It was an up-and-down night in the Big Ten on Tuesday. The USC Trojans got a big victory, and they got a star showing from their highly-rated freshman Alijah Arenas. UCLA handled Rutgers convincingly, and the Bruins displayed how good they can be when they are clicking in a blowout win.
Here are the scores and the rest of my analysis from Tuesday in Big Ten basketball:
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USC 81-75 vs Indiana
It was a special day for Alijah Arenas as he looked every bit of a star with his team leading 29 points. The Trojans got a massive victory over an Indiana Hoosiers team with a lot of momentum heading into this game. The Trojans dominated the glass, and they struck fear in the Bruins when they entered the paint, as the Trojans had 8 blocks on the night. The Trojans put it all together tonight, and it was a great all-around showing. If USC can show this version of itself more consistently, this could be a more dangerous team in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, they could be without their star Chad Baker-Mazara as he did not finish the second half of last night’s game. That could be a major loss if it is a long period of time he misses, but in the meantime, have to love what you saw from Alijah Arenas.
UCLA 98-66 vs Rutgers
UCLA dominates Rutgers as all of its starters reach double figures. Big man Xavier Booker leads the way with a dominant 24 points, on only 1 missed shot attempt, and shooting 4-4 from 3. Tyler Bilodeau, the usual star from the Bruins, also chips in 19 points. The Bruins could not miss a shot, as a team they shot 55.6% from the field, and 57.1% from 3. Perfect response for the Bruins after a gut-wrenching loss to Indiana.
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Top performers of the night
Alijah Arenas, not too far removed from a car crash and a serious leg injury, has had his first big-time performance. Arenas led the Trojans with 29 points and 6 rebounds. Arenas was efficient from the free-throw line, shooting 8-9, and had just about every stat in this game, minus a personal foul. This was a very encouraging performance from Arenas, and it gives great hope that he can take over the mantle if Baker-Mazara has to miss an extended period of time.
Lamar Wilkerson was a star as well; unfortunately, his 33 points did not lead the Hoosiers to victory, but it was just another showing that displayed Wilkerson is a star in the Big Ten. Wilkerson is now averaging 20.2 points per game, and he is shooting 39% from 3. In his 33-point performance, he shot 5-12 from 3, and he was a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line. It feels like every game, Wilkerson will show up for his squad and give them the best opportunity to win basketball games.
Overview
It was a great night for the USC Trojans, even with the injury to their star; they proved themselves in a massive conference win over the underrated Indiana Hoosiers. Alijah Arenas looked like the top prospect he was supposed to be coming out of high school. The Bruins, on the other hand, got on the right track with a lopsided victory over Rutgers. Both former Pac-12 teams showed they belonged in the Big Ten last night.
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What’s next
The Wednesday slate should produce some very competitive games and maybe even an upset. The Weddsya slate starts off with a match between Michigan State and Minnesota. The Gophers could very well keep this game close, but they will, in the end, more than likely come up short. Illinois should handle business vs. Northwestern and keep rolling. Iowa vs Washington will be a great matchup featuring two teams that have all the talent possible to make this game a shootout, and it can go either way.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Biggest winners and losers for February 3 in Big Ten men’s basketball
