BT Powerhouse - 2015 Big Ten TournamentA Big Ten Basketball Blog. Your top source for all things Big Ten basketball related.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48027/btpower-fave.png2015-03-15T17:18:28-05:00http://www.btpowerhouse.com/rss/stream/78930042015-03-15T17:18:28-05:002015-03-15T17:18:28-05:00Big Ten Releases 2015 All-Tournament Team
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<figcaption>David Banks-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The top players from the 2015 Big Ten Tournament were released.</p> <p>On Sunday evening, following Wisconsin's win over Michigan State to claim the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-basketball-tournament">2015 Big Ten Tournament</a> championship, the conference released it's All-Big Ten Tournament team. These were the top five players from the weekend. With fourteen teams participating in 13 games, there was a ton of action, but their selections were certainly reasonable.</p>
<p>In total, the five players were selected from three different teams including both Michigan State and Wisconsin who ended up making the championship game. This is certainly not surprising, but several key players from the around the conference who made the regular season awards list did not make the cut.</p>
<p>Here are the players that made the cut.</p>
<h5>2015 Big Ten All-Tournament Team:</h5>
<ul>
<li><span><span>Branden Dawson</span>, Michigan State</span></li>
<li><span><span>Nigel Hayes</span>, Wisconsin</span></li>
<li><span><span>Frank Kaminsky</span>, Wisconsin</span></li>
<li><span>DJ Newbill, Penn State</span></li>
<li><span><span>Travis Trice</span>, Michigan State</span></li>
</ul>
<div>So in total, two players from Michigan State's squad, two players from Wisconsin's squad, and one player from Penn State. It will be interesting to see how these players performance in the postseason going forward.</div>
https://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/3/15/8219945/2015-big-ten-tournmanet-all-team-michigan-state-penn-state-wisconsinThomas Beindit2015-03-15T14:03:50-05:002015-03-15T14:03:50-05:00United Center Unveils Awesome Entrance For Big Ten Tournament Championship Game<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/b1gmbball/status/577177044066369536?refsrc=email&s=11">United Center Unveils Awesome Entrance For Big Ten Tournament Championship&nbsp;Game</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Wisconsin and Michigan State will tip-off on Sunday to determine who is crowned as the 2015 Big Ten Tournament champion. In preparation for the game, the United Center added a really cool entrance to help describe the significance of the event.</p></p></div>
https://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/3/15/8219111/united-center-unveils-awesome-entrance-for-big-ten-tournamentThomas Beindit2015-03-15T09:07:38-05:002015-03-15T09:07:38-05:00Elite Coaches Battle For B1G Tourney Title
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<p>The Wisconsin Badgers have a chance to earn a number 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a Big Ten Tournament Championship victory on Sunday against Michigan State, but Tom Izzo continues to find ways to get the Spartans ready to in in March.</p> <p>Big Ten conference play will come to a close on Sunday afternoon as the conference tournament wraps up with the <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wisconsin Badgers</a> taking on Michigan State. The Badgers found their way into the championship after defeating Michigan and Purdue. The Spartans have started to heat up as all Tom Izzo teams seem to do in the month of March, they landed a spot in the championship after beating Ohio State and Maryland.</p>
<h3>#1 Wisconsin vs. #3 Michigan State<br>- Game Time: 3:30ET on CBS</h3>
<h5>Last Time:</h5>
<p>Wisconsin showed exactly why they are the Big Ten's number 1 seed last time out against the Spartans in a 68-61 victory, one in which the final score was a lot closer than the actual game. The Badgers pounded the ball inside early and often as conference player of the year <span>Frank Kaminsky</span> scored a season high 31 points in his final home game of his career. Frank the Tank also added 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals to the stat sheet. Sophomore Nigel Hayes chipped in with 14 points and Wisconsin's big men shot a combined 17-26 well enough for 65 percent. Michigan State's bright spot came towards the end of the game when they were able to fight their way back and turned the deficient from down 22 points into just a 7 point loss. <span>Bryn Forbes</span> scored 22 points and was 8-9 from the field for Sparty, but that was not enough to rally a full comeback in the second half.</p>
