ESPN Men's Basketball

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tom Crean gave reporters a brief update on Verdell Jones after the senior point guard suffered a severe knee injury in the first half of Indiana’s 75-58 victory over Penn State in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament Thursday.

He didn’t offer many specifics. But his tone conveyed the severity of the situation.

“Well, he's being evaluated now, and we've got a great team of doctors that were with him, obviously, right away. And I was hopeful when he went down that it wasn't as significant, but I'm going to keep holding on to that hope, but I don't obviously feel good about that,” Crean said. “But we've prayed numerous times. It's in the doctors' hands. It's in God's hands. And we're going to just absolutely hope for the best with him.”

Team spokesman J.D. Campbell told ESPN.com that the school will release an update on Jones’ injury Thursday, if one is available.

Jones yelled after he landed awkwardly during an early sequence. He wasn’t touched on the play. The veteran stayed on the ground as trainers and Crean rushed to his side. They held his right knee.

As paramedics walked toward Jones, Crean told them to stay back. Jones, tears dribbling down his face, rose to his feet and refused a wheelchair. But he couldn’t put any weight on his right leg.

The Hoosiers might have to play without Jones during their Friday matchup against Wisconsin. And based on Crean’s postgame mood, it seems as if they’ll probably have to go without him longer than that.

The Hoosiers, however, tried to find the silver lining in their victory.

“I mean, first, Verdell has put so much into this program, so we knew when we saw him go down and out of the game, we knew we had to step up for him,” said Jordan Hulls. “And as a team, we just picked up a lot on the defensive end, and that's really where we were struggling a little bit and not getting the stops that we needed, but we were able to rally around him and stay focused as a team and play hard.”

They’d lost a key piece and still managed to get a big win, albeit against Penn State. They held the Nittany Lions to a 29 percent clip from the field in the second half. They secured a 38-27 rebounding edge.

Hulls led the team in scoring (20 points). Christian Watford (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Cody Zeller (19 points, 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles.

The Hoosiers shot 44 percent from beyond the arc and went 29-for-36 from the charity stripe.

“It’s hard. But a lot of things like that happen in basketball,” Indiana’s Victor Oladipo told ESPN.com after the game. “We all gonna have to step it up now if he’s not going to be able to play. … Everybody has to step up. The young kids, the bench, the starters, everybody’s gotta step it up in order for us to be successful.”

Finally, there's serious movement in the Big Ten Power Rankings. And it mostly centers on Ohio State’s recent struggles and Iowa’s … surge? Without further ado, the new Big Ten Power Rankings:

1. Michigan State: Tom Izzo is certainly in the national coach of the year conversation. And Draymond Green is the Big Ten’s player of the year. The Spartans have won a slice of the Big Ten title, and with a victory at Indiana on Tuesday, they would earn the outright conference championship. A loss against the Hoosiers, however, would set up a possible three-way tie for first in the Big Ten, with Ohio State traveling to East Lansing on Sunday.
2. Michigan: The Wolverines’ Saturday loss to Purdue snapped a four-game winning streak for Michigan. And it was its first home loss of the year. The Wolverines don’t control their own fate, but with a little help and road wins over Penn State and Illinois this week, they could grab a share of the Big Ten title.
3. Wisconsin: The Badgers bounced back from a midweek loss to Iowa by outplaying Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday. They held Jared Sullinger to eight points, his second-lowest tally of the season. And down the stretch, they were the tougher team.
4. Ohio State: Columbus, we have a problem. The Buckeyes have lost three of their past five games. And Sullinger is struggling (17 points combined in past two games). This Buckeyes squad has Final Four talent, but I'm not sure it has Final Four poise. This team panicked on its final possessions against the Badgers. Do the Bucks have the necessary leadership to make a run in March?
5. Purdue: The Boilermakers needed a signature victory to feel more secure about their at-large hopes. So they played with passion during a 75-61 win at Michigan this weekend. Matt Painter continues to find a way with this team. Despite limited size, limited depth and off-court issues, the Boilermakers are an NCAA tourney team.
6. Indiana: The Hoosiers were never going to live up to the hype that commenced after December victories over Kentucky and Ohio State. But you have to step back and take a look at what’s happened in Bloomington this season. A team that won three Big Ten games last season is comfortably in the field of 68 and has amassed 22 victories. The Hoosiers crushed Minnesota on Sunday (69-50 in Minneapolis), avenging an earlier loss to the Gophers.
7. Northwestern: Wildcats fans, prepare to send towels my way so I can wipe the egg off my face. Weeks ago, I was confident that the Wildcats wouldn’t sniff the NCAA tournament. But here they are, right on the bubble. If they beat Ohio State and win at Iowa this week, how could the selection committee leave them out? A .500 conference record isn’t sexy, but look around the country. They wouldn’t be the only team with questions surrounding their postseason résumés. Plus, the Wildcats can secure another major win in the Big Ten tournament. There’s a first for everything, right?
8. Iowa: Yep, it can happen. It hasn’t happened. But it can. The loss at Illinois on Sunday was disappointing, but the Hawkeyes (7-9 in the Big Ten) can play their way into the field of 68. If they win their next two and get to the Big Ten final, the selection committee would have to consider them. Reminds me of the 2009-10 Minnesota team I covered, one that upset Purdue and Michigan State in the conference tournament and earned an at-large berth that season.
9. Minnesota: This was supposed to be the week that the Gophers solidified themselves as a team with a legit argument for the NCAA tournament. But they unraveled during a must-win home game against Michigan State. And they were crushed by Indiana on Sunday. This squad overcame the November loss of Trevor Mbakwe to a knee injury, and it’s been in a position to earn an at-large berth in recent weeks. But it continues to squander crucial opportunities. Time has run out for Tubby Smith’s team.
10. Illinois: The Fighting Illini needed Sunday’s win over Iowa, a win that snapped a six-game losing skid for Bruce Weber’s team. With matchups against Michigan and Wisconsin ahead, the Fighting Illini can give their at-large résumé at least a fighting chance.
11. Penn State: The Nittany Lions pushed Northwestern, a desperate bubble team, to the brink Saturday during a 67-66 loss. They’ve lost a lot of games, but they’ve never given up under first-year coach Pat Chambers.
12. Nebraska: You can rearrange the bottom four in a variety of ways, but some team has to fill this spot. The Cornhuskers’ Big Ten debut hasn’t gone so well, as evidenced by their 34-point performance at MSU this weekend. But at least they’ll have an opportunity to spoil some team’s postseason aspirations in the Big Ten tournament.

