Big Ten Basketball

The Iowa Hawkeyes scored a minor upset with a 79-72 victory Friday over the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first round of the 2019 NCAA tournament at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Iowa, the No. 10 seed in the South Region, bounced back after losing six of its final eight games before March Madness to advance. Luka Garza led the charge with 20 points and seven rebounds.

Cincinnati couldn't take advantage of getting a quasi-home game from the selection committee in the opening round. Justin Jenifer scored 19 points to pace the American Athletic Conference tournament champions, but it wasn't enough for the team to avoid an early exit.

Jordan Bohannon Is Hawkeyes' March Madness X-Factor

Bohannon is Iowa's most dangerous outside shooting threat having knocked down 75 threes entering Friday's game, 21 more than anyone else on the team. He didn't have his best shooting day against Cincinnati, making one trey on four attempts, but he still made a major impact.

The junior point guard finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists to help push the Hawkeyes into the second round. His and-1 layup with just over a minute left virtually clinched the win.

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As a whole, the performance showed why Bohannon might hold the key to how far Iowa can go in the NCAA tournament despite being the team's third-leading scorer.

The Iowa native does a little bit of everything for the Hawkeyes. He runs the offense, hits clutch shots, isn't afraid to challenge in the paint for rebounds at both ends and has also improved as a perimeter defender—a key reason Cincy shot just 22.2 percent from three in the contest.

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Bohannon can't do it alone. Garza came up big Friday, and Iowa is going to need better performances from Tyler Cook, who scored just five points after entering with an average of 14.9.

That said, the team's floor general possesses the ability to turn the team's first-round upset into a Cinderella run if he builds off his showing against the Bearcats.

Cincinnati Must Address Depth Issues Before Next Season

You could argue the Bearcats' starting lineup did enough to beat Iowa. Along with Jenifer's 19, Jarron Cumberland added 18 points, while Nysier Brooks, Tre Scott and Keith Williams combined for 25 points while grabbing at least five rebounds each.

The problem for Cincinnati was a lack of contributions from its reserves.

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Cincy's bench chipped in just 10 points compared to 17 from Iowa—the same seven-point difference as the final score—and eight of those came from Cane Broome. The other five players who saw the floor for the No. 7 seed missed all six of their shots from the field and scored two total points.

The Bearcats are set to lose two seniors, Jenifer and Broome, but Friday's loss shows the coaching staff's job goes far beyond merely replacing two key members of the rotation.

Head coach Mick Cronin and Co. must either recruit or develop more players, preferably sharpshooters capable of making an impact in limited minutes, for Cincinnati to take a step forward next season.

Making a deep March Madness run without depth players knocking down big shots is an uphill battle.

What's Next?

Iowa moves on to face either the No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers or No. 15 Colgate Raiders in the South Region's second round Sunday. 

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who had his share of battles with Tom Izzo during his time at Michigan State, wasn't surprised to see his former coach berate freshman forward Aaron Henry during the team's 79-65 win over Bradley on Thursday.

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Izzo was eventually restrained by Cassius Winston and other Michigan State players when Henry had words of his own for the head coach, a scenario Green said he was familiar with:

After the game, Izzo was asked about the confrontation and said he didn't understand why it was a big deal, per Adam Teicher of ESPN.com:

"What's wrong with challenging a kid that makes some mistakes?. Aaron Henry—trust me—did some things that you can't do as a starter on a top-5 team at the end of your freshman year. They were effort-related. I did get after him. He did respond. He did make a couple of big buckets. He did make some big free throws but that's not good enough. It's one-and-done time. The 'my-bads' are out the window."

The entire situation was met with mixed opinions online:

Regardless, the Spartans came away with the win. And based on Green's perspective, it won't be the last fiery exchange between Izzo and one of his players.

Charles Matthews led No. 2 Michigan with 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Wolverines beat No. 15 Montana 74-55 in the first round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

Ignas Brazdeikis posted 14 points and seven rebounds, and Zavier Simpson contributed four points, 10 assists and seven boards.

