Category: Big Ten basketball

Big Ten Notebook: UConn secures back-to-back championships with win over Purdue

UConn and Danny Hurley won the NCAA Tournament on Monday night over Purdue.

On Monday night, Purdue’s magical March Madness run ended in the National Championship with a 75-60 loss to UConn. While Zach Edey continued to dominate, the Boilermakers could not prevent UConn from making history.

As the Huskies became the first team to win back-to-back championships since Florida in 2006 and 2007, they were relentless on the boards. The Huskies outscored the Boilermakers in the paint 44-40. They also were better from beyond the arc, making seven three-pointers compared to Purdue’s one.

While Monday ended in disappointing fashion for Purdue, there were a few bright spots, such as Zach Edey. The talented center scored a team-high 37 points while adding 10 rebounds to his resume. He also got some help from Braden Smith, who scored 12 points.

BASKETBALL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD#EVERYTHING pic.twitter.com/aUUx92LiTG

— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) April 9, 2024

Although Purdue put up a good fight, there was no denying this UConn team. Over the last two years, the program has put together a dominant run that head coach Dan Hurley is not taking for granted.

[lawrence-related id=37217,37212]

“I think it’s up there in terms of the greatest two-year runs that a program maybe has ever had,” Hurley told ESPN. “I just think it’s the best two-year run I think in a very, very long time just because of everything we lost from last year’s team. To lose that much, and again, to do what we did again, it’s got to be as impressive a two-year run as a program’s had since before whoever did it before Duke.”

As Purdue turns their focus to the 2024-2025 campaign, they have plenty to be proud of. 

Big Ten Notebook: March madness continues as Purdue advances to Final Four

Purdue continues its roll in the NCAA Tournament.

For the first time since 1980, the Final Four will feature the Purdue Boilermakers. On Sunday, Purdue continued it’s March Madness run with a win 72-66 over Tennessee.

In a hard-fought battle, the Boilermakers were able to pull away in the second half due to the play of Zach Edey. The Toronto native scored 40 points and added 16 rebounds to his resume. However, he wasn’t the only Purdue player who had a big game; Fletcher Loyer chipped in 14 points.

As Purdue continued their impressive play, they dominated close to the basket. They outscored Tennessee in the paint 40-24 and were able to take advantage of offensive rebounds. That allowed Purdue to hold off a late Tennessee rally.

Additionally, Purdue showed that they had learned from their mistakes last year and relied on their experience.

🌵 SEE YOU IN PHOENIX FOR THE FINAL FOUR! pic.twitter.com/QtXwUSOtbE

— Purdue Men’s Basketball (@BoilerBall) March 31, 2024

 

“We had to take it,” Painter told ESPN when asked of the abuse that came last year. “Sometimes when you sit in it, and you’re honest with yourself, and you take it, some great things can happen.”

After an extended break, Purdue will be back in action on Saturday, April sixth. They will face NC State with a trip to the National Championship on the line.

Big Ten Notebook: Purdue’s March Madness run continues, now one win from Final Four

Another Big Ten basketball team booked an appearance in the Elite Eight.

On Friday night, Purdue continued its championship form with an 80-68 win over Gonzaga. The Boilermakers are now one win away from their first Final Four appearance since 1980.

In their latest win, Zach Edey continued to show why he is one of the best players in the country.

As Purdue pulled away in the second half, they were led by Edey, who scored 27 points. He also added 14 rebounds to his resume while dishing out one assist. The Toronto native was the only Purdue player to score more than 14 points.

While Gonzaga didn’t make things easy, Purdue thrived close to the basket. They outscored Gonzaga in the paint 40-26. The Boilermakers also shot 57.1 from three-point range and made clutch shots down the stretch. Regardless of Gonzaga’s adjustments, Purdue found a way to overcome them.

FEELIN’ ELITE. 😤

Let’s go play for a trip to the Final Four!@BoilerBall | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/yjbY6ymL1A

— Purdue Athletics (@PurdueSports) March 30, 2024

 

“It’s pick your poison,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few told ESPN. “They shot it great from 3, and then in the second half, we shut down that area pretty good. Then, Edey was just a load.”

After an off day on Saturday, Purdue will be back in action on Sunday when they take on Tennessee. Entering that matchup, Purdue is the favorite, according to ESPN. However, they have a challenging task ahead, as Tennessee has scored at least 70 points three times during the tournament.

Big Ten Notebook: Illinois advances to Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament

How is the Big Ten doing in the NCAA Tournament?

It hasn’t been a bad NCAA Tournament for the Big Ten.

