Big Ten notebook: Illinois extends March Madness run, Michigan State falls to North Carolina

Updating how the Big Ten has looked in the NCAA Tournament.

On Saturday, the Big Ten had an uneven day in March Madness. Michigan State and Illinois were in action, but only Illinois won. Entering play on Sunday, three teams in the conference still have a shot at a national title.

After pulling off an upset against Mississippi State in the first round, Michigan State could not replicate its success. They took on No.1 North Carolina and did not take care of the basketball. In an 85-69 loss, the Spartans lost the turnover battle 11-5 and were outrebounded 37-32.

While Michigan’s season came to a disappointing end, there were a few bright spots, including Tyson Walker. The Westbury native scored a team-high 24 points, finishing the tournament with 43 total points.

 

Following their elimination, No.3 Illinois gave Big Ten fans a reason to celebrate with an 89-63 win over No.11 Duquesne. The Fighting Illini built a large lead early on that they would not relinquish, which included a 50-point first half.

As the Big Ten champions punched their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen, they were led by Terrence Shannon Jr. The Chicago native added 30 points to his resume and was hard to stop, shooting 71.4 percent from the field. Through his first two games of the tournament, the talented guard has 56 points.

After a few days off, Illinois will be back in action on Thursday afternoon. They will take on No.2 Iowa State at TD Garden.

Tip-off time announced for UNC-Michigan State NCAA Tournament clash

Michigan State may have won its most recent matchup against UNC, but the Tar Heels are a National Championship contender this year.

With one day of March Madness come and gone, I think it’s safe to say we’ve already had our fair share of memorable games.

Samford nearly upset Kansas in the night’s final matchup, Dayton rallied from down 17 to top Nevada and, in the most surprising outcome from Thursday, 14-seed Oakland upset 3-seed Kentucky behind 15 3-pointers.

Thursday’s first two games – Michigan State-Mississippi State (69-51) and UNC-Wagner (90-62) – were blowouts in Charlotte, NC’s Spectrum Center. Both Sparty (20-14 record) and the Tar Heels (28-7) pulled away from their opponents in the second half, thanks to high-octane, balanced scoring attacks.

North Carolina received expected contributions from stars RJ Davis (game-high 22 points) and Armando Bacot (20 points, 15 rebounds), but also a surprise double-double from Jae’Lyn Withers (16 points, 10 rebounds). This game had to feel extra sweet from Withers, who grew up in the Queen City.

If you haven’t guessed by now, UNC and MSU are playing each other on Saturday, March 23 in the Round of 32. We now know tip-off time, with both Blue Bloods set to clash at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The Tar Heels and Spartans don’t have an extensive history against each other, but it’s a matchup the former has dominated. UNC has won 12 of 16 matchups in the series, including six of the last seven.

You may remember the 2009 National Championship best, when perhaps the greatest North Carolina team ever assembled beat MSU, 89-72. Ty Lawson led UNC in the title game with 21 points, while Wayne Ellington (19) and Tyler Hansbrough (18) also reached double-digits.

Will we see another legendary NCAA Tournament game when these two storied programs tip off?

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

How to watch Saturday’s UNC-MSU round of 32 clash

North Carolina and Michigan State will face off Saturday in a battle of Blue Bloods. Who advances further in the NCAA Tournament?

Day 1 of March Madness was nothing short of amazing, particularly the afternoon games.

It’s hard to argue the early highlight was Dayton-Nevada. The Flyers rallied from a 17-point, second-half deficit for a 63-60 victory. There were a couple blowouts (Oregon-South Carolina, Arizona-Long Beach State), plus a close call: Duquesne over BYU.

Two NCAA Tournament regulars, UNC and Michigan State, cruised to first-round victories. The Tar Heels and Spartans will play each other on Saturday  in Charlotte, North Carolina.

North Carolina shot exactly 50% in its 90-62 win against Wagner. RJ Davis (22 points), Armando Bacot (20) and Jae’Lyn Withers (16) scored in double-digits. The latter two recorded double-doubles, with Withers nabbing just his second of the year.

Michigan State was tested a lot more by Mississippi State in its opener, as the Bulldogs consistently kept Thursday’s game within single-digits, but the Spartans pulled away for a 69-51 win. Just like their future Tar Heel opponents, three Michigan State players scored in double-digits.

UNC-MICHIGAN STATE TV, RADIO, AND STREAMING INFORMATION

WHAT: North Carolina (28-7, 17-3 ACC) vs. Michigan State (20-14, 10-10 Big 10)

WHEN: Saturday, March 23 at Time TBD

LOCATION: Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

TV: CBS (Watch and stream the game live on NCAA.com)

ANNOUNCERS: Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce

SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM (Channel N/A)

WEBSITE: NCAA.com

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Wisconsin basketball one of only five programs to make 23 of last 25 NCAA Tournaments

Wisconsin basketball has been a model of consistency for the last 25 years:

Wisconsin basketball enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament with high expectations and a fanbase starved of postseason winning.

The program is in the midst of a seven-year Sweet Sixteen drought, one which has included two years of missing the tournament entirely (2017-18, 2022-23). That is why the pressure seems to be turned up entering this year’s tournament. The Badgers fanbase badly wants to see head coach Greg Gard defeat No. 12-seed James Madison and No. 4-seed Duke on the way to the Sweet Sixteen, if not further.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

That said, the program still has been a model of consistency since the 1998-99 season under head coach Dick Bennett. Wisconsin has participated in 23 of 25 NCAA Tournaments since that season — omitting the 2020 tournament that the Badgers were qualified for but was canceled.