Sayeed Pridgett scored 17 points on 8-of-16 shooting for the Grizzlies, who fell to Michigan in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the second straight year.

Michigan Needs Best Version of Charles Matthews to Make Deep Run

Matthews played an invaluable role during Michigan's run to the national championship game last season, as he averaged 16.0 points on 53.2 percent shooting during the Wolverines' five wins. Without his fantastic efforts, the Wolverines wouldn't have reached that far.

The same sentiment can be applied to this season: Michigan needs another heroic March from Matthews to make it back to the Final Four. But the gap between Matthews' ceiling and floor is large.

For example, the senior co-captain dropped 21 points and seven rebounds against top-seeded UNC in November. He also posted a 25-point, 10-rebound double-double versus Western Michigan.

However, Matthews has shot just 33.3 percent from the field in his team's six losses this season, and an 8-of-11 effort at Penn State boosts that number. He also made no more than three field goals in a game during a six-contest stretch in mid-winter. Michigan lost two of those six games—both by double digits.

The Wolverines got a glimpse of Matthews' March magic Thursday, however, thanks to 11 points and seven rebounds in the first half alone.

He contributed more than points and boards, as evidenced by this impressive full-court hockey assist:

If Matthews is still bothered by the late-season ankle injury that kept him out for a game, he didn't show it on this play as he ran down the court and finished in the lane with traffic:

Generally speaking, the Wolverines seem to go as Matthews goes. Michigan had no trouble with Montana while the senior co-captain dominated, for example.

The Wolverines will face tougher teams than the Grizzlies down the stretch, but Matthews has proved capable of dominating some of the best competition Division I hoops has to offer.

Another successful postseason could be in the cards for Michigan.

What's Next?

The 29-6 Wolverines will play in Des Moines on Saturday against No. 10 Florida.

The Grizzlies end their season with a 26-9 mark.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo defended himself after cameras showed him yelling at Spartans forward Aaron Henry during the second half of Thursday's win over Bradley in the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament.

During a stoppage in play, Izzo began chastising Henry, so much so that MSU guard Cassius Winston stepped in to hold Izzo back.

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"What's wrong with challenging a kid that makes some mistakes?" Izzo said after the game, per ESPN.com's Adam Teicher. "Aaron Henry—trust me—did some things that you can't do as a starter on a top-five team at the end of your freshman year. They were effort-related."

According to Teicher, Izzo was upset with Henry after he didn't get back on defense quickly enough during a sequence in the second half.

Opinions toward Izzo were mixed on social media after he laid into his player:

The 6'6", 210-pound forward downplayed the significance of Izzo's outburst.

"I've heard worse from him," he said, per Teicher. "I've got it worse in practice before."

The freshman, ranked as a 3-star prospect by 247Sports out of Indianapolis, finished with eight points and three rebounds in 29 minutes on the floor.

The Spartans are acquainted with their opponent in the second round. The 10th-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated the Louisville Cardinals 86-76 to advance out of the first round.

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No. 6 Maryland eked out a 79-77 win over No. 11 Belmont in the first round of the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament Thursday afternoon, and one chaotic sequence illustrated how the day went for the Terrapins.

Up 74-73 with less than two minutes remaining, Maryland sophomore forward Bruno Fernando tried to lay in an easy bucket, but Belmont freshman center Nick Muszynski blocked the shot. Following a scramble for the ball, Maryland sophomore guard Darryl Morsell dished to wide-open freshman forward Jalen Smith for an emphatic jam. 

The dunk gave Maryland breathing room, which became crucial in the eventual win. 

Maryland will face the No. 3 LSU Tigers on Saturday in the second round of the East region.  

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The second-seeded Michigan State Spartans faced a stiff test from the No. 15 Bradley Braves on Thursday in the first round of the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament. 

The stress appeared to get to Spartans head coach Tom Izzo.

Heading into a timeout, Izzo unleashed a verbal barrage at forward Aaron Henry in the second half of his team's 76-65 victory.

The Spartans trailed by one at halftime and shot only 26.3 percent from three-point range on the day. They needed a late burst to put away the Braves in the East Region.

