Big Ten Basketball

It's clear which three college basketball teams are the best in the Big Ten Conference this season. However, there is still much to be decided in terms of the seedings for the upcoming conference tournament.

For the fourth consecutive season, the Big Ten tournament will be played in a different location, with this year's event taking place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, from March 13-17.

Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State are all atop the Big Ten standings with 15-4 conference records, with one conference game remaining on each team's schedule. The Wolverines have won the conference tournament each of the past two seasons.

Purdue has reached the Big Ten tournament championship game two of the past three seasons, but it hasn't won the tourney since 2009. Michigan State has won the tournament three times since 2012, with its last championship coming in 2016.

          

Big 10 Tournament Schedule

All times ET

Wednesday, March 13

No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed (6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) 

No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed (9 p.m., Big Ten Network) 

                 

Thursday, March 14

No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed (12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) 

No. 5 seed vs. Winner of No. 12 vs. No. 13 (25 minutes after end of previous game, Big Ten Network) 

No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed (7 p.m., Big Ten Network) 

No. 6 seed vs. Winner of No. 11 vs. No. 14 (25 minutes after end of previous game, Big Ten Network) 

                   

Friday, March 15

No. 1 seed vs. Winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9 (12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) 

No. 4 seed vs. Winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12/No. 13 (25 minutes after end of previous game, Big Ten Network)

No. 2 seed vs. Winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10 (7 p.m., Big Ten Network) 

No. 3 seed vs. Winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11/No. 14 (25 minutes after end of previous game, Big Ten Network) 

                   

Saturday, March 16

Semifinal No. 1 (1 p.m., CBS) 

Semifinal No. 2 (3:30 p.m., CBS) 

                    

Sunday, March 17 

Championship (3:30 p.m., CBS)

          

Bracket Predictions

1. Michigan

2. Purdue

3. Michigan State

4. Wisconsin

5. Maryland

6. Iowa

7. Minnesota

8. Ohio State

9. Indiana

10. Illinois

11. Rutgers

12. Penn State

13. Nebraska

14. Northwestern

Purdue could have locked up the No. 1 seed with wins in its last two games of the regular season, but the Boilermakers lost at Minnesota on Tuesday. However, they can't secure the top seed if they're in a tie with either Michigan or Michigan State, which is now guaranteed with the Wolverines and Spartans going head to head on Saturday.

Michigan lost at Michigan State on Feb. 24, so now it'll be time for the Wolverines to even the season series against the Spartans in Ann Arbor. Michigan will secure the No. 1 seed, while Michigan State will slot in at No. 3 after Purdue wins its final regular-season game against Northwestern on Saturday.

Wisconsin can secure the No. 4 seed with victories over Iowa (at home on Thursday) and Ohio State (on the road on Saturday), or a triumph in one of those games and a Maryland loss to Minnesota on Friday.

Expect the Badgers to clinch the double bye with a win over the Hawkeyes and a Terrapins loss to the Golden Gophers. That will also secure the No. 7 seed for Minnesota, slotted in behind Iowa, which will clinch the No. 6 seed with a victory over Nebraska on Sunday.

The bottom of the Big Ten standings is crowded, with the teams in eighth and 12th separated by two wins entering Thursday.

One potential team that could move up is Indiana, which can clinch a single bye with wins over Illinois and Rutgers, two of the other schools in this crowded portion of the conference standings.

The Hoosiers will pull off both victories—coming off the momentum of consecutive wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State—and move up to No. 9 behind Ohio State, which will secure its No. 8 seed with an upset win over Wisconsin at home on Sunday.

          

Final Prediction

Although Michigan will beat Michigan State to secure the top seed, the Wolverines won't be able to get past the Spartans again to win their third straight Big Ten tournament.

The two rivals will meet in the finals on a neutral court in Chicago, and the Spartans will win the conference championship in their rubber match against the Wolverines.

