Tag: Big Ten Tournament

Badger moments: 2015 Big Ten final vs Michigan State

An amazing comeback

The 2008 Wisconsin Badgers trailed Michigan State in a Big Ten Tournament game by 10 points with a little over six minutes left. That 2008 team was a very good Wisconsin team, but it was nowhere near as talented as the 2015 team, one of the two best teams in Wisconsin history, the other one being the 1941 national championship squad.

Great teams reveal themselves in moments of crisis. Could the 2015 Badgers respond when they fell behind Michigan State, 57-46, with roughly seven minutes left in the 2015 Big Ten Tournament final?

Their answer was decisive and memorable, filled with classic Wisconsin plays.

Josh Gasser saved the ball from going out of bounds with Wisconsin trailing by two points in the final minute. Sam Dekker came up with a steal after Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine got the ball. Bronson Koenig hit the tying foul shots. Wisconsin forced overtime, scrambling back from a large deficit.

Then, Wisconsin played its best overtime period, ever.

That is not an exaggeration. When has any college basketball team produced a shutout in the championship game of a conference tournament? Some examples exist, but not very many. Wisconsin delivered precisely that achievement, and it did so against a Tom Izzo-coached opponent which — two weeks later — would join Wisconsin as a Final Four team. Michigan State beat Louisville in Syracuse to win the East Region. Wisconsin beat Arizona in Los Angeles to win the West Region. Both the Badgers and Spartans traveled to the Final Four in Indianapolis, but before they did, they met on the mountaintop in the Big Ten Tournament, and Wisconsin slapped an 11-0 overtime beatdown on Michigan State to win its third Big Ten Tournament championship.

“I thought it was really good for us to have a game like this where we were behind with seven minutes left,” Koenig said. “They kind of thought they had us when we were down 11, but I just kept telling our guys you keep fighting, never give up, and that’s what we did.”

On. Wisconsin.

A great team marked its greatness at the Final Four, beating 38-0 Kentucky, but before that, the 2015 Badgers stopped Tom Izzo in the Big Ten Tournament yet again.

Badger moments: 2008 Big Ten semis vs Michigan State

Badger classics

Wisconsin needed some time under former coach Bo Ryan to figure out the NCAA Tournament. It took Ryan over a decade to finally crack the Final Four. However, the first decade of Ryan’s tenure in Madison was marked by amazing high-level consistency within the Big Ten Conference.

Everyone who follows Badger basketball knows that Wisconsin was relentlessly reliable in terms of getting byes in the Big Ten Tournament under Ryan. The Badgers gained a top-four seed in 15 straight Big Ten Tournaments from 2001 through 2015, a ridiculous run which will be hard for any Big Ten basketball program to match anytime soon.

The Badgers established a remarkable track record in Big Ten competition under Bo Ryan, but one of the more subtle accomplishments of the Ryan era — which doesn’t get nearly as much publicity as the 15 straight top-four finishes — is the fact that from 2004 through 2008, Wisconsin made the final of the Big Ten Tournament four times in a five-season span. Wisconsin parlayed all those early-round byes into full weekends in Indianapolis or Chicago. If you wanted to watch college basketball on Selection Sunday in the first decade of the 21st century, the odds were very good that you would watch Wisconsin in the Big Ten final on CBS, in the last game before the Selection Show.

One of the key reasons Wisconsin was able to do so well at the Big Ten Tournament is that it was able to figure out Michigan State, the gold standard in the conference under Tom Izzo. Bo Ryan won 11 of his first 14 games against Izzo at Wisconsin. Multiple wins came at the Big Ten Tournament, often in the semifinal round.

We looked at UW’s win over Michigan State in the 2004 Big Ten Tournament semifinals in a separate piece. Here, we present the 2008 Big Ten semis:

The Badgers trailed Michigan State by 12 with just over eight minutes left and by 10 with just over six minutes left.

They kept coming. “Persistence” has been Wisconsin’s middle name in this golden age of Badger basketball. That determination was on display 12 years ago in this memorable comeback.

