Watch CBS News

High-Scoring Hoosiers Play Their Way Back Into Big Ten Race

The Associated Press

A look at things to watch this week in the Big Ten:

GAME OF THE WEEKEND: Indiana at Northwestern on Sunday night. This is the first of two matchups between the Big Ten's No. 1 offensive team and No. 2 defensive team. They meet against Feb. 25. The Hoosiers (14-6, 4-3), who play at Michigan on Thursday night, are scoring 85 points a game and have won four of their last five to get back into the conference race. Northwestern (16-4, 5-2) enters Thursday's home game against Nebraska off four straight wins and is playing like a team determined to break through with the program's first NCAA Tournament bid.

LOOKING AHEAD: No. 15 Wisconsin (17-3, 6-1) and No. 22 Maryland (18-2, 6-1) are tied for first place and don't square off until Feb. 19. The Badgers have three games left against kenpom.com top-40 teams and five on the road. The Terrapins have five games left against top-40 teams and six on the road, including three of their next four.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Caleb Swanigan, Isaac Haas and Vincent Edwards have shot 111 of Purdue's 143 free throws in Big Ten play. Swanigan leads the nation in both rebounding (12.7) and double-doubles (17). ... Northwestern, at 5-2, has its best Big Ten record since 1967-68. ... Iowa freshman Cordell Pemsl leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage, at 62.6 percent. A freshman has led the Big Ten in field-goal percentage in each of the past two years (Indiana's Thomas Bryant in 2015-16 and Ohio State's Jae'Sean Tate in 2014-15).

PLAYER TO WATCH: Nebraska needs Tai Webster (18.1 ppg) to bounce back in a hurry. The senior guard had a tough shooting day and dribbled the ball off his foot to set up Rutgers' game-winning possession last Saturday. The Cornhuskers (9-10, 3-4) take a four-game losing streak into their game at Northwestern, and No. 20 Purdue comes to Lincoln on Sunday.

ON THE WOMEN'S SIDE: Second-place Ohio State (17-5, 7-1) continues to rank among the nation's top offensive teams. After scoring a school-record 86 points a game in 2015-16, the 15th-ranked Buckeyes are averaging 86.4 this season. Kelsey Mitchell leads the Big Ten and is sixth in the country at 22.7 points game. ... Big Ten-leading and third-ranked Maryland (19-1, 7-0) takes a seven-game win streak into its Thursday game at Illinois (8-12, 3-4).

___

Compiled by AP Sports Writer Eric Olson in Omaha, Nebraska.

___

More college basketball at www.collegebasketball.ap.org

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.