<h5>What to Expect:</h5>
<p>Tom Izzo has once again found a way to transform his solid, but not great team into a streaking red hot March squad that not many opponents want to match up against in the next few weeks. Big Ten conference coach of the year Bo Ryan, on the other hand, continues to show dominance throughout the season after pep talking up the Badgers at halftime against Purdue on Saturday which led them to a 41-16 second half victory. Sunday's match up is going to be one of the best coaching battles that has taken place all season long.</p>
<h5>How MSU wins:</h5>
<p>Look for Izzo to focus on stopping Frank and Nigel from getting easy looks at the basket, after having both of those players destroy the Spartans inside the paint the first time they played, Tom will make sure that does not happen again. Spartan guards Trice and Forbes will also be called upon to have big games on both sides of the court, with Jackson out for the Badgers, Michigan State can hope to take advantage of <span>Bronson Koenig</span> on the defensive end of the court.</p>
<h5>How Wisconsin Wins:</h5>
<p>The Badgers need to continue to do exactly what they have done all season long, which is not turn the ball over, commit few fouls, and high offensive efficiency. Kaminsky and Dekker have been playing great as of late together, and the rise of Koenig stepping up for the injured Jackson has been huge for the Badgers.</p>
<h5>What's on the line:</h5>
<p>For Michigan State they have a chance to head into the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness" class="sbn-auto-link">NCAA Tournament</a> with a conference tournament championship title and riding a hot streak. Wisconsin with a victory can earn them a 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, which could possibly lead them to a Final Four for a rematch of last year's battle with Kentucky.</p>
https://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/3/15/8217565/2015-big-ten-tournament-preview-michigan-state-spartans-wisconsin-badgers-1-seedProkop172015-03-14T19:51:50-05:002015-03-14T19:51:50-05:00What We Learned: Maryland vs Michigan State
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<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Spartans rallied from a slow start and pulled past Maryland to make the championship game.</p> <p>The B1G Tournament final is set, and it will be a match-up of the two of the most consistent programs in the conference the last decade. <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Maryland </a>tried to make the semi complete chalk, but fell short late. Let's take a look at what this game taught us.</p>
<h3>What We Learned:</h3>
<h5>These Spartans are going to fight</h5>
<p><a href="https://www.theonlycolors.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Michigan State </a>dug themselves a hole early, going down 23-7 in the first half. However, Tom Izzo's team kept their composure and kept it close. <span>Travis Trice</span> and <span>Branden Dawson</span> combined for 18 points to end the first half and cut the lead down to eight by halftime. In the second half, they came out with a stifling defensive effort and were able to take the lead with 12 minutes to go. For a team that has dropped games to lesser teams at home this season, MSU showed really composure as they found a way to win.</p>
<h5>Maryland is capable of losing closes games</h5>
<p>Prior to today, Maryland had gone the whole season without losing a game that was decided by six points or less. This has somewhat infamously put them at the top of the KenPom luck rankings. Mark Turgeon has even commented, albeit with a far bit of snark, on this ranking. We can now say the Terps are 10-1 in "close" games, and they didn't lose this one just because of bad luck, they made MSU earn this one.</p>
<h5>Both of these teams could be dangerous in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness" class="sbn-auto-link">NCAA Tournament</a>
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<p>The depth of both of these teams is key for making a run in March. Having guys like <span>Dez Wells</span>, <span>Melo Trimble</span>, and <span>Denzel Valentine</span> you can call on in big moments is key to making a run in March, but that isn't the only impressive quality these teams share. They also combine solid team defense with the ability to rotate as many as 9 or even 10 guys in and out when needed. I could easily see both of these teams playing their way into the second weekend of the tourney. Expect Maryland to end up around a 3 or 4 seed and MSU could end up as high as a 4 or 5 if they beat Wisconsin tomorrow.</p>
