Big Ten Basketball

No. 2 Michigan remained undefeated with a 74-63 home conference win over No. 21 Indiana on Sunday.

The Wolverines jumped out to a 19-point lead in the first 12 minutes and continued to pile on thanks to 18 points from Charles Matthews. The squad improved to 15-0 on the season and is now one of just three remaining undefeated teams in the country (Virginia, Houston).

Juwan Morgan had 25 for Indiana (12-3), which snapped its seven-game winning streak with the loss.

Scoring Depth Will Be Key for Michigan to Contend for Title

Michigan is one of the best teams in the country on the defensive end of the court, holding Indiana to just 63 points on 42.6 shooting. It was the lowest output of the season for the Hoosiers.

This wasn't anything new, as the squad entered the day with the No. 3 defensive efficiency in college basketball, per KenPom.com.

The key for this team to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament and potentially contend for a national championship will be what happens on the offensive end.

In most games, the Wolverines have relied upon Ignas Brazdeikis to shoulder the load, but the freshman didn't have his best night against Indiana. He finished with 10 points while missing all three of his shots from beyond the arc.

Fortunately, the rest of the team picked up the slack as Matthews scored 16 in the first half to help build an early lead. There was a lot of praise for the guard's play before halftime:

Of course, his quiet second half showed his inconsistency and raised concerns about the lack of scoring from around the team.

This might have been enough to sink the Wolverines some nights, although the role players stepped up when needed.

Jordan Poole came through with 18 points, while Zavier Simpson made big plays when it mattered:

Brandon Johns Jr. also had his best game of the season with eight points off the bench.

Isaiah Livers didn't play Sunday, which put some pressure on the rest of the team to pick up the slack. They did it against Indiana, but they will need to keep this type of balance to beat elite opponents.

Relying on Brazdeikis every night won't get it done in the NCAA tournament.

Juwan Morgan Maintains Same Aggression Throughout Big Ten Season

As a senior and one of Indiana's two best players, Morgan can't be afraid to miss shots.

The forward entered the game shooting 67.6 percent from the field but was taking less than 10 shots per game. It was the exact opposite against Michigan, but that was a good thing for Indiana.

Morgan finished with 25 points on 9-of-22 shooting, but he was the team's best offensive option against an elite defensive opponent. Romeo Langford was quiet in the first half before finishing with 17, but few others had much of a chance of scoring.

Indiana has talent on the roster, but the team needs Langford and Morgan to produce at a high level every game to contend with the best in the country.

In the two previous losses for the Hoosiers, Morgan finished a combined 10-of-16 from the floor. This made him efficient, but it wasn't good enough to help his team.

On the other hand, Indiana needs more of what we saw against Butler when the forward scored 35 points on 14 shots plus 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.

Morgan got to the charity stripe eight times against Michigan, one off his season high.

The Hoosiers have a young team that should only get better as the season progresses, but the senior needs to be a leader who isn't afraid to take over when needed.

What's Next?

Michigan will try to remain undefeated with a road game at Illinois on Thursday. Indiana will also have a tough conference road battle against Maryland on Friday night.

Two streaking Big Ten schools will collide in Columbus on Saturday when the 14th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1) host the eighth-ranked Michigan State Spartans (11-2) as small home underdogs at sportsbooks.

Both are unbeaten in conference play so far, with the Buckeyes winning six straight games overall following their lone loss to the Syracuse Orange while the Spartans have reeled off seven in a row.

College basketball point spread: The Spartans opened as 1.5-point favorites; the total is at 146.5, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College basketball betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 79.9-66.6, Spartans (College basketball picks on every game)

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or Spotify or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news.

Why the Spartans can cover the spread

Michigan State has won six of the past eight meetings with Ohio State straight up, covering the spread in seven of the last nine head-to-head matchups.

The Spartans have won six of their previous seven games by double digits since falling to the Louisville Cardinals 82-78 on the road in overtime on November 27 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Their three conference wins have been decided by an average of nearly 20 points.

