Minute Made

If you had previously thought that Lincoln Park was just a place where your twenty-something friend lived with bars on every street corner and trendy restaurants that Groupon features on a daily basis, you have been misled somewhere along the way. Possibly some of the miscellaneous and mysterious debit card charges after 3 AM that take place when you visit LP may have contributed to this generalization, but who knows? In reality, some actual families do reside in Lincoln Park, a neighborhood of northern Chicago that is not to be confused with that garbage-eater rock band, Linkin Park, that was somehow immensely popular in the 7th grade. Northwestern PG, Michael "Juice" Thompson, happens to be one of those few proud residents who was once a Lincoln Park Lion. Upon his high school graduation, he broke the Chicago Public League mold and decided to take his basketball talents to that prestigious university along the lakefront.

Although Northwestern basketball hasn't exactly spelled s-u-c-c-e-s-s over the course of their 110 year history, the point guard named after the macerating of fresh fruits knew one thing--he could play early, and he could play often. As it turns out, that was exactly the situation. Upon his arrival in Evanston, coach Bill Carmody handed Juice the keys. Granted, the keys weren't necessarily handling a fully-equipped Lexus as much as they were a wheelchair with a tarnished purple and white flag hanging from its hind wheels. Nonetheless, he was in charge. He took the reigns of the program and has since become the school's 5th all time leading scorer and holds the NU records for assists, minutes, games played and games started. It is safe to say that the "Juice" is the most decorated guard in Northwestern history without ever playing in an NCAA tournament game or ever realistically vying for a Big 10 title.

What I will say about Thompson though is that he doesn't take breaks. Although his list of post season accolades at Northwestern is about as long as Oliver Twist's grocery list, he has always been there to take the fall. He has been in the top 10 in minutes played during all 4 years of competition in the Big 10, and has ranked as high as 2nd nationally. He hasn't come out to sip the kool-aid 10 different times this season. That's 10 games, 40 minutes a piece, without ever getting a blow.

The truth is, if you watch Northwestern play basketball you can't help but notice him. Never was that more apparent than Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis during the opening round of the Big 10 tournament. Facing elimination for an NCAA tourney bid at the hands of the ever-underachieving Minnesota Golden Gophers, Thompson exploded for a career-high and Big 10 tourney record 35 points to keep Northwestern alive for another day. What may be most impressive about Thompson though is the way that he puts it through the twine. His repertoire that features both 40-foot pull-ups and mid-lane teardrops is tough for even the bigger point guards in the nation's most physical league to defend. His use of the window from all angles also assures us of his Geometry prowess as a high school sophomore.

With Ohio State next on the tournament schedule, Northwestern's dream might melt faster than the February snow in this mid-March match-up, especially with the way Diebler, Sullinger and the boys have been "Party(ing) in the OSU.". Then again, the last time the Wildcats and Buckeyes faced off, it took an Alex "Ill-Advised" Mercotullio arid pass to crush the Cats' bid at an upset. But, don't be surprised if the Juice squeezes more out of March than the rest of the basketball world expects.

Before we get into Pick of the Day, a special Chicago Sports Noise shout goes out to my hero, Mark "The Big Detrimental" Blaker for impressively pulling off the persona of Steelers tight end, Heath Miller, on two separate occasions. Maybe it was the fact that he carried around the pigskin for the majority of the night and lobbed himself replica TD catches. Or, it may have been the fact that he was spewing Heath's fantasy stats to random passersby like he was a 4 time fantasy owner of the forgettable blocking specialist. Either way, it all culminated with him taking a late night picture posing as himself (Heath Miller) with 2 sizable Steelers fans at a local McDonalds. One up yourself Big Blake, you earned it.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man likes the Celtics to win by more than 2 in Philly on Friday night. It's St. Patrick's day after all, lets channel our inner Celtic Pride. Just another great movie performance by Shooter McGavin.

Pick of the Day: Celtics (-2) @ 76ers- CELTICS

Record:(61-46-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Land of Stinkin

Perhaps 2011 just isn't the year for NCAA Division 1 basketball institutions in the Prairie State. In boasting 13 D-1 schools, the state of Illinois has failed to produce a single representative that is in the nation's top 25 or is winning their respective conference. The most glaring of the incidents at hand takes place in Champaign-Urbana, where an Illinois squad that was saddled with lofty expectations early is now hearing more talk about bubbles than a group of 7 year-olds planning a birthday party. But outside of the state's central public research university, the problems get worse. For example, of the 13 programs in Illinois, not a single one has a winning percentage over .500 in conference play. In fact, that underachieving bunch from Assembly Hall is the closest to that insignificant achievement with a conference record of (7-8). Say what you want about Illinois and Northwestern being a disappointment in 2011, but believe it or not they may be in the best position with the last month of the season drawing near.

