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.

Big Ten in the NCAA Tournament Notebook: Michigan State, Illinois advance to Round of 32

The Big Ten is off to a good start in the NCAA Tournament.

For the Big Ten, the first day of March Madness couldn’t have gone better. Michigan State and Illinois were able to punch their tickets to the Round of 32. While they both took different routes to a win, there title hopes are alive for at least another two days.

Between the two No.9 Michigan State entered as the underdog. They took on No.8 Mississippi State and applied relentless pressure for 40 minutes. As they recorded a 69-51 win they were led by Tyson Walker.

In 34 minutes of action, Walker recorded 20 points and added three rebounds to his resume. He was one of three Spartans to score 10 or more points. The Spartans’ next test will be No.1 North Carolina on Saturday.

Marcus Domask recorded just the 10th-ever triple-double in #MarchMadness history 🙌 @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/bM0EmW9hTo

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2024

Just hours after the Spartans advanced, No.3 Illinois took on No.14 Morehead State. While the Eagles kept things close in the first half, Illinois pulled away in the final 20 minutes.

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The Fighting Illini were led by Terrence Shannon Jr. in their latest win. The Chicago native scored 26 points and added four rebounds. He also got some help from Dan Dainja, who scored 21 points while hauling in eight rebounds. On Saturday, Illinois will take on Duquesne, who won their first game NCAA tournament game since 1969 on Thursday.

Big Ten Notebook: Illinois men’s basketball wins fourth Big Ten title

Illinois basketball won the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday

For the fourth time in program history, the Illinois Fighting Illini are Big Ten Tournament champions. On Sunday, they defeated Wisconsin 93-87 in a hard-fought championship game battle that went down to the wire. They were led by the talented duo of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask.

As Illinois pulled away in the second half, Shannon Jr. set the tone offensively. The Chicago native scored a team-high 34 points while draining three-pointers. He got some help from Domask, who scored 26 points and only missed one shot.

While Wisconsin’s Big Ten Tournament ended in disappointing fashion, there were a few bright spots. That includes Chucky Hepburn and AJ Storr. Just like he has done all season, Storr was a scoring machine. He added 24 points and three steals to his resume. Hepburn had one of his best games of the season, scoring 20 points.

 

 

Part of Illinois’s ability to take control late was due to its success close to the basket. They scored 40 points in the paint, while Wisconsin only scored 36. The Fighting Illini also shot over 50 percent from the field and made seven three-pointers.

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Once the confetti was released, Illinois had a reason to celebrate beyond winning a title. Their star, Terrence Shannon Jr., was named the 2024 Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten Tournament

Rutgers men’s basketball drops fifth conference game of the year to Illinois

Rutgers basketball is flat in a loss at Illinois.

It was a flat day at the office for Rutgers men’s basketball who were unable to build off their thrilling win over Nebraska. The Scarlet Knights took an Illinois and had no answer defensively in an 86-63 loss. From the start, the Fighting Illini were in complete control.

As Illinois built a lead early on, they were nearly unstoppable close to the basket. The Fighting Illini scored 50 points in the paint and only allowed 32. They also dominated on the boards with 46 rebounds.

While Illinois’ success was a team effort, they were led by Justin Harmon. The Chicago native added 18 points to his resume and hauled in eight rebounds. He got some help from Terrence Shannon Jr., who scored 16 points.

Although Rutgers didn’t get the result they wanted, Clifford Omoruyi had his best game in weeks, scoring 22 points. It marked the first time in over a month that the talented center reached the 16-point mark. Aundre Hyatt and Noah Fernandes also scored double digits.

 

 

Illinois took advantage of their opportunities in this matchup, shooting 50.8 percent from the field. Rutgers wasn’t able to match their success, only shooting 37.7 percent from the field.

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With their 19th game of the season in the books, Rutgers will shift its focus to finishing the month strong. They will face Purdue and Penn State before the calendar flips to February.

Ranking the Top-10 Big Ten players heading into the basketball season

Ranking the top 10 players in the Big Ten entering the college basketball season.

The long-awaited 2023-24 college basketball season begins today, and the Big Ten’s slate of games features 10 of the conference’s teams in action. Iowa, Indiana, Maryland and Michigan will have to wait one more day.

