It was a dramatic night in Big Ten basketball on Tuesday. While many Americans were focusing on numerical totals in New Hampshire, Maryland and Michigan State scored narrow wins on the hardwood. The Terrapins beat Nebraska by two, and Michigan State defeated Illinois by one on the road. These two results put Maryland at the top of the Big Ten, with Penn State in second and Michigan State close behind in third.
Guess which two teams meet this Saturday in East Lansing? Yup. The Terps and Spartans will duel for positioning in the top tier of the Big Ten with Penn State, as the race for the regular-season championship heads for the home stretch.
The Illinois run is over… not just because the Illini have lost consecutive home games, but because star Ayo Dosunmu got injured. He is certain to miss some time. How much is less certain. Nevertheless, that’s enough to write off Illinois for the Big Ten title. The Illini are still likely to make the NCAA Tournament, but the conference race is now very different.
What adds to the drama surrounding Michigan State and Maryland is that this upcoming Saturday’s game in East Lansing is merely the first of two between the schools in the next month. The reunion in College Park will be on Saturday, Feb. 29 (yes, this is a leap year!).
Penn State owns victories over both Maryland and Michigan State, so the Nittany Lions would probably prefer a split in these two upcoming games between the Terps and Spartans. Penn State is the foremost remaining example of a non-traditional Big Ten basketball school having a chance to win the regular season league title and shock the nation. Rutgers fell off the pace due to its inability to win road games in the conference. Yet, for all the talk (warranted, but possibly overplayed) about the Big Ten being turned upside-down this season, the final weeks of conference play will be largely defined by two schools with significant basketball histories and traditions: Maryland and Michigan State.
Tuesday’s results were merely a prelude for Saturday’s huge game and the other showdowns still to come in the conference’s regular-season schedule.