Click here to read our afternoon recap. Now back to the lecture at hand, which comes in three parts:

The Rivalry

No. 2 Syracuse 71, Connecticut 69: One of the many things to love about this Syracuse team -- besides its great zone defense and incredible depth and talent and length and pretty much everything besides defensive rebounding -- is how well it handles close games. Since the Jan. 21 loss at Notre Dame, Syracuse has taken respective best shots from Cincinnati, West Virginia, Georgetown, Louisville, South Florida and now at UConn, and each time the Orange have either pulled away late or made the key stop down the stretch to preserve the narrow win. It's a real skill, and it isn't entirely intangible; when you have a defense this good, you tend to get a lot of stops, and there's no reason why that wouldn't be true in the final minutes of any given game, too. But however you quantify it, the Orange win close games. Such traits tend to come in handy in March.

As for Connecticut? While the Huskies didn't get the win, they appear to be rounding into form, or at least starting to figure a few things out. UConn had its fair share of issues with Syracuse's zone, and there were plenty of bad shots to be had, but the Huskies were much more balanced (four players finished in double figures, while Ryan Boatright and Shabazz Napier combined for 13 assists) and competent on both ends of the floor in the second half. Unless it suddenly begins shooting the ball from outside at a much higher clip, this team probably has a ceiling. But there are plenty of realistic improvements to be made. Even better, many of them appear to be in progress. Let's not bury this team just yet.

The Upsets

Purdue 75, No. 13 Michigan 61: When Purdue guard Ryne Smith was asked what he thought about guard Kelsey Barlow's dismissal from the team last week, he was direct, even curt: "Addition by subtraction," Smith said. Apparently he was right. Whatever the reason, Purdue played its best game of the season Saturday at the most important time, containing Michigan's outside shooters and slowly stretching a second-half lead thanks to the heady play of point guard Lewis Jackson, forward Robbie Hummel and, most importantly, guard Terone Johnson, who scored a career-high 22 points and made a handful of key plays down the stretch, including two big and-1 finishes around the rim. Purdue is an unconventional team with no true post presence; the Boilermakers rely on Hummel's outside-in versatility and an extended, guard-oriented style. This makes them a great matchup for Michigan, and, in their own way, a dangerous team.

In any case, Purdue can now feel entirely safe about its at-large NCAA tournament chances. Beating Michigan at home -- the Wolverines' first home loss of the season -- is most definitely a signature victory. And it couldn't have come at a better time.

TCU 83, No. 21 New Mexico 64: Let's hear it for TCU! A round of applause is most definitely in order. At this time in 2011, the Horned Frogs were in the midst of a season-ending 13-game losing streak, en route to an 11-22 finish. This season is an entirely different story: TCU is playing its best basketball down the stretch, having won four of its past five (and eight in a row at home) and toppling ranked UNLV and New Mexico and a good Colorado State squad in the process. The key: great 3-point shooting. The Horned Frogs lead the league in long-range makes in conference play, and they're undefeated at home as a result. What a difference a year makes.

In the meantime ... um, what happened to New Mexico? Last Saturday, we watched in near-awe as the Lobos thoroughly dominated UNLV, which came just a few days after a 10-point win at San Diego State. Steve Alford's team, once a relatively unheralded efficiency darling with few good wins to show for it, looked set to run away with the Mountain West and make a deep run into March. Since then, the Lobos are 0-2 and are now in a three-way tie. A loss at Colorado State makes some sense; we know the Rams are tough, particularly at home. And this is not to take away from TCU, which (as you just read above) is giving everyone more than they bargained for in February, particularly in their own building. But a 19-point blowout loss? Isn't this the team that just rolled UNLV in the Pit and moved to 8-2 in the league? It's kind of weird, right?

Georgia 76, No. 11 Florida 62: This is an upset, of course, but I'm not sure we should be all that surprised. Frankly, I'm not sure if a Florida loss should ever truly catch us off guard. Don't get me wrong: The Gators are good. But they're a specific kind of good. When their steady diet of 3s are falling, they can shoot opponents off the floor before said opponents even have a chance to catch their breath. But if the shots aren't going down, Florida has no Plan B. Patric Young is the only true post presence, and his offensive game is still a work in progress (and he's still underutilized as a scoring threat to boot). The Gators' defense -- which ranks fifth in opponents' points per possession in SEC play, No. 10 in opponents' 3-point field goal percentage and No. 10 in block rate -- still isn't good enough to hold opponents in check when the shots clanging off the iron and the opponents start turning long rebounds into secondary breaks and easy buckets. Florida might yet get there on the defensive end, but it isn't yet. If this UF team has a lower ceiling than it should, well, that's why.

The Bubble Specials

Alabama 67, Mississippi State 50: It was instinctively easy to write off the Crimson Tide when coach Anthony Grant suspended Tony Mitchell and JaMychal Green; it was easy to predict a late collapse, even a fall off the bubble, for a team whose two leading scorers would be missing such important games down the stretch. Instead, the Crimson Tide keep, well, rolling. They've now won three in a row and prevented any hint of a collapse. Mississippi State, on the other hand, appears to be doing exactly that: The Bulldogs are collapsing. This is the Bulldogs' fifth consecutive defeat, a stretch that has included some good basketball (in the near-miss vs. Kentucky this week) but also some baffling losses (the loss at Auburn especially). It's no stretch to say Mississippi State -- which for much of the season looked like a tourney near-lock -- could wind up missing the tournament after all. The Bulldogs are, after all, 6-8 and tied with rival Ole Miss in the SEC standings. Ouch.

Northwestern 67, Penn State 66: Breathe a big ol' sigh of relief, Northwestern fans: In the chase for their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history, the Wildcats remain very much alive. Senior forward John Shurna made the game-winning free throws with just 2.6 seconds remaining, giving Bill Carmody his first win in State College since 2002. Big challenges still lie ahead: Ohio State comes to town on Wednesday, followed by next weekend's season-ender at Iowa, a team that just knocked off Indiana and Wisconsin in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. But for now, some minor rejoicing is in order. Northwestern's tourney hopes are still very real.

Rutgers 77, Seton Hall 72 (OT): Let's not take Seton Hall off the bubble just yet, eh? The Pirates got a great win over Georgetown this week, one that could have firmed up a previously shaky at-large profile. All Seton Hall needed to do the rest of the way was avoid bad losses. Well, losing to a young, 13-16 Rutgers team at home is just that. Next weekend, the Hall travels to DePaul. If the Pirates lose there, all the good vibes from the emphatic Georgetown victory will have almost entirely faded from the picture.

