

Weber got off to a marvelous start in Champaign, riding the Deron Williams-Dee Brown-James Augustine era to eight NCAA tournament victories, including a Final Four; two Big Ten championships; and an 89-16 record, including 39-9 in the Big Ten.

In the five-plus seasons since Brown and Augustine left, Illinois has won one NCAA tournament game, missed the tournament twice, finished higher than fourth in the Big Ten only once and compiled a 120-77 record, including 48-48 in the Big Ten.

For a school with the Illini’s proud basketball tradition, that’s not hitting the mark. That 48-48 conference record is especially telling in light of athletic director Mike Thomas’ reference to competing for Big Ten titles when he fired Zook.

It’s true, mediocrity is tolerated for college football in Champaign; because the only real tradition with the program is from the Red Grange era, and slightly before. There’s been quite a few lean decades in there. In college basketball, this type of behavior is not tolerated at UI. And the fact that when Weber does win, it’s in such an ugly fashion that he makes no friends with his results. The 42-41 win over Michigan State was the fewest points scored in an Illini win since 1946. Dude, that’s a long time ago!

The fact that I’ve written a column on how much this team has in common with the 1998-99 team, which set a school record for single season losses (since broken on Weber’s watch in 2008), is alarming. And now you can add the rare home loss to their usual subordinate Northwestern to the list of similarities between the two teams. And this hard-to-watch basketball has hurt attendance. The Illini are 4th in the league in this category, but they’ve only sold out one game all year. I’m sure the A.D. doesn’t like that stat.

But check out that first comment on that “play offense like it’s 1999″ piece. I can’t quote it directly because I’m not going to speculate on the position of the board of trustees unless it was on the record. But the commenter “U of I” accurately reflects the rumors and anti-Weber sentiment I keep hearing from numerous sources. His numbers are worth a look too. We can’t say for certain if/when Weber will be replaced, but we can safely assume this- money will not be any object if the board decides that’s the way it wants to go.

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.

I am well aware that the 2012 NBA Draft has not even occurred yet.  Still, we are looking ahead to the 2013 NBA Draft with insanely early projections on how it may unfold.  Team needs and outstanding trades have NOT been taken into consideration with this 2013 NBA mock draft.  Click on the players’ name for a complete, in-depth scouting report.

(By the way, The Sports Bank was graded as the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.)

CLICK HERE FOR THE SPORTS BANK’S 2012 NBA MOCK DRAFT

1. Charlotte- Shabazz Muhammed, G/F, Undecided, 6-6, HS Sr.
Considered by most as the top recruit in the 2012 class, Shabazz Muhammed has a complete, all-around game for a wing player.

2. Detroit- Nerlens Noel, PF/C, Undecided, 6-10, HS Sr.
An extremely athletic, lengthy big man who protects the rim like Anthony Davis, Nerlens Noel recently reclassified to the 2012 class which will make him draft eligible in 2013.

3. New Orleans- Quincy Miller, SF, Baylor, 6-9, Fr.
A gifted athlete with a smooth jump shot, Quincy Miller could benefit from another year in college to get stronger.

Go here for more on Quincy Miller

4. Washington- Steven Adams, C, Pitt, 7-0, HS Sr.
The New Zealand native has the ideal size to be a true NBA big man and the developing skill set to match.

5. Sacramento- Kyle Anderson, SF, UCLA, 6-7, HS Sr.
Kyle Anderson is a smooth, all-around talent who can play a point forward type roll.

6. Toronto- Cody Zeller, C, Indiana, 6-11, Fr.
The Hoosier is so talented for a young big man and has such a terrific feel for the game, but needs to get stronger before making the leap to the league.

Go here for more on Cody Zeller

7. New Jersey- James McAdoo, F, North Carolina, 6-9, Fr.
He comes off the bench at UNC but would likely blossom next season in a premiere role.

