It was a busy weekend for Big Ten men’s basketball. The nonconference slate is officially over, and conference play is now in full swing. For USC, that meant welcoming Michigan to Galen Center.
However, Trojans-Wolverines was far from the only big game of the weekend. No. 18 Michigan State faced a tough road test against Ohio State, No. 15 UCLA traveled to Nebraska, and much more. It will be fascinating to see how this Big Ten Conference race unfolds this year, not only because of the expanded 18-school membership in the Big Ten with the four West Coast schools now in the fold, but also because there is no clear-cut favorite in the conference. Purdue was obviously the best team in the Big Ten the past two years with Zach Edey being the dominant figure in the league and the reason the Boilermakers were able to turn back their opponents with the consistency one would expect from a conference champion. With Edey now in the NBA (and doing well with the Memphis Grizzlies), Purdue is not an overwhelming favorite in the Big Ten. There is no team lording itself over the rest of the league.
Let’s take a look at the weekend’s results in USC’s new basketball conference:
Friday — Wisconsin 116, Iowa 85
The Badgers had an offensive onslaught at home against the Hawkeyes, hitting 21 3-pointers. Whoa!
Friday — No. 18 Michigan State 69, Ohio State 62
The Spartans held off the Buckeyes in Columbus, building a big lead and holding on late.
Saturday — Nebraska 66, No. 15 UCLA 58
The Huskers upset the No. 15 Bruins at home. UCLA allowed Nebraska to make 25 free throws in a low-scoring game. UCLA hit just 4 of 28 3-pointers. Former USC Trojan Kobe Johnson had a rough game for the Bruins.
Saturday — Michigan 85, USC 74
The Trojans’ second-half comeback ultimately came up short at home against the Wolverines. Michigan got too many layups in the second half and figured out the USC defense.
Sunday — Indiana 77, Penn State 71
The Hoosiers took down the Nittany Lions at the Palestra in Philadelphia.
Sunday — Purdue 79, Northwestern 61
Willie the Wildcat was no match for Purdue Pete in this one.
Sunday — No. 9 Oregon 83, Maryland 79
Hey, at least one Ducks team won a game this week.
Sunday — No. 22 Illinois 81, Washington 77
The Illini completed a road sweep of the Pacific Northwest schools with a win over the Huskies.
Monday — Wisconsin 75, Rutgers 63
The Badgers traveled to Piscataway and got a road win over the Scarlet Knights.
Monday — Ohio State 89, Minnesota 88
The Buckeyes got a double-overtime road win over the Gophers.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten basketball weekend in review