VCU 89, George Mason 77: First things first: Thanks to Drexel's one-point win at Old Dominion on Saturday afternoon, VCU's win over George Mason won't give them a share of the CAA title this season. Bummer, sure, but the Rams would surely settle for a spot in the NCAA tournament, something to which they're at least a little closer after this victory today. As a league, the Colonial's top teams (Drexel, VCU and GMU) didn't get quality nonconference wins (VCU's best came against South Florida, for example), so any at-large consideration will have to come from separation at the top and perhaps a pair of deep runs for both Drexel and VCU in the CAA tournament. A win here was a must, and Shaka Smart's team got it, behind Bradford Burgess' career-high 31 points.

Dayton 76, UMass 43: A home loss to UMass can't be called "bad," but for a team like Dayton -- which is desperately scrapping for a spot in the NCAA tournament -- it could have been disastrous. Instead, the opposite happened: UD won, and won big, looking very much like one of the A-10's best teams and a squad worthy of a tourney bid in the process. We'll see how the Flyers finish up, but if they're one of the last four in, they might just be one of the play-in game candidates, which are held in -- you guessed it -- Dayton!

Saint Joseph's 82, No. 22 Temple 72: Speaking of somewhat fringe Atlantic 10 tournament hopefuls, the A-10 can't offer a bubble team a better shot at a marquee win than Temple on its own floor late in the season, but the Hawks still had to overcome Fran Dunphy's typically peerless bunch, which had won its previous 11 games and 13 in the 15-game stretch beginning with its Jan. 4 victory over Duke. Phil Martelli's team is now 9-6 in the league and 19-11 overall, and it added the one thing it desperately needed to its profile: A legitimate top-25 RPI win. Temple is most definitely that.

Penn 55, Harvard 54: Just when you think it's time to plan a long-awaited Harvard hoops coronation, Penn's Zack Rosen comes along, scores 20 points, makes a huge jumper down the stretch and ices two game-winning free throws in the final 30 seconds. And all of a sudden the Ivy League race is legitimately up for grabs with both of these teams having two losses. (Another one-game playoff for the Crimson? Oh boy.) As an at-large entity, Harvard is still in decent shape, but its profile isn't so strong that it can afford to lose at either Columbia or Cornell in its final two games, lose out on the Ivy auto-bid, and still feel safe about being picked to join the group of 37 at-large teams. Big days ahead for Tommy Amaker's team.

Washington 59, Washington State 55: For the first 10 or so minutes of the first half, it looked like Wazzu was going to hand its in-state opponent the type of loss that would severely damage Washington's at-large chances. But the Huskies fought back and, as the AP report notes, won the game's most important battle -- at the charity stripe: "Ultimately, the game came down to free throws. WSU (14-14, 6-10) went 11 of 12 to keep the game tied at 28-all despite shooting 27 percent in the first half. In the second half, the Cougars shot 6 of 20 from the free throw line, while the Huskies, who only went 2 of 5 in the first half, finished 17 of 24." The win keeps Washington on the right side of the bubble for now, but UW's marginal profile might not be able to survive a loss at either USC or UCLA going away.

Xavier 65, Richmond 57: Kenny Frease's season highs in both points (19) and rebounds (14) helped carry Xavier to an ugly but ultimately victorious Saturday. A loss here would have kicked Xavier off the bubble for good and almost certainly, barring an upset in the A-10 tournament, ended Chris Mack's 100 percent NCAA tournament hit rate in his XU tenure. Instead, the Musketeers live to fight another day.

No. 21 San Diego State 74, Colorado State 66: The Rams pass at least two NCAA tournament bubble tests: The RPI/SOS numbers are great, and they sure do look like a tournament team. But will that be enough? A win in Viejas Arena would have provided a tidy bookend to this week's huge victory over New Mexico, but the loss isn't a huge deal. Colorado State, which is undefeated at home in Mountain West play, hosts UNLV in Fort Collins in just three days' time. Win that one and the Rams are probably set.

The Big Ten proved to be the king of college basketball conferences this weekend with a variety of upsets, near-upsets and tough efforts by some of the league’s bubble teams. Doesn’t make it any easier to rank this league, though.

1. Michigan State: The Spartans keep rolling. They toyed with the Badgers on Thursday. They fought off a motivated Boilermakers squad Sunday. And with just four games remaining on their Big Ten slate, it’s hard to see the Spartans stumbling and squandering the Big Ten title. And they’re probably a team that deserves a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tourney.

2. Michigan: The Wolverines kept their conference title hopes alive with a crucial win over the Buckeyes. They’re undefeated at home. And although he’s just a freshman, Trey Burke (17 points, five assists against the Bucks) is a gamer who’s equipped to lead the Wolverines on a run in March.

3. Ohio State: The Buckeyes don’t look like the same crew that recently rattled off six straight wins. They took a major hit against the Spartans last weekend. And their loss to Michigan on Saturday put a serious dent in their Big Ten title hopes. It’s easy to look at Jared Sullinger's recent struggles (14 turnovers in his last three games, including 10 in the loss to the Spartans last weekend), but William Buford has failed to record double-digits in three of his team’s four Big Ten losses. Buford, the team’s second-leading scorer, finished with six points in Saturday’s loss in Ann Arbor.

4. Wisconsin: The Badgers are certainly an NCAA tournament team. If they play a team that’s equally interested in the grind-it-out style that makes Bo Ryan’s system go, then they’ll have a chance to advance in March. But I don’t know how they’re going to keep up with some of the nation’s more talented offensive squads if their scoring droughts continue (five scoreless minutes in the first half of their loss to Michigan State).

5. Indiana: Sunday’s road loss to the Hawkeyes interrupted a three-game winning streak for the Hoosiers. With Cody Zeller inside and the confidence that comes from knowing that they’re the only team in the country that’s cracked the Kentucky Code, the Hoosiers have the potential to make noise in March. Their struggles away from Assembly Hall, however, warrant doubts.

6. Northwestern: A few weeks ago, I wrote that the Wildcats would not crack the field of 68 on Selection Sunday. Northwestern had offered few reasons to consider another postseason path. But I’ve certainly been proven wrong in recent weeks. The Wildcats never quit after losing three consecutive games in late January. They’ve won four of six, and if you ask Joe Lunardi, they’re in the Big Dance right now. A victory over Michigan on Tuesday would be huge.

7. Purdue: In stretches of Sunday’s loss to Michigan State, the Boilermakers took on the “play through adversity” mantra that sometimes fuels inspired performances. But in the end, MSU was too tough and the Boilers lacked the firepower to build on a 38-35 halftime lead. The D.J. Byrd/Kelsey Barlow drama could change Purdue's postseason outlook.

8. Iowa: Sunday’s win over nationally ranked Indiana was another sign of progress for Fran McCaffery and his staff. Next season’s task: win on the road (five straight losses). Some squad from the bottom of the league is going to score an upset in the Big Ten tournament. The Hawkeyes are on that list.

