Tag: Big Ten

Wisconsin is first team to win Big Ten without 1st or 2nd-team player

Wisconsin shows why Greg Gard deserved B1G COY

Some facts speak more loudly than any explanation ever could. Try this one on for size:

The Wisconsin Badgers didn’t place a single player on the All-Big Ten First or Second Team in 2020. Yet, they won the Big Ten championship. In 73 seasons of All-Big Ten team voting, this had never, EVER happened… until now. It is quite breathtaking to absorb such a monumental feat.

All of this naturally underscores why Greg Gard so richly deserved the Big Ten Coach of the Year honors he received from both the media and the coaches in the conference. Gard spoke about his award in an interview with Big Ten Network:

In typical Greg Gard fashion, his award was truly a team award forged by those around him.

Following the win over Indiana on Saturday which clinched the Big Ten title, Gard took his three main assistant coaches — Joe Krabbenhoft, Dean Oliver and Alando Tucker — to the press conference so they could be recognized for what they had done.

“I can’t be more proud of these three guys,” Gard said on Saturday. “They have been to hell and back the last nine months.”

Here are the All-Big Ten First and Second Teams for 2020:

FIRST  TEAM

PG Cassius Winston, Sr., Michigan State*

F Daniel Oturo, So., Minnesota

F Jalen Smith, So., Maryland

F Lamar Stevens, Sr., Penn State

C Luka Garza, Jr., Iowa*

*unanimous selection

SECOND  TEAM

PG Zavier Simpson, Sr., Michigan

G Anthony Cowan, Sr., Maryland

G Ayo Dosunmu, So., Illinois

F Xavier Tillman, Jr., Michigan State

F Kaleb Wesson, Jr., Ohio State

Luka Garza of Iowa was named the Big Ten Player of the Year.

Kofi Cockburn of Illinois was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

This Wisconsin season was supremely mind-blowing in so many different ways. The Badgers’ ability to win the Big Ten without a first- or second-team all-conference player — marking a first in 73 seasons of Big Ten basketball — represents an appropriately remarkable end to a thoroughly remarkable Big Ten regular season.

Greg Gard wins Big Ten Coach of the Year from media and coaches

Greg Gard wins a deserved honor

The Wisconsin Badgers rallied late in the season to win the Big Ten championship. Greg Gard rallied late in the season to win the Big Ten Coach of the Year Award from both the coaches and the media in the conference.

The votes from several Big Ten writers were disclosed on Monday, when Gard earned due respect from the media and coaches alike. Wisconsin’s eight-game winning streak — which catapulted a 6-6 Big Ten team on the NCAA Tournament bubble all the way to the top of the Big Ten — was enough to give Gard the deserved award. What also helped was that Penn State head coach Pat Chambers lost his touch in late February and early March, just as Gard was figuring everything out in Madison.

Penn State was in contention for the Big Ten title and stood in second place in mid-February, but beginning on Feb. 18 — when the Nittany Lions lost at home to Illinois — PSU dropped five games in a six-game stretch, including a loss to lowly Northwestern this past Saturday in the Big Ten regular-season finale. Penn State had been a No. 4 NCAA Tournament seed in bracketology, having won eight games in a row, but the late tailspin dropped the Nittany Lions several seed lines down the board, taking a little bit of the shine off their impressive season. Chambers is going to make his first NCAA Tournament appearance at Penn State, which still rates as a significant accomplishment for him. Nevertheless, it is impossible to ignore the Nittany Lions’ late slide. Compared against Gard’s ability to win the Big Ten championship with a phenomenal month of coaching (from Feb. 6, after the Minnesota loss, through March 7 against Indiana in Bloomington), Chambers’ body of work did not stand up.

Tom Izzo of Big Ten co-champion Michigan State, Mark Turgeon of Big Ten co-champion Maryland, Steve Pikiell of Rutgers, and Brad Underwood of Illinois all did really well this season. Yet, Gard made his final closing argument against Indiana, winning in Assembly Hall to not only give the Badgers a trophy, but also the No. 1 seed at the Big Ten Tournament. One could debate this award, much as one could debate any Coach of the Year award in any sport, or conference, or division. Yet, would anyone seriously debate that Greg Gard deserved this distinction? I find that hard to believe.

Locked On Badgers Podcast: The Badgers are Big Ten champions

The Locked On Badgers Podcast is a daily Wisconsin basketball and football podcast bringing you short-form, daily coverage of Badgers sports Monday through Friday. On today’s episode, Asher recaps the Indiana win, brings you stories from the …

The Locked On Badgers Podcast is a daily Wisconsin basketball and football podcast bringing you short-form, daily coverage of Badgers sports Monday through Friday. On today’s episode, Asher recaps the Indiana win, brings you stories from the championship celebration at the Kohl Center, and looks back at the magical month of February for Wisconsin basketball.

You can listen to Locked On Badgers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and wherever else you find your podcasts, Monday through Friday.

 

 

Notre Dame Hockey: Season Over After Loss to Gophers

Notre Dame’s season came to an end with a 3-2 loss to Minnesota in the third and decisive game of the Big Ten quarterfinals Sunday.