Go here for more on James McAdoo

8. Golden State- Austin Rivers, SG, Duke, 6-4, Fr.
A pure scorer, Doc’s son is extremely dangerous off the bounce but can also stroke it from deep.

Go here for more on Austin Rivers

9. Phoenix- Isaiah Austin, C, Baylor, 7-0, HS Sr.
The future Bear is a rim protector with great length and athleticism but a lack of physicality is a concern.

10. New York- Myck Kabongo, PG, Texas, 6-1, Fr.
A pure distributor, the Canada-native would benefit from another year of playing the point at the college level before leaving for the NBA.

11. Cleveland- Mason Plumlee, PF, Duke, 6-10, Jr.
Athletically gifted, the middle Plumlee makes his biggest impact on the glass, but has a fairly limited offensive game.

Go here for more on the Plumlees

12. Minnesota- Dario Saric, SF, Croatia, 6-10, 1994
The prototypical, versatile European prospect, Dario Saric has great fundamentals for his size but must get stronger.

13. Memphis- Dion Waiters, G, Syracuse, 6-4, Soph.
The Orange sixth man is dangerous off the bounce and can also shoot it from deep.  I’d like to see him in a prominent, starter’s role before he makes the jump to the NBA.

14. Houston- Tim Hardaway Jr., SG, Michigan, 6-5, Soph.
The Wolverine sophomore can score the basketball in a variety of ways.s

Go here for more on Tim Hardaway Jr.

15. Milwaukee- LeBryan Nash, SF, Oklahoma State, 6-7, Fr.
LeBryan Nash has NBA-ready size and athleticism but needs to work on his outside shot.

Go here for more on Lebryan Nash

16. Boston- Trey Burke, PG, Michigan, 5-11, Fr.
A mature young floor general, Trey Burke is quick with the basketball when attacking the hoop but can also knock down shots from the perimeter.

17. L.A. Lakers- Fab Melo, C, Syracuse, 7-0, So.
If Fab Melo can make a step as a junior like he has done during his sophomore season, he will be a first round pick.

18. Portland- Adonis Thomas, G/F, Memphis, 6-6, Fr.
Already blessed with an NBA-ready build, Adonis Thomas is a tough match-up due to his strength, athleticism, and ability to shoot the ball.

Go here for more on Adonis Thomas

19. Orlando- Ryan Harrow, PG, Kentucky, 6-2, Soph.
The N.C. State transfer will greatly benefit from playing the point under John Calipari.

20. Utah- Rodney Hood, SF, Mississippi State, 6-8, Fr.
The athletic lefty has a smooth stroke from the perimeter.

21. San Antonio- Royce White, PF, Iowa State, 6-8, So.
The big fella can handle the ball like a guard but also knows how to throw his body around down low.

Go here for more on Royce White

22. Dallas- Allan Crabbe, SG, California, 6-6, Soph.
A talented shooter with ideal size for a two-guard, Allan Crabbe needs to improve his dribble-drive game.

23. Denver- C.J. Leslie, F, N.C. State, 6-9, Soph.
A ridiculous athlete who excels above the rim, C.J. Leslie will need to develop the other areas of his game to be a first round pick.

24. L.A. Clippers- Christian Watford, F, Indiana, 6-9, Jr.
Christian Watford is an athletic, skilled combo forward with good size.

Go here for more on Christian Watford

25. Indiana- Jarnell Stokes, PF, Tennessee, 6-8, Fr.
Jarnell Stokes enrolled in college a semester early, but is already a man down low due to his size, strength, and skill.

26. Atlanta- Fuquan Edwin, G/F, Seton Hall, 6-6, Soph.
Fuquan Edwin is an athletic wing who is a terrific perimeter defender.

27. Philadelphia- LaDontae Henton, SF, Providence, 6-6, Fr.
The lefty is an inside/outside threat who rebounds the ball very well and one of my early, early sleepers for the 2013 Draft.