The Big Ten tournament moves back to the midwest in 2019 after two seasons on the East coast of the United States. 

The 2019 conference tournament takes place at the United Center in Chicago, which is the fourth different location for the competition in four years. 

Michigan enters as the two-time defending champion after wins in Washington, D.C. and New York City, but the Wolverines won't be the only favorite to win the conference crown.

Purdue and Michigan State have been neck-and-neck with Michigan atop the Big Ten regular-season standings and are expected to contend for the title, as well as a few upset-minded teams. 

                                        

Big 10 Tournament Schedule

All Times ET. 

Wednesday, March 13

No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed (6:30 p.m., BTN) 

No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed (9 p.m., BTN) 

                 

Thursday, March 14

No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed (12:30 p.m., BTN) 

No. 5 seed vs. Winner of No. 12 vs. No. 13 (25 minutes after end of previous game, BTN) 

No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed (7 p.m., BTN) 

No. 6 seed vs. Winner of No. 11 vs. No. 14 (25 minutes after end of previous game, BTN) 

                   

Friday, March 15

No. 1 seed vs. Winner of No. 8 vs. No. 9 (12:30 p.m., BTN) 

No. 4 seed vs. Winner of No. 5 vs. No. 12/No. 13 (25 minutes after end of previous game, BTN)

No. 2 seed vs. Winner of No. 7 vs. No. 10 (7 p.m., BTN) 

No. 3 seed vs. Winner of No. 6 vs. No. 11/No. 14 (25 minutes after end of previous game, BTN) 

                   

Saturday, March 16

Semifinal No. 1 (1 p.m., CBS) 

Semifinal No. 2 (3:30 p.m., CBS) 

                    

Sunday, March 17 

Championship (3:30 p.m., CBS) 

                        

Bracket Predictions

1. Purdue

2. Michigan State

3. Michigan 

4. Wisconsin

5. Maryland

6. Iowa

7. Ohio State

8. Minnesota

9. Indiana

10. Rutgers

11. Illinois

12. Nebraska

13. Penn State

14. Northwestern 

                 

Barring a setback in its final two regular-season games against Minnesota and Northwestern, Purdue should secure the No. 1 seed for the Big Ten tournament. 

The winner of Saturday's Michigan State-Michigan clash should slide into the No. 2 seed, with the loser owning the No. 3 seed. 

Beneath the top tier of Big Ten teams are Wisconsin, Maryland and Iowa, all of whom are capable of making deep conference tournament runs. 

Then it gets a bit sketchy, as seeds No. 7-No. 13 could be handed out in a few different orders. 

Keep an eye on Indiana, who beat Wisconsin and Michigan State a week ago, as the lower seed capable of pulling off a Cinderella run in Chicago.

The Hoosiers are one of a few Big Ten teams in need of conference tournament victories to secure their places in the NCAA tournament. 

With desperation seeping in for a few teams, the first few rounds of the Big Ten tournament could be chaotic. 

While we could see a lower seed achieve success like Michigan in 2017 and Penn State in 2018, it's hard for any team to win four games in four days. 

The Carsen Edwards-led Boilermakers have 13 wins in their last 14 games and look like the most consistent team in the Big Ten, but the No. 1 seed hasn't qualified for the Big Ten tournament final since 2015. 

Michigan is going to be seen as a favorite to win in Chicago based on its recent success in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. 

The Wolverines have proved they have what it takes to win in March under John Beilein, and they have a well-rounded offense that could give any opponent trouble. 

Michigan State will beat Michigan in the regular-season finale, but taking down the Wolverines a week later on a neutral court won't be easy.

With the Wolverines enacting revenge on the Spartans through Charles Matthews, Jordan Poole and Ignas Brazdeikis, they'll set up a final against Purdue, who survives a semifinal test from Wisconsin.

While the Boilermakers are one of the best teams in the nation, they won't be able to handle the Wolverines, who take their third straight Big Ten tournament. 

Prediction: Michigan over Purdue.

