Big Ten has lived up to the billing in NCAA Tournament

The second round was full of surprises in the NCAA Tournament, and for some Big Ten basketball teams. The conference as a whole was dominant, and there were many thrilling wins for Big Ten teams, including the tournament’s biggest upset.

Here is how my predictions for Big Ten teams in the second round of the NCAA Tournament played out:

Here were my predictions from Saturday:

No. 1 Michigan over No. 9 Saint Louis

“This should be yet another matchup where the Wolverines can impose their will. Robbie Avila is an exciting player made for March Madness, but I think Aday Mara will slow him down, and Michigan will ultimately have too much firepower. I expect Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. to both have big games, propelling Michigan to win by double digits.”

Michigan was dominant as I expected, and Yaxel Lendeborg put up one of his best games of the season, showing how much more dangerous this team can be when he gets going.

No. 3 Michigan State over No. 6 Louisville

“Two powerhouse programs will match up in this game. Both teams get their chance to prove how good they really are. Louisville got gift-wrapped a terrible shooting performance from UCF in round 1. Michigan State is the more complete team, and I think both their defense and stars like Jeremy Fears Jr. will show up, leading the Spartans to a close win.”

Coen Carr is one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball, and in this matchup, he was an elite scorer. To end the season, there was a lot of doubt cast on this team, but in the tournament, they have flipped the switch.

No. 3 Illinois over No. 11 VCU

“Illinois will have its hands full vs VCU coming off its upset vs North Carolina. The Fighting Illini will have to use their size in this game and make their presence felt on the glass. VCU can shoot, and a guy like Terrence Hill Jr. can combat the Fight Illini’s great 3-point shooting ability. David Mirkovic will have to come up huge again and I think he will lead the Fighting Illini to the sweet 16.”

Andrej Stojakovic stepped up big time with his 21 points off the bench. Illinois has been the best version of itself, and they head to the sweet 16 with a lot of confidence.

No. 5 Vanderbilt over No. 4 Nebraska

“Nebraska is coming off a big win where they showed they are a top team in the country. I think Vanderbilt can quickly change that. Vandy’s defense is elite, and they can force good shooting teams to struggle. I can see the shots not falling for Nebraska, and Vandy will be the team in this matchup that does not panic or fold. Tyler Tanner will be the player who steps up the biggest in this game, leading the Commodores to move on to the sweet 16.”

The biggest surprise from the Big Ten just might be Nebraska, which not only got its first tourney win ever, but they have shone bright under the lights, winning big games and not shrinking under pressure. I was wrong to put them on fraud watch.

Here were my predictions from Sunday:

No. 2 Purdue over No. 7 Miami

“The momentum is at an all-time high for the Purdue Boilermakers, and I do not think it stops vs Miami. The Boilermakers offense is rolling, and I think Braden Smith will put up another star performance to keep the run going.”

Purdue looks every bit the top team in the Big Ten, and they are wearing down their opponents. It has been multiple players who have stepped up big, and Braden Smith has been facilitating a top offense left in March Madness. Purdue looks very scary moving forward.

No. 1 Florida over No. 9 Iowa

“Iowa got past Clemson even with a poor shooting performance. Bennett Stirtz will have to be Steph Curry and then some to knock off a loyal people’s title team favorite, the Florida Gators. Florida is coming off a 59-point win; they are as dominant as it gets. I think Iowa will put up more of a fight, but this will be a David and Goliath story where Goliath comes out on top.”

Just like Nebraska has been surprising, Iowa fits that bill, too. This was one of the biggest wins in the tournament so far, and Iowa showed just how much of a threat it can be. They upset Florida without their top shooter having an elite game. Down goes Goliath.

No. 2 UConn over No. 7 UCLA

“UCLA will have its hands full vs Tarris Reed Jr., who is coming off a 30-point and 25-rebound game. The most dominant performance in March Madness history. That is not the type of opponent the Bruins need to face to keep their hopes alive as they head into this matchup banged up. I think Tarris Reed Jr. will have another big game vs UCLA and lead the Huskies to the sweet 16.”

UCLA got dominated, and they felt every bit of missing star Tyler Bilodeau. Still an impressive season for the Bruins, who had a lot of success nonetheless.

Predictions for top performers for Sunday

“Braden Smith will be the top performer from the Big Ten on Sunday. I think he will have another 20-point game, but this time after double-digit assists. The offense moves with him, and if he is able to replicate his performance in the first round, Purdue will have no problem moving past a tough Miami Hurricanes team. Smith will be the X-Factor for Purdue vs Miami.”

Braden Smith was the 3rd-highest scorer for Purdue, but he still had a tremendous impact through the opportunities he created for his teammates. He only finished with 12 points, but his 8 assists went a long way.

“Tarris Reed Jr. is coming off a game where he single-handedly won UConn the game vs Furman. He outrebounded Furman by himself, and he was the dominant scorer in the game. In the last game, he had 31 points and 27 rebounds. I do not think he has that exact stat line vs. UCLA, as they are a more formidable opponent, but I think he still will have himself a day. I think Reed Jr. will have a 20-point game with around 15 rebounds. If Tyler Bilodeau, Reed Jr., is going to dominate both the paint on the glass.”

Tarris Reed Jr. had more of a quiet day vs UCLA, but he still had 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Reed still was a force for UConn, and he played a big part in the dominant win over the Bruins.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten basketball teams are making the grade in March Madness

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