<h5>Travis Trice has become a true leader</h5>
<p>As we've watched MSU make this recent run of four straight wins, one player has stood out, and that is Trice. He has scored 18 or more points in each of those victories, but it hasn't just been the scoring that has made him stand out. It has been when he scores. Trice has developed a knack for scoring when the Spartans need it most, he flat out willed this team to victory over Purdue on senior night in East Lansing. He has become the heart of this team, and this was a team that needed more heart. Michigan State is playing its best basketball right now, and I'm sure that surprises no one.</p>
<h3>Overall</h3>
<p>This game a the kind you expect to see in March. Sometimes a team will come out flat, but now is when you see teams and players leave it all out on the court to give themselves the best chance to win. I'm happy to see Maryland as part of the B1G and I think both they and Michigan State will represent my beloved conference well in the big dance.</p>
https://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/3/14/8216211/2015-big-ten-tournament-what-we-learned-maryland-terrapins-vs-michigan-state-spartans-recapA R Holmes2015-03-14T18:36:04-05:002015-03-14T18:36:04-05:00What We Learned: Purdue vs Wisconsin
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<p>Wisconsin showed us once again why they're the best team in the conference. </p> <p style="text-align: justify;">The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hammerandrails.com/">Purdue Boilermakers</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/">Wisconsin Badgers</a> faced off Saturday afternoon with a trip to the conference championship game on the line. The Badgers won the Big Ten regular season championship, now they are just looking to add the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-basketball-tournament">Big Ten Tournament</a> Championship to their already impressive resume.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Purdue jumped out to an early lead, and took a 5 point advantage into the break. Their lead evaporated quickly in the second half. The Badgers were just too much for the Boilermakers to handle coming down the stretch. Wisconsin outscored Purdue 41-16 in the second half. The Badgers picked up the 71-51 win.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">What We Learned</h3>
<h5 style="text-align: justify;">
<span>Bronson Koenig</span> can lead the Badgers in scoring.</h5>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Koenig finished with a career-high 19 points for the Badgers. He instrumental in Wisconsin's second half onslaught, and hit the 3 that gave the Badgers the second half lead. Wisconsin never looked back from that moment. Koenig showed us he can lead the scoring in the well-rounded Badger offense.</p>
<h5 style="text-align: justify;">The Boilermakers offense goes as far as A. J. Hammons takes it.</h5>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Purdue was leading Wisconsin in the first half when Hammons was hitting his shots. He finished the first half with 10 points. The Badgers shut Hammons out in the second half and didn't allow him to score the rest of the game. Nobody else in Purdue's lineup was able to make up for the loss of production. As a result the Boilermakers only had 16 points in the second half on 24% shooting. Numbers like that aren't going to cut it against Wisconsin.</p>
<h5 style="text-align: justify;">The Badgers can blow teams out when <span>Frank Kaminsky</span> isn't dominating.</h5>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Kaminsky had a solid day for the Badgers, but he wasn't dominating like he usually does. He finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Badgers showed how balanced their offensive attack is. Kaminsky was the 4<sup>th</sup> leading scorer on the team behind Bronson Koeng, <span>Sam Dekker</span>, and Nigel Hayes. You know you have a good offense when Kaminsky is the 4<sup>th</sup> leading scorer. Wisconsin doesn't need Kaminsky to put up 20 plus points a game to beat good teams. They showed us they can still blow teams out when he isn't at the top of his game.</p>
<h5 style="text-align: justify;">Purdue can shoot better from beyond the arc, than they can from the field.</h5>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Boilermakers were 50% from behind the arc on 7 of 14 shooting, but were only 37% from the field overall. Wisconsin did an excellent job of not letting the Boilermakers get anything easy buckets at the rim. They wanted to make Purdue beat them from with their 3 point shooting, and Purdue wasn't able to do it.</p>