                        

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

Michigan's Big Ten regular-season title hopes aren't dead yet.

The Wolverines beat the Maryland Terrapins on Sunday 69-62 behind 21 points and seven rebounds from Ignas Brazdeikis. Zavier Simpson added 12 points—on a number of improbable and entertaining driving hook shots—and 10 assists, while Jon Teske provided a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks).

Bruno Fernando (12 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks) led the way for Maryland, while top scorer Anthony Cowan Jr. was largely invisible for much of the game, scoring 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting from the field, though he found his rhythm late in the game. It was too little, too late for the Terps, however.

With the victory, Michigan moved to 26-4 on the season and currently sits in second place in the Big Ten, while Maryland is now 21-9 and fifth in the conference. Everybody is chasing Purdue (22-7, 15-3 in the conference), which holds a half-game lead on Michigan.

Both the Wolverines and Terps are locks for the NCAA tournament, so the result didn't change much outside of some potential seeding down the road. But as the Big Ten season winds to a close, Sunday's victory will have reverberations around the league.

                

Michigan's Defense Still Capable of Carrying Team to a Conference Title

Sunday's game wasn't pretty. Frankly, much of the game was a defensive grind and the sort of aesthetically unappealing contest that Big Ten junkies love and fans of free-flowing, high-scoring basketball lament.

And that's precisely the type of game Michigan is so good at winning, and the style and swagger—as featured by Brazdeikis—the team will need to rely on in the quest for a conference title.

Maryland fans chant "You are ugly" at Ignas Brazdeikis during two FTs.

He backpedals down-floor after making both, pointing to his ears and giving a wave to the crowd.

The PA announcer asks the UMD students not to do that chant. #collegehoops

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) March 3, 2019

Brazdeikis out here blowing kisses and flexing. He's played all but 1 minute today and has had quite the discourse with Maryland's entire student body.

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) March 3, 2019

Michigan doesn't control its own destiny in the race for a regular-season title. If Purdue wins its next two games, the title goes to the Boilermakers. But come the Big Ten tournament, Michigan will have the chance to grind out wins. And given that the Wolverines have won the last two, they'll arguably be the favorites.

March is usually John Beilein's month and that means that he's playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. Michigan wins at Maryland without Charles Matthews.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 3, 2019

How they fare against Michigan State on Saturday will be an important measuring stick. In the first meeting, Michigan State locked down defensively, stifling driving lanes and forcing Michigan to settle for contested perimeter looks. Michigan's excellent defense couldn't slow down Cassius Winston, meanwhile, who went for 27 points.

That game exposed Michigan's main weakness, a lack of a dynamic, elite scorer, a weakness that limits the team's upside in the NCAA tournament. But it may play less of a factor in a Big Ten tournament that doesn't feature another truly elite team.

The Spartans are the best of the bunch, but Michigan will have the chance to take them down a notch in a week. Purdue, Maryland, Wisconsin and Iowa are solid teams, no doubt, but aren't in the conversation for a national title (barring some unforeseen and miraculous run). Michigan can still grind out a conference title.

The Wolverines proved that much Sunday, especially considering the win came on the road and without third-leading scorer Charles Matthews. It helps when players like Brazdeikis, Teske and Simpson are all excellent or when all five starters score double-digit points.

Michigan's ceiling is dictated by its offense. But its floor is incredibly high because of that defense. In the Big Ten, that floor is still good enough to win a third straight Big Ten tournament championship.

                              

Maryland Can't Survive in March if Anthony Cowan Jr. Goes Cold

Cowan is Maryland's leading scorer and its best playmaker, but when he doesn't perform, Maryland simply lacks the top-end talent to overcome elite teams.

In Maryland's two losses to Michigan, Cowan has scored a total of 20 points and shot 8-of-27 from the field, with more turnovers (seven) than assists (four). Obviously, the Wolverines are a tough matchup for Cowan.