It is often said that the state of Illinois represents a microcosm for the nation as a whole. We have the 3rd largest city in the country and miles upon miles of rolling plains all encompassed within the parameters of a single state. Similarly, Illinois can conceivably illustrate a microcosm of the country's college basketball landscape as well. We have two Big 10 schools and a Big East school (major power conferences), 3 Missouri Valley schools (High Mid-Major), 2 Horizon League teams (Mid-Major), 2 Ohio Valley Conference programs (Low Mid-Major), a Summit League school (Low) and one member of the Great West Conference (Who the _____ is in that besides Chicago St.?)

The more you look at the numbers, the more pathetic it seems for one of the country's premiere high school basketball states to show such low levels of achievement in the college ranks. In the Missouri Valley, the 3 schools that represent Illinois have all had their moment in the sun within the last 5 years. ISU had a few great years behind Osiris Eldridge and Co. and were within a 30 point loss to Drake in the MVC conference title game away from making the Big Dance. Bradley had a sweet 16 run powered by their fiery frontman, Jim Les, and center Patrick O'Bryant, who used the NCAA tournament as a springboard into becoming a lottery pick, only for NBA scouts to later realize why he was at Bradley in the first place (currently in NBDL). Southern Illinois, or 'SO ILL' as they were often abbreviated as on CBS, were once an NCAA tourney staple, priding itself on strong defense and great guard play. Now, the 3 aforementioned teams are the last teams listed in the MVC conference standings. Talk about peaks and valleys (pun absolutely intended).

We often talk about how bad DePaul is, and trust me, it's warranted, but how about the other institutions of higher education downtown? Loyola ranks 8th out of 10 in the Horizon League, and embarrassingly enough, that UIC Flames team that beat U of I in the United Center earlier this year--(2-15) in conference. Good enough for, you guessed it, last place.

If you want to try to head west to find some better basketball, good luck. The Leathernecks of Western Illinois are 9th out of a possible 10 teams in the highly-touted Summit League, ahead of only Centenary in fighting off the conference cellar. Also, strangely enough, Chicago St. plays in a league that refers to itself as the Great West Conference. Nobody has heard of the league, or any of its members, but after further research, I found that the Cougars are 5th...of 7.

I know what you're thinking now, at least we have the east, right? Well, The Pulse Man's beloved EIU Panthers are 9th out of 11 in the Ohio Valley. And to top it off, one of the two teams below Eastern in the standings is the newly-instated SIU-Edwardsville Cougars, who sit at a hardly respectable 7-20. Last, and quite possibly least, NIU sits at (3-9, 11th) in the MAC, which is surprisingly down this year. We're just going down, down in an earlier round. That's what happens, you have 13 teams, 2 in last place, 6 with less than 4 conference wins and 0 over .500 in league play, and I'm quoting Fall Out Boy. Despicable.

I admit, this is hard to do. It's like something that was once so good has gone to hell incredibly fast. Kind of like how we felt about Bob Dylan at the Grammy's; make sure he's still breathing and get the man another smokey treat, don't subject him to public performance during his worst hour. It really is a damn shame. I guess the times they-are-a changin'...

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man covered the spread in Bradley's 1 point loss to ISU in Normal Tuesday night. After all, somebody had to win. For tonight, with the T-Wolves now victim to the collective curses of Eddy Curry, Darko and Mike Beasley all at once, I'll take the Grizzlies giving 2.5.

Pick of the Day: Grizzlies (+2.5) @ Timberwolves- GRIZZLIES

Record:(57-41-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Purple Reign

Rodney Dangerfield is remembered by many for his notable contributions to comedy and television. In Caddyshack, you look back on the outrageous outfits and jokes he used while portraying Al Czervik, and can't help but laugh. For the much less casual Dangerfield fan, his role as Chester in the 1992 cult classic, Ladybugs, is cherished as comedy in its purest form. Few people can argue the impact that Rodney had on comedy, but his impression on Northwestern's 2010-2011 Men's Basketball season is now starting to make its presence felt. Dangerfield's famous tag-line, "I gets no respect, I tell ya", has thoroughly encompassed NU's 8-0 start to the season so far. Sure, their SOS (strength of schedule, not the Rihanna song) is still pretty high at 189, but they play in the Big 10. Ingeniously, Bill Carmody figured out that chewing a tough non-conference plate when the Big 10 is already loaded is going to end up resulting in 5 losses and 4,000 empty seats in Welsh-Ryan Arena for the conference opener. Instead, Carmody installed a schedule with 'who-gives-a-shit games' like Texas-Pan Am (isn't that also the name of an airline?), Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Long Island, knowing all too well that his team would already have to face an ACC opponent (ACC/Big 10 challenge), and a solid mid-major program (Creighton). By doing this, Carmody also established the fact that nobody will have seen Northwestern play more than once on live television before the conference season starts, further promoting his team's false potential as legitimate conference contenders. Savvy.

