We've reached the last week of the regular season and as such, the pressure and intensity of the games this week should only reach new heights. Most of the conference's top teams will be on the road for some tough matchups and the Big Ten title and NCAA bids should be on the line. Needless to say, it should be fun.
With that, let's take a look at the top games of the week.
Game Of The Week:
- Indiana Hoosiers at Iowa Hawkeyes:
It was a close decision, but ultimately, Indiana's game at Iowa is this week's selection for Game of the Week. On its face, there's a lot of intrigue in this one. Not only are the Hoosiers looking to grab a key road win and win the Big Ten title outright, but on the other side, Iowa is trying to get back on track and stay in the title picture itself.
As mentioned, this is a huge game for Indiana's Big Ten title hopes and long-term season goals. With a win, the Hoosiers would win the conference regular season outright for the second time in four years and grab the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Plus, a road win like this would certainly be a big boost for NCAA seeding.
On the other side, the Hawkeyes have struggled over the last few weeks and are desperate to get back on track. In fact, Iowa has now lost three in a row, four of its last five, and is just 5-5 over its last 10 games. For the Hawkeyes to finish this season on a high note, this game needs to be a win.
The matchup to watch in this game will come on the wing, where Iowa's talented Peter Jok and Jarrod Uthoff will matchup with Max Bielfeldt, Collin Hartman, and Troy Williams among others. With Jok and Uthoff both in slumps the last few games, this is a big opportunity for those two to get back on track.
Honorable Mention:
- Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan Wolverines
Admittedly, this might be a bit of a controversial pick considering some of the other great games this week, but this one has too much riding on it not to be included. This could very well be the game that decides whether Michigan makes the NCAA Tournament and considering that it could have Big Ten title implications as well depending on what Iowa does on Tuesday night, it's hard not to like this game.
The matchup to watch in this one will be inside. Iowa's Adam Woodbury has done a nice job on the boards this season and had a good game in the first meeting between these two teams earlier this year. On the other side, Michigan's Mark Donnal will need to step up and have a nice afternoon if the Wolverines are going to come out on top.
- Maryland Terrapins at Indiana Hoosiers:
This game probably would have been the Game of the Week selection for just about any week this season. However, with Indiana and Iowa battling, this one got bumped to Honorable Mention. Notably, in this game, the Hoosiers are looking to secure footing in the Big Ten and the Terrapins are looking to get back on track after a rough few weeks.
In this one, the matchup to watch will be in the backcourt where Indiana's Yogi Ferrell and Nick Zeisloft will face Maryland's Melo Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon. If the Terps are going to live up to the hype, the team needs Trimble to start playing like his former self and this is a big opportunity to do just that.
Worst Game of the Week:
- Minnesota Golden Gophers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The rematch between the Big Ten's two worst teams will be this Saturday and as such, it's the easy pick for Worst Game of the Week. In all likelihood, the two teams will have a combined Big Ten record of 2-32 entering the matchup and Rutgers will be going for its 33rd straight loss to a conference opponent.
The one potential nugget in this matchup is if Rutgers pulls off the improbable and knocks off Michigan State on Wednesday night. If so, this game would be a battle for the last place in the conference. Otherwise, the game will have no impact on seeding and potential postseason bids.
Season Stats:
- Game of the Week Appearances By Team:
- Iowa - 4
- Maryland - 4
- Purdue - 4
- Indiana - 3
- Michigan State - 2
- Michigan - 1
- Game of the Week Honorable Mention Appearances By Team:
- Maryland - 6
- Michigan - 6
- Indiana - 5
- Wisconsin - 5
- Michigan State - 4
- Iowa - 3
- Ohio State - 3
- Northwestern - 2
- Purdue - 2
- Total Appearances By Team:
- Maryland - 10
- Indiana - 8
- Michigan State - 6
- Michigan - 7
- Purdue - 6
- Iowa - 7
- Wisconsin - 5
- Ohio State - 3
- Northwestern - 2
- Worst Game Appearances By Team:
- Rutgers - 3
- Minnesota - 2
- Illinois - 1
- Maryland - 1