9. Minnesota: The Gophers are certainly on the outside of the bubble right now, but a victory over Michigan State on Wednesday could push Minnesota back into the discussion. The Gophers don’t have a magic number, just a need to score some additional signature victories in the coming weeks when they’ll play the Spartans, the Hoosiers and the Badgers.

10. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers’ 23-point win over Illinois on Saturday was an embarrassment for the Illini but a major boost for a squad that’s struggled all season. Is it too late to save Doc Sadler's job?

11. Penn State: The Nittany Lions’ loss to Wisconsin in Madison was Penn State’s ninth consecutive road loss. This is another team that’s been solid in stretches at home but unable to duplicate any sliver of that success away from State College, Pa.

12. Illinois: I don’t care about the Illini's record. I don’t care about nonconference wins or their past victories over the Spartans or Buckeyes. That performance against Nebraska this weekend -- an 80-57 loss when they knew what was on the line -- put the Illini at the bottom of these power rankings. They’re the worst team in the league right now for a lot of reasons. But on Tuesday in Columbus, they have a crucial opportunity to revive their at-large hopes and potentially save Bruce Weber’s job. Don't count on it.

How many NCAA tourney bids will the Big Ten receive? Five seem safe at this point, but beyond that is anyone's guess -- especially after Illinois' home loss to Northwestern on Sunday.

1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes went to Madison and beat the Badgers at their own plodding game Saturday. Thad Matta's squad isn’t just the best team in the Big Ten right now. It’s arguably the top squad in the country based on the way it’s played during its five-game winning streak. The Buckeyes could really pull away from the rest of the field with a win against Michigan State Saturday.

2. Michigan State: Spartans fans can exhale now. Draymond Green scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a 64-54 win over Michigan Sunday, days after leaving the team’s road loss at Illinois with a knee injury. The Spartans get a shot at Ohio State Saturday in Columbus. And they possess the physical style to stifle the Buckeyes.

3. Wisconsin: Can’t knock the Badgers for putting up a 40-minute fight against an Ohio State team that’s been the league’s best squad for weeks. A few late mistakes cost the Badgers. Their challenges from the 3-point line (18.5 percent against the Buckeyes) continue to hurt a team without an inside force. But they’re going to challenge every team in the Big Ten with their stingy defense.

4. Michigan: Yes, the Wolverines had their fourth conference loss of the season Sunday against Michigan State. No, they’re not out of the Big Ten title race. The Wolverines get Ohio State, Purdue and Illinois at home in the coming weeks. And they play Nebraska, Illinois, Northwestern and Penn State on the road. The Wolverines, however, continue to suffer inside with their limited frontcourt depth.

5. Indiana: The Hoosiers have won three of their past five games. Saturday’s 78-61 win at rival Purdue served two crucial purposes for Tom Crean’s program. It saved Indiana from a 5-7 Big Ten record and it snapped its four-game road losing streak in conference play. Only two of Indiana’s final seven games will be played outside of Bloomington.

6. Illinois: The Illini followed Tuesday’s 42-41 home win over Michigan State with a 74-70 loss to Northwestern Sunday … in the same arena, Assembly Hall in Champaign. Really? You try to figure out this up-and-down Illini team because I can’t.

7. Purdue: The Boilermakers have lost three of four. And they play Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State and Indiana in their last eight Big Ten games. Why are those opponents significant? Because they all have the inside threats that can expose Purdue’s void in the paint.

8. Minnesota: The Gophers have won five of their past seven games. After losing their best player, Trevor Mbakwe, to a season-ending knee injury in November, they could easily be at the very bottom of the Big Ten standings.

9. Iowa: The Hawkeyes are 3-2 at home in 2012. Fran McCaffery’s team has won two in a row. That’s certainly an accomplishment for this rebuilding team.

10. Northwestern: The Wildcats entered the season amid ongoing hope that this would be the first time the program makes the NCAA tournament. That’s not going to happen this season.

11. Penn State: The Nittany Lions have the worst record in the Big Ten at 2-9. But there’s just something about State College. Big Ten teams always seem to encounter trouble when they play there. Plus, Tim Frazier (18.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 6.3 apg) is one of the top players in the league. That’s why they avoided the No. 12 slot.

12. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers’ introduction to the Big Ten hasn’t been a smooth one. And that’s too bad because Bo Spencer (15.3 ppg and 3.5 apg) is a special player and he deserves more praise.

Wisconsin 52, Penn State 46
Penn State’s Matt Glover fouled out without taking a shot in 30 minutes. It’s the second time this year he’s fouled out in a game in which he hasn’t taken a shot, making him the second player this year to do that (Justin Newton, St. Francis NY).

Oklahoma State 80, Texas Tech 63
The Cowboys made 33 of 35 free throw attempts (94.3 percent), matching the highest percentage by any team this season (min. 30 attempts).

North Carolina 68, Wake Forest 53
All five of North Carolina’s starters attempted at least 10 shots from the field, the first time a major conference team has done that this season. It’s the sixth time any team has done it this year.

UVA 65, Clemson 61
Clemson’s Rod Hall played seven minutes without accumulating a stat, and UVA’s Paul Jesperson did the same in five minutes. It’s the first game involving two major-conference teams this season in which a player on each team put up at least a five trillion.

It's ever-fluctuating, of course, but here is how I see the Big Ten Power Rankings as of Monday morning:

1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes can really separate themselves from the field with a victory at Wisconsin on Saturday. They’ve struggled on the road -- all of the league’s contenders have -- but if the 7-2 Buckeyes beat the Badgers, the hottest team in the Big Ten (five consecutive wins), they’ll leave little doubt about their standing atop the league or their top-5 ranking.

2. Michigan State: Are the Spartans really Ohio State’s greatest threats for the Big Ten title? We’ll find out this week. They face the Illini on Tuesday in Champaign, Ill., where the Buckeyes have already lost. And the Spartans play Michigan on Feb. 5. They lost to the Wolverines in their last meeting in Ann Arbor. MSU will have to build off its current two-game winning streak to keep pace with the Buckeyes.

3. Wisconsin: A year ago, the Badgers ended Ohio State’s hopes of a perfect season with a 71-67 victory over the Buckeyes in Madison on Feb. 12, 2011. They’ll have another shot to boost their season at OSU’s expense Saturday when the Buckeyes come to Kohl. The Badgers have put their three-game Big Ten losing streak behind them by winning five straight. We’ll see if they can fully restore the Kohl Center’s mojo (they’ve lost three at home this season, a rarity in Madison).

4. Michigan: The Wolverines are coming off two losses -- 66-64 at Arkansas on Jan. 21 and 64-49 at Ohio State on Sunday -- in a three-game road trip. But with Indiana at home Wednesday and Michigan State on the road Sunday, the Wolverines can stay in the hunt for the Big Ten title. If they struggle this week, they might find themselves too far behind to catch up by season’s end.