As Seth Davis of CBSSports.com noted, "[Michigan's] Simpson has a knack for making opposing point guards disappear." That was very true on Sunday.

And when Cowan struggles, the Terps become a very average team. Cowan has had six games with 10 or fewer points this season, and Maryland is 3-3 in those games. In the team's two-game losing streak, Cowan has nine turnovers to just one assist.

Turnovers, in general, are a major issue for Maryland. The team's 0.99 assist-to-turnover rate is tied for 202nd in the nation.

Now, this isn't meant to pile on Cowan—every player has down games. That's to be expected, and Cowan is no exception. The issue for the Terps is that they really struggle to pick up Cowan in those instances, especially against tougher opposition.

They didn't do so on Sunday, shooting 30 percent from three and finishing with more turnovers (nine) than assists (eight). It may cost Maryland a bye in the Big Ten tournament. And if it happens at the NCAA tournament, it will cost the Terps their season, too.

                             

What's Next?

Michigan has a huge rivalry matchup against Michigan State on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, while Maryland will face Minnesota on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The unranked Indiana Hoosiers erased a seven-point halftime deficit Saturday to score a crucial 63-62 victory over the No. 6 Michigan State Spartans at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

Justin Smith led the upset charge with 24 points for the Hoosiers, who should resurface on the NCAA tournament bubble despite a lackluster 6-12 Big Ten record.

Meanwhile, MSU's bid to earn a No. 1 seed took a serious hit. Cassius Winston posted 20 points and 11 assists as the Spartans dropped to 23-6.

Indiana (15-14) opened the season 12-2, including a 3-0 mark in conference play, before Archie Miller's squad went into a free fall.

The Hoosiers lost 12 of their next 13 games to fade to the fringe of the NCAA tournament discussion. That said, their only win during that span was against Michigan State in overtime on the road, which is one of the best victories any team in the country has on its resume.

Their sweep of the Spartans, along with wins over the Wisconsin Badgers, Louisville Cardinals and Marquette Golden Eagles, gives IU a lot of high points for the selection committee to consider.

Many people won't like it, but it's time to accept it:

Indiana is comfortably in the at-large discussion.

— Erik Haslam (@haslametrics) March 2, 2019

Michigan State is a lock for the Big Dance, but its case to emerge from the muddled race for the final top seed behind the Virginia Cavaliers, Gonzaga Bulldogs and Duke Blue Devils isn't as strong as it was before Saturday.

The Spartans do have a regular-season game against the rival Michigan Wolverines left. A win there combined with a Big Ten tournament title could still push them onto the No. 1 line on Selection Sunday.

Michigan State has a 1 seed ceiling, but not a 1 seed profile. 1 seeds simply do not lose this many games to non-protected seeds, much less non-tournament teams, which Indiana probably shouldn’t be @HoopsHD

— David Griggs (@DavidGPuppet) March 2, 2019

Indiana will attempt to keep its late-season surge going Thursday night when it travels to face the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Michigan State returns home to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Tuesday night.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have suspended head men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery for two games.

The Athletic's Scott Dochterman shared Iowa's full press release about the decision:

Fran suspended for 2 games pic.twitter.com/0TNdcBqniG

— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) February 27, 2019

Following No. 22 Iowa's 90-70 road loss to the unranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Tuesday at Value City Arena, McCaffery unleashed an expletive-laden rant toward one of the referees.

"You cheating motherf--ker," he said, per Kyle Rowland of the Toledo Blade. "You're a f--king disgrace."

With 4:08 left in the second half, Iowa guard Connor McCaffery, the head coach's son, received a technical foul after arguing a separate foul call. Then referees assessed Fran a technical foul at the 3:10 mark after he walked onto the court to voice his frustration with the officiating.

According to ESPN.com, reporters asked the elder McCaffery about his conversation with the referee in the hallway of Value City Arena. McCaffery declined to go into detail, saying, "I can't talk about that."

