Halfway through the season, Jeffries is better than expected

The Big Ten Freshman of the Year is supposed to play this good. But sometimes people don't expect Jared Jeffries to be good at so many different things.\nJeffries is leading the league and the Hoosiers (13-6, 6-1) in scoring as of the start of the week with 19.7 points per game. The sophomore forward is also second in the league averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.\nMore than his statistics, Jeffries has opened up more opportunities for his teammates. That was the case Saturday when the Hoosiers hit a school and conference record 17 three-pointers to blowout No. 12 Illinois, 88-57. With the Illini collapsing on Jeffries, Tom Coverdale, Dane Fife and Kyle Hornsby buried open shots.\nMore than anything, the 6-foot-10, 215 pound Jeffries' versatility has been praised by opposing coaches, some of whom have to face Jeffries and the Hoosiers again this season.\n"He's the only player in the Big Ten that can play all five positions. He's very hard to match up with," Iowa coach Steve Alford said. "He's a defensive presence. He can just hurt you in a lot of different ways. He's played unselfishly and moved the ball around."\nPlaying with Kirk Haston last season, Jeffries was the second option. Mike Davis and teammates said Jeffries has hesitated in the past to take charge of the Hoosiers, but now that tentativeness is gone.\n"There are not very many sophomores out there with a veteran ballclub that can get everyone to rally around you and yet you let them be themselves," Illinois coach Bill Self said. "I thought he was good last year, but I don't think his confidence level (was the same) or that he carried himself the same way. \n"He acts like he's been there before and like it's his game. That's what great players do."\nPenn State coach Jerry Dunn probably knows more than anyone else in the Big Ten about how Jeffries can hurt opposing teams in different ways. Jeffries poured in 15 first half points against the Nittany Lions last week, then absorbed the defense in the second half and the Hoosiers' outside shooting finished off Penn State, 85-51.\n"He raises the level of everyone on his team," Dunn said. "He demands an awful lot of attention."\nBUCKEYE UPDATE\nLast night the Illini had a chance to bounce back after what Corey Bradford said was an "embarrassing" loss at IU last Saturday. At the same time, Illinois could have helped the Hoosiers by beating Ohio State Tuesday. Instead, the Illini suffered a second straight double-digit loss, 78-67, in Columbus.\nThe win gives the Buckeyes (16-3, 7-1) a half-game lead over the Hoosiers with the two teams set to play Feb. 20 at Assembly Hall. Some might be surprised that Ohio State and IU are leading the conference, but coaches in the league are not.\n"Some of the media is surprised by Ohio State's record, but I don't know why," Gene Keady said. "They have four starters back. Indiana, we thought they'd be like they are."\nPOLLING\nAfter having several teams splashed throughout the national polls for most of the last several years, the Big Ten has seen the number of conference teams in The Associated Press top 25 drop to two this week -- No. 12 Illinois and No. 25 Ohio State.\nIowa had spent much of the season ranked, but after opening the Big Ten with five losses in eight games, the Hawkeyes (14-8, 3-5) are far from being ranked.\nAt the same time, the Big Ten is getting much respect from the latest RPI Ratings. The Hoosiers have the third-toughest schedule in the country behind Arizona and Kentucky. Illinois is 13th, Purdue 15th and Iowa 16th.\nBACK TO IT\nAfter a week off, defending conference champion Michigan State (11-8, 2-4) will get back on the floor tonight when it hosts Michigan at the Breslin Center. Last week, the Spartans lost a tough game at Iowa, 75-71.\nIn the game, Michigan State was decimated by injuries again. Injuries to Adam Ballinger and Marcus Taylor have forced Spratan freshmen to make 37 starts, which is the highest in the league.\nAdam Wolfe will miss the rest of the season due to a torn hamstring he suffered at Penn State Jan. 19. Wolfe was averaging 9.4 points and five rebounds per game.