For the first time since 2005, the Elie Eight will feature the Illinois Fighting Illini. On Thursday night, Illinois continued their championship run with a 72-69 win over Iowa State. In a hard-fought battle, the Big Ten conquered their latest challenge.

While Illinois has relied on its offense so far in the tournament, its defense shined on Thursday night. They held Iowa State to a 39 % shooting percentage and forced nine turnovers. While the rebound battle was close, Illinois took advantage of its second chances, recording 12 offensive rebounds.

Pray for the rims. pic.twitter.com/RFiZTXW6G5 https://t.co/fzqtuPfWhE

— Illinois Men’s Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 29, 2024

As Illinois pulled off the upset, it was led by Terrence Shannon Jr. The Chicago native scored a team-high 29 points and added five rebounds to his resume. He also came through in the clutch with a steal and breakaway dunk in the closing seconds. Just like he has done all season, Shannon Jr. came through when needed.

[lawrence-related id=36933,36912]

“People who know Terrence know what a great competitor he is,” Illini coach Brad Underwood told ESPN.“He was dialed in mentally.”

On Saturday, Illinois will be in action for arguably its toughest test of the tournament so far. They will take on No.1 UConn at 6:09 p.m. So far in the tournament, the Huskies have dominated, winning every game by at least 15 points.

Big Ten Notebook: Purdue advances to Sweet Sixteen, Northwestern falls to UConn

How is the Big Ten doing in the NCAA Tournament?

As the final slate of games in the Round of 32 came to a close, the Big Ten was well represented. Purdue and Northwestern were in action, but only one team was able to extend its championship run.

For the Big Ten, Sunday got off to an encouraging start as No.1 Purdue beat No.8 Utah State. In the Boilermakers latest win, Zach Edey had another big performance. The talented center added 23 points to his resume while hauling in a team-high 14 rebounds. He also got some help from Trey Kaufman-Renn, who scored 18 points.

Purdue will be back in action on Friday when they take on No.5 Gonzaga.

UCONN’s Tristen Newton with a TOUGH layup 🤯 pic.twitter.com/5gHXhej1NK

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 25, 2024

The final game of the night ended with a win for No.1 UConn over No.9 Northwestern. As the Huskies continued their impressive run, they were led by Tristen Newton. The El Paso native scored a team-high 20 points while dishing out 10 assists. He helped UConn build an early lead they would not relinquish.

[lawrence-related id=36796,36762]

In this matchup, the Huskies dominated close to the basket. They outscored Northwestern 52-26 in the paint. UConn also won the blocked shots battle 9-0. From the first whistle, Northwestern was no match for the defending champs.

After three days off, UConn will be back in action on Thursday night against No.5 San Diego State.

Which Big Ten teams made the NCAA Tournament?

Regardless of how the tournament unfolds, there will be plenty for fans in the Big Ten to watch for, with only six teams remaining

On Thursday afternoon, 68 teams around the country will begin a national championship run. March Madness is full of intriguing matchups this year, with the fun just hours away from the beginning. While Rutgers is not in the tournament this year, the Big Ten will be well represented.

Six teams from the conference will be looking for glory. That list includes Purdue, Northwestern, Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Illinois. In that group, the only No.1 seed is Purdue, who finished the regular season with a 17-3 record.

Additionally, the conference will be looking to win its first national title in 24 years. The last team to win March Madness was Michigan State in 2000. Since then, the Big Ten has had at least one team in the finals seven times, going 0-7. They are hoping that streak comes to an end this year.

Regardless of how the tournament unfolds, there will be plenty for fans in the Big Ten to watch for, with only six teams remaining.

Big Ten notebook: Six Big Ten teams selected to NCAA Tournament

Six Big Ten teams made the NCAA Tournament.

For college basketball fans, months of anticipation are days away from ending. The NCAA Tournament starts on Thursday, and the Big Ten will be well represented. As teams around the country prepare for a national title run, the Big Ten teams competing in the madness are Purdue, Illinois, Nebraska, Michigan State, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.

On that list, Purdue is the highest-ranked seed. They will enter the tournament as the No.1 seed in the Midwest region after posting a 17-3 record in the regular season. The Boilermakers will begin their tournament run against the winner of the Montana State and Grambling State game on Wednesday.

 

After adding another Big Ten championship to their trophy case, Illinois will be the No.3 seed in the East region. The Fighting Illini posted a 14-6 record in the regular season and beat Wisconsin 93-87 in the Big Ten title game on Sunday. Their first game of the tournament will be against No.14 Morehead State.

