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Big Ten Basketball Weekly Release, Dec. 17, 2007
Dec. 17, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format Off and Running: Two Big Ten teams enter this week of play at 9-1. Indiana and Michigan State have each suffered a lone loss to date this season. The Hoosiers are off to their best start since going 12-1 to begin the 1999-2000 season. The record start ended with an overtime loss to Michigan State on Jan. 11, 2000. Under the leadership of then-head coach Bob Knight, IU went on to a 20-9 record and finished 10-6 in conference play. The last time MSU started this strong was during the 2000-01 season when the team went 12-0 before suffering the first loss to Indiana on Jan. 7, 2001. The Spartans went on to share a piece of the Big Ten crown and appeared in the Final Four, finishing the season with a 28-5 overall record and 13-3 in conference play. Great Starts: Two more teams are off to great starts this season in Minnesota at 7-1 and Wisconsin at 8-2. The Gophers are off to their best start since going 12-1 to open the 2000-01 season. Minnesota dropped a road contest to then-No. 9 Illinois to bring to a close their impressive hot season start. The last time the Badgers opened such a successful season was last year, going 21-1 before falling to then-No. 25 Indiana. Gordon Sets the Pace: Hoosier standout Eric Gordon is on a pace to shatter the all-time conference record for all-time top freshman scorer. His current average of 24.4 ppg already exceeds the mark of 21.9 set during the 1997-98 season by Ohio State's Michael Redd. Indiana claims three of the top eight scorers on the list in Mike Woodson, 1976-1977, (18.5); Calbert Cheaney, 1989-1990 (17.1) and Don Schlundt, 1951-1951 (17.1). The most recent freshman student-athlete to appear on the all-time list was Minnesota's Kris Humphries during the 2003-2004 season, averaged 21.7 points.
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