5. Indiana: The Hoosiers are 5-5 in conference play after winning two of their past three games. But both victories were achieved at Assembly Hall. Indiana can move past a tough January with a win at Michigan on Wednesday. Three of the Hoosiers' next five games, however, are on the road, where they’ve looked like a completely different squad.

6. Purdue: The Boilermakers’ 58-56 win at Northwestern on Saturday was only their second in five games. But they’re 5-4 without a strong post presence in a big league. That's not bad.

7. Illinois: The Illini have lost three in a row, including Saturday's road 77-72 overtime loss to the Gophers in Minneapolis. They’ve been close in all three. But they’ve also been the subject of the perennial questions about this team’s continued inability to fulfill its potential under Bruce Weber.

8. Minnesota: The Gophers have now won four of five after losing their first four Big Ten games. Their overtime victory over Illinois on Saturday avenged a double-overtime loss at Illinois earlier this month. Tubby Smith has faced a ton of challenges throughout his time at Minnesota, but he’s put together one of the most impressive stretches of his tenure over the past few weeks.

9. Nebraska: The Huskers’ introduction to the Big Ten wasn’t a good one. They lost their first four conference games. But Doc Sadler’s squad has won three of its past five.

10. Northwestern: Things just aren’t working out for Bill Carmody’s program this season. The Wildcats have lost six of their first eight conference games. Feels like the same story for the Wildcats. And it’s a sad tale about a program that can’t get over the hump.

11. Iowa: Did Fran McCaffery’s squad really beat Wisconsin in Madison this season? And Michigan at home? Really? The Hawkeyes have won exactly one game since a Jan. 4 victory at Minnesota.

12. Penn State: The Nittany Lions were impressive when they beat Purdue by 20 points Jan. 5, but they’ve earned just one victory since and get red-hot Wisconsin next.

Indiana overcame a halftime deficit and ran away with a 73-54 win over Penn State that ended a three-game losing streak.

The Morning After is our semi-daily recap of the night's best basketball action. Political leanings aside, it found last night's debate utterly fascinating.

Penn State 54, No. 25 Illinois 52: The last time we saw the Fighting Illini, they were at home against one of the best teams in the country, Ohio State. The crowd was rolling. Brandon Paul was, too. The shooting guard had his dream game, the Platonic ideal of an individual offensive performance, the kind of game he'll remember forever: 43 points, 11-of-15 from the field, 8-of-10 from 3, 13-of-15 from the free throw line. Illinois won 79-74.

Nine days later, that incredible outlier of a performance says as much about this Illini offense as any of Illinois' other substandard performances in Big Ten play to date -- which, for the record, have been pretty much all of them. When you get that kind of night from Brandon Paul, and you just narrowly edge the Buckeyes by five points at home, well, maybe that's not such a good sign.

With the exception of their performance against Ohio State, the Illini have for much of the season -- and particularly in conference play, despite their 4-1 (now 4-2) start -- been one of the more anemic offenses in the Big Ten. Nine days after their rollicking win, and just a few days after Michigan State and Indiana helped them become the only one-loss team in the Big Ten to date, the Illini did what they have been doing for pretty much the entire season, especially since the start of conference play. They turned the ball over way too often.

Last night's turnover rate at Penn State -- 25.0 percent -- led Illinois to score just .93 points per possession at Penn State. It also cemented Illinois' status as the Big Ten's most turnover-prone squad: As ESPN Insider/Basketball Prospectus oracle John Gasaway tweeted Thursday night: "Including tonight's loss @ Penn State, Illinois has given the ball away on 24% of their possessions in-conf, worst in the league by far." When you open Illinois' profile on Statsheet, and peer into its handy four-factors-oriented game stats, you see a team that has given the ball away on more than 22 percent of its possessions five out of six times in conference play. Even against Ohio State, despite all of Paul's brilliance, Bruce Weber's team coughed it up 27.3 percent of the time.

For much of the season, anyone who has watched Illinois play has asked -- nay, begged! -- for the Illini to stop taking outside shots, to stop running so much offense through Paul, to getting beast-mode sophomore forward Meyers Leonard more touches on the low block. It hasn't happened. Sure, Leonard took 12 shots Thursday night; he made six en route to a solid 15-point outing. But Paul and fellow guards D.J. Richardson, Sammy Maniscalco (can I call him Sammy?) and Joseph Bertrand combined for 33 shot attempts of their own. They made nine. Throw in all the turnovers, and of course it's no surprise the Illini scored just 52 points in 56 possessions Thursday night.

This is the great challenge of Illinois' season. The Illini are talented, no question about that. They defend better than any recent Weber-coached team. At the beginning of the year, I expected that the losses of seniors Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale -- three players who insisted on taking inefficient shots, didn't bang on the low block, and (especially McCamey) never stopped the ball at the point of attack the way Weber's guards have to -- would amount to addition-by-subtraction on both ends of the floor.

That's half right. The Illini do defend. That's good news; it will keep them in games and give them chances to win, even on the road. But this iteration is even less efficient on offense than 2011's. Until Leonard becomes the single focal point of this offense -- or at least until Illinois stops giving the ball away so frequently and so carelessly -- this team's ceiling will continue to be much lower than it should. Meanwhile, we should view the Ohio State win less as a grandiose sign of improvement and more like the outlier it truly was.

In short: The Illini commit way too many turnovers to be consistently successful. The end? We'll see.

Vanderbilt 69, Alabama 59: Advanced statistics seem somewhat beside the point here. On Thursday night, the Crimson Tide couldn't make a shot to save their lives. That's why they lost.

To be fair, we should direct some major credit toward the Vanderbilt Commodores, who are, it should be noted, vastly improved on the defensive end of the floor in SEC play. The Commodores are allowing just .90 ppp to opponents in SEC games, the stingiest mark in conference -- a better figure than Kentucky's Anthony Davis-led defensive juggernaut, even. That's a smallish four-game sample size, of course, so it's not quite predictive of the way the rest of the season will unfold, and that figure has been accomplished against some of the worst of what the SEC has to offer: Auburn, South Carolina, Georgia and now Alabama. (Auburn mustered a mere .60 ppp in its game vs. Vanderbilt. That's just ... wow.) No one is expecting Vanderbilt to become a defensive monster, but if some of what the Commodores have done since mid-December is real, even that marginal improvement is, in general, a sign of big things to come. This team can score just fine, as we saw last night. (That Alabama defense is good, folks.) If it can defend a bit, even better.

Besides, while we're at it, we might as well mention this: Winning on the road in conference play is never easy. When you do, credit is deserved. Consider that credit granted.