Notre Dame’s season came to an end with a 3-2 loss to Minnesota in the third and decisive game of the Big Ten quarterfinals Sunday. The Irish finished the season with a 15-15-7 record.

After battling Minnesota to a scoreless first period, the Irish got on the scoreboard first in the second frame on a wrister from Alex Steeves. But the Gophers rallied to score three unanswered goals to round out the scoring from that period. Ben Meyers scored twice on the power play, and a tally from Sampo Ranta was sandwiched between Meyers’ goals. Cam Morrison got the Irish closer with his second power-play goal in as many nights in the third period, but that’s where the game’s scoring stopped.

Cale Morris finished his collegiate career with 18 saves. His senior season ended better than the sophomore campaign of Cam Burke, who received a major penalty and game misconduct for checking from behind in the second period. That resulted in what proved to be the game-winning goal for Minnesota.

Ohio State at Michigan State odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Ohio State at Michigan State betting odds and lines, with NCAA matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The Ohio State Buckeyes (21-9, 11-8 Big Ten) travel north to meet the Michigan State Spartans (21-9, 13-6 Big Ten) at Breslin Center Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET in a Big Ten Conference showdown. We analyze the Ohio State-Michigan State odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Ohio State at Michigan State: Three things you need to know

1. It’s been a tale of several seasons for Ohio State. At one point they were nearly the No. 1 team in the land before a loss to Minnesota in mid-December derailed those chances. They had a four-game losing skid, and dropped six of seven, but have since recovered. They enter this game 4-0 straight up and ATS, and they are 6-1 SU/ATS across the past seven.

2. Ohio State’s resume for the NCAA Tournament is bolstered by wins over Maryland, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan (twice), North Carolina, Penn State and Villanova.

3. Michigan State also enters on a four-game winning streak after a slump of their own, which saw Sparty drop four of five from Feb. 1-15, going 0-5 ATS during the skid.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Ohio State at Michigan State: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 11:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Michigan State 74, Ohio State 72

Moneyline (ML)

Michigan State (-295) is just too expensive, as laying nearly three times your potential return makes absolutely no sense. If anything, Ohio State (+230) is worth a roll of the dice, as this could be a very close game. It’s worth a small-unit bet for a nice potential nice return, although I think Sparty comes away with the win.

Against the Spread (ATS)

OHIO STATE (+7, -121) catching seven points in this game is quite a bit, as they enter this game on a roll. Michigan State (-7, even) has also failed to cover each of the past three at home, and they’re 1-3 ATS in the past four when favored by seven or more points. They’re also 3-6 ATS in the past nine contests overall.

You’ll be bucking head-to-head trends a bit, as the home team is 6-2 ATS in the past eight meetings, with the favorite cashing in nine of the past 11 in this series.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 138.5 (+105) is worth a light play on Sunday afternoon. These teams haven’t exactly been offensive juggernauts this season, with MSU posting an ordinary 75.8 PPG and OSU with 72.2 PPG. But lately, these teams have shown a little more offense, and Sparty has hit the Over in four of the past five, and six of the past eight. The Buckeyes are 4-1 on the Over, and 6-2 in their past eight, too.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Notre Dame Hockey: Irish Fall to Gophers; Series Tied

Notre Dame’s season will come down to the third and final game of its Big Ten quarterfinal series with Minnesota after losing Game 2, 2-1.

Notre Dame’s season will come down to the third and final game of its Big Ten quarterfinal series with Minnesota after losing Game 2, 2-1, on Saturday. The winner of Sunday’s contest will play top-seeded Penn State in next weekend’s semifinals.

It took only 84 seconds for the Gophers to get on the board when Ryan Zuhlsdorf scored off a high-slot pass from Sammy Walker. The 1-0 score held firm until early in the third period, when Cullen Munson scored his second goal of the season for a 2-0 lead. Halfway through the frame, Cam Morrison tallied a power-play goal for the Irish, the ninth playoff goal of his career, and that was the last time a puck found the back of either net. Cale Morris, who had 18 saves, was pulled with a minute and a half remaining, but nothing came of it.

The Irish outshot the Gophers, 31-20, but were frustrated by stellar play in net from Jack LaFontaine.

4 Moore: The Badgers season goes from “tragic to magic”

With a 60-56 win at Indiana, Wisconsin completed one of the most improbable regular season Big Ten championship wins in the history of the conference. At 6-6 in the Big Ten, most people counted them out. Winning eight straight Big Ten games to claim …

With a 60-56 win at Indiana, Wisconsin completed one of the most improbable regular season Big Ten championship wins in the history of the conference. At 6-6 in the Big Ten, most people counted them out. Winning eight straight Big Ten games to claim at least a share of the crown was nothing compared to the circumstances under which this year began. Adversity has been a way of life for the 2019-20 Badgers, in a season that started with unimaginable tragedy. This past summer, Wisconsin assistant coach Howard Moore and his family were involved in a crash with a wrong-way drunk driver that took the lives of Moore’s wife Jennifer and 9-year old daughter Jaidyn. Coach Moore and his teenage son Jerell survived the accident.