<h5 style="text-align: justify;">Wisconsin doesn't mind playing from behind.</h5>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The Badgers showed us just how good they can be on Saturday afternoon. They were unfazed by the Boilermakers second half lead and never panicked. They did exactly what good teams do and stuck with their game-plan. Once again Wisconsin showed us why they are going to be a tough out in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">Overall</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This was a solid Big Ten Tournament outing for Purdue. Not many people expected them to knock off Wisconsin. They had an excellent first half, but they weren't able to finish the game off. We'll see how they fair in the NCAA Tournament.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Wisconsin is still the best team in the Big Ten. They had a great regular season, and they have carried it over into the tournament. Wisconsin will look to sweep the regular season and the tournament conference championship on Sunday afternoon.</p>
https://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/3/14/8215625/big-ten-tournament-recap-wisconsin-purdueJackson Flickinger2015-03-14T18:00:02-05:002015-03-14T18:00:02-05:002015 Big Ten Tournament Saturday Recap
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<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Big Ten Tournament had been mostly chalk to this point and really the only thing left to play for was Wisconsin shooting for a #1 seed given losses by other contenders in their own conference tournaments. So how did the action shake out today? </p> <p>Saturday was Semifinal day in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-basketball-tournament">Big Ten Tournament</a> and the Top 4 teams were all still alive to battle it out. That meant no team had the benefit of additional rest as compared to the other teams. So what did the day bring? Large second half comebacks.</p>
<h3><b>Game of the Day</b></h3>
<h4>#3 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.theonlycolors.com/">Michigan State Spartans</a> 62 - #2 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.testudotimes.com/">Maryland Terrapins</a> 58</h4>
<p>Both of these teams have no questions about their <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness">NCAA Tournament</a> hopes, but still were trying to move up a line or two in the seeding to make the road to Indianapolis a little easier. <span>Melo Trimble</span> started the game on fire hitting three treys along with a floater in the lane to give the Terrapins an early 15-4 lead. At the 10 minute mark, the Spartans weren't exactly helping themselves as they shot 3 of their first 15 from the field including 2-8 from three. That compared to Maryland who was shooting 9-13 including 5-6 from three point land. Given those numbers, you would certainly believe the score of 23-9 Maryland. MSU and <span>Travis Trice</span> were not intimidated though as they came roaring back behind several Trice baskets to cut the deficit to five at 25-20 with 4:29 to go in the first half. The Spartans were also able to get <span>Dez Wells</span> a couple of fouls which really limited him in the first half of play. Despite that, Maryland took the halftime lead into the locker room 33-25. <span>Denzel Valentine</span> ended the half with 0 points and Tom Izzo called it "<i>the worst half of basketball he has seen in a long time</i>."</p>
<p>Michigan State came out in the second half with a lot more energy and cut the deficit to one point by the 14 minute mark of the half after a huge dunk by Marvin Clark Jr which was part of a 15-0 run by the Spartans which included Valentine's first bucket - a trey to give MSU their first lead of the game 38-36 with 12:29 to play. Dez Wells, who hadn't scored since the opening minute of the game, quickly took over with two quick baskets to grab the lead back 43-40 with 10 minutes to play. For the next few minutes, the game continued back and forth and was tied 48-48 with 5 minutes to go. Perhaps the play that set the game apart occurred with 2:07 to play and MSU already leading 53-50. <span>Branden Dawson</span> grabbed a tough rebound and threw a long outlet pass to <span>Gavin Schilling</span> who went up to dunk it and was pushed from behind by <span>Evan Smotrycz</span> which resulted in a flagrant foul. Schilling would hit one free throw and Dawson got a big dunk on the next possession to put MSU out front 56-50. There would be no looking back for Michigan State as they won the game with a huge second half showing of 37-25.</p>
<p>Travis Trice led the Spartans with 20 points and Branden Dawson chipped in 17 points to go along with 8 boards. <span>Matt Costello</span> was also a key off the bench with 10 points and 3 rebounds.</p>
