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#14 Rutgers Delivers First Upset of 2018 B1G Tournament with Defeat of #11 Minnesota

2/28/2018

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By Max Brill
The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament kicked off Wednesday February 28th at Madison Square Garden. This is the first, and potentially last, time the tournament is being held in New York which is part of the reason it is getting under way at the end of February; the Big East Tournament has priority since the Big East has held its annual conference tournament at Madison Square Garden since 1983. Nevertheless, the tournament got started with two games, and though the first game was hard to watch, the second was far more competitive and exciting.

#14 Rutgers 65, #11 Minnesota 54

This game somehow got off to a worse start than the Iowa-Illinois game. It took two and a half minutes for either team to get on the board, and after four minutes the teams had combined for a whopping four points. Minnesota came out sluggish and didn’t get on the board until 15:52 in the first half. The team didn’t hit its first shot from the field until nearly halfway through the first half, at the 10:27 mark. Once both teams finally got on the board, though, things picked up, relatively. The teams scored more, but compared to Iowa-Illinois, this was a defensive battle.

Rutgers, which is located just 37 miles from Madison Square Garden, by far the shortest trip of any Big Ten team, benefited from the home-court advantage. Both teams took care of the ball in the first half; the teams combined for only seven turnovers (five for Rutgers, two for Minnesota). At the end of the half, the Scarlet Knights led the Golden Gophers by a score of 34-27 thanks Junior G Corey Sanders’ 15 points on 6-11 shooting and 5 rebounds. For Minnesota, Bronx native G Isaiah Washington showed out for his home crowd in the first half by going 3-5 from the field with 8 points including a couple of circus shots. 

In the early and middle stages of the second half Rutgers led by as much as eight and as little as two, but they led wire-to-wire. Some unwise fouls by Minnesota at the end of the contest helped put the Scarlet Knights up by their eventual margin of victory, 11 points. The aforementioned Washington led all scorers with 10 points in the second half, but it was Rutgers star Corey Sanders who led the game in scoring with 23 points on 9-20 shooting. Rutgers won the rebounding battle; they out-rebounded Minnesota by 19 (47-28), including 15 offensive rebounds. Both teams shot under 40% from the field and it was the Scarlet Knights who edged the Golden Gophers in shooting percentage (39.3-35.3).

This Rutgers team demonstrated grit in their upset victory over Minnesota and they backed it up with their comments in the postgame press conference. Corey Sanders, after his standout performance, said of Rutgers’ seed in the conference tournament: “That 14 [seed] certainly doesn't represent the type of team we are. We play hard every game. Sometimes the result isn't what we want it to be. But we're going to fight and play hard against anybody that we get. The number really doesn't matter.”
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Teammate Mike Williams added, “Definitely, the number doesn't matter. In our case, it's March Madness. Anything can happen. That's why this is the best league, the best kind of basketball in the world. Even the little guys who is No. 14 can upset somebody. We don't really worry about the number. We just go out and play hard every day.”

Coach Steve Pikiell looked ahead toward the game against Indiana in the postgame presser: “They have matchup problems. They play tremendously hard. They have matchup problems for us. We have a day. We have a lot of time to prepare. Our guys will sleep tonight. And then we'll get ready for a good Indiana team tomorrow.” 

Rutgers, after pulling off the upset against Minnesota, takes on #6 Indiana in the nightcap on Thursday. 

Game Leaders: 
Corey Sanders, G, Rutgers (23 points, 7 rebounds, 9-20 FG)
Deshawn Freeman, F, Rutgers (5 points, 10 rebounds)
Isaiah Washington, G, Minnesota (18 points, 6-12 FG)

Photo Credit: Bob Karp/Associated Press
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B1G Tournament Preview: #2 Ohio State

2/28/2018

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By Jack Molino
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WCBN Sports is proud to announce that we are traveling to the World's Most Famous Arena to take in five action-packed days of Big Ten basketball at this year's Big Ten Tournament!  While WCBN Sports is usually a blog that focuses on Michigan sports, we want to get to know the other 13 teams playing for the Big Ten Championship.  This is the start of a series that will run until the first day of the tournament (Wednesday, February 28), with a new team being covered each day.  Today, our focus is on the #2-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes.

