Good afternoon, and a big thank-you to Indiana:

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Couple Big Ten hoops games for you tonight—#6 wisconsin at Penn State has been postponed due to two Nittany Lions testing positive for COVID—both featuring a pair of ranked teams.

Are any of them good, though? WE’LL FIND OUT!

Big Ten Men’s Basketball

#25 Ohio State Buckeyes (8-2, 2-2 B1G) at #21 Minnesota Golden Gophers

4:30pm | BTN | EVEN | O/U 146.5

OSU: 8-2 (2-2 B1G), KP #11 [AdjO 7, AdjD44, AdjT 306]
Minn: 9-2 (2-2), KP #34 [29/48/35]

Why they’re good
OSU: The Bucks have a nice road win at Notre Dame, neutral court win against UCLA, and that big home comeback to take down a Rutgers team that looks for real.

Minnesota: Has not lost to anyone outside the Top 15 and has not lost at home—with that overtime win over Iowa and barn-burner with Saint Louis. Also a win over Michigan State. Marcus Carr is the real deal, and the Gophers get to the line and clean up the glass.

Why they’re not good
OSU: The Buckeyes are 224th in the country shooting the three (31.8%) and just 53% from the field...they have the athletes but don’t do a great job generating steals or closing out on shooters. Allowed UMass-Lowell and Cleveland State to hang around.

Minnesota: Against two-way post players, Liam Robbins has been underwhelming. Closer-than-needed contests with Loyola Marymount (second of back-to-back games, to be fair), North Dakota, and Boston College all in a row. Percentage-wise, one of the worst-shooting teams in the conference.

#19 Northwestern Wildcats at #16 Michigan Wolverines

6:30pm | BTN | Mich -9 | O/U 145

NU: 6-2 (2-1), KP #54 [54/52/156]
UM: 8-0 (3-0), KP #10 [8/33/216]

Why they’re good
Northwestern: I guess that win over Ohio State? (Michigan State is currently Bad, and I won’t count that win.) With a little seasoning from that 3-17 campaign last year, the ‘Cats have found a nine-man rotation, with guards Chase Audige and Boo Buie scoring in buckets at mostly-opportune times, Miller Kopp with one of the sweetest shooting strokes in the B1G, and Pete Nance FINALLY coming into his own as a stretch 4/undersized 5. Their defensive identity has been a godsend.

Michigan: One of the most efficient offenses in the country, with Isaiah Livers shooting the lights out, Franz Wagner providing hustle, and Hunter Dickinson a revelation inside so far.

Why they’re not good
Northwestern: The Buckeyes are 224th in the country shooting the three (31.8%) and just 53% from the field...they have the athletes but don’t do a great job generating steals or closing out on shooters. Allowed UMass-Lowell and Cleveland State to hang around.

Michigan: Have beaten literally no one. A road win at Maryland is as good as it gets—otherwise a road win at Nebraska and home wins over KP #49 Penn State and KP #99 UCF. No depth inside. Coached by Juwan Howard.

Big Ten Women’s Basketball

#25 Michigan State at Purdue

1pm | BTN+

Iowa at Illinois

1pm | BTN+

Rutgers at Nebraska

2pm | BTN+

Minnesota at wisconsin

2pm | BTN+

#16 Michigan at #15 Northwestern

4pm | ESPN2

Double ranked Michigan-Northwestern basketball games! What are the chances?

(Yes, Northwestern IS ranked in football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball. Remember that it’s all your fault.)

Other Men’s Basketball of Interest

Monmouth Hawks at Siena Saints

2pm | ESPN+ | Siena -2.5 | O/U 152

Saint Joseph’s Hawks at Rhode Island Rams

3:30pm | NBCSN | URI -10.5 | O/U 152.5

Kansas City Roos at North Dakota Fighting Hawks

3:30pm | ESPN3 | UND -2.5 | O/U 125.5

Southern Illinois Salukis at Drake Bulldogs

5pm | ESPNU | Drake -10 | O/U 139

Yes, those are YOUR Drake Bulldogs sitting at 11-0, 2-0 in the Missouri Valley! It worked to the Bulldogs’ advantage that they got scuffling Indiana State, even if on the road, to start the year...but the Salukis—who split with Evansville and have an impressive win over Butler—will be a more game foe.

Navy Midshipmen at Bucknell Bison

5pm | CBSSN | Bucknell -2.5 | O/U 138.5

#5 Houston at SMU Mustangs

6pm | ESPN2 | UH -1.5 | O/U 134.5

The Ponies still haven’t lost, while Houston got edged out at Tulsa last week. SMU will be a step up in tempo and offensive ability for the Cougars, and Kelvin Sampson’s club will be further hurt by the absence of guard Caleb Mills, who stepped away today for personal reasons.

Here’s your thread for today’s Big Ten hoops. There’s football on, too, rumor has it. Go Lions.