Tempers flared at the conclusion of Sunday afternoon’s Big Ten contest between the Michigan Wolverines and Wisconsin Badgers. Michigan head coach Juwan Howard and Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard got into a heated exchange that led to Howard throwing a hand at a Wisconsin assistant as the chaos continued. With fists flying between players and a head coach taking a swipe at an opposing coach, the Big Ten will have some suspensions to be handed out.
But what does this have to do with Penn State men’s basketball? It could all come into play with seeding in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament if the Nittany Lions can find a way to finish this season on a strong footing.
As things stand entering Monday’s contest at Maryland, Penn State is sitting in 10th place in the Big Ten standings. If that 10th place finish holds, Penn State would be playing in the second round of the Big Ten tournament against the No. 7 seed, which is currently held by Iowa (whom Penn State split the regular-season series).
How to Watch/Hear/Stream Penn State Men’s Basketball at Maryland
Of Penn State’s final five games, the toughest and most likely loss will be the March 3 trip to Illinois. But a win against Maryland sets up a realistic possibility of a 6-1 finish to the regular season including the two prior wins against Michigan State and Minnesota last week. That would bring Penn State’s final record to 15-13 overall and 11-10 in Big Ten play.
Michigan, who could be going down the final stretch of the season without head coach Juwan Howard (former St. Joe’s head coach Phil Martelli the likely interim head coach in Howard’s suspended absence), has a much more difficult finish to the regular season with games against Illinois, Michigan State, and Ohio State still to play.
Indiana, who has lost four straight and faces Ohio State in Columbus on Monday, also still has a road game at rival Purdue for a more challenging overall final stretch to the regular season.
It is entirely possible Penn State could catch, and pass both the Hoosiers and Wolverines in the Big Ten standings, which could potentially jump Penn State up to a No. 8 seed in the Big Ten tournament. That would pair Penn State up with the No. 9 seed in the second round of the Big Ten tournament if all plays out in Penn State’s favor.
And, if you really want to get greedy, Penn State could still catch Iowa as well. Iowa plays Michigan State on Tuesday night and still has a road trip to Michigan and Illinois in their final two games of the regular season. It’s not exactly an easy stretch for the Hawkeyes. And with Penn State just two games behind the Hawkeyes in the win column, a hot run to close out the season could see Penn State move up to a No. 7 seed, which would give them a spot right back in the game they currently sit in for the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, just with the higher seed.
But first is a road game at Maryland. A win against the Terps could drastically change the entire outlook of Penn State’s seed in the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, which is why this is such an important game for head coach Micah Shrewsberry, who is no stranger to success in March as an assistant.
[vertical-gallery id=16279]
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.
Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.