28. Miami- Lucas Noguiera, C, Brazil, 7-0, 1992
A raw seven-footer, Lucas Noguiera has been on scout’s radars for a while due to his size and athleticism.

29. Oklahoma City- Deonte Burton, PG, Nevada, 6-1, Soph.
Deonte Burton can be a distributing play-maker but also knows how to score the rock.

30. Chicago- Khris Middleton, SF, Texas A&M, 6-7, Jr.
The Aggie junior has battled injury this season but has a nice inside/outside game.

SECOND ROUND
31. Charlotte- Alex Oriakhi, PF, UConn, 6-9, Jr.

32. Detroit- Maalik Wayns, PG, Villanova, 6-2, Jr.

33. New Orleans- Trevor Mbakwe, PF, Minnesota, 6-8, Sr.

Go here for more on Trevor Mbakwe

34. Washington- Mouphtaou Yarou, PF/C, Villanova, 6-10, Jr.

35. Sacramento- Aaric Murray, C, West Virginia, 6-10, Jr.

36. Toronto- Isaiah Canaan, PG, Murray State, 6-1, Jr.

37. New Jersey- Aziz N’Diaye, C, Washington, 7-0, Jr.

38. Golden State- Brandon Paul, SG, Illinois, 6-4, Jr.

Go here for more on Brandon Paul

39. Phoenix- Tony Mitchell, SF, Alabama, 6-6, Jr.

40. New York- Jeff Withey, C, Kansas, 6-11, Jr.

41. Cleveland- Michael Snaer, SG, Florida State, 6-4, Jr.

42. Minnesota- Tim Frazier, PG, Penn State, 6-1, Jr.

Go here for more on Tim Frazier

43. Memphis- Matthew Dellavedova, PG, St. Mary’s, 6-4, Jr.

44. Houston- Erick Green, PG, Virginia Tech, 6-4, Jr.

45. Milwaukee- Zeke Marshall, C, Akron, 7-0, Jr.

46. Boston- Elias Harris, SF, Gonzaga, 6-7, Jr.

47. L.A. Lakers- Rodney Williams, SF, Minnesota, 6-7, Jr.

Go here for more on Rodney Williams

48. Portland- C.J. McCollum, SG, Lehigh, 6-3, Jr.

49. Orlando- Keith Clanton, PF, UCF, 6-8, Jr.

50. Utah- Elijah Johnson, G, Kansas, 6-4, Jr.

51. San Antonio- Wally Judge, PF, Rutgers, 6-9, Jr.

52. Dallas- Solomon Hill, SF, Arizona, 6-6, Jr.

53. Denver- Arsalan Kazemi, SF, Rice, 6-8, Jr.

54. L.A. Clippers- Raul Neto, PG, Brazil, 6-2, 1992

55. Indiana- Jared Cunningham, SG, Oregon State, 6-4, Jr.

56. Atlanta- Dexter Strickland, G, North Carolina, 6-3, Jr.

57. Philadelphia- Kenny Boynton, G, Florida, 6-2, Jr.

58. Miami- Rudy Gobert, PF/C, France, 6-10, 1992

59. Oklahoma City- J’Covan Brown, G, Texas, 6-1, Jr.

60. Chicago- Peyton Siva, PG, Louisville, 5-11, Jr.

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.

The NBA Draft Stock Report checks in on which college basketball players have made a name for themselves in the past week; either helping or hurting their future draft position.

Click here for The Sports Bank’s 2012 NBA Mock Draft.

BUYING:
Bradley Beal, SG, Florida, Fr.
To be honest, I expected better numbers from Beal than what we’ve seen this season.  But when you remember that is part of a backcourt featuring ball-dominant, gunners like Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Mike Rosario; Beal is playing his role to perfection.  He is athletic, can shoot the ball, rebounds well for his position, and has played a major part in the Gators’ current six-game win streak.  Beal is a high character kid who is very coachable and is very deserving of being a mid lottery pick this summer… if he declares for the draft.  I could actually see him returning to Gainesville for his sophomore season.