It wasn't the blowout win the Big Ten champions may have been expecting, and Izzo wasn't pleased with his freshman forward.

Henry finished with eight points on 3-of-7 shooting, but he had five turnovers and missed both of his three-point attempts.

Fortunately for Henry, Michigan State advanced and will face the No. 10 seed Minnesota Golden Gophers in the round of 32.

Forty years ago, Magic Johnson captivated the country as his Michigan State team took on Larry Bird's Indiana State squad in the highest-rated college basketball game in history. 

Magic's still a true Spartan to this day.

The Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations told Bleacher Report he's picking Michigan State, North Carolina, Gonzaga and Tennessee to be in the 2019 Final Four. Johnson spoke with B/R as part of Champion's 100-year anniversary campaign and wanted to highlight the strength of teams, which he says have given him the "ability to share diverse thoughts, collaborate with, and support others."

Johnson played at Michigan State from 1977 to 1979, winning the national championship and Final Four Most Outstanding Player in his final season. His rivalry with Bird helped foster the excitement that's created the multibillion-dollar March Madness craze, and the duo went on to have a legendary NBA rivalry that arguably helped save the Association during its darkest days.

"During that time there were only a few stations on TV and one primetime sporting event per day," Johnson said. "I remember the hype around the matchup and how it became Magic versus Bird beyond Michigan State versus Indiana State. Even then, I don't think at the time I could conceptualize how monumental that moment would be because I was only focused on our opponent and one game at a time. It was surreal to be a part of that game and the MSU team. I will always be able to say I beat Larry Bird for an NCAA
national championship."

Johnson's Michigan State team is the No. 2 seed in the East region and will have to get past Duke to make it to Minneapolis. His other slight upset, South region No. 2 seed Tennessee, indicates Johnson doesn't expect Virginia to make a Final Four run to atone for becoming the first No. 1 to lose to a 16 seed last year.

The Indiana Hoosiers will be without their leading scorer for Tuesday's NIT game against the St. Francis Red Flash.

According to Mike Miller of the Herald Times, guard Romeo Langford was in street clothes before the game and will not play. Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star noted he was dealing with a back injury.

It is not unrealistic to think Langford won't play another game in an Indiana uniform after it missed the NCAA tournament and with this injury.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected the freshman as the No. 9 overall pick in his last mock draft and pointed to his ability as a ball-handler in the pick-and-roll and isolation situations.

Langford averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists a night in 32 games this season. While he needs to improve his outside shooting to thrive in the NBA after hitting just 27.2 percent of his three-pointers, his upside as someone who can score attacking the basket and use his physicality in the lane and on the boards at 6'6" stands out.

The Hoosiers are a No. 1 seed in their NIT bracket but may have to go through a combination of Providence, Arkansas, Clemson or Furman to reach the Final Four in Madison Square Garden.

That will be a tall task if Langford is sidelined throughout the tournament.

Former Iowa State Cyclones and Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg is reportedly the frontrunner for the Nebraska Cornhuskers job if current coach Tim Miles is fired, according to Jeff Goodman of Stadium. 

On Friday, Nebraska's athletic director Bill Moos said the school would make its evaluations on the program—which ostensibly includes determining Miles' future—once the season is over, per the Associated Press. The Cornhuskers are set to play in the NIT on Wednesday.

Nebraska—which at one point was ranked No. 24 overall—had a disappointing season, finishing 18-16 and just 6-14 in the Big Ten. In Miles' seven seasons as head coach, the Cornhuskers are just 115-113 and have only reached the NCAA tournament once and NIT twice.

Nebraska did suffer through injuries to players like Isaac Copeland, Thomas Allen and Amir Harris this season, and the argument could be made that the Cornhuskers were snubbed from the tournament last year when they finished 22-11 overall and 13-5 in the Big Ten.

But there's also an argument to be made that Miles earned his place on the hot seat and that a coach like Hoiberg would be a high-profile move for a program that traditionally has taken a backseat to football in Lincoln. 

