It was an exciting Tuesday night in Big Ten men’s basketball. The slate almost featured three upsets out of three games. Michigan proved it is the top dog in the Big Ten with a win over undefeated Nebraska, and Purdue proved it is not in that conversation with a loss to struggling Indiana. Rutgers took the Spartans to the brink in overtime, but Jeremy Fears Jr. was too much for the Scarlet Knights to put away.
Here are the scores and the rest of my analysis from Tuesday in Big Ten basketball:
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No. 7 Michigan State 88-79 vs Rutgers
It was yet another game proving that Jeremy Fears Jr. is one of the best players in the country. The guard had 29 points and 9 assists to help the Spartans escape Rutgers in overtime. 27 of his 29 points came in the second half and overtime of this game. The Spartans were down double digits in the second half, and this felt every bit of a trap game. The Scarlet Knights got most of their production from the bench with Tariq Francis dropping 23 points and Harun Zrno dropping 16. Rutgers lost all their juice late in this game, as it could not find a rhythm offensively. This is a team that has had success in overtime before winning two of their conference wins, in overtime this season. This time around, they could not get any shots to drop. Tough effort by Rutgers, but unfortunately for them, the better team prevailed.
No. 3 Michigan 75-72 vs No. 5 Nebraska
The biggest threat for at least right now proved to be Michigan, as the Wolverines knocked off the Cornhuskers in a thriller. The Cornhuskers had this game in the palm of their hands until a late-game rally by the Wolverines in the last minutes of the game. Nebraska’s hot start from 3 kept them with a lead for the majority of the game, but in the final seconds their magic from beyond the arc wore out. The Wolverines were led by Morez Johnson Jr. as he chipped in 17 points. The Wolverines overcame their poor shooting from 3 with pure dominance on the glass. They outrebounded the Cornhuskers 32-21. Not having forward Rienk Mast proved to be too costly.
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Indiana 72-67 vs No. 12 Purdue
Purdue has now dropped 3 straight games and is losing momentum at the wrong time of the season. Contenders in the Big Ten are getting hot, and the Boilermakers are doing the opposite. Lamar Wilkerson leads the Hoosiers to a big-time win to get this squad back on track with his 19 points. The Hoosiers were in a slump, losing 4 straight, but have now won 2 straight games and have gotten their statement win of the season. The Hoosiers have had success vs their hometown foe, winning 4 of the last 5 games vs Purdue at home, and they showed confidence in this one that they can do it again. The Hoosiers were up 40-29 at half and it was consistent production from their most important players to maintain that lead all the way to the final buzzer. The Hoosiers continue to prove they are a very dangerous team in the Big Ten if taken lightly.
Overview
Nebraska gets off to a hot start and has their fun controlling the Big Ten, but now with a loss to Michigan and a game coming up against Illinois, it is time for them to prove where they stand in the Big Ten. Purdue keeps falling and is losing their place in the Big Ten, while other top contenders are maintaining or rising their place with consistent dominance. They could be in trouble if this team does not clean up its consistent mental mistakes.
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What’s next
Today’s slate of games will feature a USC vs Iowa matchup that should end up as a classic due to both teams’ desire to prove themselves in this conference. USC is coming off a huge win vs. the Badgers, and Iowa seems to be back in its groove offensively. This one should go all the way to the final buzzer. The other two games on the slate include two rivalry matchups in Minnesota vs Wisconsin and Oregon vs UCLA. UCLA will look to keep rolling and the Badgers will look to keep themselves in the hunt with a win over the Gophers.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Biggest winners and losers for January 27 in Big Ten men’s basketball