Fab Melo, C, Syracuse, Soph.
In a strange way, Melo being suspended for a few games could actually be beneficial for his draft stock.  If anything, it proved just valuable Melo is to the Orange this season and how much of an impact he can make as a presence in the middle.  The seven-footer is obviously still a work in progress on the offensive end but with size being in demand at the next level and with Melo’s steady development, I would not be shocked if he was a mid-first round pick this season.  More than likely though, he returns to ‘Cuse for his junior season which could help boost his stock even more.

Reggie Johnson, C, Miami FL, Jr.
The big fella was beastly inside for the Hurricanes in their upset win at Duke on Sunday; scoring a career-high 27 points and grabbing 12 boards.  Johnson certainly isn’t the most athletic or explosive big man, but he knows how to throw his 284 pounds around inside and simply over-powered Duke’s athletic bigs.  Since he tested the NBA Draft waters last summer, it would lead me to think that Johnson would declare after this season.  If so, he is a safe bet second round pick and could possibly slide into the late first round with a strong finish to this season.

SELLING:
Jeremy Lamb, SG, UConn, Soph.
I think Lamb is a great talent and will certainly be a lottery pick, but it baffles me when I see other mock drafts having him as a top five pick.  He is in a funk during his last two games, just 7-28 from the floor, 4-18 from distance.  At least during the win against Seton Hall he got to the charity stripe and grabbed 8 boards, but his “sleepy” demeanor on the court and the way he mentally checked out of the game in UConn’s loss to Georgetown certainly concerns me.

Shabazz Napier, PG, UConn, Soph.
Lamb’s shooting slump pails in comparison to what Napier is going through as he is just 1-22 from the field in his last three games.  At the beginning of the season, I though Napier had lottery potential.  Now I’d likely take fellow Husky point guard Ryan Boatright over Napier.  Because he has been so inconsistent this season, he is a second round pick if he declares for the draft after this season.

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.

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)

The #3 Ohio State Buckeyes keep control of their first-place standing in the Big Ten with a 58-52 win over the #20 Wisconsin Badgers. Preseason All-American Jared Sullinger was particularly strong with 24 points and 10 rebounds in the Buckeyes first win at the Kohl Center since 2000.

Wisconsin has become the poster-child for being outplayed, yet having the ability to somehow still be in the game. Today’s game was a perfect example while being out-rebounded (30-25), out-shot (43.1% to 40.0%) and out-hustled, but were still within a single point in the last couple of minutes.

What It Means: The Badgers are not the best team in the Big Ten; even with a different result today, it probably would have been unfair to use that statement anyways. But, what we do know is that the Buckeyes are the best team in the conference and that the Badgers showed they can play with anyone in the country. Earlier this season, they stayed within striking distance at North Carolina, another top-ten team. This bodes well for a team who should finish in the top-half of the Big Ten and get a respectable seed in the NCCA tourney.

Player of the Game: Ryan Evans (14 points and 5 rebounds)

Evans is in the midst of a breakout season and he really was UW’s best player this Saturday. With hindsight, the team probably should have fed the hot hand a little more, seeing how ugly the rest of the offense was. Despite the shooting woes, four Badgers did reach double-digit scoring; Taylor (12), Bruesewitz (11) and Berggren (10) joining Evans.

Stat of the Game: (18.5) The percentage of three-pointers made for the Badgers. UW was a dismal 5-of-27 from behind the arc. That wasn’t the only thing that went awry wrong for the Badgers as they also attempted their first free throw 33 minutes into the game. Considering all the things that didn’t go Bucky’s way, it was really shocking how close they were for most of the game.

What’s Next: After the loss to Ohio State, the path doesn’t get any easier for the Badgers who face a couple of tough road match-ups. First, they will bus up to the Twin Cities to take on an improving Minnesota club and then travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State which should be a battle for the rights of being called the second-best team in the conference.