Record:
24-7 (15-3 in Big Ten)


Tournament Seed: 2


First Round Opponent: Winner of #10 Northwestern and #7 Penn State


Season Summary: Once again, this is another Big Ten team who started the 2017-2018 season with a new coach. In Columbus it was Chris Holtmann, former Butler coach, who took over the program. At Butler, he coached for 3 seasons after Brad Stevens left for Boston. He led the Bulldogs to a record of 70-31 and won Big East Coach of the Year in 2017. Unusual compared to other first-year head coaches in the Big Ten, Holtmann saw instant success in the conference. At the end of the regular season, he had his Buckeyes at 24-7 and 15-3 in conference play and won Big Ten Coach of the Year for greatly exceeding expectations.


Players to Watch: Keita Bates-Diop. Learn the name if you haven’t. Bates-Diop is one of the most versatile players not only in the conference, but in all of the nation. He earned Big Ten Conference honors last week, selected by both the media and the coaches, and for good reason: he averages 19.2 PPG and 9.2 RPG. At 6’7”, Bates-Diop can score down low, but he can also stretch the floor as he is able to shoot outside as well (.357 from downtown on the year).


X-Factor: The X-Factor for Ohio State’s success in the Big Ten Tournament, and in March in general, is 6’4 Senior Jae’Sean Tate. Tate plays extremely aggressive and physical, using all 230 lbs of his strong stature to grab rebounds and get into the lane. Holtmann trusts Tate to be a leader in the offense and it pays off a majority of the time, but Tate can also be careless with the ball. He averages 2.3 turnovers per game. However, if Tate is taking care of the basketball and hitting shots, this Buckeye offense flows well.


Verdict: The Buckeyes should have no problem with Penn State or Northwestern on Friday (despite being down 27 to the Wildcats earlier in the season, but eventually overcoming the deficit and winning the game). Saturday, they will probably be matched up against an extremely talented and experienced Purdue team. The Buckeyes defeated them at Mackey earlier in the season, but the Boilermakers have been hot after dropping three in a row earlier in the season. Look for a close game Saturday afternoon against Purdue, but I’m doubtful Holtman’s Buckeyes can take down an extremely good Purdue squad on Saturday at MSG.

Photo Credit: 
Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports. ​


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Why Playing in NYC Has Ruined This Year's Big Ten Tournament

2/28/2018

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By Teddy Gutkin
The Big Ten is one of college basketball’s best conferences.  For twenty years now, fans have flocked to venues across the midwest to see their favorite teams clash in entertaining battles, with each game featuring a playoff-like atmosphere with many teams playing with their tournament resumes on the line.  When the tournament announced that it would be testing Washington, D.C. out as a location, some were skeptical, but the fans in our nation’s capital and delivered with great crowds each night.  

    This season, the Big Ten made the controversial decision to host their games at Madison Square Garden.  It was a horrible proposal from the start; the season would be condensed, teams would have to play grueling stretches with little rest, and the tournament date would be moved up a week, giving the Big Ten teams a week-long layover before the start of tournament play.  Many were also angered by the move, noting that New York City is a city that has almost no affiliation with the Big Ten (well, you can count Rutgers, but let’s be real: no one cares about Rutgers).  I thought that maybe the tournament would still succeed, especially since New Yorkers are rabid basketball fans and the ACC Tournament was a success last year at the Barclays Center.

One day in, it’s clear that I was wrong.  MSG, which houses over 20,000, only saw 5,000 fans shuffle through their doors on Wednesday night, and there was such little energy that I wouldn’t have been shocked if someone told me that the game was an exhibition.  

