It was an exciting weekend in Big Ten basketball. Many games ended in thrilling fashion. The hierarchy in the Big Ten has been reset as Nebraska fell twice this week. Michigan and Illinois both took advantage of their tough scheduled games this weekend, revealing themselves as the top two teams.
Here is an overview and scoreboard for the Big Ten men’s basketball weekend:
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Here are the scores from Friday:
No. 3 Michigan 83-71 vs No. 7 Michigan State
Yaxel Lendeborg leads the Wolverines to another big win in conference. The Wolverines reasserted their dominance in conference, knocking off two of the best teams in the conference. This game went down to the wire and showed just why this is a top rivalry in the country. Michigan showed up and showed out, displaying that they were the better defensive team in this game and that they are the better squad when the lights are bright. Jeremy Fears Jr. was exceptional once again, but his 31 points weren’t enough.
Here are the scores from Saturday:
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Wisconsin 92-82 vs Ohio State
The Badgers’ guards were the best hoopers on the court in this one, and Austin Rapp’s hot shooting night off the bench proved to be very vital in this victory for Wisconsin. The Bakers needed a victory just like this to rebound from the USC loss, but when this team is rolling, it is scary for the rest of the Big Ten.
Indiana 98-97 vs UCLA
The Hoosiers are back on the right track after a thrilling high-scoring win over the Bruins. Indiana snapped the Bruins’ 14-game winning streak at home. It took 3 20-point outings for the Hoosiers ‘ 7-man rotation to pull out the win. Lamar Wilkerson led the way with 24 points and 8 rebounds. Nick Dorn had a season-best and team-leading 26 points on the night. The Hoosiers get a major win and remain on the right track for the tourney if they keep rolling.
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USC 78-75 vs Rutgers
The Trojans controlled this game for the majority of it, but took their foot off the gas right before this game closed. Tariq Francis had 26 points from the bench, and he sparked a run late by himself. The Trojans did what they needed to pull the game off late, but still, they showed reason to be doubtful in whether or not this team is a tourney team.
Washington 76-62 vs Northwestern
Washington showed exactly why it is one of the more underrated teams in the Big Ten. The talent is there with this team, and they displayed that in their win over the Wildcats. 3 of their starters put up 21 points or more. Hannes Steinbach was elite as can be, posting 22 points and 14 rebounds. After getting beaten up by the cream of the crop of the Big Ten, the Huskies are now in a position to go on a run.
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In the last slate to close out the weekend, here is how things played out on Sunday:
No. 12 Purdue 93-63 vs Maryland
Purdue, after 3 straight losses, took advantage of their matchup vs Maryland, beating them by 30 points. Guard Fletcher Loyer had it going from the field, as he dropped 24 points and nailed 7 of his 10 shots from beyond the arc. Exactly what the Boilermakers needed, but their 3 previous losses still give some concern; beating the Terrapins does not completely wash that away.
Penn State 77-75 vs Minnesota
Penn State pulls off the upset after freshman guard Kayden Mingo hits a game-winning basket. Just another example that the Gophers’ Achilles heel is closing games out. This should have been a game to help the Gophers tryand salvage whatever is left of this season; instead, it anchors them to the bottom of the Big Ten. Very encouraging win for Penn State on the flipside.
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No. 9 Illinois vs No. 5 Nebraska 78-69
Freshman Keaton Wagler is a star. For another match-up vs a top 25 team, Wagler looks like the best player on the court, and he propels his team to victory. Wagler dropped 28 in this win. The Fighting Illini had as good a week this past week as they could have possibly dreamed of. Nebraska, on the other hand, in their two opportunities to prove they are as good as their record, they instead prove to be fraudulent.
Iowa 84-66 vs Oregon
Bennett Stirtz gets back to feeling like Steph Curry, as he dropped 32 points and only missed two of his 6 3-point shots. He was lights out and also dished out 7 assists. He was not the only shooter that had a hot night, as in total the Hawkeyes shot 58.9% from the field and 45.5% from three. The Ducks could not replicate that in any capacity and fell to Iowa by 18 points.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Biggest winners and losers from January 30-Feb 1 in Big Ten basketball