What did you think of the Badgers and Buckeyes match-up at the Kohl Center? 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.

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.)

It seems if you are in the Big East, you are either streaking (Marquette, Notre Dame, Louisville, Pitt) or you are sliding (Cincinnati, UConn, West Virginia, Seton Hall.)  All in all, it makes for a competitive conference with several teams still having plenty of work to do on their NCAA Tournament resume.  Be sure to check back every Friday for my latest Big East Power Rankings.

1. Syracuse: 22-1 overall, 9-1 in Big East (Last Week Ranking: 1)
Isn’t it crazy how much Fab Melo means to ‘Cuse this season?  If you would have told me that he’d be making this much of an impact as a sophomore, I’d call you more insane than a cast of MTV’s The Challenge.  The Orange survived without the big fella the past two games and get him back from his academic suspension this weekend versus St. John’s.

Up Next: at St. John’s (Sat), vs. Georgetown (Wed)

2. Marquette: 19-4, 8-2 (LWR: 3)
Winners of seven straight, the Golden Eagles have taken a firm hold on the number two spot in the Big East.  There is some concern with center Davante Gardner missing MU’s last game due to a knee injury.  With Chris Otule already lost for the season, Marquette is very thin and under-sized in their frontcourt and need Gardner back sooner than later if they are going to remain in the number two spot.  

Up Next: at Notre Dame (Sat), at DePaul (Mon)

3. Georgetown: 17-4, 7-3 (LWR: 2)
The loss to Pitt isn’t at bad as it seems anymore since the Panthers are starting to find their groove.  The Hoyas bounced back nicely with an impressive showing against slumping UConn.  Still, I am not convinced JT3’s team can do serious damage in March.  I’m not predicting their third straight one-and-done, but I don’t see this team making a deep run either.

Up Next: vs. South Florida (Sat), at Syracuse (Wed)

4. Notre Dame: 14-8, 6-3 (LWR: 7)
The Fighting Irish are really the fourth best team in the Big East?  Right now, yes.  Mike Brey has once again done a terrific coaching job, but here’s a serious question… does Notre Dame even practice running offense with a full shot clock?  I bet Brey just skips the first twenty seconds and puts 15 on the shot clock and says, “Go!”  That burn offense is Big Ten-brutal to watch.

Up Next: vs. Marquette (Sat), at West Virginia (Wed)

5. Louisville: 17-5, 5-4 (LWR: 8)
The Cards early conference funk is over as they have bounced back with three straight wins.  Ready for a fun fact? (I know you are.)  L-Ville is 4-0 in Big East play when Gorgui Dieng records a double-double, 1-4 when he doesn’t.  The only the game they won, he was one rebound shy of a double-double.  In other words, when Dieng is active on the glass and stays out of foul trouble, Rick Pitino’s squad is a much, much better team.

Up Next: vs. Rutgers (Sat), vs. UConn (Mon)

6. West Virginia: 15-8, 5-5 (LWR: 5)
Rough week for the Mountaineers… They suffer a screw job ending against Syracuse on a blatantly missed goaltending call that would have sent the game in overtime.  Less than sixty hours later, West Virginia was upset by a suddenly surging Pitt team in Morgantown.  Now Bob Huggins team is five-hundred in conference play, has eight total losses, and is just 1-5 on the road.

Up Next: at Providence (Sun), vs. Notre Dame (Wed)

7. Cincinnati: 15-7, 5-4 (LWR: 4)
Add the Bearcats to the list of “upper-echelon” Big East teams currently in a funk.  Cincy has dropped three straight, most recently losing at Rutgers.  You figure all Cincinnati needs to do is finish above five-hundred in conference to get into the tourney.  However, with an RPI of 101 and a strength of schedule around 126, this team’s margin of error is rather slim.

