Big Ten Basketball Weekend Recap: Iowa Annoys Illni Assistant

Saturday, February 1

wisconsin 64, #14 Michigan State Spartans 63

Andrew Kraspdlkwerski: Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but MSU came out flat as a pancake on the road, but this time with the fun twist of an opponent missing 2 of their top 3 perimeter players. Unlike their trip to Minnesota the previous weekend, their opponent did not reciprocate, as Wisconsin came out firing and built up just enough lead-blubber to survive their own second half shooting hoarfrost.

Izzo still seems determined to make Aaron Henry into an offensive focal point that he just doesn’t look ready to be for long stretches. Fortunately, MSU only has 5 road games left.

Beez: I did not expect this result. Now wisconsin is gonna be a Dayton play in game.

MC Clap: What a result. Not expected in general and especially considering the circumstances. [Editor’s note: The circumstances being Brad Davison being suspended for being a dirty little shit, and Kobe King leaving the team after having an epiphany and turning his life around.]

#24 Penn State Nittany Lions 76, Nebraska Cornhuskers 64

Aaron Yorke: I didn’t watch any of Penn State vs. Nebraska because my wife’s birthday celebration was on Saturday and I was walking around the city all day with a phone that was running out of battery. Don’t worry, I stayed updated by telling my friend Alan to check the score in between glasses of rosé. Still can’t believe that Myles Dread led the team in scoring. I can only hope that he’s turning into a real three-point threat since Pat Chambers will never take him out of the rotation. As usual, PSU won the game with defense, holding Cam Mack scoreless on six shot attempts. The Lions are now riding a four-game winning streak into East Lansing. Win there and I think we’re like the best team in the Big Ten?

Michigan Wolverines 69 (nice), #25 rugster crimson adventurers 63

Noted roogster enthusiast Thump: Playing in their spiritual home of New York City, rugster basically did against Michigan what Purdue did at rugster. They chucked up 24 threes, making just 6 of them, while shooting only five free throws. Michigan, on the other hand, had 24 free throw attempts. In fact, Michigan attempted just one more field goal than Sr. Guter MISSED. Ray Parker Jr and Geo Mancer combined to go 2 for 19 from the field. Segturr made it close by winning the rebound and turnover battles, but couldn’t hit enough shots to close the gap all the way. Tough loss for gurrets as they were once again forced to play a different style of game and couldn’t win that way.

Ohio State Buckeyes 68, Indiana Hoosiers 59

DJ: Man Indiana did not come prepared.

Purdue Boilermakers 61, justNorthwestern Wildcats 58

Boilerman: Purdue flat out stole that game. Credit the Boilers for executing down the stretch including a huge 3 by Jahaad Proctor to tie and Sasha Stefanovic, who had been ice cold, to nail the game winner. A loss here would’ve have all but doomed the Boilers to miss the tournament but hopes are still alive.

MNW: Don’t play not to win. Putting Pat Spencer to dribble out the shot clock against Nojel Eastern... Criminal malpractice. What a waste.

Stew: Purdue, you tricksy minx, you. You made MNW care. It was 58-50 with 4:30 to play until under 3 to play, and it ended 58-61? Oh my.

MNW: I shouldn’t be this angry at the result of a game featuring a 6-15 (1-10) team that plays every bit of that record. And here we fucking are.

Sunday, February 2

#18 Iowa Hawkeyes 72, #19 Illinois Fighting Illini 65

Thump: I hate hate hate losing to Iowa, but shit, a few years ago this game is out of hand by halftime. Save for the MSU game where our whole team couldn’t hit open looks, we’ve been right there at the end of every big ten game. A few things undermined our chances, such as Trent putting up a huge volume of bricks, and brad’s AutoBench habit drastically cutting Ayo’s minutes. Ayo committed no fouls the rest of the way, so he sat the last 7 minutes of the first half for nothing. Come on, Brad, in a situation like this you have to trust your most poised player to play the game.

This remains a good team with enough threats that they can play with anyone even on off days for key players. Andres Feliz has finally broken out for real over the last three weeks, and Alan Griffin can pick up the slack when our starting guards aren’t shooting well.

I think there’s finally enough data to say that the Illini turnaround since December is no mirage.

Stew: Man, that was a really fun game. Illinois had a good gameplan to hem in Luka Garza, and they were doing good job executing it (have Joe Toussaint’s defender sag off and help prevent Garza from getting the ball, and double if he did). However, Garza still had himself a game (25 and 10) after going scoreless for about the first 10 minutes.

What this team is doing without Jordan Bohannon and then also losing Jack Nunge and Patrick McCaffery for the season is pretty awesome. I don’t think it’ll last, but this is still way beyond any reasonable expectations. It’s really fun.

Also, Illinois assistant coach Ron Coleman got big mad when Joe Wieskamp broke the Illinois press for a dunk at the end of the game. And as the game ended this happened:

*lol, no.