Michigan ranks fifth nationally in overall field goal percentage at 51.1 percent.

"I don't like to compare teams because all the other guys get mad at me," Wolverines coach John Beilein said Thursday. "But this is a good shooting team, as good as some other teams we've had. The ones that were really good could shoot."

Michigan’s overall shooting is boosted by Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. having career years.

Burke is shooting 8 percent higher than last year (52 percent) and Hardaway Jr. 5 percent higher than ever before (47 percent).

"I will say I never coached against a team who can shoot the ball at such a high rate as Michigan does," Eastern Michigan coach Rob Murphy said after the Wolverines’ 93-54 win over the Eagles on Thursday. "Every position except for the five man (center) can really shoot the basketball."

Illinois ranks fourth in three-point attempts per game (25.9) through 12 games while employing coach John Groce’s philosophy to take “the first available shot that we can make.”

 “There aren’t too many bad shots in his offense,” said forward Tyler Griffey, who’s shooting 43 percent from three-point range. “He knows we can shoot. He just really instills the confidence.”

Illinois is shooting 38.6 percent beyond the arc as a team, which ranks 39th nationally.

Groce said his team, which sits 12-0 on the season and ranks No. 10 nationally, needs to expand its scoring to keep defenses honest.

“We’re starting to drive it a little more to complement our perimeter shooting, and that’s important moving forward,” he said. “We have to have that, but we are a good shooting team and we’re not going to shy away from that.”

Trey Burke has put his imprint on Michigan by making practices more competitive and thereby increasing the intensity level of his teammates.

"If I lose in something, I'm mad," Burke said. "I feel like the guy that beat me has an advantage over me, and I've got to beat him.”

Before speaking to the media on Wednesday, Burke was defeated by freshman Caris LeVert in a one-on-one drill.

"I'm trying to get back out there and play him right now,” said Burke, who would later report that he paid LeVert back with a 15-13 win.

Wolverines coach John Beilein said Burke’s competitiveness trickles down to even the most minute detail of practice.

"We were just scrimmaging, we had three different scrimmages," Beilein said. "Three different scoreboards ... and each one of them, he's the same. Competitive. He's the one telling our guys 'we're going to win this one, we're going to win this one.' That's his approach.

"It doesn't have anything to do with who we're playing, it's how he plays. There's personal challenges involved in some of those games, and you may want to let a sleeping dog lie a little bit -- the better the challenge, the more he responds individually."

Ohio State ranks 59th nationally in points allowed per possession through the first five games of the season.

“We’re trying hard on defense, and that’s a step,” Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta said. “Now it’s understanding what we’re trying to take away, the path that you need to take. Sometimes the path of least resistance gets you in a lot of trouble.”

Matta said before the season that an emphasis for his backcourt – and the Buckeyes defense overall – was to generate more points off turnovers. The Buckeyes are eighth in the Big 10 in turnover rate and rank 212th in the country in the category.

“One of the big things with this team is just getting them to understand how long and athletic they are,” Matta said. “You’ve got another gear of providing help and you can still get back to your man; the ball can’t travel as fast as you are. Those are things you’re trying to show guys, (that they can) give a little bit more in terms of support.”

Aaron Craft, who was honored as the Big Ten defensive player of the year last season, has seen his steal percentage drop from 4.63 to 3.14, which ranks 412th nationally.

“The defensive (effort) has to be there every game, regardless of (whether) I’m shooting 100 percent or 5 percent. It’s got to be there,” he said. “Playing defense is a total mindset and a total attitude, and when we grasp that as a team, and we do at times, we can be pretty good. And that’s going to lead to our best offense, layups in transition and things like that.”

Top talent evaluators from around the NBA expressed pessimism about the 2013 draft in general and the No. 1 pick in particular.

"I'd trade the pick for sure," one NBA GM said. "No one wants to pick first this year -- and no one can live up to the No. 1 billing."

"It's the worst it's ever been," said another.

"I'm glad we won't be picking at the top," added one director of player personnel.

Cody Zeller is the consensus choice for the top spot, even though he possesses short arms and plays subpar defense.

"He'll never be a great NBA player," one NBA scouting director said.