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The polls certainly suggest so, at least. In the latest AP poll, five Big Ten teams are ranked among the top dozen teams in the country: Michigan (2), Indiana (4), Ohio State (10), Minnesota (11) and Illinois (12). Additionally, Michigan State is ranked No. 19. It is no surprise to see the Wolverines, Hoosiers and Buckeyes ranked in the top 10 given their preseason billing, but it has to be considered a surprise that the Gophers and Illini are a combined 24-2. IU opened the season No. 1 but was knocked from that perch by an overtime loss to Butler in the Crossroads Classic. S The rash of major injuries that���s hit the Big Ten claimed another victim in mid-December when Northwestern���s best player, Drew Crawford, was lost for the year due to a torn labrum in his shoulder. The senior was averaging 13.5 points for the Wildcats. He remains eligible to pursue a medical redshirt. Northwestern has already been playing without anticipated key contributor JerShon Cobb, who was suspended for the season, reportedly for academic reasons. Crawford joins Wisconsin guard Josh Gasser and Penn State star Tim Frazier as major, season-ending injuries that have stricken the league this season. S Meanwhile, Indiana guard Maurice Creek���s run of bad luck continues. Creek is out ���indefinitely��� after injuring his right foot. This then is the fourth consecutive season the guard has seen affected by injury. He missed all of last season with a maTom Campbell jor knee injury. Purdue has made center A.J. Hammons a focal point of its offense. Creek aver- Coaches want the ball to go inside as often as possible. aged just three Moore played 30 minutes points per game the day after Christmas and through 10 games. scored 10 points with six reBOILERMAKERS IN THE bounds, two assists and three PROS blocks in a narrow loss at New S After seeing his minutes Orleans. dip after he was a starter earlier in For the season, he���s averagthe season for the Orlando Magic, ing 9.3 points in 23.8 minutes. E���Twaun Moore remains an impor- He started the first seven games tant contributor for his NBA team. of the season. S As the Golden State Warriors��� sixth man, former Boilermaker forward Carl Landry averages 12.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He���s shooting 54 percent from the floor but has struggled lately, going a combined 11-of30 the past three games. S JaJuan Johnson was traded to the Canton Charge 13 20 ril 13, Ap register online Friday, as the Fort Wayne Mad Ants gave up him and an NBA Developmental League firstround draft pick for former ND star Luke Harangody. Johnson was averaging 11.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks through his first five games with the Mad Ants. Johnson is an NBA free agent. j k n/wal 5K ru E THE C LLENG HA tm support cancer research at Purdue www.thepurduechallenge.com All proceeds beneet the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research GoldanDBlack express ��� volume 23, express 15��� ������ 31