Around the Big Ten Basketball: Jan. 20
It was another chaotic week for Big Ten basketball. Here is what went down this past week in one of the most competitive conferences in college basketball.
Let's start with one of the two currently ranked teams in the Big Ten, No. 3 Purdue.
The Boilermakers took care of business at home on Friday as they defeated Nebraska 73-55 thanks to true freshman Fletcher Loyer scoring a career-high 27 points.
Purdue then narrowly escaped East Lansing on Monday as it took a Zach Edey layup with three seconds left to beat the Spartans 64-63. Edey finished the game with 32 points and 17 rebounds as he makes a solid case to be named this year's Wooden Award winner.
The Boilermakers had a much easier time in Minneapolis as they destroyed the last-place Golden Gophers 61-39, giving Purdue (18-1) their best start in program history.
The other, No. 23 Rutgers, struggled this past week. On Sunday, the Scarlet Knights required overtime to avoid an upset by Ohio State in Jersey Mike Arena. Before falling on Thursday to the Spartans 70-57.
The Indiana Hoosiers bounced back nicely after they fell on the road to Penn State 85-66. However, since that loss, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Indianna have flipped a switch.
The Hoosiers, led by a double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds) from Jackson-Davis, upset at the time No. 18 Wisconsin 63-45 in Bloomington on Saturday.
On Thursday, Indiana traveled to Illinois and defeated the Fighting Illini 80-65. Jackson-Davis was on fire offensively, scoring a season-high 35 points while shooting 78.9 percent from the field.
Despite losing their ranking, the Badgers returned to the win column on Tuesday as they beat the Nittany Lions 63-60 in Madison.
Wisconsin took a three-point lead with seven seconds left after Chucky Hepburn made two free throws. Andrew Funk had a chance to send the game to overtime, but his 3-point attempt rattled out.
After a non-conference loss to Eastern Illinois and two conference losses to Nebraska and Penn State, the 8-6 Iowa Hawkeyes looked in trouble, but since that four-point loss to the Nittany Lions, the Hawkeyes have taken flight.
After wins over at the time No.15 Indiana, Rutgers and Michigan, Iowa extended its win streak to four on Sunday when they beat Maryland 81-67. Tony Perkins scored a career-high 23 points, while Kris Murray, who has continued to make massive leaps in his junior year, scored 19.
The Hawkeyes were supposed to face off against Northwestern on Wednesday, but that game was postponed due to Covid-19 protocols and has yet to be rescheduled.
With conference play in full swing and tournament season rapidly approaching, look for this incredibly close conference to come down to the wire, with close games being almost a daily occurrence.
Ben Palillo is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email bgp5079@psu.edu.