McCaffery's suspension could prove costly for the Hawkeyes. At 10-7 they sit sixth in the Big Ten, and he'll be out for games against Rutgers and the 19th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. 

Any hope of earning a top-four seed for the Big Ten tournament—thus automatically qualifying for the quarterfinals—is likely gone at this point for Iowa. The team sits two games back of the No. 17 Maryland Terrapins.

The Indiana Hoosiers are one of the greatest programs in men's college basketball history.

Or at least they used to be.

They have played in 39 NCAA tournaments, reaching eight Final Fours and winning five national championships. In all three categories, the Hoosiers rank in the top 10. They are also just outside the top 10 in all-time wins with more than 1,800.

For more than two decades, Indiana practically was college basketball. From 1973-93, the Hoosiers finished in the top 10 of the AP poll 12 times and won a total of 38 NCAA tournament games, including three national championships.

Though there have been a few spirited challengers in recent years, that 1975-76 Hoosiers team is still the most recent to win a title with an undefeated record (32-0). 

Bob Knight's eventual exit from Bloomington was far from amicable, but it'd be next to impossible to relive that era of hoops without remembering Knight's red sweater (and often-red face) patrolling the sidelines of Assembly Hall.

But for the sizable percentage of college basketball fans who are 35 or younger, it's even more difficult to remember a time when Indiana mattered.

Sure, the Millennials have been informed that Indiana is a blue-blood program, but listening to Hoosiers fans talk about when the team was great is akin to hearing grandpa's tales of paying a nickel for a candy bar or walking 10 miles to school every day, in the snow, uphill, both ways.

Aside from one improbable run to the 2002 national championship game as a No. 5 seed, there's nothing about the past quarter century which suggests the Hoosiers are among the nation's elite.

Compare Indiana's play over the past 16 years to that of the other blue-blood programs—Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA—and you're likely to start singing that Sesame Street song in your head: "One of these things is not like the other; one of these things just doesn't belong."

  

Blue-Blood Programs since 2003-04 season:

Duke: 461-108 (81.0%), 15 NCAA tournaments, three Final Fours, two titles
Kansas: 468-103 (82.0%), 15 NCAA tournaments, three Final Fours, one title
Kentucky: 438-131 (77.0%), 13 NCAA tournaments, four Final Fours, one title
UNC: 447-131 (77.3%), 14 NCAA tournaments, five Final Fours, three titles
UCLA: 365-177 (67.3%), 11 NCAA tournaments, three Final Fours
Indiana: 290-224 (56.4%), seven NCAA tournaments, zero Final Fours

Records through Tuesday night.

   

Sum it all up and Indiana has missed more tournaments since 2004 (eight) than the other five teams combined (seven). And barring some sort of miraculous run through the Big Ten conference tournament—an event they have yet to win in 21 tries—the Hoosiers are likely to miss the Big Dance yet again in a few weeks. This fact remains despite IU finally ending a 1-12 streak with a surprise last-second win over Wisconsin on Tuesday night.

Initially, the big problem was an inability to recruit as well without Knight. From 1977-2000, Indiana signed 21 McDonald's All-Americans—just shy of one per year. But from 2001-10, the Hoosiers inked a grand total of three.

Recruiting improved drastically after the move from Mike Davis to Kelvin Sampson, but that's because he was breaking NCAA rules and got busted for it. Sampson was fired midway through his second season and sanctions were levied against Indiana in 2008, followed by the program going in the tank for Tom Crean's first three years as head coach.

That doesn't explain the current woes, though. That was more than a decade ago, and the Hoosiers even had a brief resurgence shortly thereafter.

Fueled by Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo, Indiana reached the Sweet 16 in 2012 and was a No. 1 seed in the 2013 NCAA tournament. The Hoosiers also had top-10 recruiting classes in 2012 and 2013 and seemed to be rebuilding one heck of a foundation.

However, that momentum vanished just as quickly as it appeared.

