After the last couple of weeks have shaken up the Big Ten standings, the past week has given the conference a clear number one: Michigan.
Michigan’s magical week puts the Wolverines as clear favorite in the Big Ten
With under 90 minutes before tip-off on Friday night, Michigan basketball head coach Dusty May took a courtside seat to watch warmups. Behind him, Michigan State’s “Izzone” jeered, booed and a loud “F— you Dusty” chant erupted in the Breslin Center.
But the cocky attitude from their head coach was passed down to the No. 3 Wolverines, as they defeated their in-state rival 83-71. A win that solidified Michigan’s spot as the best team in the Big Ten.
The Wolverines have been an analytical darling this season, occupying the No. 1 spot on KenPom, Torvik and EvanMiya, after early-season blowouts in late November and December. But Michigan still hasn’t topped the AP poll. One reason is Arizona’s flawless 21-0 record, while the Wolverines own one loss.
And questions about Michigan’s ability on the court started to emerge in early January when the Wolverines were bested 91-88 by Wisconsin on Jan. 10 and kept games close against inferior opponents (Penn State and Washington).
However, six consecutive wins and a week where the Wolverines defeated No. 5 Nebraska on Tuesday and No. 7 Michigan State on Friday have silenced many of the doubters.
Against the Spartans, Michigan’s defense was ready for the away matchup. The Wolverines held Michigan State to a 37% performance from the field and 4 of 23 shooting behind the arc. In the first half, the Spartans turned the ball over 11 times and shot 27%.
But even after taking a 42-26 lead at halftime, Michigan State fought back early in the second half. The Spartans made five of their first nine shots, and a Jaxon Kohler 3-pointer tied the game at 55 with eight minutes left.
It was a chance for Michigan to shut down against an enthusiastic away crowd, but the Wolverines got the buckets it needed in crunch time. Will Tschetter’s 3-pointer, Morez Johnson’s dunk, Elliot Cadeau draining a 3-pointer and a layup from Yaxel Lendeborg highlight an effort to give Michigan a six-point lead with two minutes left.
Lendeborg has been the best player for Michigan this season and the UAB transfer showed his worth on both sides of the ball Friday. The 6-foot-9 forward finished with 26 points (12 in the first half) and 12 rebounds (6 offensive).
But Michigan’s week was kick-started by handing Nebraska its first loss of the season on Tuesday. This time, the Wolverines received a balanced performance from many pieces. Lendeborg and Aday Mara collected 10 points, freshman guard Trey McKenney had 11 off the bench and Johnson had a team-high 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Along with the Michigan State game, the Wolverines had to scrap together crunch time buckets and stop the Cornhuskers seventh-ranked offense in the Big Ten. McKenney’s steal and layup gave the Wolverines a lead, which they held onto, with just over a minute left in the game after only leading for less than 60 seconds in the first 38 minutes of the game.
Now, Michigan has matchups against Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern and UCLA to start February before going on the road to Purdue and Washington, D.C. for a neutral-site showdown against Duke.
Three consecutive wins have Indiana trending in the right direction
Entering late January, Indiana basketball still hadn’t won a Quadrant 1 game, but the past two weeks have changed the Hoosiers chances of making the NCAA tournament. After losing four consecutive games, Indiana has rattled off wins against Rutgers, Purdue and UCLA.
The wins over the Boilermakers and the Bruins showcased Indiana’s guts and composure. The Hoosiers led 71-61 with 1:50 remaining at Paul Pavilion in Los Angeles. But it took until the second overtime for Indiana to win.
UCLA’s Trent Perry drilled a 3-pointer that ended regulation with the score tied at 76. Yet it was Indiana freshman Trent Sisley who made the most influential play of the net. Tucker DeVries hit Sisley, cutting towards the basket, and the freshman was fouled with 0.3 seconds on the clock. Sisley then knocked down one free throw to give the Hoosiers a 98-97 win.
The recent leap of Nick Dorn has been crucial for Indiana’s success. Dorn has rattled off 14, 23, 18 and 26 points in the past four games. On Sunday, Dorn’s 26 points were a team-high amount, and the junior guard added seven rebounds. Plus, Lamar Wilkerson and Reed Baily compiling 24 points gave Indiana enough momentum to push past UCLA.
But the week started with a 72-67 win over in-state rival Purdue. The Boilermarkers stormed back in the second half after a double-digit deficit, but Indiana stood firm when the final buzzer sounded.
Dorn and Wilkerson led the way once again, 18 and 19 points, respectively, and the Hoosiers are winning games without the services of Tayton Conerway. The redshirt senior+ guard suffered a right ankle injur during Indiana’s game against Iowa on Jan. 17, but other Hoosiers have picked up the 11.2 points per game hole.