Trust me, there is no way the Wildcats finish the season in the top 4 of the Big 10 standings, but that's not a discredit to NU. The Big 10 is deeper this year than the wave pool at Magic Waters. Michigan St., Purdue, Ohio State and Illinois will all make the tournament as at large bids based solely on talent and reputation, but Northwestern has to sneak in through the screened-in porch before the tourney committee realizes who they're letting in. Northwestern is still the only major conference school to NEVER (forever? forever-ever? forever-ever?) make the NCAA tournament. If Rodney Dangerfield's "I get no respect" is there team slogan, the opening lines of CCR's catchy single, "Lookin out My Backdoor" should serve as their University's NCAA tournament selection rallying cry. Just read the opening lines:

"Just got home from Illinois, locked the front door, oh boy,
I've got to sit down, take a rest on the porch,
Imagination sets in, pretty soon I'm singin',
Doo da doo da doo, lookin' out my backdoor." CCR

If Northwestern beats Steve Lavin's St. Johns team in MSG tonight, the Mild-cats only have to knock off "The Mount" (Mount St. Mary's. Admit it, you thought it was a volcano) and they roll into conference play undefeated. That's 11 wins and 0 losses rolling into West Lafayette to test their mettle against the Boilers. Northwestern is also keeping the scorekeepers busy as they are currently averaging 81.5 PPG, which is good enough for 1st in the Big Ten during non-conference play. Are they good enough to end the year first place in the Big 10? No. But they just might be good enough to fill a slot in the country's most celebrated bracket for the first time in school history. Stay tuned.

As for Pick of the Day, I know the Pulse Man already has a pick on the table from yesterday, but in the words of Ernie Banks he figures "Let's play two!". In the spirit of all things purple and white (except for Queen Lattifah), the Pulse Man likes NU getting 3 in the Garden tonight against St. John's. Let the 3's fall like rain...purple rain.

Pick of the Day: Northwestern (+3) @ St. Johns- NORTHWESTERN

Record:(41-28-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Head of State

I know what you're thinking. "This guy didn't even watch the Illinois/UNC game! The 2nd half aired during the Victoria Secret Fashion Show." All I have to say to you people is, I have DVR (well, actually my parents do) and I don't have a day-job, so you can figure it out from there. While most of America watched intently as protein-deficient foreigners marched down a golden, glittery stage with giant feathers strapped to their backs, I was keeping a close eye on Illinois running all over a talented UNC team coached by Roy Williams.

Now, do I think UNC is overrated? Yes, they have been for the past 2 years prior to the thick of the college basketball season. For some reason the voters in the AP Poll think that North Carolina can consistently win with kids that can barely buy a pack of cigarettes or a MAXIM magazine for that matter. Harrison Barnes is a tremendous athlete and a phenomenal player, but he's not a first team All-American. I'm sure UNC will be back, but they're going to take there lumps again like they did a year ago. Still, what an impressive win for U of I in front of a sold out Assembly Hall. The Fighting Illini moved to 7-1 last night using a balanced attack that included Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale, DJ Richardson, Demtri McCamey and Freshman Jereme Richmond all scoring in double figures for the Orange and Blue. Assembly Hall was back in 2005 form as well, as the Orange Krush looked more hopped up on Sunkist than a 12 year old at a sleepover screening Jurassic Park. Tuesday night was a statement win for both Illinois, and the Big 10 as a whole. But about 4 hours north of Champaign on the banks of Lake Michigan, 'Chicago's Big 10 team' was quietly going about improving to 5-0 while turning heads in the process.

When comparing Illinois and Northwestern basketball, a few things are glaringly obvious. Illinois players drink more booze, sleep with more women, fail more tests and frequent more strip joints than their Evanston counterpoints. But, that's not a discredit to Illinois, they are being compared with an ivy league-like school located in middle America. The only player on Northwestern's roster that I see hanging tough with the Illini on Green St. is Michael "Juice" Thompson, but even he can't cover 13 quotas, or 13 bar tabs, unless he's at Kams. Illinois is more talented in almost every area of the game, but Northwestern is a heady, veteran club that wears down your psyche with backdoor layups and transition 3's. The Purple and White might not scare you coming off their coach bus, but they will have a viable shot to play themselves into the school's first ever NCAA tournament birth during the 2010-2011 season.

For both Illinois and Northwestern, success starts in the hands of each team's point guard. NU's point guard is affectionately referred to as a fruity liquid made from concentrate while Illinois' PG has a last name that leads you to believe he was born on the kitchen floor of the Blarney Stone on Chicago's South Side. Call them what you will, but both Juice Thompson and Demetri McCamey facilitate the as game as well as any point in the Big 10. Both guards were in the top 4 in assists and assist/TO ratio during Big 10 play a year ago and are heading into their senior season determined to end up on CBS with Gus Johnson during March in the NCAA's Naitonal Tournament. Illinois and Northwestern will only go as far as their floor-generals will take them, and Bruce Weber and Bill Carmody have to be confident in the places they'll go behind Thompson and McCamey.

One of the only areas in which I think Northwestern trumps Illinois is the ability to have a consistent "knock-down" shooter to propel the offense. The Cats boast the most unlikely of potential All-Americans in Glen Ellyn's own, John Shurna. At first glance, you would swear that Shurna was the kid who sat behind you in 10th grade Geometry that you peppered with questions the day before each unit test. But over the course of 2 years in Evanston, Shurna has made a case for himself as one of the most dangerous long-distance dialers in Big-10 play, averaging over 18 points a game a year ago and shooting over 35% from 3 point range. Illinois on the other hand, looks to stretch their defense with their Sophomore guard duo of DJ Richardson and former Warren standout and Illinois Mr. Basketball, Brandon Paul. Although Richardson is coming off a Big-10 Freshman of the year campaign in 09-10, I think Shurna is more of a consistent threat for his team, mainly because he looks like an extra from Revenge of the Nerds and the scoring presence Illinois holds in the low post.

