Big Ten Basketball: Weekend Previews

I know everyone will be glued to their television sets, as the infectious wave of XFL football sweeps its way across the nation, but just a reminder, Big Ten basketball will still be played as scheduled amidst the chaos.

Friday, February 7th:

Maryland Terrapins (#9) at Illinois Fighting Illinois (#20)

Fox Sports 1 8:00PM EST Ill -3

BrianB2: Maryland had no right beating Illinois in their first match-up. Illinois is in uncharted territory, with a chance to grab sole position of first place in the Big Ten at home. I imagine everyone is going to be pretty riled up. I don’t think the Terps will be able to overcome that energy.

Will Maryland play inspired with an equal chance to sit atop to conference and lose by 2-5 points, or come out flat on the road and lose by 15-25 points? Only time will tell.

Also, State Farm Center is ugly as hell, and looks hilariously stupid. I keep waiting for Kang and Kodos to pilot the thing into the dome of the Capitol Building. Am I the only one that thinks this? I can’t be the only one that thinks this, right?

Thumpasaurus Rex: This is going to be the most lit basketball atmosphere in Champaign for a long time. Maryland is far from unbeatable, as evidenced by our road game against them. We’re going to need all the help we can get though. Kofi is going to have to start making more offensive plays. I dare not predict a win outright because, well, you know, illinois football makes such fools of us all, but i’m feeling pretty good about our odds. this one ought to be a hell of a game either way.

And yeah, I think you’re the only one who doesn’t appreciate the majesty of the space mushroom. what started as a proposed senior design project became the largest domed building in north america upon its opening and the House Of ‘Paign remains a cultural damn institution. sorry we built something 60 years ago that remains viable today even as construction has evolved. maybe we should just turn the iconic cathedral of illini hoops into a football practice center. (Triggered)

Saturday, February 8th:

Estado de Michigan (#16) at Michigan

12:00PM EST FOX

I can’t find spreads because my work computer blocks most gambling sites. Do it yourself, nerds!

None of my esteemed colleagues at the Off Tackle Empire offices seem to care about this in state rivalry. Remember when Michigan was 6-0 and ranked 4th in the nation? Yes, neither do we. Little brother takes down big brother on the road.

Purdue Boilermakers at Indiana-Hickory Hoosiers

2:00PM EST Walt Disney’s Wide World of Sports

Oh boy, bet you Indiana folk have never had to endure a “Hoosiers” joke of such caliber before. Take a moment to re-collect yourselves, if you must.

Bman: Let’s make one thing perfectly clear. I hate Indiana Basketball. I hate their piece of garbage Ass’y Hall. I hate their dusty banners. I hate their Reversible Jacket fan-base. I have no idea what will happen in this game. It’s not in Mackey Arena so the Boilers’ home/road splits are of major concern. I expect nothing but a win would bring me great joy. Fuck IU.

BB2: (You know what happens when you Fuck I and You? You get Crean everywhere!) Buh-dum-tssss.

Candy Striper: Purdue, 2pm, at Assembly, on ESPN. The students will certainly be hyped up for this game; hopefully the team can feed off that energy and scrub the memory of last week with a tournament-worthy performance. While there’s still a little bit of wiggle room, the Hoosiers are slowly drifting back towards the NCAA bubble, and a win here would be a nice boost back up the conference standings. Also, you know, rivalry stuff.

Minnesota Golden Gophers at Penn State Nittany Lions (#22)

4:00PM EST Big Ten Network

The cavernous confines of the Bryce Jordan Center should make for one thrilling match-up.

Slackbot: Row the Boat.

A-a-ron Yorke: Minnesota vs. Penn State games don’t get any more hyped than this. The Lions have rolled off five straight wins and are one of the most surprising teams in college basketball. Meanwhile, the Gophers just crushed Wisconsin and having also been defying expectations all year. The game has some extra juice because of the spat between Lamar Stevens and Daniel Oturu in the handshake line after Minnesota beat Penn State on January 15. The Gophers aren’t quite as fierce on the road, so I think the rematch will go differently. It will be interesting to see what the Bryce Jordan Center looks like with a bunch of people inside. If Penn State fans don’t come out for this one, they’re never going to come.

Ben Dawson: After the evisceration of bucky the other night, I’m pretty excited for the trip to Happy Valley! The Gophers are a different team with Peyton Willis back, and everyone should probably tune in to watch the reunion of Daniel Oturu and Lamar Stevens. I’m guessing they probably won’t be hugging it out. Hopefully this one turns out to be a pretty good game, as both teams could use a win here.

Oh God, Nebraska (#136) at Iowa Hawkeye (#17)

6:00PM EST Big Ten Network

BRT: Nebraska beat Iowa earlier this year, but that’s unlikely to repeat itself. Iowa will presumably be eager to prove itself more competent than they looked against Purdue the other night, and that’s not going to spell good things for the Huskers.

StewMonkey: This should be Iowa’s easiest game left in the schedule, but seeing as it’s February, Iowa’s last game of a grueling stretch, and the prior defenestration from Purdue, I’m not nearly as confident as I should be.

Sunday, February 9th:

Ohio State Buckeyes at Wisconsin Badgers

1:00PM EST CBS

No one cares about this game either. I guess even Badger fans are boycotting their own team due to the actions of one, Brad Davison.

Northwestern Barf Noises (#120) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (#....)

6:30PM EST Big Ten Network

MNW: Northwestern is bad at almost everything, but one area where they’re especially bad is allowing offensive rebounds.

Oh good, they play Rutgers this weekend, a team whose offense is missing an outside shot, getting the offensive rebound, missing a shot from slightly closer in, getting the offensive rebound, missing a shot from slightly closer in, getting the offensive rebound again, and then making a layup.

O/U on Rutgers ORBs is 14.5, Pete Nance and Miller Kopp will struggle to create shots against a stifling Chanticleer defense, this team lost to Radford and Merrimack so what am I even doing here worrying about how it does against Rutgers.

Thump: RUGSTER PREVIEW: come on, what is there to preview? this is rugster. this is an elite basketball team. northwestern is not an elite basketball team. advantage rugster. who’s a basketball school? trusger. who’s not? northwetsern. ruggert is just so high above northwestern as a program, and as far as the ruggerts remember, it’s always been that way.this is hackensack. this is hallowed ground. this is the donald brown athletic center. the ARC. guterrs is just too elite to lose this game.

MNW: The ARC, lol.

CandyStripes: If Struger plays at the ARC, does that make Thump an ARC reactor?

Thump: Nobody’s gonna read this far into it, but Donald Brown went to UCONN.

That’s it y’all. Don’t watch too much Vince McMahon football now, ya hear!