Michigan State’s Drew Neitzel led all scorers with 26 points, but in the final minute — with the game tied at 63 — his pass was picked off by an alert Michael Flowers. Wisconsin’s alert defender stepped into the passing lane, grabbed the ball, and took it the other way for a layup with 27 seconds left. Michigan State failed to score on its next possession, but Wisconsin missed free throws with seven seconds left. Neitzel pushed the ball down the floor and attempted a game-winning 3-pointer just before the buzzer. It missed.

Tom Izzo was annoyed:

“I’m very disappointed in the outcome,” Izzo said after the game. “I don’t plan on getting over this today. I don’t plan on getting over this tomorrow. On Monday I’ll get over it.”

Bo Ryan was thrilled:

“I don’t think words can really describe what the guys did in the comeback,” Ryan said. “Probably the best way to describe it is to put a DVD on, watch it again and make your own observations.”

One observation: Wisconsin basketball thrived at the Big Ten Tournament — and against Michigan State — in the first decade of Bo Ryan’s tenure.

Wisconsin March Moments: 2004 Big Ten semis vs Michigan State

Badger memories

The staff at Badgers Wire has been trying to get a handle on regular life recently, and we’re sure you have been trying to do the same in the midst of the uncertainty, stress, and worry caused by COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. This has disrupted American life. It has brought March Madness to a halt. It is something which demands our attention — not so that we can indulge in panic (we shouldn’t), not so that we sink into depression and dread (though the subject matter is very serious and alarming), but in order that we can sufficiently prepare, plan, and give our communities the best possible chance of minimizing the scope and scale of this crisis.

All of us at Badgers Wire hope you will get the essential items you need (lots of pantry food which you can use in the event of a quarantine or lockdown, which might occur weeks or months from now; soap or sanitizer; disinfectants or cleaners to keep surfaces clean inside your home). We hope you will self-isolate to the fullest extent that you can (in other words, for non-essential activities — those have to be on hold for awhile). We are praying for the country, which means we on staff are praying for you and your family, and for the whole University of Wisconsin family.

Our necessary attention on real life — and trying to defend against this global pandemic — has limited our output in recent days. We know, though, that we have a website to continue and maintain. We also know that after a few frantic days of stocking up and getting your lives in order, you’re probably ready for some Wisconsin sports content as a distraction.

My colleague Asher Low has begun to write about the past season of Wisconsin basketball. I am going to go inside the Badger Vault and give you a chance to rewatch significant Wisconsin postseason basketball games. This is the start of a YouTube UW basketball rabbit hole! Give yourself an escape from all the worrying events around you. Stay safe and remember some great Wisconsin hoops moments.

This is Big Ten Tournament weekend, so we’re going to start by sharing Big Ten Tournament moments. First up: the 2004 Big Ten Tournament semifinal against Michigan State. Wisconsin won 68-66, en route to its first Big Ten Tournament title.

Jim Nantz and Billy Packer are on the call for CBS:

Enjoy. Our thoughts are with you and all Americans in this difficult time.

Michigan State basketball players react to abrupt end of the season

Michigan State basketball players took to social media, reacting to the abrupt end of the NCAA season. Here are a handful of reactions.

Well, it looks like we now live in March Sadness. Big Ten Tournament has been canceled. NCAA Tournament has been canceled. No more Michigan State basketball. Cassius Winston & Kyle Ahrens already posted about the season on Instagram. Here are a handful of other social media reactions from MSU players.

Xavier Tillman

Xavier Tillman posted a photograph of himself and his daughter, Ayanna Tillman, on Instagram. Tillman expressed disappointment on behalf of MSU seniors unable to finish their final year with an NCAA Tournament run.

Aaron Henry

Aaron Henry posted a collection of photographs from the season, expressing some disappointment in the wake of tournament cancellations.

View this post on Instagram

Damn 🙁 … #TMC

A post shared by Aaron Henry (@_ahen11) on

Gabe Brown

Gabe Brown posted a photograph on Instagram, celebrating the familial bond of his team.

Malik Hall

Malik Hall enjoyed an exciting freshman season, averaging 15.9 minutes per game and starting most games during the closing stretch this year. He posted a nice tribute on Twitter:

Julius Marble

Julius Marble did not play too much in his freshman season but seemingly won the hearts of many MSU fans. He will probably play more off the bench next year as a rim running big. Marble expressed his disappointment in this season’s abrupt end on Twitter.