But in all honesty, this loss was just as much about Alabama as it was about Vanderbilt -- arguably even more so. I mean, just look at the box score: The Crimson Tide shot 23-of-70 from the field and 6-of-24 from beyond the arc. That's a problem. Why? Apparently, despite the Crimson Tide's 26.9 percent accuracy from beyond the arc -- which ranks them among the five worst long-distance teams in the nation -- no one has broached the topic with Alabama that maybe it should, you know, stop shooting 3s.

It's one thing to struggle on offense, as Alabama does. That's OK. This is one of the best defenses in the country. It doesn't have to set the nylon ablaze every time it hits the court. But when you're this bad from long range, and you possess the kind of physical, athletic frontcourt talents Alabama does, you have no business busting 24 3s against anyone. All that does is lead to long rebounds and secondary breaks which negate that incredibly impressive half-court defense in the process. How counterproductive is that?

The good news? Alabama ranks just No. 300 in the nation in 3-point/FGA ratio. It has served the Crimson Tide well thus far. On Thursday night, Alabama saw what happens when it deviates from that identity. I believe the high school kids at the 7-11 by my house have a phrase for this, typically used (as far as I can tell, because I feel old and out of touch every time I want to grab a Coke Zero) when discussing the merits of "Drake:" Stay in your lane. It applies here.

Coverage links of note: Robbi Pickeral was, per the usual, on hand with North Carolina, which pulled away from Virginia Tech in the second half thanks to a burst of sheer euphoric talent -- and much more intensity.

Everywhere else: Duke rolled over Wake Forest, and the highlight of the night was Doc Rivers' face when his son, Austin, took a horrible, let-me-dribble-for-a-few-seconds-and-then-launch 3-pointer that somehow banked in. Doc's face was a mixture of relief and embarrassment. Fellow parents patted him on the back as he sank his head into his hands. Pure, uncut comedy gold. ... Virginia just trounced Georgia Tech on the road, 70-38. ... St. Mary's remained undefeated in WCC play with a win over Pepperdine. ... NC State handled Boston College. ... and out in Pac-12 play, Cal held on for an excellent three-point win at Washington while Stanford fell prey to Washington State's offensive home cooking. It's hard not to see the Bears as the only obvious Pac-12 favorite going forward.

Here’s my attempt at ranking the wacky Big Ten:

1. Michigan State: The Spartans hadn’t lost since mid-November. And while it’s somewhat surprising that their first L since those season-opening losses to Duke and North Carolina came against Northwestern, it’s not surprising that they found themselves in a Big Ten battle on the road. Most of the league’s top-tier squads have lost within the past week, so they’re not alone.

2. Ohio State: The Buckeyes looked like one of the best teams in the country when they crushed Indiana 80-63 on Sunday in Columbus. They played like a team bent on avenging its New Year’s Eve loss to the Hoosiers. Illinois needed a once-in-a-decade performance from Brandon Paul to beat the Bucks in Champaign last week. I think Ohio State is ready to surge back to the top of the league for good, but it has to bring its home mojo on the road.

3. Illinois: These are power rankings, not a top-25 poll. Illinois’ 79-74 victory win over the Buckeyes on Tuesday was a huge win for the program. The Illini have failed to follow up on impressive wins in the recent past. But they’re certainly skilled enough to make a charge up the Big Ten standings. It’s just hard to assume anything about this team until we see more consistent performances.

4. Indiana: The Hoosiers fell back to earth this week. Yes, they’re still a contender in the Big Ten. But they were cold in their loss to Minnesota on Thursday. And they ran into an angry Ohio State squad Sunday. Tom Crean will face his toughest challenge of the year in the coming weeks. The Hoosiers are still learning how to win. But they can’t let their recent struggles bleed into the rest of their season and fall back into bad habits from past years.

5. Michigan: The Wolverines’ loss to Iowa on Saturday communicated two things about that program. First, it was proof that this is the nation’s deepest conference. The Hawkeyes have become a factor. Two, the Wolverines aren’t going to win many games if Tim Hardaway Jr. (2-for-13) is off the way he was in that game.

6. Wisconsin: This is where this league gets even cloudier. You could put a variety of squads in this slot right now. The Badgers are riding a two-game winning streak. And for this league, that means something. Again, Nos. 6 through 9 in this league seem interchangeable right now. But the Badgers were tough in their Thursday win at Purdue.

7. Purdue: The Boilermakers’ victories over Iowa (road), Illinois and Minnesota attained more weight this week. But a 20-point loss at Penn State and this week’s home loss to Wisconsin were additional proof that this conference is hard to decipher. Plus, someone has to fill the No. 7 slot in this confusing league.

8. Iowa: Settle down, Hawkeyes fans. Yes, I know your favorite squad has a road win against Wisconsin and that it just defeated Michigan. But I’m not convinced, yet, that the Hawkeyes are higher than eighth in this league. Let's keep in mind that Michigan win was preceded by a 95-61 loss to Michigan State. The good news is that the Big Ten is certainly capable of sending eight teams to March Madness. So this isn’t a bad place to be. Hawkeyes could wind up in the mix at the end of the season if this continues.

9. Northwestern: The Wildcats’ upset victory against Michigan State on Saturday made me take a closer look at their losses. One-point loss to Illinois. Overtime loss to Michigan. Nothing to be ashamed of. The Wildcats are feisty. But they have to build on this win to gain more street cred in the Big Ten. The MSU win was impressive. It’s still tough, however, to know what to expect from this squad the rest of the way.

10. Minnesota: I’ve followed this Gophers squad for years. I know what they’re capable of with Tubby Smith’s crippling D. But I was still shocked by its road win at Indiana on Thursday. But the Gophers will have to do more to rise up these rankings and erase the memory of their 0-4 start. This week’s road victories over the Hoosiers and Penn State were great starts.

11. Nebraska: The Huskers have suffered a pair of five-point losses in league play. But the bottom-feeders in this league manage to make things interesting most seasons. Unless the Huskers can turn tight losses into victories, and fast, they’ll stay here the rest of the way.

12. Penn State: Tough year for the Nittany Lions. I might vote for Talor Battle as league MVP just based on the impact his departure has had on the program. At least Tim Frazier (18.1 ppg) is doing his best Battle impersonation this season.

Going into the season, a loss to Rutgers was nearly unimaginable for Pittsburgh. Out of the question was a performance like Wednesday’s 62-39 loss.

Among other humiliating numbers, it was the Panthers' fewest points in a game since scoring 36 back on Dec. 4, 1973 (also against Rutgers). Worse yet, this loss came at home. The Panthers had their fewest points at home since scoring 38 in a loss against Westminster on Jan. 5, 1950.

