After Michigan State’s loss to Purdue, struggling guard Durrell Summers suggested that he is no longer part of the offense.

Summers has averaged 30 minutes per game.

"This isn't the Pistons," Izzo said. "These guys aren't pros. Thirty minutes a game is 30 minutes a game. We seem to be able to blame the coaches and maybe down there if (a player) is not playing, there is something to argue about. But if you're playing 30 minutes a game, you know what, I'm doing what I can.

"When players see what's going on everyone thinks they can just say what they want," he said. "It's sad what happened. I'm not blaming Rip Hamilton or Kuester or anyone else. But it's sad what we see going on in sports right now. When players say stuff about coaches and vice versa, there should be no vice versa. Coaches should be able to tell a player what he's doing right and what he's doing wrong."

Jimmer Fredette and Jared Sullinger headline the list of finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, awarded to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's National Player of the Year.

Other finalists include Jordan Hamilton (Texas), JaJuan Johnson (Purdue), Terrence Jones (Kentucky), Marcus Morris (Kansas), Kyle Singler (Duke), Nolan Smith (Duke), Kemba Walker (Connecticut) and Derrick Williams (Arizona).

JaJuan Johnson was named the Big Ten's Player of the Week and Michigan freshman Tim Hardaway Jr. was named the league’s Freshman of the Week for the third straight week and fourth time overall.

The Big Ten coaches had a teleconference on Monday to talk about tournament play.

Most of the coaches agreed with the sentiment that successful tournament teams have experienced quality play from their guards.

“You’ve got to have some good players across the board,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “But you’ve got to have some guards.”

In the Big Ten, all of the main contenders have good guards: Purdue (E’Twaun Moore), Ohio State (David Lighty, William Buford), Wisconsin (Jordan Taylor), Penn State (Talor Battle), Illinois (Demetri McCamey), Michigan State (Lucas) and Michigan (Darius Morris).

"When it’s one-and-done time, your margin for error is so small," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "That’s why they always say good guards are key, because they can control the ball and make better decisions."

Durrell Summers scored three points  in Michigan State’s 67-47 loss to Purdue. He no longer appears to be a viable offensive option.

"I feel like offensively, I've got to get more involved," he said. "But I just do what I can control. I just think we've got to get more movement. Really, we just ball screen and throw it in.

"I'm just doing what I can when I'm out there. I'm trying to crash (the boards) or play better defense. When I do get the ball I try to make something happen."

When Summers was asked if he thought fewer plays were being run for him, he said he did. He was pressed further, getting asked if it was a lot fewer plays.

"Yeah, you guys have seen it," he said.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta received a helping hand from former Indiana coach Bob Knight.

After five teams in a row had shot better than 50 percent against the Buckeyes, Matta decided to seek outside counsel before a game against Indiana yesterday.

"I reached out to the master," Matta said.

He called Bob Knight, who had no qualms about helping the coach of his alma mater beat the school that fired him 11 years ago after an unparalleled run of success.

"He gave me this defensive drill," Matta said. "Our players hate it, but I think it made us play a lot better."

The second-ranked Buckeyes held Indiana to 38.5 percent shooting.

After watching Spartans Draymond Green and Delvon Roe combine for 37 points and 15 rebounds in Purdue’s first regular season meeting with Michigan State, JaJuan Johnson responded with 20 points, a career-best 17 rebounds and a career-best-tying seven blocks to lead the Boilermakers to a 67-47 victory Sunday night.

"I would have to say this is one of my best games, just because of the numbers," said Johnson, whose previous career high for rebounds was 15. "The first time we played these guys, I gave a lot of buckets away.

"I took it personally. The guys on the team gave me a hard time."

On Sunday, Johnson gave Green and Roe a hard time.

Green and Roe were a combined 5 of 18 from the field Sunday, scoring only 11 points to go with 11 rebounds.

Jon Diebler’s improved dribble-drive game has helped his team and himself.

In the Buckeyes' first six conference games, Diebler averaged more than six three-point attempts. In the past nine games, he has attempted six in only one. Meanwhile, he has shot 26 free throws in those nine games - more than he did in the season's first 19 - and made 25 of them.

Statistics kept by Ohio State’s coaching staff show Diebler scoring more, and more efficiently, off the dribble than he did last season.

And with defenders having to honor the added dimension, Diebler's three-point percentage has risen, too - to .490 the past nine conference games compared with .447 the first six.

Sources have told ESPN's Doug Gottlieb that Tubby Smith will leave Minnesota after this season.

There's some speculation over whether Georgia Tech will buy out the remainder of Paul Hewitt's contract and land Smith.

The Gophers are 17-11 overall and 6-10 in the Big Ten.

Baylor's Perry Jones and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger join Texas' Tristan Thompson and Kentucky teammates Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight as finalists for the 2011 Wayman Tisdale Award, presented to the national freshmen of the year.

The winner will be announced April 1 in conjunction with the Final Four in Houston.