On the block, Mike Tisdale might resemble a chimpanzee released from the Brookfield Zoo, but it is hard to argue against how effective he has become under the tutelage of Bruce Weber. However, Illinois fans need to understand what they can expect from Tisdale on a nightly basis. He will give you 12-15 points a night, a half-dozen rebounds, and will most likely foul out--that's the way it goes. He isn't athletic enough to guard the quick-footed post men of the Big-10 like Draymond Green and Jajuan Johnson, so he over-relies on his 7 foot frame and uses his fouls. You cannot expect Tisdale to be an All-American. He's a 7 foot 1, 250 lb, Academic All-American from Riverton, Illinois, let's be realistic. Is he better than Luka Mirkovic? Absolutely. Is your college girlfriend better than Luka Mirkovic? If she was graded higher than a C in high school P.E., then I would assume so. Don't get me wrong, Mirkovic has done a fine job with his pipe-cleaner arms and a haircut he stole from an investment banker at the Board of Trade, but the Big-10 boasts too many solid big men that Luka (not the guy that used to be on ER) is going to have to defend on the block.

Outside of the staple categories like backcourt and frontline lies the intangible category that just might be the most influential in determining the success of both Illinois and Northwestern this year, ladies and gentleman, low and behold, the honorary "good glue guy" (shout out Matt Demars). Both the Illini and Wildcats have the "get the job done then spit in your face" Cortland Finnegan-type player. For the Illini, it's Jereme Richmond. Jimmy Dykes referred to him in last night's telecast as a type of guy who, "throws you into the lockers and takes your lunch money" and for the first time in both mine and Jimmy Dykes life, we agree on that. Richmond is a relentless athlete, a long, rangy defender, and an overall catalyst for Illinois success. Sure, he's going to jack up a few ill-advised, unwarranted 19-footers in pivotal moments, that's part of being a Freshman. But the Mr. Socko Mick Foley-esque toughness he carries on his sleeve is going to exude more pros than cons for this year's Illinois squad. For Northwestern, the good glue lies in it's swingman, Drew Crawford. The Naperville product is the son of long-time NBA official, Danny Crawford, so you already know that Drew was born with the thick skin to withstand the raucous rants from student sections he'll surely hear across the Big-10. He is a secondary scorer for NU, but his true presence is on the defensive with his tenacity and intensity. Think Sean Elliot/Charles Oakley hybrid human. God damn do I support stem cell research.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man skated by the skin of his teeth last night as Wake defeated the lowly Iowa Hawkeyes by a meager 3 points in the final minute, thus covering the 2 point spread. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes the Bulls giving 2 points to the magic at home, a risky call. Because of the Pulse Man's recent betting record, I have received a tremendous amount of inquiry via telephone, fax, email and snail mail about what the Pulse Man actually looks like. To avoid giving him a reputation like "Son of Sam" or the "Unibomber", I have posted a picture of the Pulse Man in his finest hour. Eat your heart out girls.



Pick of the Day: Magic @ Bulls (-2)- BULLS

Record:(36-24-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

The Chicago Bowl

You would think that on this Friday, we would be discussing the Bears garnering their 700th win, moving them to 7-3, or Illinois basketball falling a few buckets short in the garden against Rick Barnes' Texas Longhorns. But, believe it or not, like it or not, Northwestern vs. Illinois is the buzz topic with the weekend fast approaching. Norhwestern, who is sitting at 7-3 coming off their biggest win of the season in knocking off Rick Stanzi and the Iowa Hawkeyes convincingly at Ryan Field are rewarded with a change in venue for their home field in their annual 'rivalry' game against Illinois. On the other hand, you have the Ron Zook led Fighting Illini squad who seem to be wilting further away from bowl eligibility by the week. In fact, when you look at the teams involved in Saturday afternoon's tussle in the city, you see two programs in very different positions in terms of falling and flying (thanks Jeff Bridges). Northwestern is building one of their best seasons in recent memory, sitting at 7-3 and a few 4th quarter crumbles away from being 8-2 or 9-1. Evanston is rallying around Pat Fitzgerald's purple Cats and Northwestern looks to be poised for a successful future. Adversely, you have an Illinois bunch that laid an egg last week against Minnesota at home, losing their 5th game of the season and the self-respect that comes with beating the bottom-feeders of the Big 10 consistently. Nevertheless, records are thrown down the garbage disposal with last night's leftovers when these two bitter college rivals meet (if you think I'm being serious, you need to watch more college football).

