>This is a crucial game for Illinois.  Losing five of their last seven is putting them at great risk of not making the NCAA Tournament, a far cry from lofty expectations the team received early in the season.  It’s been a variety of things that has worked out for the Illini, including inconsistent play from its senior leaders, notably Demetri McCamey.  Yes, he leads the team in scoring with over 14 per game, but in three of those five losses, he has not managed to score more than 10 points, twice finishing with five or six points, respectively.  But the struggles don’t all fall on his shoulders.  D.J. Richardson, last year’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year has struggled as well and of the highly regarded recruiting class, Jereme Richmond is the only one getting a lot of playing time and that has started recently, after Bruce Weber inserted him into the lineup.

The Illini still have a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament, but they will have to start playing up to the expectations placed upon them at the beginning of the season.  Of their eight remaining games, four are at home and four on the road.  Unfortunately, the toughest games (MSU, Minnesota, OSU, Purdue) are the four road games.  They will need to lean on the experience of the seniors (McCamey, Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis).  Davis and Tisdale will be especially crucial, because many of the remaining teams on the schedule have good big men, including this Minnesota team.  Davis is second on the team with 12 ppg and is getting 6.7 boards per game.  Tisdale is averaging nearly 10 ppg and 6.8 rpg.

Minnesota has been on a tough stretch as well, losing their last three games, two of which were on the road.  Good news for the Gophers is that point guard Blake Hoffarber will play against Illinois.  He had been struggling with a sore knee.  He leads the team in three catehories, including points, assists and three-point field goal percentage.  The Gophers’ next top players are their two big men, Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III.  Mbakwe is averaging a double-double at 13 ppg and 10 rpg, while Sampson pours in 11 and grabs five boards.

>Raise your hand if at the beginning of the season you thought Penn State and Michigan State would have identical 5-6 conference records and MSU with only one more win overall.  Ok, you’re a liar so put your hand down, but that has been the craziness of this year’s college basketball season.  Michigan State has been struggling like nobody’s business the last six games, losing five of them and eeking out a one-point overtime win at Indiana.

Michigan State is led by three players who are averaging double digits this year.  Kalin Lucas leads the team with 16 ppg and is averaging 3.5 assists per game.  Durrell Summers is putting up 13.4 ppg and over four rebounds per game.  Draymond Green is averaging 13 points per game and leads the team in rebounding, with just over eight per contest.

Penn State has been the definition of a cardiac-kid.  It seems like almost every game they play is within 3-7 points.  This game starts a stretch of games which could decide whether or not the Lions make the NCAA Tournament.  After MSU, Penn State still has to Wisconsin, Northwestern and Minnesota, while hosting Northwestern, Minnesota and Ohio State.  It seems as though the two teams in this preview might be ready for an exciting stretch run.

Penn State is led by Mr. Do-Everything Talor Battle, who seems to have been around for 10 years now.  Battle is averaging 20.5 points a game, seven more than the next teammate, five rebounds and three assists.  Jeff Brooks is pouring in 13.5 points a game and leads the team with seven boards a game.  David Jackson rounds out the three double digit scorers with 10.5 ppg and almost five rebounds per game.