Up Next: vs. DePaul (Sat), at St. John’s (Wed)

8. South Florida: 13-9, 6-3 (LWR: 10)
Yes, I’m still dogging on the Bulls.  Consider this though; USF doesn’t have a win against a Big East team with a winning conference record.

Up Next: at Georgetown (Sat), vs. Pittsburgh (Wed)

9. UConn: 14-7, 4-5 (LWR: 6)
It is kind of like Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me… The Huskies have lost their mojo.  Not just their mojo, but this team also lacks any leadership, heart, or toughness.  They were held to a season-low 44 points in a loss to Georgetown; their fourth straight defeat.  UConn is far too talented to be playing so poorly but as Jim Calhoun proved last year, there is still plenty of time to turn things around.

Up Next: vs. Seton Hall (Sat), at Louisville (Mon)

10. Pittsburgh: 14-9, 3-7 (LWR: 15)
Theeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyy’re baaaaaaaaaaack.  The Tray Woodall effect has been obvious for the Panthers.  Pitt was 6-1 prior to Woodall’s injury and now 3-1 since he has returned to the line-up including three straight wins.  Their remaining schedule is somewhat soft and I wouldn’t be shocked if they ended finishing .500 in conference.  Would that be enough to earn them a spot in the tourney?

Up Next: vs. Villanova (Sun), at South Florida (Wed)

11. Seton Hall: 15-7, 4-6 (LWR: 9)
Five straight losses and the Pirates are suddenly fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives.  They will need to finish at least five-hundred in conference to have any hopes of dancing in March since their “signature” non-conference win came at Dayton.

Up Next: at UConn (Sat), at Rutgers (Wed)

12. St. John’s 10-12, 4-6 (LWR: 13)
I know Moe Harkless has an off shooting night against DePaul (2-15) but he is totally league.  I’m going to go ahead and say it; he is a lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft if he declares.  In fact, I have him going eighth overall in our latest 2012 NBA Mock Draft.

Up Next: vs. Syracuse (Sat), vs. Cincinnati (Wed)

13. Rutgers: 12-11, 4-6 (LWR: 11)
I would never, ever bet on a Rutgers game since this team has zero consistency.  They lose at Georgetown by only two points, get beat at home to DePaul, knock off Cincy, and then lose at last place Providence.  

Up Next: at Louisville (Sat), vs. Seton Hall (Wed)

14. Villanova: 10-12, 3-7 (LWR: 12)
‘Nova let an 18-point lead slip away against Marquette and are in jeopardy of missing out on a post-season tournament for the first time since 1998.  Glass half-full: this team will have everybody coming back next season assuming Maalik Wayns stays for his senior season and nobody transfers.

Up Next: at Pitt (Sun), vs. Providence (Tues)

15. Providence: 13-10, 2-8 (LWR: 16)
LaDontae Henton is one of the most underrated, least-talked-about freshmen in the country.  He is logging major minutes for the Friars having played 238 of a possible 240 minutes in Providence’s last six games.  The lefty exploded for 33 points in his team’s three-point loss to South Florida and is averaging almost nine rebounds per game.  Plus, dude rocks a headband.  Who doesn’t love a dude rocking a headband?  Ed Cooley also picked up a transfer in Arizona big man Sidiki Johnson who should add even more depth to what should be a much improved team next season.

Up Next: vs. West Virginia (Sun), at Villanova (Tues)

16. DePaul: 11-10, 2-7 (LWR: 14)
In the words of Ma$e, “Welcome Back… welcome back… welllllllllcome baaaaaaaack…” (to the cellar of the Big East Power Rankings.)