One thing this game would have featured is perhaps the 2 best Freshman quarterbacks in the Big 10 this season in Wildcat QB, Dan Persa, and Illinois signal-caller Nathan Scheelhaase. You never know, maybe the best Big 10 QB in this year's Freshman class is sitting behind veteran Terelle Pryor at Ohio State or Kirk Cousins in East Lansing. But as far as we know, Persa and Scheelhaase have been the cream of the Freshman crop, balancing memorizing complex playbooks while still finding time to attend Freshman mixers and "welcome to campus" stoplight dances. But disappointingly, Persa's season was cut short in the late moments last Saturday as he ruptured his Achilles tendon and will now be tagged as "Freshman clipboard guy" for the rest of the 2010 season. On the other side of the football, the Illini boast QB Nathan Scheelhaase, who sounds more like a member of Hitler's Gestapo than the Illini football team, has produced big numbers this season. Scheelhaase has racked up nearly 1,500 yards through the air this year (1,482),has thrown for 15 TD's, and has also used his feet as his carriage for 3 more scores. Although Persa is out, Scheelhaase will use Wrigley Field as his stage to showcase his talents Saturday in front of 30,000 fans who presumably haven't watched either team play a full game all season.

Wrigley Field should be used to hosting meaningless events to cash in for the Cubs and the Rickett's family. Wrigley has gone from hosting the good (the Winter Classic), to the bad (Rascal Flatts concert), to the downright ugly (U of I vs. NU) all in the span of a couple of years. It's an obvious marketing scheme. People love going to Wrigley Field, regardless of the event, the weather, or the Cubs mid-summer record. Why not hold multiple events in the city's most historic venue? I get it, I'm not that much of a mossback to say that I only want Cubs baseball to be played in the "Friendly Confines". But football? Not for me. Trying to force the Northwestern/Illinois rivalry on us so desperately is kind of pathetic. Both coaches complained about the endzone's proximity to the right field wall so that now both teams have to attack the West endzone on offense. Think about the problems this is going to cause? What happens on a pick-6? What happens if it's exceptionally windy? Both teams get the wind advantage? Dumb. Stupid. Crazy. Dangerous. Stinks (please watch this). It's like making Illinois and Northwestern's men's basketball teams (would be a much better game) play a half-court game of 2-on-2 to decide the state's supremacy in basketball.

Sure, the game and the rooftops are sold out (thanks to Groupon), Clark St. will be buzzing, and it's a great excuse for a slew of "young 20 somethings" to go downtown, drink 11 beers and pretend like they give a damn about the outcome of the game. Not to mention, the famous Wrigley Field marquee is painted "Wildcat Purple"--it looks like Wrigley is more poised for a Prince concert than a college football game. Ladies and gentleman...the Chicago Bowl. Eat your heart out College Gameday.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man covered another spread last night, this time skating by with a half point to spare as Loyola won by 11. For this weekend, his Saturday is listed below as he makes the drive north to take in the sights of the beautiful city of Milwaukee.

Saturday 6 Pack

2-Team Parlay:
1. Wisconsin (-4) @ Michigan- WISCONSIN
2. Duke @ Georgia Tech, total points 61- UNDER
Total: (+273)

3-Team Parlay:
1. Kent St. @ Western Michigan- WESTERN MICHIGAN, moneyline
2. Florida Atlantic @ Texas (-21)- TEXAS
3. Idaho @ Utah St.- UTAH ST., moneyline
Total: (+450)


'Big Ticket' Pick of the Day
Illinois (-8) @ Northwestern- NORTHWESTERN (-105)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Big 10 Basketball Preview

Big 10 basketball is the wool sweater that comforts the American Midwest during these dogged winter months. Whenever you are feeling demoralized driving home from work in the pitch black because of daylight savings, Dave Revsine has something to analyze on the Big Ten Network that keeps you away from instantly indulging in a gulp of Nyquil and heading upstairs to rest up for another riveting workday trapped in the ever-closing walls of an office cubicle. In a constantly changing college basketball landscape filled with "one-and-done" players and 17 team conferences, the Big 10 remains more pure than Deja Blue. Basketball hotbeds like Illinois and Indiana, Detroit and Ohio, all send their native sons to battle in Big 10 Arenas from 'The Barn' to the Breslin Center. This year, however, may even be more exciting than most. With 5 teams in the USA Today Coaches Poll top 25, and with Minnesota receiving votes like a sophomore homecoming court candidate, this could definitely be an excitement filled 2011 campaign. While the Big 10 is often praised for its parity every year, the only way I am going to mention Iowa, Penn St., Indiana and Michigan this year is by way of a parody (of course, no pun intended). But with both Illinois Big 10 teams relevant, and Michigan St., Ohio St., Purdue and Wisconsin all boasting formidable squads this winter, a preview is definitely in order this season. I'm just a little upset Steve "the straw that stirs the drink" Lavin won't be around this year to analyze it.