Five years and another coaching change passed before Indiana's next top-20 recruiting class. The Hoosiers missed the tournament one year after earning that No. 1 seed. And then before the 2014-15 season could even begin, one Hoosier hit another with a car in what became a microcosm of how anything could and would go wrong within the program.

Key players like James Blackmon, OG Anunoby, Juwan Morgan and Jerome Hunter suffered significant injuries. Other should-have-been-key players like Stanford Robinson, Luke Fischer and Curtis Jones transferred out before ever making a real impact.

This year was supposed to be different, though.

Winning the Romeo Langford sweepstakes by convincing the high school legend to remain in-state for his (presumed) only season of college basketball meant great things were coming for the Hoosiers. Archie Miller—finally surrounded with more talent than he could have dreamed of getting at Dayton—was supposed to have his breakthrough year, validating the school's decision to send Crean packing after the 2016-17 season.

Instead, the Hoosiers have wasted a great start to the year by losing 12 of their last 14 games. They are well on the way to just their fifth .500 or worse season since 1970.

At this point, the team just seems to be cursed.

It's entirely possible that Indiana will be great again one day soon. In spite of needing to replace leading scorers Morgan (senior) and Langford (projected lottery pick), there's plenty of reason to be optimistic about next season.

The Hoosiers have signed a 2019 5-star big man in Trayce Jackson-Davis, and they are still in the hunt for uncommitted 5-star small forward Keion Brooks. They'll also add Hunter as a redshirt freshman, joining his fellow 2018 4-star recruits Rob Phinisee and Damezi Anderson. Factor in the veteran leadership of De'Ron Davis, Devonte Green, Justin Smith and Aljami Durham and that could be a damn fine rotation.

Alternatively, it might be another season of battling for position in the middle (or bottom) of the Big Ten standings due to a combination of injuries, under-performing and general disarray.

If it's the latter and that continues to serve as Indiana's new normal for much longer, it might be time to discuss revoking its blue-blood status.

          

Recruiting information courtesy 247 Sports.

Kerry Miller covers men's college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @kerrancejames.

A week ago, Nike stock shares took a hit after Zion Williamson blew out his shoe.

Adidas could be in a similar situation after Indiana's Justin Smith saw his shoe come apart in Tuesday's game against Wisconsin.

Robert Scheer of the Indianapolis Star passed along a photo of the aftermath:

Justin Smith's blown apart Adidas shoe, IU men's game vs. Badgers. pic.twitter.com/m7rumc67Sy

— Robert "Bob" Scheer (@bobscheer) February 27, 2019

Smith was uninjured on the play and had 10 points at the time of publication.

Sometimes shoes break. It happens. It's a bit embarrassing for companies when it happens—not some sort of indictment on their shoe-making process.

Perhaps this could be a lesson for players to wear shoes that better fit their body type. Williamson, a 6'7", 285-pound behemoth, was wearing lightweight PGs. His body type is probably more fit for a sturdier shoe like the LeBrons.

Smith isn't a small guy at 6'7" and 227 pounds, so maybe Indiana's staff needs to look into a pair that better supports him.

Iowa men's basketball head coach Fran McCaffery reportedly used profane language toward an official after his team's 90-70 loss at Ohio State on Tuesday.

Kyle Rowland of the Toledo Blade reported the exchange (warning: tweet contains profanity):

Uh, wow. Iowa coach Fran McCaffrey was just screaming at an official walking down a hallway of Value City Arena. "You cheating motherfucker! You're a fucking disgrace!"

— Kyle Rowland (@KyleRowland) February 27, 2019

The Hawkeyes trailed by only three points early in the second half before OSU pulled away en route to its 20-point victory.

After the game, McCaffery was asked about the reported interaction with an official but declined comment, per Rowland:

Fran McCaffery was just asked about the post-game incident with the officials. His response: "Can't talk about that."