    Now, Madison Square Garden is an excellent venue for college basketball, and the Big East tournament draws in huge crowds every year.  While the Big Ten is arguably a more popular conference, the reason New York works so well for the Big East is the teams that it hosts.  Almost half the conference consists of schools based in or around the tri-state area, and therefore draws many fans who are easily able to travel to the games and support their schools.  
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Meanwhile, the Big Ten has just three schools within a 4-hour drive (Maryland, Penn State, and Rutgers), and many of the fans in attendance from other schools will almost certainly be graduates, since Michigan is the only school I can think of that has spring break at the moment.  In other words, the Big Ten’s worst fears have been confirmed with a horrendous first day of action, and while there are still four days of basketball to be played, I think it’s safe to say that the Big Ten experiment at MSG is a certified disaster.

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#12 Iowa coasts past #13 Illinois in First Round B1G Tournament Matchup

2/28/2018

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By Max Brill
The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament kicked off today, Wednesday February 28th, at Madison Square Garden. This is the first, and potentially last, time the tournament is being held in New York which is part of the reason it is getting under way at the end of February; the Big East Tournament has priority since the Big East has held its annual conference tournament at Madison Square Garden since 1983. Nevertheless, the tournament got started today with two games, and the first game was severely lacking in excitement.


#12 Iowa 96, #13 Illinois 87

The opening tip bounced before it was tipped to any of the other players and that set the tone for the rest of the game. Iowa turned the ball over five times in the first five minutes and Illinois started the game 2-8 shooting. Through 17 minutes, the teams had combined for more turnovers (17; ten for Iowa and seven for Illinois) than shots made from the field (16; nine for Iowa and seven for Illinois). Once the game got under three minutes in the first half, though, the teams went a combined 6-8 from the field and poured in fifteen points, nine of which came via three pointer. Despite 11 turnovers in the first half, Iowa went into halftime with a 35-31 lead thanks to the sophomore tandem of Jordan Bohannon (10 points on 3-3 shooting and 3 assists) and Tyler Cook (6 points, on 3-5 shooting). Kipper Nichols of Illinois was the game’s leading scorer at the half with 11 points on 3-6 shooting.

Iowa picked up in the second half right where they left off at the end of the first half by scoring 16 points in the first four minutes of the half. The Hawkeyes led by as much as 13 with about 14 minutes to play in the second half, but the Fighting Illini clawed their way back to within two with around 10 minutes left to play. Iowa sat comfortably in the driver’s seat from that point on and managed to hold off Illinois’ last-minute push to send the game to OT.


Though Illinois lost, the team is still very young and will use their playing time at the Garden as a learning experience for years to come.

“We have to bring everyone together and play as one unit,” said Trent Frazier, the freshman who posted 13 points on 5-12 shooting.

Coach Brad Underwood noted after the loss that the team has a solid foundation but still has some growing to do: “I liked our looks. We made 14 threes tonight...but you can’t get out-rebounded by twenty and expect to win.”

While Iowa was able to come out on top today, they face a much tougher test tomorrow in Michigan. The team will look to star point guard Jordan Bohannon to have another impact performance if the team has any hope of beating the Wolverines, who they lost to twice this season, most recently on February 14th (74-59).


When asked what the team needs to do fix their mistakes from Iowa’s previous two meetings with Michigan, he said “We have to play better, as simplistic as it sounds.” The Hawkeyes game against #5 Michigan tomorrow will begin 30 minutes after the #9 Wisconsin vs. #8 Maryland game goes final.
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Game Leaders:
Jordan Bohannon, G, Iowa (25 points, 6 assists, 6-10 FG, 5-7 3FG)
Luka Garza, C, Iowa (20 points, 8 rebounds, 8-10 FG)
Kipper Nichols, F, Illinois (31 points, 10-18 FG, 5-9 3FG; Set Illinois record for most points in a Big Ten tournament game)