Illinois- As I outlined in the Illinois preview blog a while back, the Illini have a lot to look forward to in 2011. With the highest preseason ranking since their magical run to the national title game in 2005, the citizens of Champaign may have the possibility of poppin' some Champagne in their near future. Led by Seniors Demitri McCamey and Mike Tisdale, Illinois has better "starters" than your neighborhood Applebees. If Bruce Weber can coddle freshman phenom Jereme Richmond and infiltrate him into the already potent lineup of returners, Illinois can put up points with the conferences elite. But, when 'if' and 'Bruce Weber' are used consecutively in a sentence, the result isn't always good.

Northwestern-In the Chicago sports scene, only one team boasts an equally embarrassing streak to the Chicago Cubs World Series-less century, and that streak lies in the Wildcats inability a ever receive an invite to the "Big Dance." Northwestern's futility has stretched far and wide--they haven't finished above 4th place since Adolf Hitler and Mussolini were running the show in WWII. Nonetheless, Northwestern calls one of the league's most unorthodox yet effective scorers their own in John Shurna, and have a 4 year starter running the point in Michael "Juice" Thompson. However, with many people betting on this to be the year the purple and white play into deep March, I don't feel so sure. With their star forward Kevin Coble opting to stay off the team in favor of his pursuit for his diploma (I think you can see clearly here where NU's problem lies), the "Mild-cats" don't have enough firepower to win the conference games necessary in the Big 10 to secure an at-large bid. Also, I think fans in the state of Illinois have rescinded their trust in believing in a team leader referred to as "Juice". Is he really worth the squeeze?

Purdue- The Baby Boilers aren't so young anymore, as most of the freshman crop that put West Lafayette on the map (I have no idea where it is still) a few years back are now nearing the end of their college careers. With Chris Kramer gone living the highly regarded D-League lifestyle with the NBDL's Fort Wayne Mad Ants, consistently perusing the isles of Super K-Mart seeking blue-light specials like Octomom, Purdue is absent of their senior leader from a year ago. And with All-America shoe-in Robbie Hummel sidelined for the year with a torn-up knee, Purdue and the Paint Crew's expectations have simmered since the preseason. But with E'Twaun Moore and Jajuan Johnson now quarterbacking the squad under the coaching of Matt Painter, Purdue might just overachieve and Boiler up to the top of the Big 10 standings.

Wisconsin- In being the only team I've seen live thus far this season (they exhibitioned my former squad, the UW-LaCrosse Eagles on Saturday in Madison. Don't worry, the Eagles covered), I don't feel comfortable crowning the Badgers with the conferences elite. Maybe I just don't like the Badgers, but Mike Bruesewitz is on the cusp of becoming the most annoying player in the NCAA since Psycho T ruled the streets of Chapel Hill. They have seemingly the same personnel, the same uniforms, and the same record every year. The monotony associated with Bo Ryan and Wisconsin basketball wears me out like a YMCA elliptical machine. Now am I going to bet against the Badgers at home? No, I'd have a better shot at covering a "culture prop" that the premise of the movie 2012 is actually going to become reality. I just hope those liberals in Madtown don't start a forest fire "flicking their Bics" when they realize that the Badgers are again a first weekend casualty of the NCAA tourney in March, they should be used to it by now.

Michigan St.- Is Michigan St. overrated this year under Izzo? Izz-no. Ok, that may have been the corniest thing I've ever said on the internet, but it's the truth. Izzo consistently has Sparty competing for a Big 10 title on a yearly basis, and was rewarded this summer with a courtship from the Cleveland Cavaliers that reeked of desperation. In coming off a Final Four season, MSU returns conference POY front-runner Kalin Lucas, forward Draymond Green and Sr. guard Durrel Summers. Michigan St. is deep. Maybe even too deep. Still, if you want my pick for conference champ, I'd have to "go green" and stick with Sparty.

Ohio St.- If anyone has a better roster on paper than the boys from East Lansing, it's Thad Motta and his tOSU program that he has converted into a national power. In losing Evan Turner, the Bucks are stripped of the league's most versatile player, but the other 4 starters from last year's Big 10 conference tourney champs are still on the Columbus, OH campus, including Center Dallas "The African Cowboy" Lauderdale and Sr. guard, Jon Diebler. If the Buckeyes end up walking away with the Big 10 football crown this fall and somehow cut down the nets as Big 10 conference champs this winter, I'm going to lose my mind. But I guess Ohio needs it, the Cavs suck and Peyton Hillis is the Browns' best player (he looks like a guy you'd meet doing tricep extensions at the Y) , Major League couldn't have picked a more tortured sports city, if only Jake Taylor was a real person.

Prediction:
Michigan St.
Illinois
Ohio St./Purdue-tie
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Northwestern
Michigan
Penn St.
Indiana
Iowa

As for pick of the day, the Pulse Man was blanked in another Saturday 6 pack and is reeling in a quarter-life crisis. It's clear that the elementary aged kids he's spending 6 hours a day with (he's a teacher, don't get weird) are rubbing off on his betting strategies and eating habits. He once admitted that "he only eats once a day on the weekends." Desperately trying to find salvation in the NBA's Eastern Conference, the Pulse Man likes the Bucks giving 4.5 to the Knicks tomorrow night at the Bradley Center.