<p>Maryland was led by Melo Trimble with 22 points. His closest help was Dez Wells who had a very disappointing game with 10 points and 7 rebounds. Evan Smotrycz also contributed 9 points on 3-5 from behind the arc.</p>
<h3><b>The Rest</b></h3>
<h4>#1 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/">Wisconsin Badgers</a> 71- #4 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hammerandrails.com/">Purdue Boilermakers</a> 51</h4>
<p>Purdue likely was no longer on the bubble coming into this game and Wisconsin was looking better for a #1 seed given losses by Duke and Virginia in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/acc-basketball-tournament">ACC Tournament</a> yesterday. This game was billed as a battle of the 7-footers -<span>Frank Kaminsky</span> of Wisconsin versus <span>A.J. Hammons</span> and <span>Isaac Haas</span> of Purdue. And that is exactly what it was early on as Kaminsky had 4 early points and a block compared to 4 points and 2 blocks for Hammons as Purdue took a 19-12 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Purdue also had 5 points from the free throw line in the first 10 minutes which was more than they had the entire game in the first match-up in early January. While Hammons continued to play well for the remainder of the half, finishing with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks - it was <span>Nigel Hayes</span> and <span>Sam Dekker</span> that kept Wisconsin in it. Hayes had 10 points and Dekker added 6 points to finish the half. However, it was Purdue ending the half on a 5-0 run that took the lead into halftime 35-30.</p>
<p>Kaminsky started the second half with a bucket to end a 13 minute drought for him and Nigel Hayes & <span>Bronson Koenig</span> added a couple of treys to quickly erase the halftime deficit and give the Badgers a 38-35 lead. Purdue wasn't helping itself either as they were shooting 13% in the second half at the 13 minute mark. Hammons picked up his 4<sup>th</sup> foul with about 8 minutes to play and that was all she wrote for Purdue in this one as the Badgers took over with a 57-44 lead. Wisconsin committed their first turnover of the game with 6 minutes to go which is incredible against a defensive oriented team in Purdue. This helped lead to a stunning 41-16 second half score which allowed Wisconsin to run away with this one.</p>
<p>Bronson Koenig led the way for Wisconsin with 19 points, and he was closely followed by Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker with 15 points each. Kaminsky ended with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in quite the all-around day.</p>
<p>A.J. Hammons didn't score in the second half, but still led the team with 10 points for the game. He was followed closely by <span>P.J. Thompson</span> and <span>Kendall Stephens</span> with 9 points each. Isaac Haas was a complete non-factor with only 2 points and 2 rebounds.</p>
https://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/3/14/8215621/2015-big-ten-tournament-saturday-recap-wisconsin-reigns-supremeScott Manning2015-03-14T09:00:02-05:002015-03-14T09:00:02-05:00Big Ten Friday Recap: All Chalk in Chicago
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<p>With the top four seeds in action for the first time in the Big Ten Tournament, there was a chance for some big upsets. Let's see how they did.</p> <p>Friday was Quarterfinal day in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-basketball-tournament" class="sbn-auto-link">Big Ten Tournament</a>, with the top 4 teams all playing after their double-bye to begin the tournament. All 4 teams had the benefit of extra rest, and all 4 teams won their games. It was all chalk in Chicago for the first ever Big Ten Quarterfinal featuring the newcomer, the <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Maryland Terrapins</a>.</p>
<h3>Game of the Day</h3>
<h5>#2 Maryland Terrapins 75 - #7 <a href="https://www.crimsonquarry.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Indiana Hoosiers</a> 69</h5>