The Big Ten does not lack star power as the conference boasts the reigning national player of the year in Purdue’s Zach Edey as well as a bunch of premier guards. As we all know, guard play dominates college basketball, especially in March.

Before the games tip off this evening, we take a look at the top 10 Big Ten players. Are any freshmen ranked? Does any supplant Edey as number one?

Honorable mentions (in no particular order): Bruce Thorton (Ohio State), Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska), Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana), Jamison Battle (Ohio State), Tyler Wahl (Wisconsin), Coleman Hawkins (Illinois), Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin).

2023 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Projections for every pick post-March Madness

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the NCAA Tournament.

The NBA pre-draft process is in full swing as prospects around the world prepare to transition to the next level.

Teams around the league will begin hosting private workouts in the coming weeks as they finalize their draft boards. There will be various pro days on the radar and, of course, the draft combine and G League Elite Camp next month in Chicago, Illinois.

Underclassmen have until April 23 to declare for the draft. Several notable players have already decided to return to school, including Kyle Filipowski, Harrison Ingram, Baylor Scheierman and Kel’el Ware. Others are still mulling over their decisions.

Related: Key dates for NBA draft, combine, lottery and deadlines

With players still in the process of making decisions, some prospects were excluded from this mock draft because they are projected to return to school next season. However, most players projected to be drafted have already announced their decisions.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the NCAA Tournament. It is important to note that team needs were not necessarily taken into account with each pick. The projections are rather a look at where each individual player stands at this point of the process.

Note: The order of the draft was pulled from Tankathon as of April 14. The draft will have only 58 picks this year because the Bulls and 76ers were stripped of their second-round picks by the NBA due to tampering violations.

All-Big Ten guard Terrence Shannon Jr. declares for 2023 NBA draft

Shannon was voted onto the first-team All-Big Ten after posting averages of 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals.

Illinois senior Terrence Shannon Jr. announced Wednesday on social media that he has declared for the 2023 NBA draft after a career year with the Fighting Illini.

He did not specify if he’ll hire an agent or retain his college eligibility.

Shannon was voted onto the first-team All-Big Ten after posting averages of 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals. He led the team in scoring, finishing seventh in the conference, and ranked 20th in the country in free throws (166).

The 6-foot-6 guard played the first three years in college at Texas Tech before transferring to Illinois last year. He can return to school next season because of the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted student-athletes due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Shannon tested the pre-draft process in 2021 and will once again go through it this year. Players can declare and withdraw from the draft twice, so Shannon has the ability to do so one more time after gaining feedback from teams.

The 22-year-old is considered a second-round pick this year due to his ability to score from all over the court. He found great success getting into the paint and finishing at the rim with his quick first step and burst of speed. Shannon also showed promise as a defender.

He will have until May 31 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

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Penn State advances in Big Ten Tournament: Wins thriller against Illinois

Penn State advances and prepares for a matchup with Northwestern.

What a game!

In a tournament that had seen the lower-seeded teams win all four games prior to Penn State tipping off, that could have been looked at as either a good or bad omen.

The 10th-seeded Nittany Lions faced the seventh-seeded Illini, who they had beaten twice this season. Coming into the game, the old adage that it’s hard to beat a team three times was prevalent.

That was put to bed Thursday night with Penn State winning 79-76 to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament for the second straight season.

As expected in a trilogy, the game was tight to start. During the first ten minutes of the game, there were four lead changes and two ties. That would be a theme throughout the game.

However, the ten-minute mark was when Penn State started to separate in the first half.

After leading 17-14, they held Illinois to six points over the next six minutes. With five and a half minutes remaining in the first half, Penn State held a nine point lead.

Then, it was Illinois’ turn to make their run.

Penn State was held to two points for the remainder of the first half. The Illini cut the lead to 31-30 at halftime.

The second half had the makings of an all-time Big Ten Tournament game.

Two minutes in, it was tied 34-34 and it was game on from there. The second half saw 12 lead changes and four ties.

Penn State looked like they were in big trouble at times. Playing in front of a pro-Illinois crowd in Chicago, the stadium erupted when the Illini took a 40-46 lead at the 14:18 mark.

It was all grit from the Nittany Lions as they battled back. [autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag], who had a quiet scoring night, finished their 7-0 run to put Penn State back up 47-46.