— Kyle Rowland (@KyleRowland) February 27, 2019

McCaffery hasn't been immune to past outbursts. He was ejected after getting two technicals against Maryland last season for coming onto the court and arguing with refs. Chad Leistikow of Hawk Central highlighted some other incidents.

"Over the years, McCaffery has publicly screamed at his players, nose to nose," Leistikow noted. "He's slammed a chair at Michigan State. He's been suspended for bumping an official at Wisconsin."

McCaffery also got angry with a scoreboard operator during a game against Michigan, as Leistikow noted. Furthermore, Iowa did not shake hands with North Dakota players or coaches after a December 2016 win, per C.L. Brown, then writing for ESPN.

Dan Wolken of USA Today called for Iowa to take action against the coach:

Fran isn’t a good enough coach to get away with the pile of bad stuff he’s done. It’s multiple episodes a year. It’s embarrassing. Iowa needs to do something about it.

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) February 27, 2019

Going to need a compelling argument for why a coach calling a ref a “cheating mother******” isn’t grounds for a suspension — maybe for the rest of the season, given his history.

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) February 27, 2019

The counterargument is that McCaffery isn't the only coach prone to outbursts, technical fouls and cursing at officials. What McCaffery reportedly did Tuesday isn't even the worst incident in the Big Ten this year.

That doesn't make what has occurred right, though.

Whichever end one falls on regarding McCaffery, No. 22 Iowa dropped to 21-7 overall and 10-7 in Big Ten play. Ohio State improved to 18-10 and 8-9 in the Big Ten.

The Hawkeyes host Rutgers on Saturday. 

In the battle for Michigan, the Spartans came out on top. 

Michigan State (23-5, 14-3) topped Michigan 77-70 Sunday, moving to the top of the Big Ten in the process. Cassius Winston (27 points, eight assists) and Kenny Goins (16 points, 11 rebounds) led the way for the Spartans, while Zavier Simpson chipped in 19 points and five rebounds for the Wolverines. 

It was an impressive road outing for Michigan State, which lost Joshua Langford for the season last month. The Spartans also came into this contest without Nick Ward, leaving them without two of their top three scorers.

Nonetheless, the Spartans prevailed, while the Wolverines (24-4, 13-4) were left with some big questions to answer late in the season. Namely, Michigan State's defense put on the clamps in the final 10 minutes, shutting down driving lanes and forcing Michigan to take contested shots from distance.

Thankfully, college basketball fans won't have to wait long for the rematch. The two teams will next face off Saturday, March 9, in East Lansing. That promises to be another dynamic matchup and could decide the Big Ten regular-season title. 

            

Cassius Winston Has Enough Sauce to Lead Injury-Ravaged Spartans to Big Ten Title

It can't be overstated how impressive Michigan State was Sunday. Facing one of the nation's best defenses on the road without Langford or Ward, they still pulled out the win against a talented rival. 

"I think, under the circumstance, it's the biggest win yet," head coach Tom Izzo said after the game, per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. "I really do."

Winston was the difference. While Michigan State was able to take Michigan out of its comfort zone on offense, Winston always seemed to have an answer for the Wolverines defense. Not surprisingly,  the praise for both Winston and the Spartans in general was effusive:

Man, that's an impressive win for Michigan State -- scoring 77 points on the road at Michigan -- without Nick Ward (and Joshua Langford). Cassius Winston with an All-American-caliber performance: 27 points, eight assists.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 24, 2019

Cassius Winston is mastering the pick-and-roll decision making today against Michigan. Reading the defensive rotations so well.

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) February 24, 2019

Prototype W for @MSU_Basketball winning the last 5 minutes by clamping down defensively. Cassius Winston truly the difference. Xavier Simpson every bit as much the engine for @umichbball will lead his Wolverines into East Lansing in 13 days. Gotta give Izzo’s guys a ton of credit

— Tim Brando (@TimBrando) February 24, 2019

Both teams have four players in double figures. One team has Cassius Winston. He's got 27.

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) February 24, 2019

Izzo was more succinct.