Pick of the Day: Knicks @ Bucks (-4.5)- BUCKS (-105)

Record:(29-23-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Football Flirtin'

The table was set--salad forks, real forks, butter knives, steak knives, the whole works. Fresh bottle of red, bread rolls steaming under a quadruple quilted napkin, you could almost taste it. All we needed was the two teams to show up for their 'big date'. Even though Northwestern and Michigan State aren't the flashiest of Big 10 foes, they would have made for an interesting tryst. Both teams would seemingly be heading into the game undefeated with some definite flaws still exposed. Perhaps Northwestern's side of the date had a receding hairline (leading rushing back is a guy named Arby Fields at 160 yards??? Sounds like he should be opening for Big & Rich) and didn't exactly have the most steady of jobs (haven't won a bowl game since the Rose Bowl in 1949, and haven't won the Big 10 since 2000). On the other side of the innumerable text conversations that potential couples now go through before their first date is Michigan St., a modest woman who recently proved herself to be hotter than her best friend (MSU whoops on Michigan last week)the last time you saw her out after a gin mottled happy-hour. But, she hasn't really been in the 'dating pool' recently herself, and just two weeks ago you only were speaking with her to get an in with her roommate who was seemed to be more attractive (Michigan) before she started an unwarranted crying tirade around midnight and took a cab home from the party (Michigan looked terrible last week). It could have been a magical date. Dinner, drinks, more drinks, grind session, more drinks, cab ride home,late night make out, invite upstairs ;). That's how first dates always go right? Well, not for me, and not this one either.

Instead, Northwestern had to crash the party and showed up noticeably inebriated at home against Purdue last week with spilled beer painting the collar of their shirt and sweating like he just ran a 5K. Northwestern had quickly burst into the top 25 after starting from humble beginnings. Nobody expected much of them at the beginning of the season, but they escaped @ Vanderbilt in week 1, then beat up on ISU, Rice, Central Michigan and Minnesota to find themselves at 5-0, needing only a home win versus a Purdue team who had already lost to Toledo earlier this season to place themselves in a date with undefeated Michigan St., and national television. Dan Persa had been a magician thus far and had Heisman numbers (1,663 yds., 173.27 QB rating, 10 TDS) but didn't get any looks like his conference foe Denard Robinson because he plays for a school with more Fields Medal winners than NFL players.

On the other side of the ball, Sparty has used some trickery to stay undefeated and look to be a competitor who nobody thought would hang around heading into the thick of the Big 10 title race. The only thing that worries me about Sparty is that they can't channel the motivation stemming from their coaches heart attack all season long like some bizarro Lou Brown from Major League incident. It's a great storyline, and it looks like MSU will coast into Kinnick Stadium on October 30th toting an undefeated record and will surely give Iowa a test. Either way, it would have been a dream date for Northwestern to match up with the undefeated Spartans. Thanks to Purdue being the grenade that had to drag home a vulnerable, half in the bag Wildcat team last Saturday, I guess we'll never know.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man is up against the ropes again after yet another loss as his record is crab-walking its way back to .500. For tomorrow, he likes Kansas St. taking down in-state rival Kansas in Lawrence Thursday night at (-150). Purple power.

Pick of the Day: Kansas St. @ Kansas- K-STATE(-150)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Record:(23-19-0)

Big Ten Entertainment

The turn of summer into Fall in the Midwest opens our eyes to a few new, tangible things: a little foliage change in the trees, Lake Zurich pursuing another IHSA state title in football, the start of the Big 10 Conference football schedule, and the premieres of a few new shows on HBO. As much as Big 10 backers love packing into Camp Randall, The Big House, or The Shoe on Saturday afternoons, true solace can be found in their respective living rooms around 8 PM on Sunday nights, anxiously awaiting a few terrific hours of TV (wait, it's not TV...it's HBO). If you're me, by Sunday evening you've polluted your body with enough low-grade OnDemand music videos, Brent Musberger comments, and jump-start cups of Joe that the only task at hand is to "get horizontal", pound at least 3 caffeine free Diet Cokes (commonly referred to as Gold Cans or Diabetic Sodas) and get down with some premium cable. As much as the non-conference Big 10 season has proven to us things about each team, a lot of things still need to shake out before a Big 10 champ is crowned. Much like the beginning of any football season, a lot of questions arise with the beginning of a new television season as well. Therefore, after spending a lot of unnecessary time weighing this unnecessary, useless comparison, I give you some of the Big 10 teams vying for conference supremacy this fall, each represented by a show on HBO (Real Sex and Cathouse excluded, sorry Pulse Man).

Ohio State: The Sopranos- Much like the Buckeyes do with the Big 10, the Sopranos run HBO. They have the head man who instills fear in whomever he is dealing with (Gandolfini/Tressel), a once immature starlet who has blossomed into a full blown smokeshow (Terelle Pryor/Jamie-Lynn Sigler). Not to mention, the Bucks have the muscle to back it up in their street-tough underboss Paulie Walnuts (Ohio State's opportunistic and turnover-causing D) and a trustworthy right-hand man in Silvio Dante (OSU Kicker Devin Barclay-formerly of the Columbus Crew). Fuhgetaboutit!