Photo Credit: 
Kelsey Kremer, The Register

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B1G Tournament Preview: #1 Michigan State Spartans

2/28/2018

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By Alex Hsi
Picture
Credit: Al Goldis - AP Photo
WCBN Sports is proud to announce that we are traveling to the World's Most Famous Arena to take in five action-packed days of Big Ten basketball at this year's Big Ten Tournament!  While WCBN Sports is usually a blog that focuses on Michigan sports, we want to get to know the other 13 teams playing for the Big Ten Championship.  This is the start of a series that will run until the first day of the tournament (Wednesday, February 28), with a new team being covered each day.  Today, our focus is on the #1-seeded Michigan State Spartans.

Record: 28-3 (16-2 in Big Ten)

Tournament Seed: 1

First Round Opponent: Winner of #12 Iowa vs. #5 Michigan

Season Summary: 
No team will start the Big Ten Tournament hotter than the Michigan State Spartans. After an early January loss to in-state rival Michigan, Tom Izzo’s squad has not looked back. The Spartans, 2018 B1G regular season champs, have won 12 straight games. This comes after an already impressive resume, in which they have only lost three times on the season, to #5 Duke, to # 13 Ohio State, and to #15 Michigan. Besides the three losses to top 15 teams, MSU has dominated their inferior opponents, while showing the ability to win in close games against top ranked talent. Among their most impressive victories are and 18 point win against UNC in November and a tightly contested thriller against Purdue. Simply put, Sparty is not only the clear favorite to cut the nets down in MSG, but is also a favorite to win it all in the big dance next month. However, the season has had many hitches along the way.

In late January a sexual abuse scandal, which implicated coach Tom Izzo among many others at the University, shook East Lansing to its core. Many administration members, including AD Mark Hollis, have resigned. Later in February, an FBI probe linked current Spartan players to cash payments made by agents and coaches in the recruitment process. Despite the tumultuous month, the MSU basketball team has blocked out the noise. Will they continue to do so on a national stage?

Players to Watch: 
Jalen Jackson Jr. has been unbelievably good. The freshman big man averaged 11.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game, in a season that would earn him both B1G Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards. Even on a team with Miles Bridges, a surefire early NBA draft pick, Jackson might just be the team MVP, doing it all for the Spartans and scoring and playing defense from anywhere on the court. Nick Ward has also turned in a fantastic season. A third-team all Big Ten honoree, Ward has been a steady presence for the Spartans, providing 13 points and 7.5 rebounds a game, while teaming up with Jackson Jr. to make a downright scary frontcourt combo. Cassius Winston, another all B1G third-teamer, could be the championship difference maker. A lethal shooter, Winston has averaged 12.5 points and 7 assists per game, shooting 56.5% from behind the arc (best in the B1G). In his last four games, the red-hot Winston has shot over 78% for three.

X-Factor: 
Miles Bridges is the Spartan’s best player. He is also their coldest player. In the past month, Bridges has scored more than 10 points or less in four games. Over the past two weeks, he is averaging just 10.5 points. However, Bridges was also implicated in the FBI probe, with allegations of him accepting payment to play for the Spartans. If Bridges can overcome the outside distractions and play his best basketball on the biggest stage in the world, the Spartans will not lose in the B1G. They have been dominant without Bridges at his best thus far, so having their superstar at his best will elevate Michigan State to the ranks of the true championship favorites.