Conner George

Michigan State senior Conner George joked on Twitter about MSU’s preseason No. 1 ranking, lightening up a rather somber timeline.

Marcus Bingham Jr.

Bingham posted a collection of photographs on Instagram, commemorating the season.

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Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg releases statement after coronavirus scare

Fred Hoiberg looked miserable on the bench Wednesday night, as he tried to coach Nebraska through the first — and now only — day of the Big Ten tournament.

Fred Hoiberg looked miserable on the bench Wednesday night, as he tried to coach Nebraska through the first — and now only — day of the Big Ten tournament.

Juwan Howard reacts to Big Ten Tournament cancellation

The Wolverines head coach reacts to the sudden cancellation of the Big Ten Tournament.

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Michigan was about 15 minutes away from tipping off against Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis on Thursday, but the conference made a sudden decision that rendered the team’s travel moot.

With coronavirus (COVID-19) cases escalating, especially in the wake of the NBA postponing the rest of its season on Wednesday evening, the Big Ten ultimately decided that in lieu of holding the tournament without spectators, it would be in the best interest of all parties involved to just cancel the event altogether.

While it might be disappointing for the players, with a potential pandemic on the horizon, it’s a move that protects their safety.

In a statement released by Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard, he echoed those sentiments, noting the difficulty for the graduating seniors and team captains, but still, keeping them and the team safe is a reward that outweighs the risk.

“Some things are bigger than basketball,” Howard said. “This is a global situation and we need to make sure we follow the guidance and direction of the experts and health officials. While we are disappointed of not being able to play this event — especially for Zavier and Jon, we need to stay bonded together during this time. We want everyone to stay safe and take precautions to protect yourselves and loved ones. We are a Michigan family … forever.“

It is unknown as of yet whether or not the NCAA Tournament will take place, as president Mark Emmett announced on Wednesday that it would still continue, but without non-essential personnel. However, that was before the confirmed cases of coronavirus hit the NBA, effectively canceling the league’s remaining games.

It’s certainly within the realm of possibility that the NCAA follows suit.

Big Ten Tournament canceled along with other conference tourneys

Cancellations across the board

It was expected, and now it is official: The Big Ten — along with the AAC and SEC — has canceled its conference tournament.

The dominoes have been falling rapidly, and when it was reported on Thursday morning that Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell tested positive for coronavirus — as a probable and/or partial result of teammate Rudy Gobert’s appallingly irresponsible behavior in touching various objects in settings used by all Utah Jazz players — it seemed like a foregone conclusion that all the college basketball conference tournaments would be canceled. It was just a matter of time.

The ACC and league commissioner John Swofford held a press conference roughly an hour and a half before the scheduled start of ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday, in which they still claimed that games would go on as scheduled, but the Big Ten, AAC and SEC put a halt to their tournaments before the first games of the day.

You can call this an overreaction, and I’m not going to tell you that you’re wrong if you do. However, what I can say — and what is important to note — is that if you ask doctors, hospitals, or other medical facilities in your locality, the chances are very good that one of two things exists right now:

  1. The doctor/hospital/facility does not know what exactly it should be doing, relative to various federal or state guidelines, through a chain of command involving input from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and/or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
  2. Even if the doctor/hospital/facility DOES know what it should be doing, it doesn’t have the resources or materials to provide full coronavirus testing to all people who might have the virus, and it doesn’t have the capacity in terms of beds and other bulk items needed to sufficiently quarantine patients and provide large-scale logistical layouts which can balance treatment of the virus with social distancing practices in the workplace.

In other words, this is not entirely a verdict about the severity of coronavirus on all members of the population. This is also a response to the reality that national and regional health systems and organizations are scrambling to figure out how to resolve the problem. The UNCERTAINTY which is so pervasive in this larger situation is the true reason for canceling large gatherings and taking this extended break from sporting events.

If we are in a much better place with coronavirus management in three weeks, we can revisit all of these issues. For now, the entire sports world — tennis, soccer, the NBA, the NHL, Major League Baseball, and the NFL — is being cautious and protective.

