Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The Big Ten had a great slate of games on Thursday night, featuring four games and four top 10 teams in action. Michigan hosted Iowa in a top 10 matchup, Nebraska traveled to face Illinois, Michigan State hosted Ohio State, and Minnesota and Northwestern faced off.
Let’s take a look at what happened.
Game of the Night:
With Iowa’s recent uptick on defense, it felt like this could be quite a battle on Thursday night. And while the first half was competitive, Michigan ran away with things in the second half thanks to some great play from Hunter Dickinson and Franz Wagner. Michigan’s defense also had quite a showing, holding a loaded Iowa offense to 57 points. Luka Garza was also held to just 16 points and an 83 offensive rating.
Can Tom Izzo and Michigan State Keep Their NCAA Tournament Appearance Streak Alive? club937.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from club937.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Illini lost their focus
Share this story
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Between Hack-a-Kofi and Co., forcing Ayo to his left, and intimidating Illinois into missing 20 layups, Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans shut down Illinois’s high-powered offense on Tuesday. Sure, it’s okay to have a clunker now and then. But the issue on Tuesday, aside from MSU potentially seriously injuring Illinois’s two best players, was a lack of focus. Missing as many layups and free throws as they did is unacceptable for any team, let alone one that wants to win the Big Ten title.