to win four times in four days to snip the nets, but after ... title outright and haven't lost since. Jan. 13. ... Penn
HOOPS INSIDER
INSIDE ONE OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL’S PREMIER CONFERENCES | COMPILED BY PATRICK STEVENS, SPECIAL TO GATEHOUSE MEDIA BREAKING DOWN THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
RANKING THE LEAGUE * 1. Michigan State (28-3): All in all, the Spartans have lived up to their preseason hype. No one should quibble with three losses to this point. (Last week: 1) 2. Purdue (26-5): Given the real possibility of a rivalry quarterfinal against Indiana and then payback games against Ohio State and Michigan State, perhaps it’s for the best there will be an extra week to get ready for the NCAA Tourmament this year. (LW: 3) 3. Ohio State (24-7): The Buckeyes finished off a 15-3 run through Big Ten play with a double OT victory at Indiana. Chris Holtmann has to be in the national coach of the year conversation. (LW: 2) 4. Michigan (24-7): Yes, Maryland was lifeless, but the Wolverines shot the lights out from the outside. Muhammad-Ali AbdurRahkman appears to be enjoying the sort of closing kick to a senior season Michigan has frequently enjoyed in recent years. (LW: 4) 5. Nebraska (22-9): The Cornhuskers have plenty of NCAA questions, but the safest way to put them to rest is to win three times in three days. With James Palmer Jr. playing at a high level, don’t count out that possibility. (LW: 5) 6. Penn State (19-12): Maybe not an NCAA Tourmament team, but a plenty dangerous bunch heading into the Garden this week. (LW: 6) 7. Indiana (16-14): The Hoosiers are already set up to be one of the more fascinating teams nationally heading into next season. (LW: 7) 8. Maryland (19-12): It’s never wise to wait until March to start building an NCAA Tourmament resume, but that’s effectively the Terrapins’ strategy. (LW: 8) 9. Wisconsin (14-17): The team in the bottom half of the league no one wants to encounter in a win-or-go-home scenario. The reason? Ethan Happ. (LW: 10)
Michigan State’s Cassius Winston shoots a three-pointer against Wisconsin during the first half Sunday in Madison, Wis. [ANDY MANIS/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]
CONTENDERS Michigan: The defending tournament champions would again have to win four times in four days to snip the nets, but after a blistering performance at Maryland to close out the regular season — including a 54-point first half — no one should be astonished if the Wolverines stick around for a while. Michigan State: The top seeded Spartans won the regular season title outright and haven’t lost since Jan. 13. Miles Bridges and his teammates are in good shape to have a productive trip to the Big Apple. Ohio State: After a two-game wobble, the Buckeyes closed out the regular season with defeats of Rutgers and Indiana. They could see Penn State — a team that beat them twice — in the quarterfinals. Purdue: The Boilermakers shrugged off a late three-game skid with a defeat of Illinois and a rout of Minnesota. After losing to both Ohio State and Michigan State in the regular season, this weekend could look like a vengeance tour for Matt Painter’s team.
MOST TO PLAY FOR Nebraska: The Cornhuskers played well down the stretch, winning eight of their last nine to earn the No. 4 seed. One problem: They don’t have much at the top of their postseason resume (a defeat of Michigan). Nebraska can at least partially rectify that problem with a good run, but it may still need to win the Big Ten. Penn State: The Nittany Lions’ at-large hopes are basically gone after falling at Nebraska on Sunday, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t get carried into the weekend by
Big Ten Tournament schedule All times Eastern (games played at Madison Square Garden, New York) First round, Wednesday (12) Iowa vs. (13) Illinois, 5:30 p.m. (BTN) (11) Minnesota vs. (14) Rutgers, approx. 7:55 p.m. (BTN) Second round, Thursday (8) Maryland vs. (9) Wisconsin, noon (BTN) (5) Michigan vs. Iowa/Illinois, approx. 2:25 p.m. (BTN) (7) Penn State vs. (10) Northwestern, 6:30 p.m., (BTN) (6) Indiana vs. Minnesota/Rutgers, approx. 8:55 p.m. (BTN) Quarterfinals, Friday (1) Michigan State vs. Maryland/Wisconsin, noon (BTN) (4) Nebraska vs. Michigan/Iowa/Illinois, approx. 2:25 p.m. (BTN) (2) Ohio State vs. Penn State/Northwestern, 6:30 p.m. (BTN) (3) Purdue vs. Indiana/Minnesota/Rutgers, approx. 8:55 p.m. (BTN) Semifinals, Saturday Afternoon quarterfinal winners, 2 p.m. (CBS) Evening quarterfinal winners, approx. 4:30 p.m. (CBS) Final, Sunday Semifinal winners, 4:30 p.m. (CBS)
Tony Carr, Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS Indiana: The Hoosiers have found themselves in a lot of tight games despite hovering around .500 for stretches. They might have an upset of Purdue in them if they reach the quarterfinals. Maryland: There’s zero reason to believe the Terrapins have a lengthy run in them, but if guards Anthony Cowan Jr. and Kevin Huerter both get going early, they could create problems in a potential quarterfinal against Michigan State.
BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR Illinois: The Illini went 4-6 down the stretch, not heady stuff but progress relative to their 0-8 start to Big Ten play. They even dealt Nebraska a damaging loss. Better times are
ahead in Champaign. Iowa: The Hawkeyes aren’t going to get much traction if they can’t get their defense to play at even a mildly subpar level. That’s not likely to happen this week in New York. Minnesota: A case study in a team that simply collapsed when it lost one of its best players. Northwestern: A case study in a team that couldn’t replicate the previous season’s magic despite returning most of the pieces that made that success possible. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights are no one’s idea of a good team, but they play hard and might have a little extra juice with the tournament in their backyard. Advancing a round isn’t out of the question. Wisconsin: The NCAA Tourmament streak will end this year, but the Badgers have the potential to be a nuisance against Maryland and, with a victory, Michigan State.
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10. Northwestern (15-16): The injuries, the lack of a true home floor, the lack of hunger after last year’s accomplishments … it’s all catching up with the Wildcats down the stretch. (LW: 9) 11. Illinois (14-17): Weren’t terrible the last month, but it wasn’t enough to escape the first day of the conference tournament. (LW: 11) 12. Rutgers (13-18): The Scarlet Knights’ fouryear record in Big Ten conference play: 9-63. Steve Pikiell’s shown some progress, but there’s a long climb still to come. (LW: 12) 13. Iowa (13-18): The Senior Day defeat of Northwestern means the Hawkeyes will avoid a 20-loss season. (LW: 13) 14. Minnesota (15-16): The Golden Gophers’ season will likely end Wednesday or Thursday, which is roughly two months too late. At least their nine-game losing streak ended last week. (LW: 14) *Entering week of Feb. 26
NUMBERS OF NOTE
40 Points for Purdue forward Carsen Edwards last week in a victory over Illinois, the first Boilermaker to hit the milestone since Glenn Robinson had 44 against Kansas on March 24, 1994.
24 Point margin of defeat for Maryland in its 85-61 loss to Michigan on Saturday, its most lopsided home loss since absorbing a 104-72 loss to Duke on Jan. 3, 1998. The Terrapins trailed by 30 at halftime.