[lawrence-related id=36527]

The only other Big Ten team to earn a top-five seed is Wisconsin, which will be the No.5 seed in the South Region. During the regular season, the Badgers posted an 11-9 record, which included one win over Purdue. Their first opponent in March Madness will be No.12 James Madison.

Rounding out the list are Nebraska and Northwestern. Nebraska is the No.8 seed in the South Region, and its first matchup will be with Texas A&M. Northwestern is the No.9 seed in the East Region, and it will take on FAU.

Big Ten Notebook: Big Ten semifinals set after busy Friday

The Big Ten Tournament is rolling along.

For the Big Ten, Friday night was full of action as the Big Ten Tournament continued. Sixteen teams were fighting for the opportunity to play in the semifinals. However, the only four teams moving on will be Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Nebraska.

The closest game of the night was between Illinois and Ohio State. In this hard-fought battle, Illinois emerged with a 77-74 win, as Terrence Shannon Jr. had a big game with 28 points. The Fighting Illini also performed well in the paint and outrebounded Ohio State 44-40. They will face Wisconsin on Saturday.

In the matchup between Michigan State and Purdue, the Spartans nearly shocked the college basketball world in a 67-62 loss. Purdue outscored Michigan State 34-27 in the first half but was outscored 35-33 in the final 20 minutes. The Boilermakers were led by Zach Edey, who scored 29 points for the third-ranked team in the country. They will face Wisconsin who beat Northwestern on Friday.

Against the Wildcats, Wisconsin was on fire from beyond the arc. The Badgers shot 45.5 percent from three-point range, which allowed them to build an early lead. They were led by AJ Storr, who had a team-high 30 points. They also dominated close to the basket, outscoring Northwestern 28-16 in the paint.

The final game of the night ended with a 93-66 Nebraska win over Indiana. Nebraska thrived from beyond the arc, shooting 50 percent from three-point range. They were led offensively by Brice Williams who had 23 points, while only missing five shots.

Rutgers basketball closes out their Big Ten regular season against Ohio State

Rutgers basketball faces a big game on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, Rutgers men’s basketball will be looking for revenge when they take on Ohio State. In the first matchup between these two teams this season in January, Ohio State recorded a 76-72. While Ohio State has a better record, they will play the role of the underdogs, according to ESPN.

Rutgers is 15-15 (7-12 Big Ten) and coming off consecutive Big Ten losses.

Entering this game, Bruce Thornton has been the Buckeyes’ best offensive player. The Alpharetta, Georgia native is averaging a team-high 16.2 points per game. Against Michigan State on February 3rd, Thornton added 17 points to his resume in 32 minutes of action.

 

As Ohio State looks to complete the season sweep, they will be tasked with stopping Jeremiah Williams. In 10 games this season, the talented junior is averaging 13.3 points per game. Against Wisconsin on Thursday, he scored 16 points and hauled in two rebounds.

[lawrence-related id=36103,36067]

When these two teams met in January, Ohio State pulled out a win partly due to its three-point shooting. Rutgers only shot 25 percent from beyond the arc, while Ohio State shot 45.8 percent. Having Williams in the lineup could help even those numbers out.

Additionally, Rutgers has been hard to beat at home this season where they have posted a 12-4 record at Jersey Mike’s Arena. On the road, Ohio State has gone 1-8. This game should provide plenty of entertaining moments, with both teams having plenty to prove.

How did the Big Ten do in the ‘Rothstein 45’?

A total of eight Big Ten teams (and two future conference additions) are ranked in the top 45 of the nation according to Jon Rothstein.

Four Big Ten teams made the latest top 25 for Jon Rothstein’s most recent update ‘Rothstein 45.’ Included in this ranking are Rutgers basketball and Michigan, neither of whom made the NCAA Tournament this past season.

There are a total of eight Big Ten teams in Rothstein’s detailed ranking, not including the 2024 additions of UCLA and USC. Both programs, currently in the Pac-12, are ranked by Rothstein in the top 25.

A noted college basketball analyst, Rothstein is best known for his work at CBS Sports but he also creates content for FanDuel.

In his latest update, Rothstein has Duke as the top team in the nation followed by UConn. The top-ranked team from the Big Ten is No. 3 Purdue.

Here is how the Big Ten did in the latest update of the ‘Rothstein 45’:

Future Big Ten members:

  • No. 12 USC
  • No. 22 UCLA

[lawrence-related id=25854]

[mm-video type=video id=01gxyn1c7n4h4zj3yxxw playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxyn1c7n4h4zj3yxxw/01gxyn1c7n4h4zj3yxxw-360a76f29ce50589ff4a05a856d1950c.jpg]