While the rest of the country got some extra time off this weekend, there was no time for rest in the world of Big Ten basketball. All 18 teams in the conference were in action over the holiday weekend, including several notable results.
A legendary head coach became the conference’s all-time wins leader. A top 10 team fell at home. And two schools nearly 3,000 miles apart played a conference game against each other.
We have to point out how many different stories there are in Big Ten basketball right now. There is the chase for the league championship at the top of the standings, with Michigan in the driver’s seat and Michigan State getting on a roll to apply pressure to the Wolverines. There are the battles among bubble teams for NCAA Tournament spots. Then there is the battle to avoid finishing in the bottom three of the 18-team conference. Teams 16 through 18 will not qualify for the 15-team Big Ten Tournament in March.
Let’s take a look at the past weekend’s scores:
Friday: UCLA 72, Indiana 69
UCLA went into Assembly Hall and got a big road win.
Saturday: No. 16 Wisconsin 94, No. 7 Purdue 84
The Badgers took down a top-10 Boilermakers team on the road in the conference’s lone ranked matchup of the weekend.
Saturday: Washington 75, Penn State 73
Someone had to win this matchup of Big Ten bottom feeders. That someone was the Huskies.
Saturday: Minnesota 69, USC 66
Minnesota went into Galen Center and dealt the Trojans a brutal home loss.
Saturday: No. 11 Michigan State 79, Illinois 65
The Spartans took down Illinois on the road as Tom Izzo became the winningest head coach in Big Ten history.
Sunday: No. 20 Michigan 86, Ohio State 83
It appears as though Michigan’s ownership of Ohio State in football applies to basketball, too. (Fortunately there was no pepper spray this time, though.)
Sunday: No. 25 Maryland 101, Iowa 75
The Terrapins blew out the Hawkeyes at home.
Sunday: Nebraska 68, Northwestern 64
Northwestern blew a 15-point halftime lead at home against the Huskers. Not a good day to be Willie the Wildcat.
Sunday: Oregon 75, Rutgers 57
Yes, Rutgers really traveled from New Jersey to Eugene, Oregon for a conference basketball game. No, that does not make any sense.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten basketball scores offer lots of plot twists