As much as it does indeed suck that we can’t watch tons of tournament games today or next week, it’s much better to not have to live through uncertainty wondering if we’re doing the right thing or not.

Sports leagues and college basketball are doing the right thing. Let’s see where we are in three weeks. No one will get hurt… hopefully.

Big Ten Tournament canceled amid COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

The Big Ten joins other conferences in canceling postseason tournaments.

There will be no Big Ten Tournament for the men this year.

The conference has officially announced that the remainder of the conference tournament will be canceled effective immediately.

The news broke just minutes before Michigan and Rutgers were scheduled to tip off in the first quarterfinals game in Indianapolis. Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Nebraska all played first round games Wednesday night. Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg was hospitalized after the game, and his team had to be quarantined in the locker room. Hoiberg later tested positive for influenza A, not coronavirus.

Michigan State had not yet left for the tournament according to Stephen Brooks of 247 sports.

The conference had originally planned to play games without spectators starting today. The first two games of the tournament were played in front of public crowds.

Late Wednesday night the NBA announced it was suspending the season amid the pandemic. Utah Jazz players Rudy Robert and Donovan Mitchell have tested positive for COVID-19.

Additionally MLS has announced they too will be suspending the season.

The ACC, SEC, Big 12, PAC-12, MAC, AAC, WAC, A-10, C-USA and Ivy League tournaments have all been cancelled as well. The Big East is still deciding on how to proceed, but a game is currently underway at Madison Square Garden. There is still no word as to whether or not the NCAA Tournament will be played. As of now the plan is to play the event without fans.

We will have more on this story as it develops.

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Locked On Spartans Podcast: Coronavirus Chaos

Reacting live to the latest Coronavirus news. And some MSU football recruiting talk.

Wil and Matt are recording while the news drops that the NBA has suspended the season. They talk about the potential coronavirus impact on college sports and then talk about MSU football recruiting.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

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Iowa vs. Minnesota Basketball Fearless Prediction, Game Preview

Iowa vs. Minnesota college basketball fearless prediction and game preview.

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Iowa vs. Minnesota college basketball fearless prediction and game preview.

Iowa vs. Minnesota Broadcast

Date: Thursday, March 12
Game Time: 2:25 ET
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Network: BTN

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Iowa (20-11) vs. Minnesota (15-16) Game Preview

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Why Minnesota Will Win

The Gophers roared back in the second half of the 74-57 win over Northwestern with three after three and by going +9 in the rebounding margin.

This is a good enough rebounding team to clean up everything Iowa misses, but to pull this off, the three-point shooting has to stay hot. Minnesota doesn’t have the same offensive firepower overall, but if it can go 12-of-24 again from outside – like it did against the Wildcats – and hit everything from the line, it’ll make this interesting.

The team passes the ball well, it doesn’t turn the ball over, and it’s got the ability to go on runs if Iowa goes cold. There should be enough offensive rebounds to generate a few second-chance points, but …

– “Go to the bank!” Today’s top pick of the day just released

Why Iowa Will Win

Iowa is way too strong from the field.

The Minnesota defense isn’t bad, but it doesn’t provide enough pressure, doesn’t take the ball away, and it doesn’t do enough when the O isn’t on. This isn’t a high-powered offensive team – the performance against Northwestern was a bit of an aberration – and Iowa is great inside and out with the top scoring offense in the Big Ten.

Minnesota moves the ball around well, but Iowa is far better at finding the extra shot and getting out on the move. It’s good enough on the offensive boards to generate second chance points of its own, and it should be able to score at a steadier pace.

What’s Going To Happen

Minnesota will bring the effort and will be up in the second half, but the offense won’t be consistent enough. Like the first matchup – a 58-55 Hawkeye win in Minneapolis – Iowa will do just enough inside and out to slip by.

Iowa vs. Minnesota Prediction, Line

Iowa 66, Minnesota 62
Bet on this with BetMGM, or for latest line 
Iowa -1.5 o/u: 149.5
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
– Get Tickets For This Game

Must See Rating: 3

5: Spring Break
1: Spring Break extended with kids around doing online classes

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