Big Ten Basketball: Week in Review 03/02/2010

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- It’s impossible to predict a season to the very last. In last week’s weekly review, we observed a Purdue team riding some superb form and seemingly well on the way to a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, the loss of Robbie Hummel to injury dents those chances and even makes a Big Ten title unlikely. The Boilermakers just about held off Minnesota on Tuesday, but suffered a 53-44 loss to Michigan State on Sunday falling into joint second place in the Conference. Ohio State takes the Conference lead after convincing victories over Penn State and Michigan, while Michigan State also stays in the race after their win over Purdue. Wisconsin also still has an unlikely mathematical chance if they win both their remaining games. Illinois fell out of the Conference title race, but must now continue to make a push for an NCAA tournament bid after a disappointing 62-60 defeat to Minnesota on Saturday. The Gophers are also in contention for a bid and strengthened their chances greatly though they will need wins against Michigan and Iowa in their last two games.

Upset of the Week- The week followed the expected trends for the most part, Purdue’s defeat to the Spartans was unsurprising in the wake of Hummel’s injury, while the rest of the big teams were able to win. Penn State once again caused an upset defeating a disappointing Northwestern team 79-60; the Nittany Lions have now won three of their last four, though they have to face Michigan State and Purdue in their last two games. Talor Battle continues to be the team’s talisman; he had 16 points in their most recent upset of the Wildcats.

Bubble Watch- The next week of action matters to two teams inparticular in the Big Ten. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue and Michigan State have all had their NCAA tournament places all but assured over the last few weeks, but Illinois and Minnesota are still battling. The Gophers victory in their recent match up was key to both sides and now leaves the Fighting Illini the unenviable task of having to try and cause an upset when they face Wisconsin and Ohio State in their last two games. Minnesota has a much easier task on paper, though a trip to Michigan could still pose some problems.

Hummel Injured- So much has been said, and so much more will be said about the recent injury to Boilermaker star Robbie Hummel. It will be very interesting to see how the selection committee now deals with Purdue and the Big Ten tournament might well be used to judge. There is no doubt that the Boilermakers will be in the tournament, but it is equally unlikely that they will be given a #1 seed. The question is where will they fall and how can they perform without their best player in the tournament itself?

Conference Race- Purdue plays Indiana and Penn State in the final week, Michigan State tackles Penn State and Michigan, so two victories are expected for the Spartans and Boilermakers. The complicated storyline in the final week of the Big Ten will center around Illinois. Can Ohio State overcome a Fighting Illini team battling for a tournament bid? Can Wisconsin claim victory on the road in Illinois in the last game of the season?

Week Ahead- This is it, the final week of Big Ten regular season basketball action! We will know tonight whether Ohio State is able to claim the regular season title as they host Illinois. If they lose then watch out for a big upset of Michigan State or Purdue and for Wisconsin’s key matchup against Illinois on the league’s final day.

> Find more Big Ten football news online at Big Ten Fans!