The 23-point loss is their worst since moving to the Petersen Events Center in 2002. The Panthers shot just 21.1 percent, their worst shooting performance under Jamie Dixon. It’s the lowest field goal percentage by a Big East team in conference play since West Virginia shot 20 percent in 2008. In the first half, Pittsburgh shot just 12.5 percent from the field.

Ole Miss snaps 542-game streak
Ole Miss snapped a streak of 542 consecutive games with a 3-point field goal, but still came away with a 71-63 win over Arkansas. It’s the 12th time this season that a team won without making a 3.

Since they won, it’s easy to make light of the failure to connect from deep, but long-distance shots are a big problem for the Rebels. On the season, they are hitting just 27.3 percent of 3s. Of 339 Division I teams, that ranks 328th.

Nicholson paces Bonnies
St. Bonaventure got a huge game out of senior Andrew Nicholson, who finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks in an 81-73 win over Dayton. It’s the first such 30-10-5 game this season.

You don’t see many games like this in high-level conferences. He’s the first Atlantic 10 player to do it since Ahmad Nivins in 2008. The last Power 6 conference player with a 30-10-5 game? Kevin Durant.

Frazier can’t do it alone
Penn State is going to need someone other than Tim Frazier to contribute if the Nittany Lions want to turn the season around. In Wednesday’s 70-58 loss to Nebraska, Frazier outscored the rest of his team 30-28.

The career-high performance came largely because no one else could score. His teammates combined to shoot 10-for-44 (22.7 percent) from the field. Frazier is the only Penn State player averaging in double figures this season.

After a Sunday afternoon in which Indiana barely held off Penn State and Michigan handed Wisconsin yet another loss, here is my latest attempt to rank the Big Ten:

1. Michigan State: The Spartans are undefeated in Big Ten play after pulling off a somewhat controversial 63-60 overtime victory against Wisconsin in Madison. They’re ranked 11th in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted offense rankings and seventh in his adjusted defensive rankings. Translation: The Spartans are a complete team.
2. Indiana: The Hoosiers held off a crafty Wolverines squad in Bloomington, but we’ll learn more about Indiana’s Big Ten title hopes when it travels to Columbus this weekend. The Hoosiers snapped a 16-game road losing streak in Big Ten play with an 88-82 victory at Penn State Sunday. Congrats, but how did IU give up 82 points to the Nittany Lions? Did Talor Battle play?
3. Ohio State: This is what I like about the Buckeyes: After suffering that disappointing New Year’s Eve loss to Indiana, they did what a top-10 squad should do. They destroyed a pair of teams that are projected to finish at the bottom of the Big Ten (Nebraska by 31, Iowa by 29). At its best, Ohio State is the best team in this league. Will we see it consistently for the rest of the year?
4. Michigan: This is where the league gets blurry. But Michigan deserves kudos for losing by two on the road against an Indiana squad that had previously defeated Ohio State and Kentucky in the same building. Plus, they held their own against an Indiana team with Christian Watford and Cody Zeller inside, despite playing with one post man (Jordan Morgan).
5. Illinois: The Big Ten’s most perplexing squad needed a comeback to beat Nebraska. In Champaign. Joseph Bertrand’s 11 for 12 clip was impressive Saturday. Meyers Leonard taking five shots? Not so much. The Illini need more balance. Not sure why Bruce Weber’s squad isn’t playing more of an inside-outside game.
6. Purdue: The Boilermakers don’t have much beef inside. Their offense revolves around Lewis Jackson’s speed off the dribble and Robbie Hummel’s versatility. But they’re in a massive league. So their margin of error, given their dependence upon outside shots, is slim. The team’s 20-point road loss to Penn State suggests that the Big Ten’s bottom half is murky at best.
7. Iowa: Fran McCaffery’s wins at Wisconsin and Minnesota were promising. He continues to build in Iowa City, which is not an easy task. But additional lopsided losses, such as the one suffered against Ohio State at home Saturday, might soon suggest that the Wisconsin win was a fluke.
8. Wisconsin: The Badgers don’t look very good right now, even though two of their Big Ten losses came against a pair of tourney teams. The Iowa loss is inexplicable. And those nonconference victories against UNLV and BYU seem ancient right now.
9. Northwestern: That one-point loss to Illinois last week might haunt the Wildcats for some time. They’re not good enough to squander those tight games. And for the umpteenth time, the Wildcats’ dream of an NCAA tourney berth seems like a pipedream.
10. Penn State: The Nittany Lions crushed Purdue last week. And they gave Indiana a run Sunday. Both games were at home. Those efforts might mean progress in State College, but we won’t know until Penn State adds a few W's to the win column.
11. Minnesota: Tubby Smith’s squad looks lifeless right now. Against Purdue, Smith went with a small lineup, even though his team’s size advantage should have been significant weapon. As the Gophers learned last season, when they finished with 10 losses in their final 11 games, this thing can go downhill quickly.
12. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers had a shot on the road against Illinois over the weekend. But they took some tough shots late. Three of their next four are against Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio State. It’s not going to get easier.

Based on results and not preseason expectations, here's my attempt at ranking the Big Ten teams one month into the season:

1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes lost three veterans, but they’re a more talented team this season. The proof? Their dismantling of Duke and a win over Florida. And top-recruit LaQuinton Ross became eligible this week. Their only concern going forward is Jared Sullinger’s back, which may or may not keep him out of Saturday's game at Kansas.

2. Illinois: Bruce Weber has talent at every position this season. The emergence of Meyers Leonard shifts the entire program and its chances to compete with Ohio State for the Big Ten title. Last week, the 8-0 Illini outplayed a good Gonzaga team at home, but upcoming games against UNLV (in Chicago) and Missouri (in St. Louis) will really prove how legit they are.

3. Michigan: Darius Morris went pro and some (see: me) assumed a collapse would ensue. But Trey Burke has filled that gap in his first season, although you have to worry about his turnovers. Tim Hardaway Jr. is a star. You don't have to worry about him. The Wolverines have a win over Memphis in Maui and for now that's enough to rank them ahead of Wisconsin, which really hasn't beaten anyone outside of BYU.

4. Wisconsin: Early panic about a Bo Ryan team? Check. Listen, the Badgers’ only losses have come against nationally ranked North Carolina and Marquette. No shame in that. But Jordan Taylor is not the scorer he was a year ago (18.1 ppg to 12.4 ppg). And that could be a problem for a team averaging 68.8 points per game. Saturday’s game against UNLV will be a good test.

5. Indiana: The Hoosiers are averaging 85.0 points per game, the seventh-best mark in the country. They pulled off a tough win at NC State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Cody Zeller is a 6-foot-11 walking testament of Tom Crean’s impact on the program and the Hoosiers’ shot to upset No. 1 Kentucky at home Saturday.