Although Moore has taken this season away from the team, his spirit has been with them from the beginning. Wisconsin has been wearing a “4Moore” patch on their jerseys as well as having his son Jerell around the team for all home games. Jerell was even introduced in the Badger starting lineup for their November 8th home opener against Eastern Illinois.

It was fitting that this afternoon, when the Badger bus rolled up to the front of the Kohl Center to the cheers of hundreds of elated fans, Jerell Moore boarded the team bus before the Badgers exited. All we could hear outside were loud cheers as Moore’s son was greeted by the 2019-20 Big Ten Champions. From there, the team exited alongside Jerell and the raucous celebration began. At Greg Gard’s post-parade interview he summed this season up in one phrase: “tragic to magic.” Here is Gard on this team overcoming adversity to make a magical run:

Ohio State basketball at Michigan State: How and where to watch and listen

Ohio State travels to Michigan State for its last regular-season game. Here’s all the television, radio, and streaming information.

After going on an improbable run by winning nine of its last eleven, Ohio State now travels to Michigan State to take on a Spartans’ team that seems to be peaking at the right time. The Buckeyes have already spoiled the Illini’s shot at a regular-season Big Ten Championship, and now it gets a shot to do the same in East Lansing.

But it won’t be easy. The Spartans don’t give away home games very often in the month of March, it’s senior night, and Tom Izzo is leading a squad with a lot of talent.

OSU’s already sealed up an NCAA Tournament appearance and can only move up one seed in the Big Ten postseason, but this one still means a lot. We’ve got all the information you need to tune in or listen to what will no doubt be a very tough proposition for Ohio State.

Next … television, radio, streaming, game time, and venue

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B1G heart, B1G rally, B1G deal — the Badgers are Big Ten Champions!

WISCONSIN WINS THE BIG TEN TITLE

They did it!

The Wisconsin Badgers, who were 5-5 and looking like an NIT team, not an NCAA Tournament team, after 10 games, did it.

UW, which was 6-6 through 12 Big Ten Conference games in early February and the epitome of an inconsistent team which could not stack together three or four strong games, did it.

Greg Gard, who so clearly struggled to find the right lineup combinations when Kobe King was on this roster, found all the proper groupings of players after King left the team in late January.

Wisconsin, which seemed like a bubble team in early February and was still nothing more than a 7 seed with one week left in February, could now get a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That is entirely realistic and possible.

The Badgers, who lacked Micah Potter for 10 games this season, and did not have either King or Brad Davison for the season-changing February 1 win over Michigan State, reeled off eight straight Big Ten wins to capture the conference’s regular-season championship and a No. 1 seed at next week’s Big Ten Tournament.

This was not and is not Greg Gard’s most talented Wisconsin team. This team did not have a superstar. It did not have a dominant “eff you” takeover player, though D’Mitrik Trice played the role of that kind of performer for one night in Ann Arbor against Michigan on Feb. 27. This Wisconsin team had to do it together. It had to figure out how to play the typically blended basketball the Badgers usually need, when they don’t have a Sam Dekker or Frank Kaminsky on the roster.

There have been better teams in Wisconsin basketball history. There have been more fun and elegant teams in Badger hoops annals. Yet, for this team to win the Big Ten title after ALL the hardship, all the outside interference from the NCAA, all the inner turmoil such as the Erik Helland (strength coach) resignation midway through the season, rates as one of the greatest accomplishments in UW basketball’s existence.

This team — no matter what it does at the Big Ten or NCAA Tournaments — has achieved a piece of immortality. No one in Madison will ever forget the 2020 Badgers, the team everyone (including myself) thought was second-rate… until it won eight straight games and won a trophy.

Champions of the heart, champions of the hardwood, champions of the Big Ten. This is a very B1G deal, and don’t let anyone else in the Big Ten ever forget it.

Notre Dame Opens Big Ten Tournament with Win

The Fighting Irish failed to convert on a five minute power play in the second period but did find a net via a Trevor Janicke put-back late in the period.

Quarterfinals for the 2020 Big Ten Hockey Tournament got underway Friday and can I start by just throwing a little praise to the Big Ten?

I know that’s not generally a popular view in these parts and I tend to lead that charge but in hockey the regular season conference champion gets a first round bye in the conference tournament while the other six qualifying schools play a best-of-three against their quarterfinal opponent to advance.

It’s not perfect as I wish it was a best-of-three in the next two rounds but hey, it’s at least a start.

Now to Friday’s game:

No. 5 Notre Dame dominated the first period Friday at No. 4 Minnesota outshooting the Gophers 12-2. However, no pucks found the net as the opening frame ended scoreless.

The Fighting Irish failed to convert on a five minute power play in the second period but did find a net via a Trevor Janicke put-back late in the period.

Taking a 1-0 lead to the final frame, the Notre Dame defense continued to dominate the evening as they allowed just 12 shots against all night long which resulted in Cale Morris’s 11th career shutout, the third such showing in a Big Ten Tournament game.

Notre Dame and Minnesota again battle Saturday night in Minneapolis with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET. A win would send Notre Dame to the semi-finals while a loss would force a deciding game three which would be played Sunday night again at Minnesota.