The Badgers are one of only five programs to boast that feat. Here are those five:

WATCH: NCAA Tournament committee chair talks Michigan State basketball

Watch the NCAA Tournament selection committee chair, Charles McClelland, explain Michigan State’s bid into the tourney:

Michigan State basketball has earned their 26th straight NCAA Tournament bid, earning a No. 9 seed in the west region. After a lackluster 19-14 regular season record, the Spartans had some worries about their potential fate in regards to the tournament, but the team graciously heard their name called on selection Sunday.

With their record, a lot of controversy has sparked around the Spartans, and more specifically how high the team was ranked by the committee.

The NCAA Tournament selection committee chair Charles McClelland explained MSU’s bid to CBS:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner.

Michigan State hockey defeats Ohio State, heads to Big Ten Tournament finals

MSU downs OSU and is headed to the Big Ten Tournament championship game!

Michigan State is moving on to the championship game in the the Big Ten Tournament. In front of a sold out Munn Ice Arena, the Spartans knocked off the Ohio State Buckeyes, 2-1, in a semifinal matchup.

The scoring opened with a Daniel Russell goal just 1:23 into the second period, giving MSU a 1-0 lead. Ohio State countered, tying the game up early in the third period, just 2:06 into the period.

It was the captain, Nash Nienhuis, who countered just 13 seconds later, scoring what would be the game winning goal.

Michigan State now awaits the winner of Minnesota v Michigan to see who they will play in the Big Ten Championship game, next Saturday.

On this day: Wisconsin clinches second Big Ten Tournament title

On this day: Wisconsin clinches second Big Ten Tournament title

Captained by big man Brian Butch, Trevon Hughes and Marcus Landry, Wisconsin clinched its second Big Ten Tournament win in school history on March 16, 2008.

Held at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Badgers entered the tournament with a 16-2 conference mark and No. 6 overall in the 2008 AP Poll, four spots higher than their last tournament win in 2004.

Five Badgers averaged eight or more points per game throughout the regular season. NBA veterans John Leuer and Greg Stiemsma, who combined to average 6.4 points per appearance, came off the bench for Bo Ryan’s squad. 

As the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, Wisconsin throttled the University of Michigan 51-34 in its quarterfinal game. With three Big Ten All-Defensive Team members scattered throughout the rotation, UW held Michigan to 20% from the field and 18 points per half. Junior forward Joe Krabbenhoft led all scorers with 12 points. 

UW followed its explosive opening performance with a two-tally win against Michigan. Harris, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, scored eight of his 21 points in the final 2:56 of action. Wilkinson, Wisconsin’s most dependable big man, dropped 20 and corralled nine boards.

In its following contest, the Badgers orchestrated a 12-point comeback in the second half to steal a win from Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans. Michael Flowers, an excellent two-way guard, nailed a game-winning layup with 28 ticks to spare before the final buzzer.

The Badgers advanced to the championship game and plowed through the tournament’s No. 10 seed, the University of Illinois, by 13 points. 

With the win, Wisconsin captured its second Big Ten Tournament victory in program history and automatically clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Junior Marcus Landry was named the Big Ten Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. 

Michigan State baseball defeats WMU in first game of First Pitch Invitational

MSU takes game one of the First Pitch Invitational II on Friday

The Michigan State baseball team is back at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina for the First Pitch Invitational II. The Spartans came into the weekend sporting a 4-7 record, looking to get the season on track.

In game one of the weekend, MSU took down Western Michigan, beating the Broncos, 5-3.

Michigan State will be back in action on Saturday for a double header against Western Carolina.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner.

Ohio State basketball vs. Michigan State: How to watch, stream the game

Ohio State will try once again to break its road losing streak. #GoBucks

Well, after an epic win over Purdue at home last week, the Ohio State men’s basketball team was back to its old self on Thursday against Minnesota. The Buckeyes again could not get a win on the road extending their road losing streak to 17 games. The Buck’s last road victory? January 1, 2023.

The road just keeps getting more and more difficult. Ohio State will be in enemy territory again on Sunday as they head to East Lansing to face Michigan State. The Breslin Center is never an easy place to play and the losing streak could easily jump to 18 games. Here’s how to see the Buckeyes take on the Spartans.

Basic info

When: Sunday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m. ET

Where:  The Breslin Center (East Lansing, Michigan)

How to watch/stream/listen:

Broadcast: CBS

Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

Radio: IMG Radio Network (flagship station WBNS 97.1 The Fan)

Radio announcers:

  • Paul Keels (play-by-play)
  • Ron Stokes (analysis)

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

Former Michigan State football pass rush coaching specialist Brandon Jordan joining Ohio State staff

Former Michigan State pass rush coaching specialist Brandon Jordan joining Ohio State staff

Brandon Jordan is a well-regarded pass rush specialist who has worked with numerous big name NFL pass rushers. The last staff at Michigan State football brought him in as a Pass Rush Specialist coach. After a few years, he left to the Seattle Seahawks, and now, he will be joining Ohio State as a Defensive Assistant.

Jordan has been in coaching since 2012.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.