When things slow down in college basketball, that’s when teams are able to make the biggest statements.
Five of the eight teams listed below only played one game last calendar week. That includes the four teams projected to have the highest seeds in the Big Ten. That means every game seemed to mean more, and the teams that did have multiple chances to prove themselves got even more attention than normal.
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Oh yeah, and one of those games happened to feature a little bit of history for one of the greatest college basketball players ever. Here’s a roundup of where the Big Ten stands from an NCAA Tournament projection standpoint:
Ohio State: 1-seed
Games this week: at Penn State on Thu., vs. Maryland on Sun.
Of the teams that only played one game last week, the Buckeyes had the most impressive win. Dismantling a Nebraska team that is in good position to make the tournament is par for the course for this Ohio State team at this point. At No. 2 in the country, the Buckeyes are firmly one of the favorites to take home the national title.
Iowa: 2-seed
Games this upcoming week: at Indiana on Thu. (Peacock), vs. Illinois on Sun.
Do you think Caitlin Clark was a little irritated by that loss to Nebraska? The Hawkeyes’ star wasted no time against Michigan, scoring the eight points she needed to become the all-time NCAA Division I women’s scoring leader in the first two minutes against Michigan, part of a 23-point first quarter. Iowa remains No. 4 in the country, and while it has some questions to answer about its defense, it’s hard to bet against the best player in college basketball.
Indiana: 4-seed
Games this week: vs. Iowa on Thu. (Peacock)
Something has felt a little off with the Hoosiers for a while now, and it all came to a head Monday. Losing to Iowa and Ohio State is one thing; getting blown out at Illinois, which is not on this list, is another thing entirely. This is not the same caliber of team as the one that entered last season’s Big Ten Tournament as the No. 1 seed, and this certainly won’t challenge Ohio State and Iowa for the conference title.
Michigan State: 7-seed
Games this week: at Purdue on Wed., vs. Rutgers on Sat.
Going to your biggest rival’s home turf and coming out with a victory is a tall task no matter what, but even more so when that opponent is fighting for its NCAA Tournament life every game. The Spartans rebounded nicely from the losing streak caused by playing Indiana and Ohio State in back-to-back games and should be favored in their four remaining regular season games.
Nebraska: 8-seed
Games this week: vs. Northwestern on Tue., vs. Michigan on Sat.
The Cornhuskers lost to the second-best team in the nation and beat a mediocre Purdue squad, so they didn’t do anything to move either way on this list. Alexis Markowski is playing about as well as any big in the country, as she was one rebound against Michigan and one point against Ohio State from going for a double-double in four straight games.
Penn State: 10-seed
Games this week: vs. Ohio State on Thu.
The Nittany Lions are grasping for a lifeline at this point in the season. Two losses by 15 vs. Illinois and at Maryland have them searching for answers. It will have to start on the defensive end if Penn State wishes to fulfill the NCAA Tournament promise this season seemed to have.
Maryland: 11-seed
Games this week: vs. Rutgers on Wed., at Ohio State on Sun.
If Ohio State had the most impressive victory of the single-game teams last week, Maryland wasn’t far behind with its 77-62 drubbing of Penn State on Sunday. The Terrapins followed their four-game losing streak with three straight wins, and defense has been the main reason: They’re allowing just 58 points per game over the three wins.
Michigan: 11-seed (First Four)
Games this week: at Northwestern on Sat.
The Wolverines put in a valiant effort to hang around at Iowa despite the madness that accompanied the Caitlin Clark show. They just couldn’t spin that momentum into a home win over Michigan State, which feels like a real missed opportunity for a statement win. Their last chance at one comes next Wednesday at Ohio State.
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