Community Picks: Nebraska 0% vs Indiana U 0%

Indiana lost its share of the Big Ten lead after faltering once again on the road but will get to play its next two games on its own floor. The No. 22 Hoosiers could get back into first place by remaining unbeaten at home Wednesday night against Nebraska and getting some help. Indiana (20-6, 10-3) fell one game behind Iowa with an 88-69 loss at No. 8 Michigan State on Sunday, its third in four road games. Continue to Article

February 16, 2016 6:39:pm EST

Matt Costello made a 3-pointer and celebrated by blowing on his fingers and sticking out his tongue as he ran down the court. The Michigan State forward got back on defense and into a position to get a rebound. Costello grabbed an offensive rebound to extend the ensuing possession and made a layup to finish off an impressive stretch that lasted a little longer than a minute Sunday, helping the eighth-ranked Spartans seal an 88-69 win over Indiana. Continue to Article

February 15, 2016 3:35:pm EST

On the holiday synonymous with his last name, Denzel Valentine delivered a performance that will spawn a thousand cliched headlines. The versatile Michigan State star led a gradual turnaround Sunday against Indiana from a first-half 10-point deficit to a one-sided 88-69 Spartans victory. Valentine showcased his trademark all-around game with confidence and ease, scoring 30 points, dishing out 13 assists and seldom letting any of Indiana's talented perimeter scorers get by him at the other end. The only reason Valentine did not record his third triple-double of the season was that he only managed to grab five rebounds. Between his scoring and assists, Valentine had a hand in 59 of the 88 points Michigan State scored against an Indiana team that began the day just a half game back of Iowa in the Big Ten standings. The senior was especially effective during the 40-14 surge the Spartans used to take control of a game the Hoosiers led for most of the first half. Valentine had 15 points and five assists during that stretch alone, his second straight brilliant performance on Valentine's Day. As a junior, Valentine scored 17 points and sank a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Ohio State and send another Breslin Center crowd home happy. If Oklahoma's Buddy Hield is still the clear favorite in the national player of the year race, Valentine's huge game on a national stage at least narrowed the gap a bit. After the game, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo advocated for his senior co-captain, noting that no player in the country has the versatility of Valentine, who is averaging 19.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists.  Izzo on Valentine's all-around game, ability to dominate. "I don't know anybody I've had who can do that as thoroughly as he does it." — Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) February 14, 2016 More Tom Izzo on Valentine for POY: "If you can find a better all-around player, on both ends of the court, that guy deserves it." — Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) February 14, 2016 Valentine was far from a one-man show on Sunday in helping eighth-ranked Michigan State improve to 21-5 overall and 8-5 in the Big Ten. Senior center Matt Costello continued to prove that he's one of the nation's most improved players, scoring a career-high 22 points on only 12 shots and also grabbing 11 rebounds. Bryn Forbes had 14 points and did an excellent job defending Indiana star Yogi Ferrell, helping to limit him to just nine points on 3-for-10 shooting. The injury news was mixed for Michigan State. Point guard LouRawls Nairn played briefly for the first time since a foot injury sidelined him last month, but forward Kenny Goins suffered a left knee injury late in the first half that Izzo said team doctors fear could be a meniscus tear.  As for Indiana, this was a step backward just days after the Hoosiers showed they could play against the Big Ten's best teams in a win over Iowa. On Sunday, Indiana was poor on both sides of the ball, shooting just 37.7 percent from the field despite an early hot start and surrendering way too many layups or wide-open 3-pointers in transition. A better performance from Indiana might have kept the game closer, but the Hoosiers would have needed to be flawless to overcome Valentine's all-around excellence. For the second straight year, he proved Valentine's Day truly is his day. - - - - - - - Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @JeffEisenberg Continue to Article

February 14, 2016 3:55:pm EST

With its Big Ten hopes all but gone, Michigan State will try to seek to spoil Indiana's chances in its return home. Michigan State (20-5, 7-5) likely needed to win out to have a chance at its first conference title in four seasons but were denied a fifth straight win Tuesday, losing 82-81 in overtime at Purdue. Michigan State will try to bounce back with its 20th win in 21 home games against Indiana (20-5, 10-2), a stretch that dates back to 1992. Continue to Article

February 13, 2016 4:27:pm EST