6. Michigan State: The Spartans dropped their first two games against North Carolina (on a boat) and Duke (in New York City). But they’ve won their last seven. Draymond Green is averaging a double-double. If Brandon Dawson eventually lives up to the hype, the Spartans will certainly move up this list.

7. Purdue: Robbie Hummel is just a fighter. He’s leading the Boilermakers with 18.8 ppg following back-to-back ACL tears and a lengthy hiatus. Had he not cramped up in Saturday’s loss to No. 8 Xavier, I think the Boilermakers would have won that game. With a healthy Hummel, Purdue will be a factor in the Big Ten.

8. Minnesota: The Gophers have been a surprise this season. They’ve won their past three games (including a win over Virginia Tech) without star Trevor Mbakwe, who tore his ACL in a Nov. 27 loss to Dayton. Junior Rodney Williams has averaged 14.6 ppg and 7.6 rpg in Mbakwe’s absence. They’re not the same team without their star, but early signs suggest that all is not lost without him.

9. Northwestern: The Wildcats hope to crack the NCAA tournament for the first time in the program’s history this season. And with so much parity in the Big Ten, they might get their shot. There’s nothing wrong with losing to No. 6 Baylor. But scoring 41 points? They’ll still have problems with athletic teams.

10. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers’ double-overtime road win over USC looked promising … until we realized how bad the Trojans were. But Doc Sadler has veterans in a league that lacks them. Bo Spencer, a transfer from LSU, is averaging 16.0 ppg. I still think Nebraska is a sleeper in this league.

11. Iowa: Um, about that rebuilding process in Iowa. This was supposed to be a season of strides for Fran McCaffery’s team, but its deficiencies in athleticism and offensive capability remain. Matt Gatens (13.8 ppg) is the only double-figure scorer on a team that's been wiped out by Creighton (by 23 points), Campbell (by 16), Clemson (by 16) and Northern Iowa (by 20).

12. Penn State: The Nittany Lions lost the best player in program history when Talor Battle graduated. So a fall was anticipated. Still, this is a really bad team, as evidenced by the home loss to Lafayette earlier this week. Reason for hope? Tim Frazier (17.6 ppg) is getting his Talor Battle on.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- A quick look at Kentucky's 85-47 blowout of Penn State at the Hall of Fame Tip-Off at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday afternoon:

Overview: Kentucky is rolling right now. The victory over Kansas gave the Wildcats immense confidence. In its first two games, UK struggled in the first half before hitting its stride. Well, that wasn't a problem at Mohegan, and John Calipari was able to play different lineups and see various combinations.

It's not like Doron Lamb needs a confidence boost, but he was money Saturday and aggressive throughout the game, scoring 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Kyle Wiltjer (19 points) was able to find his role, as well. The freshman is certainly capable of scoring, but Calipari wasn’t going to keep him on the court if he didn’t rebound and defend. That's what could be heard from the UK bench as Calipari yelled at his players that if they want to stay on the court, rebound and defend. And they did for the most part in the blowout victory.

When it was over: When the ball was thrown up at midcourt. That was essentially it. Once Kentucky got its feet settled, this game was over. Penn State was no match for UK's overall talent at each position. New Nittany Lions coach Pat Chambers said Kentucky is talented at every position. Penn State had one player -- Tim Frazier -- who was able to hang in spurts with the Wildcats. This is a young Penn State team that was totally overmatched. And it didn't help that UK made more than half of its 3s (10-of-19).

Star of the game: Lamb has the potential to go off for a number of points in stretches. He did that with ease against PSU, finishing with 26 and scoring in a variety of ways with three 3s and making all of his seven free throw attempts. Lamb is a combo guard who can spell Marquis Teague at the point. Lamb’s issue at times is not being as consistent against a higher level of competition. In addition to Wiltjer, it's worth noting that Terrence Jones made six of his eight shots and finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.

First-half surge: Kentucky struggled for spells in the first half against Marist and Kansas. That wasn’t the case against Penn State. Kentucky raced out to a 47-15 halftime lead. Lamb was the star with 17 points, scoring from the perimeter and getting inside. But the big surprise was Wiltjer, who scored 12 points in 13 minutes. Chambers said he was hoping the Nittany Lions would spend the second 20 minutes trying to regain confidence and redefine their rotation after a humbling first 20 against their first elite opponent of the season.

What’s next: Kentucky plays either South Florida or Old Dominion on Sunday at noon ET on ESPNU. The expectations are higher for the Monarchs as ODU is expected to challenge for the title in the Colonial Athletic Association. But ODU has already lost at home by 17 points to Northern Iowa. South Florida, led by Augustus Gilchrist, will likely be a bottom-level Big East squad. This should be another easy win for the Wildcats.

1. Former Penn State men’s basketball coach, Nittany Lions’ alumnus and current Navy coach Ed DeChellis echoed many when he called the charges of sexual abuse by former football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky “disgusting.’’ DeChellis said Wednesday night after president Graham Spanier and legendary football coach Joe Paterno were fired by the board of trustees, “I don’t think the board had a choice. They needed to start the healing process. I feel for Joe.’’ DeChellis chose to leave Penn State after last season for the Naval Academy. DeChellis said that Navy had a chance of playing in the Carrier Classic in an undercard game Friday but the previous coach turned down the offer. DeChellis said he would love to get into the game in the future (and playing Air Force would make sense). But organizers did want to make sure one game worked, let alone doing a doubleheader.

2. Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said in a text message late Wednesday night that he’s getting better in his ongoing fight with Parkinson’s disease. Kennedy wasn’t on the court for the Aggies’ win over Liberty on Wednesday night, but he was around, and did visit with the players in the locker room. Kennedy said in a text message that he did watch the game, but he’s not sure yet if he’ll be strong enough to coach the Aggies next week in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer in New York’s Madison Square Garden. Kennedy has been on a medical leave since practice started last month. Steve Lavin, who was coming off prostate cancer surgery, returned to St. John’s Wednesday night. The Red Storm and Aggies are in the 2K tournament next week with Arizona and Mississippi State.

3. Central Florida coach Donnie Jones had the Knights ranked a year ago after upsetting Florida in his first season. But by the time the Knights got to Conference USA, the slide started. And it hasn’t stopped. The Knights are on the verge of possibly joining the Big East, but they better get their house in order first. Jones was suspended for three C-USA games and athletic director Keith Tribble resigned amid recruiting violations announced in football and men’s basketball. This comes on the heels of UCF suspending five players for an exhibition game. Jones left Marshall for UCF because of the hidden gem label given to the Orlando school. But UCF can’t make significant strides if it is embroiled with the NCAA or dealing with any other off-court issues. There has consistently been a failed attempt at consistency.