Big Ten Basketball Weekend Rundown: The Elite Keep Winning with One Exception

The Big Ten has six teams ranked this week, just like last week. Michigan State is up four spots to No. 12, Oregon is up two spots to No. 13, and Purdue is up three spots to No. 17. Illinois was the biggest dropper of the week in the Bg Ten with a decline of six spots to No. 19. We will get into why the Fighting Illini dropped later. Michigan is on the rise, up four spots to No. 20, and Wisconsin enters the poll at No. 24 after being unranked last week.

Now, let's look at the results from this past weekend (rankings are from when the games were played).

Friday's results:
Wisconsin 80, Minnesota 59

Steven Crowl scored 18 points as Wisconsin defeated Minnesota 80-59, marking their fourth straight win. Kamari McGee chipped in with 15 points, including three makes from beyond the arc, and added three steals. Wisconsin extended their dominance over Minnesota, winning their eighth consecutive matchup and 17th out of the last 19.

Despite an early second-half lead by Minnesota, Wisconsin responded with a pivotal 13-2 run. Later, a 22-3 surge, highlighted by consecutive 3-pointers from Markus Ilver, sealed the game. Minnesota is now 0-5 in conference play, their worst start since the 2015-16 season.

Maryland 79, No. 22 UCLA 61

Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 27 points to lead Maryland to a 79-61 victory over No. 22 UCLA, highlighted by the ejection of Bruins coach Mick Cronin with 5:11 left in the game. UCLA suffered its third consecutive loss, following a 19-point defeat to Michigan, after which Cronin criticized his team’s toughness.

Cronin's frustration peaked when Maryland, leading by nine, drew two quick technical fouls on him. Gillespie capitalized by sinking four free throws, and Julian Reese added a layup, extending the lead to 66-51. Reese finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Tyler Bilodeau led UCLA with 18 points.

Saturday's results:
USC 82, No. 13 Illinois 72

Illinois was the most disappointing team of the weekend in the Big Ten. Desmond Claude scored a season-high 31 points to lead USC to an 82-72 victory over the No. 13 Fighting Illini. Wesley Yates III added 15 points, shooting an impressive 7 of 8 from the field, while Rashaun Agee contributed 13 points and eight rebounds for the Trojans.

llinois saw its five-game winning streak snapped, with Ben Humrichous scoring 15 points and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Tre White adding 11 each. The Illini struggled offensively without their leading scorer Kasparas Jakucionis, missing his second straight game due to injury. A crucial 13-3 run late in the game helped USC secure the win.

Iowa 85, Indiana 60

Payton Sandfort erupted in the second half, scoring 21 of his 23 points, to power Iowa to an 85-60 victory over Indiana. After a quiet first half, Sandfort came alive, sinking 7 of 9 shots, including four from beyond the arc. Owen Freeman and Brock Harding both delivered double-doubles, with Freeman posting 16 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks, while Harding added 10 points and 10 assists.

Drew Thelwell and Josh Dix chipped in 12 points each for Iowa. Indiana saw their five-game win streak end, despite 12 points and five assists from Myles Rice and a double-double from Oumar Ballo with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Iowa built a 43-33 lead by halftime and never looked back, with Sandfort’s three-point shooting helping to stretch the lead to 30 points late in the game.

Sunday's results:
No. 15 Oregon 82, Penn State 81

Jackson Shelstad scored 17 points, leading Oregon to a narrow 82-81 victory over Penn State. Keeshawn Barthelemy added 15 points, while Jadrian Tracey contributed 13, helping the Ducks rally after trailing much of the second half. Nate Bittle, TJ Bamba, and Kwame Evans Jr. also scored in double figures.

Shelstad’s midrange jumper with 47 seconds left gave Oregon a crucial two-point lead, and Tracey sealed the win with two late free throws. Freddie Dilione V set a career-high with 21 points for Penn State, who struggled without injured star Ace Baldwin Jr., extending their losing streak to three games. Despite a rocky start after halftime, Oregon found key baskets down the stretch to secure the win.

No. 20 Purdue 104, Nebraska 68

The Cornhuskers got absolutely embarrassed by the Boilermakers. C.J. Cox scored a career-best 23 points, and Fletcher Loyer added 19 as No. 20 Purdue cruised to a 104-68 victory over Nebraska. Cox, who had been averaging 5.4 points, delivered an efficient performance, hitting 9 of 11 shots and 5 of 7 from three-point range. Loyer was also sharp from beyond the arc, making 5 of 6 attempts.

The Boilermakers were hot from three, finishing 19 of 33. Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed 15 points, most of which came in the first half, while Myles Colvin chipped in 14. Braden Smith dished out a team-high 14 assists. Purdue's dominant rebounding and points off turnovers helped extend their winning streak, with a decisive 14-0 run early in the game establishing a lead Nebraska couldn’t overcome.

No. 16 Michigan State 78, Northwestern 68

Jaden Akins led No. 16 Michigan State with 14 points as they defeated Northwestern 78-68, extending their winning streak to nine games. The Spartans closed the first half with a decisive 33-12 run, entering halftime with a commanding 47-28 lead.

Jase Richardson added 13 points, while Jeremy Fears Jr. contributed 12 points and eight assists. Michigan State’s six dunks in the first half energized the crowd, which appeared to have a strong contingent of Spartans fans. Nick Martinelli scored 27 points for Northwestern (10-6, 1-4), and Jalen Leach added 17, but the Wildcats couldn’t overcome the deficit, suffering their first home loss and third straight defeat overall.

No. 24 Michigan 91, Washington 75

Vladislav Goldin scored 19 points, leading No. 24 Michigan to a 91-75 victory over Washington. Roddy Gayle Jr. contributed 15 points in his return after missing a game with a knee injury. After Washington took an early 5-4 lead, Tre Donaldson’s layup gave Michigan the lead, which they never relinquished, eventually stretching their advantage to 19 points in the second half.

Great Osobor paced Washington with 23 points, including 16 in the first half, while Zoom Diallo and Mekhi Mason each scored 13. The Huskies remained winless on the road this season, falling to 0-4. Meanwhile, Michigan remained unbeaten at home, improving to 9-0, and secured their first five-game Big Ten win streak since the 2020-21 season.

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