Up Next: at Cincinnati (Sat), vs. Marquette (Mon)

PAST BIG EAST POWER RANKINGS:
WEEK 5 (1/27/12)
WEEK 4 (1/20/12)
WEEK 3 (1/13/12)
WEEK 2 (1/6/12)
WEEK 1 (12/30/11)

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 the Indiana Hoosiers epic upset of then #1 Kentucky a week ago Saturday a star was born; and I’m not talking about Christian Watford. She’s a Playboy model who happens to be a very dedicated Kentucky Wildcats fan named Megan Dills. In the court-storming episode, Dills was knocked down and suffered a sprained ankle and torn tendons. The injury forced her to cancel a Playboy photo shoot that would have been this Saturday in Indiana.

And this story (along with a her general scorching hotness) made her an internet media superstar this week.

More on Dills/more pics of her here

Dills made her modeling debut for Playboy in 2007 with the “Girls of the SEC” issue, when she was attending UK. She later completed her collegiate studies at Northern Kentucky University.

Pictures come from Megan Dills Twitter account; which you can follow here

You can compare her to other scorching hot Kentucky fans here (UK Cheerleaders photo gallery) or here (Ashley Judd in Kentucky clothing photos)

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.

When Christian Watford committed to Indiana University at the beginning of his senior year of high school in 2008, he dubbed himself Christian “LeagueBound” Watford on Facebook.

The Birmingham, Ala. native just might have been on to something.

Now a junior forward at Indiana, Watford has displayed tremendous progress from as recently as last season, enough so that fellow TSB contributor David Kay pegged him as the 21st pick in a 2013 NBA mock draft, the actual event occurring the summer after Watford’s graduation.

Is Watford really league-bound? And a first-round pick, at that? 

At first glance, “C-Wat” certainly has the look of a NBA prospect. His size, 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds, is prototypical of a small forward at the pro level.

Watford also can score — a must for just about any swingman in the NBA. He shouldered a considerable portion of the scoring load his freshman season in 2009-10, especially after fellow frosh Maurice Creek — who at the time was scoring as well as any freshman in the nation — suffered the first of several crushing injuries. Watford averaged approximately 12 points per game in his initial campaign and then led the Hoosiers in scoring as a sophomore, netting 16 points per game.

While his average has taken a small dip this season (12.5 points per game) as a result of freshman Cody Zeller’s presence (Dave has Zeller going eighth in his 2013 mock), Watford’s efficiency has continued to improve this season. His field-goal percentage is up to 43.6 percent from 42.2 percent last year. 

Watford is as solid an option as any on Indiana’s squad to take an open pull-up jumper, but he also has become much more comfortable doing the little things for the Hoosiers. His one-on-one defense has improved tremendously; he often appeared too slow as an on-ball defender during his first two seasons in Bloomington and struggled with his defensive positioning within the context of a zone. The strides he has made this year are quite impressive — he helped reduce Kentucky’s Terrence Jones to nonfactor status in the Hoosiers’ still-epic home upset of the Wildcats (speaking of which, ESPN still replays Watford’s game-winning 3-pointer whenever it broadcasts an IU game).

I also find Watford’s increased willingness to attack the rim and draw the and-1 a plus for his pro aspirations. In some ways that willingness just generally comes with age — we find ourselves talking about how so-and-so should go to the rim all the time — but maybe with Watford it’s something bigger. He has done all the little things this year. He’s gone to the rim. He’s fought hard for defensive rebounds (leads the Hoosiers with 97). He’s gotten in the middle of opponents’ passes in transition and intercepted them, setting up his own team’s transition offense, one of the best in the nation. Watford has become comfortable in his role, and he has become quite a mature, game-changing player as a result. 

While Watford’s footwork can improve, his lack of natural speed could hurt him in the NBA, or at least relegate him to bench status. Small forwards arguably are the most athletic and versatile players in the league, and C-Wat just seems to lack that extra step you see in guys like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and the like. For this reason, it’s unlikely that even with another year of college ball Watford could become a lottery pick. However, Dave’s prediction of 21st in the 2013 draft is perfectly reasonable — especially if Watford has a big senior season amidst the influx of talent the Hoosiers will undergo next year.