Verdict: 
MSU will win the tournament. As long as they take care of business against the Michigan Wolverines, their probable semi final opponent, Sparty will party on to the NCAA Tournament as double B1G champions. The Wolverines have had the Spartans’ number as of late, winning their past two matchups by a combined total of 39. However, Michigan State has been absolutely dominant in 2018 and is on an incredible 12-game roll. It will be extremely difficult for any B1G team to beat the Spartans at Madison Square Garden. They are the #1 seed for a reason.
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B1G Tournament Preview: #3 Purdue

2/26/2018

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By Max Brill

WCBN Sports is proud to announce that we are traveling to the World's Most Famous Arena to take in five action-packed days of Big Ten basketball at this year's Big Ten Tournament!  While WCBN Sports is usually a blog that focuses on Michigan sports, we want to get to know the other 13 teams playing for the Big Ten Championship.  This is the start of a series that will run until the first day of the tournament (Wednesday, February 28), with a new team being covered each day.  Today, our focus is on the #3-seeded Purdue Boilermakers.


Record: 26-5 (15-3 in Big Ten)


Tournament Seed: 3


First Round Opponent: Winner of #14 Rutgers or #11 Minnesota vs. #6 Indiana


Season Summary: The Boilermakers followed up an impressive 2016-2017 campaign with an even more impressive 2017-2018 campaign. After losing to Tennessee and Western Kentucky in late November, Purdue rattled off a 19-game winning streak in which they defeated noteworthy opponents such as Arizona, Louisville, and Michigan twice. In that 19-game stretch, the team also notched twelve straight conference victories. They dropped three straight earlier in February to B1G opponents Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin, but finished out the regular season on a high note with wins against Penn State, Illinois, and Minnesota. The Boilermakers rank fourth in the nation in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin and scoring margin while also ranking third in the nation 3FG%. In short, this team is lethal from long range and when they get hot, there may not exist a team in the NCAA that is capable of shutting them down. This is a team that has the potential to go to the Final Four.


Players to Watch: The best part about this Purdue team is that they have so many options. Isaac Haas, the 7’2” center, is shooting .611 from the field which ranks in the top 20 in the nation. When he’s not doing work in the paint, the team looks to Carsen Edwards (team-high 18.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 3.0 APG), or Vincent Edwards (14.7 PPG, team-high 7.6 RPG, and 3.0 APG), both of whom are shooting over 47% from the field. The team also has big man Matt Haarms doing work down low to the tune of 3.2 RPG and .606 shooting in only 16 minutes per game.
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X-Factor: Dakota Mathias is a monster. He’s shooting 47.2% from beyond the arc (better than most of the NCAA is shooting from the field including all FG attempts, not just threes), and is averaging nearly three 3PM per game. Every game Mathias has scored at least 18 points in (he’s averaging a tick under 13 PPG on the season), the Boilermakers have won, and he’s reached that number on eight different occasions. He’s also 6th in the country in 3FG%. If Mathias gets hot, there’s no stopping this Purdue offense.
Verdict: Purdue is one of the best bets to take home the hardware later this week. Though Michigan State is the odds-on favorite, Purdue has shown that they can hang with Sparty in a hostile environment, so MSG should give them a boost in that sense. Don’t be shocked if the Boilermakers “upset” the Buckeyes and meet again with the Spartans in the B1G final, but even beyond that, don’t be shocked if this team makes a run to the Final Four in the Big Dance.

(Image courtesy of Purdue Sports)
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B1G Tournament Preview: #4 Nebraska

2/25/2018

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By Alex Hsi 

Picture
Credit: Jessie Addleman - Daily Nebraskan
WCBN Sports is proud to announce that we are traveling to the World's Most Famous Arena to take in five action-packed days of Big Ten basketball at this year's Big Ten Tournament!  While WCBN Sports is usually a blog that focuses on Michigan sports, we want to get to know the other 13 teams playing for the Big Ten Championship.  This is the start of a series that will run until the first day of the tournament (Wednesday, February 28), with a new team being covered each day.  Today, our focus is on the #4-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Record: 22-9 (13-5 in B1G)

Tournament Seed: 4

First Round Opponent: Winner of #13 Iowa or #12 Rutgers vs. #5 Michigan

Season Summary:

The Huskers are in the midst of their best season to date in the Big Ten. Finishing regular season play in fourth place, the Huskers won 13 conference games- a program record. Led by junior guard James Palmer Jr., the Huskers have played an exciting brand of basketball. However, while the Huskers can consider this season a success, they have yet to lock up a birth to the big dance. Nebraska’s only win against a ranked team in 2017/2018 came against the Michigan Wolverines on January 18th. Big Red has also suffered embarrassing losses against St. John’s, UCF, and Illinois. In order to prove their worth to the selection committee, the Huskers must really heat up in the B1G Tournament. Luckily for Nebraska fans, their team has been red hot. The Cornhuskers have won 10 out of their past 12 games, including a monumental victory against fellow bubble team Penn State on the final day of the regular season. Thus, they have established themselves as the top B1G bubble team going into MSG for the tournament. An impressive showing figures to put them safely on the right side of the bubble, while an early exit might just kill all dreams of a NCAA Tournament appearance. Nebraska will be the most interesting team to watch this week.

Players to Watch:
James Palmer Jr. does it all for the Huskers. The go-to scorer has been unstoppable against B1G opponents, averaging 18 points-per-game on the season (more like 20 in B1G play). He shoots over 50% from the field and seemingly provides at least one highlight-reel dunk per game. However, Palmer, a transfer from the Miami Hurricanes, is not alone. Isaac Copeland Jr., (another Jr. junior transfer) recently arriving from the Georgetown Hoyas, has been play the role of Robin to Palmer’s Batman. The versatile forward. has improved his play throughout the course of the season, and often comes up clutch in important games.

X-Factor:
Senior guards Anton Gill and Evan Taylor have been effective all season, and have even shown flashes of brilliance. If these veteran leaders for the Huskers can up their game in the postseason, Nebraska will be extremely difficult to stop. Having players besides Palmer and Copeland step up for the Cornhuskers can really put them over the edge and into B1G Tournament championship contention. Isaiah Roby, a sophomore forward, has been absolutely lights out as a shooter. Roby has shot 57% in 2017/2018 and is 42% from behind the arc. Getting Roby more scoring opportunities will make the Huskers an elite, dangerous team.

Verdict: 
Although the Huskers have put together an impressive campaign, they simply haven’t proven themselves against top competition. While they have a two-round bye and have a great chance to beat either Michigan or Iowa/Rutgers in their first game at MSG, it is highly unlikely that the Huskers would be able to knock off Purdue or Michigan State and make an extended run to the championship. That being said, the Huskers seem to be on the right side of the NCAA bubble, and have a lot to play for. A potential Nebraska vs. Michigan matchup might just be the most underrated game of the entire B1G Tournament. Look for the Huskers to come out strong, but falter against the B1G boys.

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Michigan Holds Lead to Beat Maryland

2/24/2018

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​This past Thursday night, the Michigan Women’s Basketball team played their last home game of the season and celebrated the seniors on the team, point guard Katelynn Flaherty and forward Jillian Dunston. The team went into the game unranked against the #13 ranked Terrapins ready for the challenge.
       
The Michigan Wolverines started off strong in the first quarter, scoring 21 points. The team fought hard against Maryland’s aggressive offense and caused two turnovers in the end of the 1st quarter resulting in a layup by Sophomore forward Kayla Robbins and a 2-pointer by Sophomore point guard Akienrah Johnson. The team seemed to be working well together, constantly finding the open player and scoring efficiently. The Wolverines started to lose their stride, however, in the second quarter as personal fouls and a travelling call allowed the Terrapins to close the gap to two points with a score of 35-33.
       
The second half was full of nail biting excitement as both teams fought hard to take the win. Maryland Sophomore Kaila Charles came out strong scoring major points and allowing the Terrapins to stay close behind to the Wolverines throughout the rest of the game. This was not enough for Maryland, however, because of the scoring power of the Wolverines. The seniors on the team racked up necessary points followed by Junior center Hailey Thome and Johnson. Between these four and Junior guard Nicole Munger’s ability to score five points in the last couple minutes of the half the Wolverines were able to end Maryland’s ability to close the gap and sealing their win 71-65.

