Tag: illinois basketball

Following major player news, Big Ten basketball is on the rise in the latest ESPN Bracketology

The Badgers continue to rise in the latest Bracketology

Just before a tumultuous week of Big Ten cancellations, the 2020-2021 basketball season was shaping up to be arguably the most competitive in the history of the conference. With Iowa getting Luka Garza, the best player in the conference a year ago, back for his senior campaign coupled with Illinois stars Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn withdrawing from the NBA draft to return to Champiagn, the conference was ready for a battle at the top.

Although the season has been momentarily pushed back, there is still reasonable hope that schools can play this year, especially within the conference.

If we get Big Ten basketball this season, Wisconsin will be a part of the best conference in college basketball. That was further confirmed in ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology column.

The Big Ten sees nine teams get in the dance, more than any other conference in the nation. Illinois has made a significant jump up to the four line, as they return their two leading scorers from a year ago. Wisconsin moves up to a two seed, the highest ranking they have been in any bracketology so far. Here is a complete seeding breakdown for Big Ten teams:

Iowa – 2 seed

Wisconsin – 2 seed

Michigan State – 3 seed

Illinois – 4 seed 

Ohio State – 4 seed 

Rutgers – 6 seed 

Indiana – 7 seed 

Michigan – 7 seed

Purdue – 8 seed 

Illinois basketball ascends into the Big Ten’s top tier after major NBA Draft news

The battle for the Big Ten in 2020 has been billed by me, and many others, as the Badgers, Iowa, and Michigan State vying for the crown. You can now add a fourth team to that top tier after a pair of Illinois stars have decided they are returning to …

[lawrence-newsletter]The battle for the Big Ten in 2020 has been billed by me, and many others, as the Badgers, Iowa, and Michigan State vying for the crown. You can now add a fourth team to that top tier after a pair of Illinois stars have decided they are returning to school. A team that improved their win total by nine games in 2019-20, and finished 21-12 overall under Brad Underwood, should take yet another step forward in 2020-21.

It was announced this morning by CBS insider Jon Rothstein that big man Kofi Cockburn will return to Champaign for his sophomore season and withdraw his name from the 2020 NBA Draft.

This news comes just a few days after fellow Illinois star Ayo Dosunmu decided to return to school for his junior season and withdraw his name from the 2020 NBA Draft pool.

With their two leading scorers from a year ago returning, Illinois will feel that they have as much of a shot at anybody at not only winning the Big Ten, but making a run to the Final Four.

The Illini will likely have four of their top six scorers from a season ago in the starting lineup, as well as one of the largest front lines in college basketball with Giorgi Bezhanshvilli and Cockburn. The top tier of the Big Ten conference just got even more crowded.

Previewing the Big Ten Tournament from a Badger Perspective

The Wisconsin Badgers have claimed the number one seed in the Big Ten Tournament this coming weekend. Wait, yes, you read that correctly. The same team that was 6-6 in the conference just eight games ago, started the year 5-5 with losses to two …

The Wisconsin Badgers have claimed the number one seed in the Big Ten Tournament this coming weekend. Wait, yes, you read that correctly. The same team that was 6-6 in the conference just eight games ago, started the year 5-5 with losses to two mid-majors, and had their second-leading scorer abruptly leave the program in the middle of the year. Yes, that Badgers team used an eight-game conference winning streak to claim the number one seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

Wisconsin claimed one of the four precious double-byes thanks to results yesterday and their win at Indiana. After Illinois claimed the final double-bye in the last game of the Big Ten regular season, the bracket was set.

The 2020 Big Ten Tournament bracket

The Badgers get the luxury of waiting until Friday to play in the quarterfinals, which in a tournament this unpredictable feels like an extremely significant advantage. UW gets the winner of Michigan and Rutgers, two teams firmly in the NCAA tournament picture. Wisconsin split the season series with Rutgers, with each team winning on their home floor, and beat Michigan on the road in their only meeting. Outside of Nebraska and Northwestern (but you never know), you get the feeling that literally anybody and everybody has a chance to win multiple games. The most unpredictable aspect of the format in Indianapolis is the location. Basically the only factor we could use all season to predict Big Ten results was whether or not a team was playing at home. Take Wisconsin’s two potential quarterfinal opponents as a test case. Michigan and Rutgers were a combined 29-6 this season at home, with Rutgers notably going 18-1 at the RAC. The two programs combined to go 6-15 in true road games. On a neutral floor, there is a ton we could learn about this conference in just a few short days.

