Hawks vs. Lions

When the Nittany Lions take on the Lehigh Mountain Hawks at the Bryce Jordan Center this afternoon they will be trying to extend their four-game winning streak. They will also be trying to bounce back after an ugly win vs. Colgate that saw the Lions shoot just 38% from the field. I usually say that a win is a win, but with Big Ten season looming ahead, I would really like to see the Lions put on a decent offensive showing today.

The Hawks won't be a pushover, although their loss to Central Connecticut State earlier in the season might make it seem that way. Since then, they've won three straight against Stony Brook, Harvard, and Monmouth. Remember Stony Brook is a team that defeated the Lions last year, and Harvard ousted Michigan THIS year. The only common opponent between Lehigh and PSU is St. Francis (PA), whom the Hawks defeated 71-66 on November 17th. The Lions beat St. Francis 74-64 on November 12th.

Lehigh is led by point guard Marquis Hall, who averages 13.5 points and 5.1 assists per game. The good news is he only shoots 33% from the field so far. The bad news is that fellow starters Zahir Carrington and Dave Buchberger both shoot around 57%. Another Mountain Hawk to look out for is Bryan White, who leads the team with 8.7 rebounds per game.

This game could be exciting. I expect the Lions to prevail by a margin of between 7 and 12. If you don't get the Big Ten Network (neither do I), here's a link to CSTV.com; click on the Gametracker link to follow the game.

Big Ten Power

With the Big Ten season tipping off on January 2nd, here's a rough standing of how all 11 teams look right now:

Contenders
1) Michigan State
2) Indiana
3) Wisconsin

Upper Middle
4)Illinois
5) Ohio State

Lower Middle
6) Minnesota
7) Purdue

Bottom
8) Penn State
9) Michigan

Rock Bottom
10) Northwestern
11) Iowa

That's how I see it right now. The top 5 teams should make the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota is number 6 just because they don't have as many embarrassing losses as Purdue, but I see both of them as fringe teams. PSU and Michigan will really need to improve if they want to think about the tourney. Realistically, they should be hoping for an NIT bid. Northwestern and Iowa will be the doormats of the conference.