Throughout the entire game Michigan did not give up the lead once, stating this team’s dominance against skilled teams. Each player was able to contribute to this win, whether it was by putting points on the board or getting rebounds and turnovers. The Wolverines came out in force and used every ounce of energy they had to pull off this win against the Terrapins. The last conference and home game of the season was one to enjoy as the whole last half kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. As we bid farewell to our seniors, it was a bittersweet goodbye as their season comes to a close with a big win. Their impact on this team is major, but as young as this team is, there is hopefully a positive future season ahead.
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B1G Tournament Preview: #5 Michigan

2/24/2018

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By Alex Hsi 

Picture
Credit: Mike Mulholland- MLive.com

WCBN Sports is proud to announce that we are traveling to the World's Most Famous Arena to take in five action-packed days of Big Ten basketball at this year's Big Ten Tournament!  While WCBN Sports is usually a blog that focuses on Michigan sports, we want to get to know the other 13 teams playing for the Big Ten Championship.  This is the start of a series that will run until the first day of the tournament (Wednesday, February 28), with a new team being covered each day.  Today, our focus is on the #5-seeded Michigan Wolverines.

Record:
24-7 (13-5 in B1G)

Tournament Seed: 5

First Round Opponent: Winner of #13 Iowa vs. #12 Rutgers

Season Summary:
The Wolverines have been through a lot in the span of a year. They’ve been in a plane crash, gone on a dream run through the Big Ten Tournament and into the Sweet 16, and played through an extremely turbulent 2017/2018 campaign. Replacing three key starters (Derrick Walton Jr., Zak Irvin, and DJ Wilson) proved to be a challenging task for Michigan, as the cast of newcomers and former bench players struggled to gain momentum early on in the season. After a few “closer-than-they-should-be” wins to open the season, Michigan folded to the likes of LSU, North Carolina, and Ohio State, failing to play consistent, quality basketball for a sustained period of time. As the calendar turned to December, the Wolverines began to heat up, with impressive wins against UCLA and at Texas.  Their biggest win, however, came in January, when they bested the Michigan State Spartans on the road in East Lansing. The Wolverines even gave top 5-ranked Purdue all they could handle, losing by just one point at Crisler Center and by only four in Mackey Arena. However, bouts of inconsistency continued to plague the boys in Maize and Blue. Michigan struggled mightily against Maryland (winning by only one) at home, and suffered blowout losses at Nebraska and Northwestern. Now, the up-and-down Wolverines appear to be getting hot at the right time, ending their season with 5 straight wins (including victories against Ohio State and Penn State), playing complete games of quality, championship-level basketball.

Players to Watch:
Michigan’s success this season must be partly attributed to the steady and stabilizing play of Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman. “MAAR” has provided the Wolverines with leadership and stability both on and off the court, while making a plethora clutch shots and posting career highs in almost every category. Besides Abdur-Rahkman, Michigan’s impact players have both struggled and been on fire throughout many various stretches of the season. Charles Matthews, a transfer from Kentucky, has been a physical force at times, but has made just above 50% of his attempts from the free throwline and sometimes struggles with ball control. Moe Wagner, an integral member of the 2017 B1G championship squad, can be hesitant and indecisive from behind the arc, while often failing to be a true inside presence. 5th year senior Duncan Robinson was ice cold all the way from November to January, but has begun to heat up during Michigan’s current five-game winning streak. Freshmen Isaiah Livers and Jordan Poole have added much needed life to the Wolverines on countless occasions throughout the season. Raising their play to a new level in the postseason can help lift Michigan to the ranks of true championship contenders.