After this week, it’s easy to say that fun basketball is back in Bloomington. However, with Indiana aggregating out to a 10-seed on Bracket Matrix, every win for the Hoosiers is critical for their chances of making the NCAA tournament. An away showdown at USC on Tuesday and Wisconsin on Sunday present Indiana with two chances for the Hoosiers to continue their recent stretch of strong play.
Terrapin trouble
Year one under a new head coach can be a tough transition for most teams. However, Maryland wasn’t supposed to be the norm.
After Buzz Williams moved from Texas A&M to College Park, Maryland, his Terrapins were picked 13th in the preseason Big Ten media poll. Still, they were suspected to compete against higher-level competition in the conference.
But Maryland hasn’t been anywhere close to that level. After Sunday’s 93-63 loss to No. 12 Purdue, the Terrapins have recorded more 30-point losses this season (four) than they did across the 11 previous seasons (three). The result was also the worst defeat in Xfinity Center history, an arena that Maryland has played in since 2002.
During conference games, the Terrapins have been the second-worst team in the Big Ten in defensive rating (127.7) and own the worst offensive rating (102.7). On Sunday, Purdue’s Fletcher Loyer finished with 27 points, draining seven 3-pointers in the process, and Braden Smith had 19 points and six assists.
Maryland has dealt with injuries this season, especially to Pharrel Payne (10 games played) and Solomon Washington (13 games played), who were two familiar faces to Williams as they all were at Texas A&M last season.
But Washington’s return to the lineup in December still hasn’t improved the quality of play the Terrapins have produced. Washington finished Sunday’s game with 14 points, while freshman guard Darius Adams had 17, and redshirt freshman guard Andre Mills had a team-high 18 points off the bench.
But two high-profile transfers in Myles Rice (Indiana) and Elijah Saunders (Virginia) have underperformed this season. Rice’s points per game dropped from 10.1 points last year to 5.6 this season, while Saunders is at 8.7, down from 10.4 last season.
Since Nov. 24, Maryland has won four games and lost 12, including three straight losses to Illinois, Michigan, and Purdue. The Terrapins' only win in Big Ten play is over Penn State, 96-73, on Jan. 18, a mark that leaves them ranked 16th in the conference standings.
The schedule gets easier for Maryland down the stretch (two games against Rutgers), but the Terrapins have shown no ability to take games for granted. Maryland will look to regain control of its season against Ohio State on Thursday and at Minnesota on Sunday.
Wagler downs Nebraska, as the Cornhuskers lose both games this week
At the beginning of the week, projections showed Nebraska knocking on the door of being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Now, the Cornhuskers lost both matchups and fell to fourth in the Big Ten standings.
Tuesday’s 75-72 loss to Michigan felt like an outlier, as Rienk Mast (14.1 points per game) and Braden Frager (12.6) were out of the lineup. However, in Sunday’s 78-69 loss to Illinois, Nebraska was outplayed even after making 15 3-pointers to the Fighting Illini’s nine.
Illinois shot marginally better than the Cornhuskers from the field (44% to 42%), but the real difference was in the number of free throw attempts. The Fighting Illini finished with 21 makes and 26 attempts, while Nebraska was 4 for 5 from the line.
In addition to the free throws, Illinois received another stellar performance from freshman Keaton Wagler. He had a game-high 28 points, including 23 in the second half, knocking down four 3-pointers and dishing out five assists. Wagler’s been on fire recently, scoring 46 points against Purdue last week and 22 points in a 75-66 win over Washington on Thursday.
Along with Wagler, Jake Davis and Tomislav Ivisic played large roles in the victory. Davis chipped in 13 points and Ivisic added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Nebraska has lived by the 3 and died by the 3 this season, which was shown on Sunday. Pryce Sandford and Frager both went 4-for-7 from 3-point range in the first half and helped the Cornhuskers take a 6-point lead into halftime. But Nebraska slowed down in the second half, and Illinois became the more physical team.
Nebraska can get back into the win column on Saturday at Rutgers, but this week provides a time for the Cornhuskers to regroup and refocus on the rest of conference play. A matchup against No. 12 Purdue on Feb. 10 gives Nebraska another chance for a season-changing win.
One Game to Watch Every Day This Week
Tuesday Feb. 3
Indiana @ USC, 10 p.m., Peacock
Wednesday Feb. 4
Iowa @ Washington, 11 p.m., BTN
Thursday Feb. 5
Ohio State @ Maryland, 8:30 p.m., FS1
Saturday Feb. 7
No. 5 Illinois @ No. 10 Michigan State, 8 p.m., FOX
Sunday Feb. 8
No. 2 Michigan @ Ohio State, 1 p.m., CBS
