Every year when the Big Ten season begins to heat up, coach Thad Matta shortens his rotation and usually goes with seven or eight players. It has worked in the past because he had veteran leadership to guide the young players to right the ship when things don’t go well. And he didn’t have this many freshmen and sophomores.
Coach Matta is primarily going with seven players now. The only junior on the team, Marc Loving, is anything but a leader. His game comes and goes like the wind, depending on his attitude at the moment. He can play like an All Big Ten forward or act as though he doesn’t want to be on the court.