Iowa: Entourage- Great story, trendy characters, immense potential. Had Iowa beaten Arizona in the desert two weeks back, they might be up there fighting with the Bucks for mob supremacy. Instead, the incompetence of their frontman has led to their most recent struggle. For example, Adrian Grenier has to be one of the worst actors in the moving picture era (simply walking scenery regurgitating Hollywood cliches like "eff it, let's all by motorcyles" with a cake-eating grin on his face like a post-adolescent Zac Effron) and Stanzi, well, he laid an egg @ Arizona and was almost bailed out by the combination of his defense and Marv McNutt. Sad to say, it won't be this year that Ari Gold carries Entourage back into the hunt for an Emmy after a series plagued by the extraneous appearance of a porn star (horrible acting by Sasha Grey..can't link that), an entirely unbelievable drug habit/downward spiral, and Turtle's monotonous attempt to become productive for the third straight season. Similarly, Iowa won't be in the BCS hunt this year after their weaknesses were exposed against U of A. Still, it's hard for the devoted faithful of both Iowa and Entourage to realize that this may not be the season they'd hoped for.

Michigan: Curb Your Enthusiasm -Have one main thing in common--the dynamic front man who can turn 'nothing' into something very special (Denard Robinson/Larry David). Although this will undoubtedly be the only time this dread-locked donning speedster and the spectacle wearing comedian will be mentioned in the same sentence, they share very similar characteristics as they pertain to television series' and Big 10 football alike. As Larry and his quirky nuances go, so goes Curb . And with each fleeting footstep of the untied shoe of Denard Robinson, the Wolverines go another week with a win. Both Michigan and Curb have extensive fan bases that are leaning heavily on the attitude and leadership of their wild-card leader. For Big Blue, let's just hope Denard isn't nearly as volatile as LD.

Wisconsin- Boardwalk Empire - I'll tell you what, the previews for Boardwalk Empire looked great. Part Goodfellas mixed with a little bit of Casino, sounds like a great watch. Then...the kicker--Steve Buscemi. Really Scorcese? You probably had your choice of great actors who auditioned for this part and you chose Buscemi based on what? His great character role as 'Crazy Eyes' in Mr. Deeds? I have a hard time taking Buscemi seriously after the plethora of Happy Madison productions he's been in, and now I'm supposed to believe him whacking off prohibitionists in AC? Not for me. Coincidentally, this is the same way I feel about Tolzien leading Bucky to the promised land. I love Scott Tolzien as much as any Northwestern Suburbanite should. I root for him every week, pray that they never show him with his helmet off so the public can't scrutinize his haircut, and sigh in anguish every time he underthrows a simple out route. As much as I like him though, I can't see him taking the Badgers to the BCS. Martin Scorcese is a helluva director and John Clay is a monster, but overcoming the "Happy Madison, WI" curse (no pun intended) will be no easy task.

Northwestern: Eastbound and Down- Hey, the Wildcats are 4-0, and every Chicagoland doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, or stockbroker you know is now the world's largest purple Wildcat fan. Northwestern has developed a bizarre cult following at ESPN--Greenberg, Wilbon, Rachel Nichols, JA Adande, Kevin Blackistone all went to NU and are desperately trying to plug the Wildcats every second they're on the air. It truly is a weird fraternity. On the other side of the coin, Eastbound and Down acquired more followers last year than Gaga's twitter account, and now every time you find yourself around college-aged kids, you hear some dork not clever enough to come up with his own material unwittingly spew some Kenny Powers punchline. Eastbound and Down and the Wildcats both had a great start, but can you really make a lasting show out of cheap laughs (pretty weak schedule for NU) and a lead actor who once had a cameo role in Drillbit Taylor? I guess we'll have to find out. If Northwestern wins the Big 10 and Eastbound and Down's sophomore season turn out to be golden, the metaphor is still kosher.

Michigan St.: True Blood- Never seen it, sometimes it's on before the shows I watch. Simply just scares me in general. The only people I hear about it from are rubes that think Beta House has too much nudity--get real.

The rest of the Big 10: Hung- Irrelevant and miserable. Enough said.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man continues to be burned at the stake like a support actor from The Crucible. But, the weekend is high stakes (no pun intended again, sorry) and Pulse Man has put the women and children to bed and is out looking for supper (shoutout Chris Ask). His Saturday 6 pack is listed below and his Sunday Teaser will make its way onto this blog as soon as he gets it to me. Cheers to the weekend, go get some.

Saturday 6 Pack

2 Team Parlay
1. Northwestern @ Minnesota- Total Points 53.5-UNDER (-105)
2. Idaho @ Western Michigan (+3)- WMU (-105)
Total:(+273)

3 Team Parlay
1. Texas @ Oklahoma- Oklahoma, moneyline (-165)
2. Notre Dame @ Boston College- ND, moneyline (-140)
3. Florida @ Alabama (-8)- BAMA (-105)
Total:(+438)

Big Ticket Pick of the Day:
Ohio State @ Illinois- Total Points-50.5, UNDER

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost