Between Michigan-Michigan State and Purdue-Indiana, there were a few B1G rivalries that took center stage throughout the week, and Illinois-Nebraska was a great game to cap off an already amazing week.
With many big games in other locations across the country, the bracketology outlook has significantly shifted as well.
Michigan – No. 1 Seed (No. 2 overall)
Previous seeding: No. 1 Seed (No. 2 overall)
Michigan had the opportunity to take on two of the top four teams in the conference standings, and the Wolverines took advantage of those games to claim the top spot. Michigan began the week with a 75-72 win against Nebraska, despite trailing by as many as 11 against the short-handed Cornhuskers. The Wolverines carried their momentum from the second half of the victory against Nebraska into a rivalry matchup against Michigan State, opening up that game on a 10-2 run and leading by 16 at the half. The Spartans came all the way back to take a 59-57 lead with under seven minutes left, but Michigan closed the game on a 26-12 run to claim an 83-71 victory. The Wolverines picked up two Quad 1A victories this week, and with a 15-1 record against Quads 1 and 2 (most wins in the country in such games), Michigan came very close to reclaiming the No. 1 overall seed from Arizona, and likely will do so if the Wildcats lose their first game before the Wolverines lose their second.
Illinois – No. 2 Seed (No. 5 overall)
Previous seeding: No. 2 Seed (No. 7 overall)
Illinois defeated Washington 75-66, then went on the road to take on Nebraska. The Illini defeated the Cornhuskers 78-69 despite Nebraska shooting 15-for-35 from the three-point line. Illinois has been on a complete tear since losing to Nebraska at home earlier in the season, and the revenge win against the Cornhuskers extended Illinois’ streak to 11 straight victories following its only conference loss of the season. The victory also gave Illinois its seventh Quad 1 win of the season (fourth-most in the nation) and its fifth Quad 1A win of the season (tied with Arizona for the most in the nation). With those strong victories, the Illini have climbed all the way to the highest-rated No. 2 seed despite being the only team on that seed line with more than two losses.
Nebraska – No. 2 Seed (No. 8 overall)
Previous seeding: No. 1 Seed (No. 4 overall)
The Cornhuskers lost two very close games this week, ending their insane 20-game winning streak to start the season. Nebraska went on the road without Braden Frager or Rienk Mast and put up a valiant effort in a 75-72 loss against Michigan. The Cornhuskers returned home and got Frager and Mast back, albeit in their first games back from injury and the flu, respectively, but lost 78-69 to Illinois at home. Nebraska came into the week undefeated and narrowly in position for the final No. 1 seed, but after two straight losses this week, the Cornhuskers are down to the final No. 2 seed.
Purdue – No. 3 Seed (No. 10 overall)
Previous seeding: No. 3 Seed (No. 11 overall)
The Boilermakers continued their downward spiral this week, losing 72-67 to rival Indiana as the Hoosiers were celebrating their National Championship in football. However, Purdue got back in the win column with a dominant 93-63 victory against Maryland, and Fletcher Loyer’s 29-point outing (7-for-10 shooting on threes) was a sight for sore eyes after Loyer had shot 5-for-21 over his previous five games. Purdue will need more of those performances going forward to maintain their status as a protected seed, even though this week didn’t actually damage the Boilermakers’ resume too much in comparison to the teams seeded near them in the bracket.
Michigan State – No. 3 Seed (No. 11 overall)
Previous seeding: No. 2 Seed (No. 8 overall)
The Spartans survived an early scare against Rutgers, winning 88-79 in overtime after trailing by nine at the half. Michigan State’s big matchup with Michigan still loomed on Friday night, but for the first time since January 13, 2018, the Spartans failed to protect their home court against the Wolverines, falling 83-71 at home. Michigan State would have kept the two seed if it won against Michigan, but the close call against Rutgers and the rivalry loss to the Wolverines pushed the Spartans down to the three-seed line. If Michigan State can beat Minnesota on the road and defend its home court against Illinois, the Spartans will have a solid chance to move back up to a two seed in next week’s update.
Iowa – No. 7 Seed (No. 27 overall)
Previous seeding: No. 8 Seed (No. 29 overall)
The Hawkeyes escaped with a 2-0 week, but Iowa could have preferred a few more comfortable wins, especially in its first game against USC. The Hawkeyes blew a 17-point lead against the Trojans, and only came away with a 73-72 win because USC fouled Bennett Stirtz with a few seconds left on the clock. Stirtz continued his stellar week of play with a career-high of 32 points on 12-for-15 shooting in an 84-66 win against Oregon. The Hawkeyes stayed in the same seed range, but still need a signature win to go higher up in the seed list.
Indiana – No. 9 Seed (No. 35 overall)
Previous seeding: First Four Out
The Hoosiers had continuously fallen down in these projections, but Indiana finally had an undefeated week and did so against two tournament-caliber opponents. The Hoosiers started off the week by defeating arch-rival Purdue 72-67 at home, and the momentum continued with a thrilling 98-97 double-overtime road victory against UCLA. The Hoosiers went from a 0-6 record in Quad 1 games to a 2-6 record in just the span of this week. Indiana was in dire need of signature victories, and now the Hoosiers have two Quad 1A wins to solidify their resume that is still not too far clear of the bubble.
Wisconsin – No. 10 Seed (No. 37 overall)
Previous seeding: No. 10 Seed (No. 37 overall)
Wisconsin fought off two sluggish starts to go 2-0 at home this week. The Badgers scored just 27 points in the first 26 minutes of action against Minnesota, but scored 40 in the next 14 minutes to steal a 67-63 win at home. Over the weekend, Wisconsin was down 18-9 to Ohio State after eight minutes of action, but the Badgers proceeded to score 40 points in the final 12 minutes of the half to take a 49-43 halftime lead. Wisconsin closed out the victory 92-82 in an important matchup between two teams floating around the bubble. The Badgers will now have most of the week to rest before taking on Indiana on the road this weekend.
Ohio State – No. 10 Seed (No. 40 overall, Last Four Byes)
Previous seeding: No. 10 Seed (No. 39 overall, Last Four Byes)
The Buckeyes’ offense came to play this week, but the defense couldn’t really hold its own. Ohio State beat Penn State 84-78, but that game was a bit too close for comfort, especially considering it was a home game against a weak opponent. The Buckeyes really struggled against Wisconsin, allowing the Badgers to shoot above 50% from the field in a 92-82 loss on the road. Ohio State barely stays on the right side of the bubble, with a must-win game against Maryland and a huge revenge opportunity against Michigan at home looming this week.
UCLA – No. 11 Seed (No. 42 overall, Last Four In)
Previous seeding: No. 10 Seed (No. 40 overall, Last Four Byes)
The Bruins had a good start to the week, defeating Oregon 73-57 on the road. However, UCLA’s home winning streak of 14 games came to an end when Indiana handed the Bruins a 98-97 loss in double overtime. UCLA just barely hung onto a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but the Bruins definitely missed a big opportunity to secure a quality win at home against the Hoosiers. UCLA will remain at home to face Rutgers and Washington in two games that it absolutely has to win to stay on the right side of the bubble.
USC – No. 11 Seed (No. 43 overall, Last Four In)
Previous seeding: No. 11 Seed (No. 41 overall, Last Four Byes)
The Trojans had two more close calls this week, as their two games were decided by just four total points this week. USC had a topsy-turvy game against Iowa: it led at the half, then trailed by as many as 17 points, then took the lead on a Jacob Cofie basket after Kam Woods’ 19-0 personal run (yes, you read that right), and finally lost after fouling Bennett Stirtz with 4.6 seconds left while attempting to trap him on the sidelines. Stirtz knocked down both free throws, and the Trojans fell 73-72. USC led again at the half against Rutgers, this time by 10 points, but eventually had to just barely escape with a 78-75 win. As a result, the Trojans slipped even closer to the cut line.
Washington – Next Four Out
Previous seeding: In Consideration
The Huskies embarked on a trip to visit both B1G teams in the state of Illinois this week. Washington kept it close, but couldn’t get a victory against the Fighting Illini, falling 75-66 in Champaign. The Huskies claimed a 76-62 victory against Northwestern, however, giving Washington its second Quad 1 victory of the year (both in conference games on the road). The Huskies will play three of their next four games at home, and unless Iowa (their next opponent) finds its way into the AP poll, Washington doesn’t play another ranked opponent for the rest of the season. The Huskies will have plenty of opportunities to stack up victories, but will need to be almost flawless to stay near the tournament picture.
Northwestern – Out
Previous seeding: Out
Northwestern picked up a conference win for the second week in a row. The Wildcats destroyed Penn State 94-73 in a game where plenty of players had great stat lines (Tre Singleton had a 17-point, 17-rebound night, Jake West had 13 assists, and Nick Martinelli had 34 points). Northwestern did fall 76-62 to Washington over the weekend. The Wildcats are definitely playing better basketball recently, but are just looking to build more confidence heading into next season. The next opponents for Northwestern to try to build confidence will be Illinois and Iowa on the road.
Minnesota – Out
Previous seeding: Out
The Golden Gophers had two more heartbreaking losses this week. Minnesota led rival Wisconsin 35-17 at halftime on the road, but gave up 50 second-half points and allowed the Badgers to come back and win 67-63. In a road game with an opportunity to rebound from that loss and get back to a .500 overall record, the Golden Gophers came out flat against Penn State. Minnesota trailed by as many as 13 points, and despite mounting a comeback in the second half that led to a tie at 75 points apiece with 31 seconds left, the Gophers couldn’t pull out the victory, losing 77-75 after Kayden Mingo’s game-winner.
Oregon – Out
Previous seeding: Out
The Ducks continued their slide, losing two more games without their full lineup. Oregon lost 73-57 to UCLA and 84-66 to Iowa, extending its losing streak to eight games. The Ducks’ next two opportunities to get their second conference win will be against Purdue and Indiana, and with both games coming on the road, it will take a Herculean effort for Oregon to win either game.
Penn State – Out
Previous seeding: Out
The Nittany Lions had three opportunities to get their first conference win of the season this week, and they finally did just that. However, before that happened, Penn State lost 84-78 to Ohio State and 94-73 on the road. The Nittany Lions then returned home to take on Minnesota, and that’s when the breakthrough happened. Freddie Dilione V scored 25 points on 11-for-17 shooting, but it was freshman Kayden Mingo who came through in the clutch and scored the game-winning bucket with 1.3 seconds left to seal a 77-75 Penn State victory against the Golden Gophers.
Maryland – Out
Previous seeding: Out
The Terrapins had a full week in between their blowout loss against Michigan State at home, but failed to mount a strong effort against Purdue. The Boilermakers had to end their losing skid somehow, and they did so by going on the road and dominating Maryland 93-63. Next up for the Terrapins are matchups against Ohio State at home and Minnesota on the road.
Rutgers – Out
Previous seeding: Out
The Scarlet Knights came very close to claiming their third conference victories this week, but couldn’t pull out either game. Rutgers lost 88-79 in overtime at home to Michigan State despite holding a double-digit lead. The Scarlet Knights stayed close again on the road against USC, but fell 78-75 in that game. Rutgers will finish out its West Coast trip against UCLA before returning home to face Nebraska.
