The Big Ten is making their case for the best basketball conference, as they bragged five teams in the Monday’s AP Top 25 poll with four more teams receiving votes. Michigan and Michigan State have set themselves apart with perfect conference records. Maryland has quietly posted a 6-1 conference record before the conference becomes a mess with seven teams within two games of each other. As conference play continues, the standings will surely sort themselves out, but one thing looks to remain constant: Michigan and Michigan State will be the teams to beat for the rest of the season in the Big Ten.
Games of the Week
#1 #19 Maryland @ #6 Michigan State (6:30 ET. FS1)
Monday January 21
Players to Watch:
Maryland: Anthony Cowan Jr. (17.8 PPG.), Bruno Fernando (14.6 PPG, 9.9 RPG.)
Michigan State: Cassisus Winston (17.7 PPG), Nick Ward (16.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG.)
Tom Izzo was not pleased with his team’s performance Sunday against Penn State, and the Spartans will surely need their best performance to avoid an upset against one of the hotter teams in the Big Ten. The Terrapins are led by Junior guard Anthony Cowan Jr., who is sixth in the league in scoring at 17.8 PPG. The more intriguing matchup may be inside, as one of the league’s best post players in Bruno Fernando will face 6’8 245 pound Nick Ward. I see this game going down to the wire, but the Spartans have home court advantage which I think will put them ahead at the end.
Michigan State 80 Maryland 74
#2 #6 Michigan State @ Nebraska (8:00 ET. FS1)
Thursday January 17
Players to Watch:
Michigan State: Cassisus Winston (17.7 PPG), Nick Ward (16.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG.)
Nebraska: James Palmer Jr. (19.0 PPG.), Isaac Copeland (14.3 PPG.)
The Spartans found their way in both of my Games of the Week, and they will head to Lincoln where the Cornhuskers have won 20 straight in their home arena. Nebraska is coming off an impressive 66-51 victory over #25 Indiana at Assembly Hall where the Huskers led from start to finish. The key will be if Nebraska can keep Nick Ward and the Spartans off of the offensive boards. Against Penn State, the Huskers gave up 21 offensive rebounds, and the Spartans average just under 12 offensive rebounds a game. Isaac Copeland is a large part to the Huskers success. James Palmer Jr. and Glynn Watson have been consistent all year, but Copeland has been up and down, and Nebraska will need him if they look to pull the upset. The Huskers are riding high off of their win in Bloomington and could score their biggest win of the year Thursday night.
Nebraska 72 Michigan State 68
Team of the Week: Maryland.
The Terrapins scored three wins over Minnesota, Indiana and Michigan to separate themselves from the middle of the Big Ten. The Big Ten gauntlet will continue for Maryland, as they will have a chance to prove themselves as one of the best in the league when they travel to Ohio State and Michigan State this week.
Player of the Week: Anthony Cowan Jr. (Maryland)
Cowan Jr. was just 4-14 from the field in their win on the road in Wisconsin, but he went 11-13 from the free throw line and also hit the go ahead three for the Terrapins with 44 seconds remaining in their win over Wisconsin. Cowan Jr. also posted 24 points in their win against Indiana and 27 against Minnesota.
Sleeper team: Rutgers
Watch out for Rutgers this week. They proved tough last week when they defeated Ohio State at home, and they get Northwestern and Nebraska at home and could begin to climb their way up the standings.
My Power Rankings.
- Michigan
- Michigan State
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Purdue
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- Wisconsin
- Indiana
- Ohio State
- Rutgers
- Northwestern
- Penn State
- Illinois