Big Ten Basketball Weekly Review

The Big Ten is one of the most fiercely competed Conferences in College Basketball, every year there are multiple teams representing the Conference in March Madness keeping the Conference’s history of excellence. This article will give a weekly roundup of all the action and major stories surrounding the Big Ten Conference on a week-by-week basis.

Standings- Michigan State stays top of the Conference with three wins this week; they remain unbeaten and are looking more and more like becoming one of the teams to beat in the upcoming NCAA tournament. Wisconsin holds a clear second with a 6-2 record despite a slightly surprising loss to Ohio State. Purdue, Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, Minnesota and Michigan are all tightly packed in with either a 4-3 or 3-4 record. The Big Ten Conference couldn’t be tighter; teams can advance or fall several places based on just one result. Penn State sits on the bottom of the Conference as they are still winless in seven Big Ten games.

Upset of the Week- The Michigan Wolverines stunned everyone with their 68-63 upset win over Connecticut. There was further testimony to the scale of their achievement when Uconn dealt former #1 ranked Texas their first defeat of the season.

Flattering to Deceive- The Wolverines looked set to break out after two consecutive wins including their impressive upset of the Huskies, but defeats on the road against Wisconsin and Purdue highlighted the gravity of the turnaround that Michigan requires. Manny Harris struggled in the defeat to Wisconsin and further difficulty hit the team when he was suspended for his behaviour during a practice ahead of the Purdue matchup.

Back on the Winning Road- The Purdue Boilermakers secured wins over Illinois and Michigan after losing three straight. Defeats to Wisconsin, Ohio State and Northwestern had left some wondering whether Purdue’s 13-0 start was an apparition, but after this week’s wins, the Boilermakers appear to be back on track. JuJuan Johnson has been crucial to this team bringing an inside presence to a team known better for their excellent guards. Johnson has been on fire over the last two games registering 24 and 21 points respectively, as well as 12 and 7 rebounds.

Week Ahead- Big Ten action continues to heat up over the next seven days as Michigan State and Michigan clash, the Spartans look to stay perfect while the Wolverines need to fight for every single win. Later in the week, two Top 25 ranked teams clash as Wisconsin takes on Purdue, both have enjoyed good form of late, but which of these defenses will triumph in the critical matchup?

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