X-Factor:
If Moe Wagner heats up, the B1G should watch out. Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon said it best; “They’re impossible to guard with Wagner.” If Moe Wagner can become both an effective inside presence and a lethal shooter from behind the arc, Michigan’s offense will reach new levels of dynamism. The emergence of Wagner can open up the game for players like Matthews and Abdur-Rahkman and lead to endless mismatches. The German big man has shown flashes of brilliance during his time in the Maize and Blue, most notably putting up career games in big moments against Louisville in the 2017 NCAA Tournament and Michigan State this season. If Moe plays like a true star, Michigan truly will be “impossible to guard.”

Verdict:
If Michigan can play at the same level as they have throughout their current five-game win streak, they will not only be incredibly tough to beat, but will be capable of winning the B1G Tournament. Throughout their inconsistent season, the Wolverines have proven that they can eke out wins against their lesser opponents, even when playing sloppy. No matter what, Michigan should have little trouble reaching the B1G semifinals. If they maintain their momentum and high level of play, they will make it to the tournament final and have a good shot at bringing a second consecutive B1G title back to Ann Arbor.

​

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B1G Tournament Preview: #6 Penn State

2/23/2018

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By Teddy Gutkin

WCBN Sports is proud to announce that we are traveling to the World's Most Famous Arena to take in five action-packed days of Big Ten basketball at this year's Big Ten Tournament!  While WCBN Sports is usually a blog that focuses on Michigan sports, we want to get to know the other 13 teams playing for the Big Ten Championship.  This is the start of a series that will run until the first day of the tournament (Wednesday, February 28), with a new team being covered each day.  Today, our focus is on the #8-seeded Indiana Hoosiers.
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS:
Record: 18-11 (9-8 in Big Ten)
Tournament Seed: 6
First Round Opponent: Winner of #14 Illinois vs. #11 Minnesota
Season Summary: For the first time since 2011, the Nittany Lions have a team that actually resembles a Division I program.  Led by superstar sophomore Tony Carr, Pat Chambers’ squad has put together a resume that includes an 18-11 record (9-8 B1G) and two victories over the 2-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes.  Written off by just about everybody heading into the season, Penn State has a legitimate shot at making their first NCAA tournament in 7 seasons (they’re currently listed in Joe Lunardi’s “Last Four Out,” which means if the season ended today they would barely miss the tournament), and if they can secure a road win against Nebraska and make a deep run in the Big Ten tournament, we could see Penn State participating in the Big Dance.
Players to Watch: Tony Carr has been the best player all year long for the Nittany Lions, and you could easily make an argument that he’s one of the best players in the entire conference.  Carr leads the Big Ten with a 19 PPG scoring average to go along with his 5 RPG and 5 APG. He’s also an efficient three-point shooter, knocking down 47% of his attempts from deep. Yet, Carr isn’t the only playmaker on the Nittany Lions. Fellow sophomore forward Lamar Stevens averages 15 PPG, and knocks down 47% of his shots.  Stevens is also a solid defender, and averages just over 1 block per game.
X-Factor: Mike Watkins is one of the Big Ten’s most underrated players, despite leading the league in both field goal percentage (68.5%) and blocks per game (2.3).  Watkins, who averages 12.1 PPG, is an efficient scorer inside, though he has struggled to finish lately, failing to make 50% or more of his shots in his past three games.  If the Nittany Lions want to make a run in New York City, Watkins will need to step up, especially on the defensive side against a league filled to the brim with talented offensive big men.
Verdict: The Big Ten is as wide open as it’s been in years, and the Nittany Lions are certainly contenders to make a run at their first-ever conference championship.  Unfortunately, their offense outside of Tony Carr has been a bit too inconsistent this season, and the Nittany Lions’ lack of depth off the bench is cause for concern.  They could easily surprise some folks and win a game or two, but that’s about as far as Penn State will go.
Thanks for reading our first preview for the Big Ten Tournament.  Check back Friday for our Michigan preview, and be sure to check the website all week long to get your fix on all things Big Ten!

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