Miles' players, to his credit, have stood by him:

"You can just look at our play," Isaiah Roby said during the Big Ten tournament, per Brian Hamilton of The Athletic. "I mean, if he wasn't the guy, I think we would've given up on him. And I don't think anybody has given up on him. Everybody in this locker room, we're playing hard for him and we're still accepting his challenges. We only got eight guys, and he's challenging us to win all five games."

His players aren't the only ones who have praised Miles:

Hoiberg arguably would be an upgrade, though. He went 115-56 in five seasons at Iowa State, reaching the NCAA tournament four times. And while his time in Chicago was less successful, he nonetheless brings NBA experience to the position. 

Perhaps Nebraska's two wins in the Big Ten tournament, along with a deep run in the NIT, would be enough to save Miles' job. But if Hoiberg has interest in the program, the Cornhuskers would be justified in exploring that option.

The sixth-ranked Michigan State Spartans made one final effort to show the NCAA tournament selection committee why they deserve a No. 1 seed with a 65-60 victory over the rival Michigan Wolverines in the 2019 Big Ten men's basketball tournament championship game Sunday at the United Center in Chicago.

Michigan State, which is one of approximately five teams fighting for likely two available No. 1 spots, was led offensively by Matt McQuaid with 27 points. At worst, the Spartans' win should guarantee them no worse than a second seed in the Big Dance.

Meanwhile, Michigan has also earned a high March Madness seed despite Sunday's loss. Ignas Brazdeikis scored 19 points to pace the Wolverines, who should be on the two or three line when the bracket is released later Sunday.

Matt McQuaid Proves He's X-Factor for Michigan State

When Michigan State lost Joshua Langford to a season-ending foot injury midway through the year, it became clear the Spartans needed a new third weapon alongside Cassius Winston and Nick Ward.

McQuaid has flashed the ability to become that player, but his lack of consistency raised questions about whether he could be counted on in March. He provided the answer Sunday by connecting on seven of his 13 three-point attempts en route to a game-high 27 points.

The Spartans are going to need more performances like that from the senior guard if they are going to add a national championship to their trophy case alongside the Big Ten title.

He only topped 20 points one other time so far this season, a 22-point outing against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on March 5, but he's reached double figures seven times in the team's past 11 games. That's a promising sign after he scored more than 12 points just one time in his first 20 appearances.

Michigan State will be one of the most well-balanced teams in the tournament. They have proved capable of winning games at both ends of the floor despite the loss of Langford, and their performance to win the Big Ten tourney shows they can handle the pressure.

A hot-shooting McQuaid could be the element that pushes the Spartans over the top in the Big Dance.

Michigan Can Ride Stout Defense to Final Four

Michigan's offense can go through some extended droughts, as it did during the second half Sunday to allow the Michigan State comeback, but its defense is the foundation for March success.

The Wolverines held the Spartans, owners of the 13th-best shooting percentage in the country, to 40 percent shooting in the Big Ten final. The number was actually in the low 30s for most of the contest before MSU made its late surge.

Michigan came into the day leading the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. That ability to put the clamps down on an opponent paired with the team's slow tempo really puts pressure on opponents every possession.

The question for the Big Ten runners-up will be whether they can hit enough clutch shots to support that elite defense.

Brazdeikis, the Wolverines' leading scorer at 14.9 points per game, led the charge again Sunday with 19 points on the strength of four three-pointers. His ability to score from anywhere makes him a serious matchup problem, but no one else on the roster is the same type of consistent threat.

Isaiah Livers is a name to watch in the Big Dance, especially in games where Jordan Poole or Charles Matthews is having an off shooting night while trying to support Brazdeikis. The sophomore forward's ability to knock down threes off the bench will take on additional importance in the weeks ahead.

All told, the Michigan offense runs hot and cold, but the defense will be a challenge for any opponent and should ensure a long March Madness stay.

What's Next?

Both teams now await their first matchup of the NCAA tournament. They will each be a heavy favorite in the first round regardless of who's announced as their opponent during the selection show at 6 p.m. ET on CBS.