Why the Buckeyes can cover the spread

Ohio State has beaten Michigan State in two of the last three games, including the last one 80-64 almost exactly a year ago at home.

The Buckeyes were 6.5-point underdogs and pulled off the upset behind a career-high 32 points from Keita Bates-Diop when the Spartans were ranked No. 1 in the country at the time.

They have a more balanced scoring attack this season, with seven players averaging 7.4 points or more, led by sophomore forward Kaleb Wesson (16.5).

In an 82-64 rout of High Point last Saturday, senior guard C.J. Jackson totaled a game-high 20 points while Wesson added 17.

Smart betting pick

Michigan State has played better than Ohio State lately and will be out to avenge the last loss in the series.

The Buckeyes are 1-3 against the spread in their last four games, while the Spartans are riding a 3-0 ATS run and have gone 6-1 ATS in their previous seven.

The last three games for Michigan State have been especially impressive considering the team was a double-digit favorite each time. Look for the Spartans to start strong and flex their muscles this time, winning and covering the spread.

College basketball betting trends

Michigan State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games.

Michigan State is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games when playing Ohio State.

Ohio State is 2-4 ATS in its last six games at home.

All college basketball odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.

Penn State men's basketball head coach Pat Chambers has been suspended for one game for pushing freshman guard Myles Dread during a timeout in the Nittany Lions' 68-55 loss at No. 2 Michigan on Thursday.

Chambers, who has coached Penn State since 2011, will sit his team's Sunday home game against Wisconsin.

PSU Athletic Director Sandy Barbour released a statement on the matter (h/t Brian Hamilton of The Athletic):

Chambers signed a four-year contract extension in May after PSU went 26-13 and won the NIT.

However, PSU is just 120-128 under Chambers and 39-90 in Big Ten play overall in his eight-plus seasons. This year's Nittany Lions are off to a rough 7-7 start, including an 0-3 Big Ten mark.

Last Monday (three days before the Michigan game), Barbour was asked about the school's commitment to Chambers in the midst of a tough season. Per Mark Wogenrichof the Allentown Morning Call, she said she is "fully committed to Pat and his leadership of our program."

The question is whether that sentiment stands given the incident and the team's current downward trajectory.

Chambers did an excellent job in leading PSU to 26 wins, but the push was clearly unacceptable.

David Jones of pennlive.com offered commentary on the topic:

"It wasn't just the physical contact of it, to me, although it surely will be to many who see it. It was the sheer inauthentic audacity of what the coach did in showing up a player. The unnecessary nature of it. The showboating, 'look-at-me-taking-charge' BS of it.

"And every part of it was revealing about who I think Patrick Chambers is and what Penn State basketball has become."

As Jones later noted, Chambers' job is rather difficult, as he coaches at a school obsessed with football and somewhat apathetic towards the basketball program.

However, the shove is the low point for an already disappointing season.

Big Ten rivals Iowa and Purdue came together prior to Thursday's basketball game to honor Boilermakers superfan Tyler Trent after his death from bone cancer earlier this week.

As players were putting on their jerseys in the locker room, they also sported a new "Tyler Strong" warm-up T-shirt:

The Mackey Complex also left an empty spot in the stands in honor of Trent:

Although Trent was renowned for his Purdue fandom, the Hawkeyes also donned the "Tyler Strong" warm-up attire in solidarity:

Finally, the teams and fans in attendance at Thursday's game stopped prior to tipoff to observe a moment of silence for the 20-year-old:

Trent's impact on the sports world extended beyond Purdue. Scott Van Pelt painted a Boilermakers logo on his head during an episode of SportsCenter after losing a bet to the young man. Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri called Trent "an inspiration" on Twitter upon learning of his death. 

It would be impossible for anyone to sum up a young man's life in just a few moments, but Purdue University was able to pay homage and honor its most dedicated fan and student on Thursday night.