The Big Ten has a nice slate of action on Saturday, with eight teams set to play. The biggest game will be in Los Angeles with Indiana traveling to face the Bruins.
Let’s take a look at the schedule.
-Indiana Hoosiers at UCLA Bruins
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Time/TV: 5:00 PM ET (Peacock)
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Despite some rocky stretches, Indiana and UCLA enter Saturday’s meeting with momentum. The Hoosiers are coming off a massive win over arch-rival Purdue on Tuesday and the Bruins have won five of the team’s last six games. The wins have pushed both into strong position for NCAA Tournament bids. However, there’s still more work to do and the winner of this one will get quite a boost.
The game itself is likely to come down to the battle on the wing. Indiana relies extensively on Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries, while Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey have been doing work for the Bruins as of late. UCLA’s group has certainly been more consistent, but Wilkerson has elite potential when playing well. Whoever comes out on top there likely wins.
Another interesting thing to follow will be how Indiana defends Donovan Dent. The Bruin guard has been tearing it up lately and the Hoosiers don’t have an obvious match. It’s going to be quite a challenge for Conor Enright and Tayton Conerway to hold up. All told, it’s the reason why UCLA is the pick here.
-Ohio State Buckeyes at Wisconsin Badgers
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Time/TV: 2:00 PM ET (FOX)
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KenPom Spread: Wisconsin by 2
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These are two other teams that have been trending up the last month. Ohio State enters Saturday having won three of its last four and Wisconsin is 8-2 over its last 10 games. However, both still have more work to do to lock up an NCAA bid, and that certainly includes the Buckeyes, who are only narrowly inside the field in most projections.
Wisconsin certainly seems better positioned to win this game. The Badgers have home court and have a far more consistent defensive unit. John Mobley and Bruce Thornton can light it up, but Wisconsin has a great backcourt duo of their own in Nick Boyd and John Blackwell to match. If Ohio State is going to pull off the upset, it’s probably going to take a huge game from Christoph Tilly. Otherwise, the Badgers are the pick here.
-Rutgers Scarlet Knights at USC Trojans
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Time/TV: 7:00 PM ET (Peacock)
The Trojans are looking to bounce back after a tough loss at Iowa on Wednesday and should have a decent shot here, with a flawed Rutgers squad coming across the country to battle. And that’s good news for Trojan fans, as the team is still fighting to earn an NCAA spot.
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The most interesting part of this game should be in the backcourt, where Tariq Francis faces off against Chad Baker-Mazara. They’re two of the better guards in the league and should put on a show here. However, Rutgers simply doesn’t have enough around Francis to believe it will be a win.
-Washington Huskies at Northwestern Wildcats
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Time/TV: 8:00 PM ET (BTN)
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KenPom Spread: Northwestern by 1
It’s been a frustrating season for these two squads. Despite solid rosters and decent analytics, neither has broken through all that well. Washington is just 3-7 in Big Ten play and Northwestern is an even worse 2-8, with most of those losses coming in competitive contests. However, at a certain point of the season, teams become their record. And, unfortunately, we’re getting there with these two.
That’s what makes this one so important. Despite the records, the two have a chance of getting postseason bids, if they can finish strong. The biggest question will be how Zoom Diallo performs against Nick Martinelli, who’s one of the more consistent offensive players in the league. Moreover, this could be a chance for Hannes Steinbach to show out against an underwhelming Northwestern frontcourt. All told, Washington is the pick.
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Picks Record This Season: 40-6