"Cassius Winston was unbelievable," he said, per Pouncy.

Michigan State fans agreed:

Clock winding down on a tremendous showing from Michigan State. MVP chants ringing out for Cassius Winston from the MSU students in the top rows of Crisler.

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) February 24, 2019

Michigan State's finishing moves were stout defense and Winston's 19 second-half points. It was the sort of performance that bodes well for Michigan State's prospects down the stretch as the team seeks regular-season and conference titles, along with a long run in March. 

More than a few teams have rode a hot guard through March Madness. If the Spartans can get Ward back for the NCAA tournament, they'll be a scary opponent.

They proved that much Sunday. 

          

Michigan's Lack of an Offensive Superstar Will Be Ultimate Demise

While Winston carried Michigan State to a victory, the Wolverines didn't see an offensive hero emerge, sans two tough threes from Poole in the final minute. And nothing threatens Michigan's upside more.

From the 10-minute mark of the second half to the one-minute mark, Michigan scored just seven points, missing 10 jump shots. Michigan State did a brilliant job of taking away Michigan's drives to the basket, daring somebody to beat it from the perimeter.

Nobody did.

Michigan doesn't have an offensive superstar to lead it past those rough patches. The team doesn't have a single player averaging 15 or more points per game, with Ignas Brazdeikis (14.4 PPG), Poole (13.1 PPG) and Charles Matthews (13.1 PPG) leading the way. 

Yes, Poole can hit tough shots in the clutch. But when Michigan needed someone to lead the team out of the desert in the second half, Poole didn't have the answer. Neither did any of his teammates.

Against most teams, it doesn't matter. Michigan's stifling defense and size advantage overwhelms most opponents, and the Wolverines can spread the wealth on offense to get by. But against stiffer competition, it will be an issue. 

It could come back to bite them in March. Try to remember the last NCAA champion without a dynamic top option on offense. It's hard to do. That's the uphill battle the Wolverines are facing this season, and it's why it's hard to consider them a true title threat. 

                        

What's Next?

Michigan hosts Nebraska on Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, while Michigan State faces Indiana on the road next Saturday at 12 p.m. ET on Fox.

Iowa Hawkeyes broadcaster Gary Dolphin has been suspended for the remainder of the 2018-19 basketball season after making racially insensitive comments about Maryland Terrapins forward Bruno Fernando, according to Hawk Central's Chad Leistikow. 

Dolphin apologized for his offensive remarks in a statement, per Leistikow:

"During the broadcast, I used a comparison when trying to describe a talented Maryland basketball player. In no way did I intend to offend or disparage the player. I take full responsibility for my inappropriate word choice and offer a sincere apology to him and anyone else who was offended. I wish the Iowa Hawkeye players, coaches and fans all the very best as they head into the final stretch of the season. I will use this as an opportunity to grow as a person and learn more about unconscious bias."

Dolphin's initial comments came following No. 24 Maryland's 66-65 road victory over No. 21 Iowa, which saw Fernando record 11 points and 11 rebounds.

"Twelve threes on 22 made baskets. That's some pretty good long-range shooting," Dolphin said of Fernando on Tuesday, according to Leistikow. "And then Fernando was King Kong at the end of the game."

Fernando had four points, including the game-winning basket with 11 seconds remaining, and two rebounds in the final 30 seconds of the game to complete the upset.

Leistikow noted that this is not the first time Dolphin has been subject to discipline this season. The longtime radio announcer was suspended for two games back in November following his "hot mic" comments about Iowa guard Maishe Dailey.

Dolphin would go on to issue a public apology to Dailey on social media:

pic.twitter.com/Ftxh1IsTh5

— Gary Dolphin (@GaryDolphin) November 30, 2018

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta mentioned in November that there was "ongoing tension" between Dolphin and Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery.

Dolphin's suspension pertains only to Hawkeyes basketball games. He also holds play-by-play responsibilities during football season.