Here’s the rundown of Friday’s games:
No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Iowa (Noon ET, ESPN) -- The Spartans arrive without the services of Branden Dawson,
who suffered a torn ACL at the end of Sunday’s loss to Ohio State. That
injury could affect the Spartans’ seed. They have to prove that they’re
not a dramatically different team without the talented freshman.
They’re facing an Iowa team that’s been picked as a sleeper by many. The
Hawkeyes finished off a spent Illini team Thursday, but they’ll have a
much tougher test Friday. In their only matchup of the year, Michigan
State beat the Hawkeyes 95-61 on Jan. 10. But the Hawkeyes have been a
better team in recent weeks, proven by February wins over Indiana and
Wisconsin.
No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Indiana (25 min after Michigan State-Iowa, ESPN)
-- The Hoosiers won their first Big Ten tournament game since 2006 when
they beat Penn State in the opening round. But it was bittersweet.
Senior point guard Verdell Jones
suffered a serious knee injury that could end his year. But the
Hoosiers were resilient after Jones went down. That’s a quality that
they’ll need against Wisconsin Friday and during the NCAA tournament.
The Badgers hope to improve their seed in the Big Dance via the
conference tournament. Jordan Taylor
struggled early, but he found a rhythm during Big Ten play. The Badgers
could win this tournament, especially if they play with the same vigor
that led to an upset at Ohio State a few weeks ago. They defeated
Indiana 57-50 on Jan. 26 in their only meeting this season.
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 10 Minnesota (6:30 ET, BTN)
-- Most figured that Northwestern would be involved in this game,
fighting for an at-large bid. But the Gophers beat the Wildcats in
overtime Thursday behind freshman Andre Hollins’ explosive performance (25 points), despite competing without an injured Ralph Sampson III.
Tubby Smith has had success in Indy throughout his tenure. In his first
year with the program, the Gophers upset a nationally-ranked Hoosiers
team in the first round of the 2008 Big Ten tourney. In 2010, they beat
Purdue and Michigan State on their way to the Big Ten tourney title
game. Michigan secured a piece of the Big Ten title with a strong effort
down the stretch. The Wolverines have one of the top young players in
America in freshman Trey Burke,
who earned Big Ten freshman of the year honors from media members.
They’re talented enough to win the Big Ten tournament and to make noise
in the NCAA tourney. The Wolverines beat the Gophers 61-56 in Ann Arbor
on New Year’s Day in their only previous meeting.
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Purdue (25 minutes after Minnesota-Michigan, BTN)
-- The last time these two teams met, it was a war. The Buckeyes earned
the 87-84 victory Feb. 7 in Columbus, which was the only meeting
between the teams this season. William Buford
was a beast in that game, but the Boilermakers held their own. They
advanced to Friday’s matchup with an easy win over Nebraska in the
opening round, when they hit 51 percent of their 3s. They’ll need
similar success from the field against the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes played
like the team most thought they’d be this season during their upset at
Michigan State last Sunday. This is the most talented team in the Big
Ten. If it can just find some poise, the Buckeyes can win the Big Ten
tournament and fulfill their postseason potential.