The Big Ten has an incredible slate of games on Saturday. There are eight games in total, including a vital game in Bloomington and four ranked teams on the road. Fans should expect a wild afternoon and evening.
Let’s take a look at the schedule.
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-Iowa Hawkeyes at Indiana Hoosiers
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Time/TV: 2:00 PM ET (FOX)
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KenPom Spread: Indiana by 1
Perhaps no Big Ten team has had a more disappointing start to thew new year than Iowa. After jumping out to a 12-2 start, Iowa has fallen on its face the last few weeks, dropping three straight, including a rough loss to Minnesota on January 6th. The losses have many questioning whether Iowa belongs in the top tier of the league, or whether its going to have a dramatic Selection Sunday.
And that sets up a major opportunity on Saturday, when Iowa heads east to face off against Indiana in a crucial game for both sides. Indiana has similarly struggled in January and is coming off a two-game skid of its own, including a painful loss to Nebraska last weekend, when it seemed like the Hoosiers were in position to win. Both sides are still comfortably in the NCAA Tournament projections, but this result will go a long way toward their goals.
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The game itself will likely hinge on how Iowa defends Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries on the wing. The two Hoosiers have been carrying Indiana offensively so far this season and the team’s prospects (largely) live and die with them. When one is off, the offense tends to stagnate. Iowa’s wing group with Tavion Banks and Cooper Koch will have their work cut out for them.
One other area to watch is how the teams play down low. Neither side is particularly great there, though Iowa presents as a more balanced unit. If someone like Cam Manyawu can take advantage, it could easily determine the outcome. It’s a spot where some role players can shine.
All told, this looks about as even as you can get. The KenPom spread is just a point and that seems right. Whoever gets hot from deep is going to win this thing and Iowa seems due.
-Minnesota Golden Gophers at No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini
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Time/TV: 12:00 PM ET (BTN)
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KenPom Spread: Illinois by 16
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It’s bizarre to say about a team rated in the top five nationally by KenPom, but Illinois enters late January playing under the radar. While Illinois has been good (and sometimes great), it hasn’t closed out in its biggest opportunities so far this season, giving its resume a bit of an empty feeling, despite a 14-3 record.
However, Illinois has been picking up steam and seems to be on the verge of breaking through. Standing in its ways is an inconsistent Gopher squad that has swung wildly so far this season. At times, Minnesota has played like an NCAA group. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been often enough for Nik Medved and crew, and that’s certainly true on the road, where Minnesota is just 1-2 on the season.
The game will likely come down to how Illinois defends Cade Tyson. He accounts for a massive hunk of Minnesota’s offense. If Illinois can contain him, a win is likely. Keep an eye on Adrej Stojakovic and Keaton Wagler. It’s a big opportunity for the two of them.
-UCLA Bruins at Ohio State Buckeyes
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Time/TV: 1:00 PM ET (CBS)
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KenPom Spread: Ohio State by 3
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This easily could have been the Game of the Day as well, considering it pits two evenly matched teams against each other in Columbus. UCLA is coming off a night road win over Penn State on Wednesday and Ohio State is trying to rebound from a loss at Washington on Sunday. It’s probably more important for the Bucks to get a win with how things are trending, but it’s a valuable one for both sides.
The game itself will likely hinge on the backcourt, where Donovan Dent will face off against Bruce Thornton. Both are playing at an All-Big Ten level, so there should be some fireworks. Home court suggests Ohio State should be the pick here.
-Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Wisconsin Badgers
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Time/TV: 2:00 PM ET (BTN)
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KenPom Spread: Wisconsin by 15
This presents as a massive mismatch, at least on paper. Rutgers enters at 156th nationally on KenPom, while Wisconsin is in the top 40 and is coming off three massive wins. If the Scarlet Knights are going to make things competitive, it’s going to need epic performances from Tariq Francis and Kaden Powers. Things will also likely need to be sloppy. Otherwise, Wisconsin should win.
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-No. 4 Michigan Wolverines at Oregon Ducks
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Time/TV: 4:00 PM ET (NBC)
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KenPom Spread: Michigan by 17
It’s been a wild last few weeks for the Wolverines. The team opened the year with a dominant win over USC at home, but then followed it up with a narrow win over an underwhelming Penn State squad. Michigan then lost its first game to Wisconsin on Saturday before rebounding against Washington on the road on Wednesday. Those are some major highs and lows, over just two weeks.
Michigan now takes that show to Oregon, who enters the day reeling. The Ducks are just 8-9 overall and will be without stars Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad against the Wolverines. That’s going to make it quite a challenge, given the two led Oregon in offensive usage and Bittle is arguably the team’s best rebounder. If Oregon is going to keep it close, Takai Simpkins and Kwame Evans need to go nuts. Otherwise, it could be a rough one.
-No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Northwestern Wildcats
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Time/TV: 4:00 PM ET (BTN)
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KenPom Spread: Nebraska by 6
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The Huskers enter Saturday as one of the last three unbeatens, coming off a massive win over Oregon at home on Tuesday. Northwestern enters in a drastically different spot, having lost four straight overall and eight straight against teams rated in the top 170 on KenPom.
However, there are some reasons to believe this one could be tight. To start, Nebraska has been more vulnerable on the road than at home so far this season, needing late game efforts to hold off Illinois, Ohio State, and Indiana so far. Northwestern is also better than its record, having lost a lot of tight games to quality competition. Much will hinge on the play of Nick Martinelli and Arrinten Page upfront. If the two can hold their own, Northwestern will have a shot to pull off the upset.
-No. 5 Purdue Boilermakers at USC Trojans
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Time/TV: 6:00 PM ET (Peacock)
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KenPom Spread: Purdue by 7
This presents as one of the bigger mismatches of the day in the Big Ten. Purdue enters the day having won eight straight, while USC is still searching for a big win. The game itself will hinge on whether USC can defend an electric Boiler offense. Most eyes will be on Chad Baker-Mazara. He’s been a bit inconsistent over the last month, and the Trojans will need him to produce. Fans will also hope for a great environment like last year’s upset over Michigan State. However, it’s going to be an uphill battle.
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-No. 12 Michigan State Spartans at Washington Huskies
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Time/TV: 6:00 PM ET (BTN)
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KenPom Spread: Michigan State by 5
The Spartans will enter this one trying to keep pace in the Big Ten title race, as Washington continues to search for a marquee win. The Huskies played decently against Michigan earlier in the week, but fell short. As such, Washington will hope for better luck against Michigan’s in-state rival on Saturday evening.
The game will be an interesting battle, particularly on the boards. Michigan State is one of the better rebounding teams in the country, but Hannes Steinbach is one of the conference’s better rebounders. Can Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper hold up there? If so, Michigan State is likely going to grab a win. Another aspect to watch is how Zoom Diallo and Washington’s offense attacks an elite Spartan defensive unit. It’s hard to see that going well for the Huskies, especially with wing Desmond Claude now gone from the roster as well.
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Picks Record This Season: 33-5