Another major positive about claiming the 1-seed is that Wisconsin would get to avoid the co-hottest team in the conference, Michigan State, until a potential championship matchup. Nobody wants to see Tom Izzo and Cassius Winston in March, and Sparty has cruised to five wins in a row, including a road win at Maryland.

In terms of NCAA tournament seeding, the Badgers seem to be firmly on the 4-line as they enter Indy. Well there is obviously no way to completely predict how the bracket will shape up behind closed doors, you would have to think that if the Badgers win their Friday game, the 4-seed would be their most likely line. If Wisconsin were to go on and win the tournament? A team that three weeks ago was being discussed as at best a 7-seed could end up as a 3. This Big Ten Tournament is going to be unpredictably wild. At least 10 NCAA Tournament teams battling it out on a neutral floor makes for serious madness. This is what March is all about.

Ohio State at Michigan State 2020 basketball preview, prediction, and odds

Ohio State travels to East Lansing to take on Michigan State in its regular-season finale. We’ve got your preview, prediction, and odds.

Records

Ohio State 21-9 (11-8), Michigan State 21-9 (13-6)

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date: Sunday, March 8
Game Time: 4:30 PM
Venue: Breslin Center, East Lansing, MI
Network: CBS

There’s not a whole lot on the line for Ohio State as it travels to East Lansing, but there’s a shot at playing spoiler. The Buckeyes already ruined Illinois’ chance at a regular-season title, and it now gets an opportunity to do the same to Michigan State.

But it’s senior night in the Breslin Center and Michigan State might be playing the best basketball of anyone in the Big Ten here as of late. After all, it is March, and head coach Tom Izzo seems to get his teams ready around this time of year.

More than that, playing the Spartans in their building has been a house of horrors as of late. Ohio State has gotten blown out more often than not, and its last win in East Lansing was all the way back in 2012 when William Buford became a hero.

If OSU is able to pull it off, it’ll go down as perhaps the most impressive win of the season because of the venue and all that’s going on to provide an emotional boost for the home team.

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Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 9:00 p.m. ET. 

Next … The Ohio State game plan

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Watch what Brad Underwood said about Ohio State postgame

Illinois was searching for a victory that would move it one step closer to a regular-season title in the Big Ten, and a guaranteed top-four finish in the league that would give it a double-bye in the upcoming conference tournament. But Ohio State …

Illinois was searching for a victory that would move it one step closer to a regular-season title in the Big Ten, and a guaranteed top-four finish in the league that would give it a double-bye in the upcoming conference tournament. But Ohio State had different plans.

The Buckeyes used rebounding and lock-down defense in the second half to erase a seven-point halftime deficit — outscoring the Illini by fifteen the rest of the way to win 71-63.

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood met with the media in Columbus following the game and gave OSU a ton of credit for what it did to make life difficult on his squad.

If you missed any of his comments, you can get them all thanks to the YouTube Channel of the Illini Report. Click on the below video and listen to Underwood discuss his team’s issues with rebounding, guarding in space, a lack of rhythm to the game, and more.

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What Chris Holtmann said after the win over Illinois

Ohio State basketball head coach Chris Holtmann spoke to the media following his team’s big win over Illinois. Listen to everything he said.

Ohio State kept on rolling Thursday night, beating a ranked Illinois squad to 71-63 to make it nine of its last eleven in arguably the toughest conference in the country.

Head coach Chris Holtmann met with the media after the game and was understandably please by his team’s performance, especially in a dominating second half that saw the Buckeyes outscore Illinois by fifteen points.

If you missed any of his comments, you can click on the below video shared to the official Twitter feed of the Ohio State Buckeyes and get caught up. Holtmann discusses the career night of E.J. Liddell, how tough-minded his team has been over the last month, the respect he has for Illinois, and much more.

Ohio State now gets ready to travel to East Lansing to take on the first place Spartans in the regular-season finale. It doesn’t get any easier in the the Big Ten.

 

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Ohio State keeps rolling, beats Illinois with dominant second half

The Ohio State basketball team went into halftime trailing Illinois by seven. The second half was a different story with OSU rolling.

It sure didn’t look good after the first half in the Schott, but Ohio State got it all together, buckled down on defense, and outscored the Illini by fifteen points in the second half to put the game away, ultimately winning 71-63.

The shooting was a little better in the second twenty minutes for the Buckeyes, but more than anything, they started to clamp down on an Illini squad that shot over 50 percent in the first half. That percentage fell to 43.6 percent for the game thanks to a better defensive effort from OSU when it came out of the locker room.

