Hey look, games start soon! Do you have thoughts?

Me neither. I think Northwestern Wildcats basketball is slowly ruining my enjoying of the college game. Please hire me, Drake, that I might teach at a school whose basketball team I actually like.

My only takeaway from Friday’s Big Ten games was that the Big Ten has a real “white guys throwing cheap shots and being mouthy” problem. Paul Mulcahy, Brad Davison, Connor McCaffery...good god what an unlikable troika of shit-heels.

Big Ten Tournament

Friday’s Games

[9] Indiana Hoosiers 65, [1] Illinois Fighting Illini 63

Buffkomodo: I’m going to level with everyone, I started writing my Indiana season autopsy at halftime of the Michigan, Indiana game. Since that 17 point hole started to evaporate, I have not touched it. I fully plan on releasing it in its entirety for your awareness.

Boy oh boy. Demons getting exercised like it’s nobody’s business. TJD held his own against the 2nd best big in the conference (he did well against the best big on Thursday). Rob and XJ were solid and race was instrumental down the stretch. What a magical push this has been to most likely put Indiana into the NCAA tourney for the first time in too long. What a day. What a day.

[5] Iowa Hawkeyes 84, [4] Rutgers Scarlet Knights 74

Stew: Iowa played rugster not in the arm pit that is Jersey. This meant that rugster actually got called for about half the shit the get up to, and consequently couldn’t keep up.

Iowa started out incredibly slow. Felt like a big hangover from the shellacking they gave jNW. However Joe Toussaint [ed. note: Stew sent this to our Slack as “How Tossing”, which feels good as well] gave them a spark of the bench at the second media timeout, the Murrays took over and Iowa never looked back.

Need to mention that 6 techs were handed out during the game, notably none on Fran. However, surprising few, his eldest, Connor, was a recipient of two after barking at Mulcahy a bit for Mulcahy’s dirty play.

ZuzuRU: Well... that sucked. Explosive start stifled by the refs and screw anyone for thinking otherwise.

Gonna be a long weekend. I’m not too confident. Think it’s the NIT for us, but I’m hopeful.

misdreavus79: Stifled by the refs, in the sense that literally punching people is called for a foul outside of Jersey Mike’s Arena, I guess...

[7] Michigan State Spartans 69, [2] Wisconsin Badgers 63

see below for our foreign correspondent, Green Akers, filing his report

[3] Purdue Boilermakers 69, [11] Penn State Nittany Lions 61

misdreavus79: You know what, I can’t be mad at it. The Nittany Lions fell down again, and nearly came all the way back, again. 14-17, with the patchwork team Micah Shrewsberry put together, is nothing to be ashamed about.

Jalen Pickett already confirmed he’s coming back next year, and both Sessoms and Dread alluded to be leaning that way too, so Penn State could find itself having to replace Only John Harrar in the starting five next season. I can’t help but be hopeful for the future, even if this season didn’t end in fever dream scenario MNW and I concocted a few days ago.

BoilerUp89: Hat tip to Micah Shrewsberry. He’s correctly identified that Purdue’s offense runs thru it’s centers, Jaden Ivey, and the three point shooting of Sasha Stefanovic. His box and 1 and triangle and 2 defenses certainly prevented Purdue’s offense from getting in the flow of things. PSU fans, you have a good one with a bright future.

On the Purdue side of things, major props to Brandon Newman for staying ready and being prepared for if he got another moment this season. Those of us that follow the program knew he had been in the gym working on his game, but it’s really nice that he was able to answer the opportunity when he got it.

Otherwise the game pretty much went to script. Purdue built a double digit lead. Purdue stopped playing offense and the defense became a sieve. Penn State went on a big run to close the gap to 1 including two three pointers by a guy who was 1 of his last THIRTY coming into today’s game. But the Boilers played just a little bit more defense today than they have been all year and were able to pull out the victory instead of having PSU in position for a last second buzzer beater.

Saturday’s Games

All times CT.

[9] Indiana vs. [5] Iowa

12pm | CBS | Iowa -5.5 | O/U 144

BuffKomodo: Iowa by however much they want to win by. Take the over.

Stew: Really all I wanted from the conference tourney was to make it to Saturday. However. Now that we’re here, and it’s very average Indiana team, I’m feeling a bit greedy.

I expect Iowa to play a lot of zone defense today, as it’s the third game in so many days, so it’ll help on their legs. It’ll also put some pressure on Indiana’s complimentary players to work to get the ball inside to Trace Jackson-Davis and on Killer Mopp to shoot from deep.

So yeah, I’m feeling pretty good about Iowa’s chances.

[7] Michigan State vs. [3] Purdue

2:30pm | CBS | Purdue -6.5 | O/U 142

Green Akers: boop boop boop, boo-boo-boop boop

Foreign correspondent filing field report, stop

Requesting confirmation thoroughly middling Michigan State team remains in contention, stop

Requesting confirmation Brad Davison hammered in the balls by heroic Spartan player in last game of his Big Ten career, stop

Reporting tremendous humor at any decent team losing to this Michigan State outfit, stop

Reporting continued expectation of campaign’s end against vengeful Purdue to-day, stop

Go Green, stop

BoilerUp89: Trains are good and form an important part of our modern transportation network. Sparta was sacked by the Visigoths under Alaric I in 396 AD. Stay locked in our D, run the offense, and treat the Spartans to bigger defeat than they experienced at the Battle of Leuctra. Choo, choo!