From that point, it was a back and forth affair. Each team took the lead and then gave it up the next possession.

At the 6:30 mark, Pickett made a layup that put Penn State up for good. They never relinquished the lead for the rest of the game.

There was just enough separation that kept Illinois at arms length. This was punctuated by [autotag]Andrew Funk[/autotag]’s dagger three to put Penn State up eight with just under four minutes remaining.

Funk was sensational. He was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points, 18 of them coming from his six three-pointers.

In a night that Pickett was quiet scoring the ball, seniors [autotag]Camren Wynter[/autotag] and [autotag]Seth Lundy[/autotag] stepped up scoring 18 and 17 points respectively. Lundy finished with a double-double adding 10 rebounds.

Down the stretch, Penn State made things interesting when they couldn’t quite completely shut the door by missing multiple three throws.

But what’s a Penn State basketball game without some drama?

Illinois clawed their way back into the game, but their effort came up just short. Senior guard [autotag]Terrence Shannon Jr.[/autotag] was the Illini’s leading scorer with 19 points. Junior forward [autotag]Coleman Hawkins[/autotag] was a problem for Penn State all night and finished the game with 17 points.

This was a huge win for the Nittany Lions. It all but assures they’ve punched their ticket into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years.

But this team isn’t thinking about that right now.

They are still playing in the Big Ten Tournament and face a Northwestern team on Friday that they just beat.

That game is expected to tip off at 6:30 pm ET on Big Ten Network.

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Penn State, Jalen Pickett crush Illinois to stop losing streak

Jalen Pickett went off on Illinois to snap Penn State basketball’s losing streak.

Penn State’s offense was on full display at The Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday night. They used their hot shooting night to beat Illinois 93-81.

This victory put a stop to the four-game losing streak Penn State had coming into the evening. The story of the game was [autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag].

After the loss to Maryland over the weekend, coach [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] put the spotlight on Pickett.

Frustrated with the lack of foul calls Pickett has been receiving, Shrewsberry said, “That kid is one of the best players in our league. He’s being treated unfairly.”

Pickett was red-hot in the first half. He looked to attack and get himself involved in the offense early.

He finished the first half with 24 points, shooting 10 of 12 from the floor and 4 of 6 from three.

Pickett also scored his 2,000th career point in the first half after hitting a three. This is a major milestone for the senior guard who is in his second season at Penn State.

The rest of the team followed their senior guard’s performance. Penn State shot 56% in the first half from both the field and three-point land.

After trailing at halftime in all four of their previous games, the Nittany Lions took a 53-40 lead into the locker room.

The hot shooting continued for Penn State.

Pickett finished with 41 points, shooting 15-20 from the field and 5-9 from three. This set the Bryce Jordan Center record for most points scored in a single game.

He also became the third men’s player to score 40 points in a game for Penn State, joining Gene Harris and Jesse Arnelle.

Guard [autotag]Seth Lundy[/autotag] added 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman guard [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] continued his run of good play adding 12 points on 50% shooting.

The team finished the game shooting 57.9% from the field and 42.9% from three point range.

This was the response they needed at home, hosting Illinois who came into the game 8-2 in their last 10 games.

Senior guard [autotag]Terrence Shannon Jr.[/autotag] was the game’s second leading scorer with 20 points. The Illini also had four others in double digits, including starting forwards [autotag]Coleman Hawkins[/autotag] with 12 points, [autotag]Matthew Mayer[/autotag] with 11 points and guard [autotag]Jayden Epps[/autotag] with 12 points.

Penn State goes on the road for their next game. They will face Minnesota, Saturday night at 9 pm eastern on Big Ten Network.

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NBA draft stock watch: 12 prospects who are skyrocketing after first weekend of March Madness

Every year during March Madness, there are players who are able to step up on the biggest stage and perform well under the brightest lights.

Every year during March Madness, there are players who are able to step up on the biggest stage and perform well under the brightest lights.

Evaluators rely on a much wider sample size than just the small amount of time players get to perform during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. However, playing well in high-pressure environments doesn’t hurt your odds of getting drafted.

With that in mind, we surveyed the field to get a sense of some players who have been able to use their time in the tournament to improve their NBA draft stock.

This is not the only way to get noticed and earn a spot on a professional roster, of course, but it can help make a case for why one player may be a more enticing fit than another.