This game may have been won on defense, but it got great offensive production from Kaleb Wesson (19 points), and E.J. Liddell who had a career night with a double-double of seventeen points and eleven rebounds.

His maturation has been a key while Kyle Young has been sidelined with a high ankle sprain.

With the victory, Ohio State improves its record to 21-9 overall, and 11-8 in the Big Ten. It is now assured of a winning conference record after being 2-6 at one point. It has now won nine of its last eleven in the best league in the country.

Where have all those knee-jerk fans calling for Chris Holtmann’s job gone as of late?

Maybe most importantly, the Buckeyes move another spot higher in the seeding line of the Big Ten Tournament and might be getting into a spot where they can play their way into a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament. A lot would have to still happen for that to occur, but it’s a far cry from close to bubble territory back in early February.

All of that comes later. For now, everyone should enjoy this win against a very good Illinois team and get ready to take on a Michigan State team Sunday that seems to be putting it all together.

 

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.

We have a forum and message board now. Get in on the conversation about Ohio State athletics by joining the Buckeyes Wire Forum.

Poor shooting by Ohio State leads to deficit against Illinois at halftime

Ohio State has struggled shooting the ball in the first half and trails Illinois by seven points at halftime.

The opponent has something to do with it, but the Ohio State basketball team has looked like a shell of what we’ve seen over the last ten games or so. And it has everything to do with shooting the basketball.

The Buckeyes are just 10-of-27 from the floor (37.0%), including just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, and it’s all led to a 37-30 halftime deficit. Truth be known, it could be more if not for points from the free-throw line for the Buckeyes.

Despite the relatively low-score, the pace has been a more fast-paced game than Ohio State would like, and it has had to go deeper into the bench than usual. The fact that Kaleb Wesson was saddled with two fouls early in the first half also didn’t help.

While the Buckeyes have struggled shooting the ball, Illinois has not. The Illini knocked down 14-of-27 shots from the floor (51.9%), including 4-of-11 from 3-point range.

The bright spot for Ohio State has been the play of E.J. Liddell. He leads the team in scoring with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting and has battled in the paint by pulling in five rebounds.

If OSU is going to come back in this one, it’ll have to slow things down a bit and not let the pace of Illinois’ play speed up looks at the rim. It’s going to have to be a much better second half than what we’ve seen so far.

Ohio State vs. Illinois 2020 basketball preview, prediction, and odds

Ohio State hosts Illinois for its final home regular-season game and there’s still a ton on the line. How will it all play out? We tell you.

Records

Ohio State 20-9 (10-8), Illinois 20-9 (12-6)

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date: Thursday, March 5
Game Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Network: ESPN

There may be no shot at a Big Ten regular-season title, but this one still means a ton. It’s senior night at the Schott and the Buckeyes will be looking to send Andre Wesson and Danny Hummer off with a win.

In the case of Wesson, he’s turned himself into a very, very valuable member of this team that has an all-around game that creates matchup nightmares. Hummer may not be on the court a lot, but a guy like him is a leader by example and in practice.

Aside from senior night, there’s still a lot to determine as far as seeding goes in the very congested middle of the Big Ten standings. Ohio State currently sits in seventh place, but is just one game out of fifth, and two games out of fourth where Illinois is hanging around.

But below the Buckeyes, there are four teams still in striking distance to overcome OSU for a better position in the Big Ten Tournament. Chris Holtmann and crew would like to keep the positive momentum going towards all that comes with playing in March.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 2:00 p.m. ET. 

Next … The Ohio State game plan

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Ohio State basketball vs. Illinois: How and where to watch and listen

Ohio State will host Illinois on senior night Thursday in the last Big Ten home game of the year. Here’s the tv, radio, and streaming info.

It’s time to see if the Ohio State basketball team can keep things rolling. Winners of eight of its last ten, Chris Holtmann’s squad is playing more cohesive and continues to be hitting stride heading towards the postseason.

There are just two regular-season conference games remaining, and it all starts with senior night against Illinois Thursday. It’ll be an emotional game and the crowd should be all lathered up to give OSU the home-court advantage, but playing the Illini comes with a certain composure that will be needed.

The Buckeyes are just one game behind Iowa and Penn State for fifth and sixth place in the league, but losing this one will open it up to a few teams below OSU to sneak up and knock it down the seed line for the Big Ten Tournament.

We’ve got all the information you need to find and either watch or listen to the game.

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

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