Around the Hall is recommended reading from the Inside the Hall crew. In today’s case, it’s a sampling of what’s going on around the Big Ten. So go ahead, get your read on.
+ In Champaign, a Meyers Leonard-led Illinois overcame a slow start to beat Wayne State in an exhibition. In West Lafayette, Robbie Hummel scored 18 points in 15 minutes to lead Purdue in an exhibition win over Northern State. And in Minneapolis, Trevor Mbakwe’s double-double helped the Golden Gophers get past Bemidji State in another exhibition contest.
+ Illinois sophomore guard Crandall Head has been suspended four games for a violation of team rules.
+ With an announcement scheduled for tomorrow, AnnArbor.com looks at the potential impact of a Mitch McGary commitment for Michigan.
+ Ohio State beat writer Bob Baptist shares his thoughts on the Buckeyes after getting a chance to watch practice on Monday.
+ Michigan State junior forward Derrick Nix approached Tom Izzo after Sunday’s practice and offered to give up his starting spot for sophomore Adrien Payne.
+ Bill Carmody enjoys playing Mortal Kombat.
+ First-year Penn State coach Patrick Chambers has introduced the “attitude club” to the Nittany Lion program.
Should IU ever be happy about squeaking things out against Northwestern? Probably not. Given that the Hoosiers are 12-2 in the conference and the Wildcats are 0-14 (!), a sloppy, grind-it-out win in Evanston is probably not something anyone at IU should be too happy about under normal circumstances.
The Hoosiers are finishing up their cupcakes and the New Year is nearly upon us, which can mean only one thing: It’s Big Ten Preview Time! Here’s a look at the teams that will challenge the Hoosiers for the conference crown … or fall under the weighty boot of crimson dominance. Probably the latter. Today: Northwestern.