<p>Indiana came into today's match as the last team into the tournament according to ESPN's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/bracketology" class="sbn-auto-link">bracketology</a>. Most experts agreed that with a win, the Hoosiers would be a lock for the tournament. The score was incredibly close for the entirety of the game, but Maryland held the edge after going up 14-13 early in the first half. The teams would continue to trade baskets, with Indiana tying the game on several occasions. Maryland was never able to take control of the game as they never stretched their lead to more than 6 from the 10 minute mark in the first half to the very end of the game. They say basketball is a game of runs, but neither team went on a run of more than 2 baskets with the only exception being a 9-0 Maryland run early in the game. Every time Indiana got close, Maryland answered, and that ended up being the story of the game. Indiana was within 2 points with 39 seconds left, but Maryland was able to ice the game from the free throw line, building a 9 point lead - the largest of the game - with only 12 seconds left. Indiana hit a late three, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Terrapins.</p>
<p><span>Dez Wells</span> had a game high 22 points for Maryland, and <span>Melo Trimble</span> added 17. <span>Jake Layman</span> had 10 points and was 1 rebound away from a double-double. <span>Jared Nickens</span> also had 10 points for the Terrapins.</p>
<p>Indiana was led by Yogi Ferrell who had 18 points. <span>Troy Williams</span> had 17 points and 9 rebounds and <span>Robert Johnson</span> had 10 points.</p>
<p>Indiana now will have to sweat it out on Selection Sunday, while Maryland will play in the semifinals at approximately 3:30 EST / 2:30 CT against Michigan State on CBS.</p>
<h3>The Rest</h3>
<h5>#3 <a href="https://www.theonlycolors.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Michigan State Spartans</a> 76 - #6 <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Ohio State Buckeyes</a> 67</h5>
<p>Both the Spartans and Buckeyes are firmly in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness" class="sbn-auto-link">NCAA Tournament</a>, but both teams had a chance to improve their seeding on Friday. Michigan State jumped out to an early lead, going up 29-13 with 6 minutes left in the first half. Ohio State then went on a 10-2 run that was capped off by a pair of D'Angelo Russell three pointers. Both teams would then trade punches and the Spartans came out with a 36-28 lead at the half. Each team then made their first three shots of the 2nd half before Ohio State went on a 5 minute scoring drought. But Michigan state went on a drought of their own, scoring only one basket in a 6 minute span. The Spartans then opened up a 17 point lead with 6:30 left in the game, but Ohio State wouldn't quit. They went on a 13-1 run that made it a 5 point game with 3 minutes left. Michigan State answered though, and managed to keep the Buckeyes at arms length for the remainder of the game.</p>
<p>D'Angelo Russell had a team high 19 points for Ohio State. Shannon Scott was 1 assist away from a double-double with 13 points and 9 assists. <span>Sam Thompson</span> also added 13 points for the Buckeyes</p>
<p>Michigan State put on a passing clinic in the game, getting assists on 23 of their 29 made field goals while only committing 8 turnovers. <span>Branden Dawson</span> and <span>Denzel Valentine</span> were both close to triple-doubles, each had 7 assists and 8 rebounds for the Spartans while scoring 14 and 23 points respectively. <span>Travis Trice</span> also added 18 points for the team from East Lansing.</p>
<h5>#1 <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wisconsin Badgers</a> 71 - #9 <a href="https://www.maizenbrew.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Michigan Wolverines</a> 60</h5>
<p>The first game of Quarterfinal action pitted Wisconsin against the the Wolverines from Michigan. Michigan was trying to pull off an improbable upset while Wisconsin needed a win to continue to make their case for a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan came out firing, opening up a 9 point lead over Wisconsin 12 minutes into the first half on the backs of the hot shooting <span>Spike Albrecht</span> and <span>Zak Irvin</span>. But Michigan all of a sudden went cold, scoring only 4 points in the last 8 minutes of the half. Wisconsin scored 18 points during Michigan's cold streak, making several easy layups and dunks in the process. Wisconsin took a 5 point lead into halftime with a score of 31-26. Both teams traded baskets for most of the second half, with Michigan taking the lead on a couple occasions. It was a tie game with 5 minutes left at 54-54, but for the second time in the game, Michigan went cold at the end of the half. they only made 2 baskets in the final 4 minutes, and Wisconsin pulled away for a comfortable 11 point victory.</p>
<p>Michigan had a fantastic shooting day, going 52% from the field and 40% from three, but they were dominated on the boards by the much larger Wisconsin team. They were also unable to draw fouls and get to the free throw line - they only drew 5 fouls and shot 2 free throws for the entire game. They lost the rebound battle 34-19, and 11 of those 19 rebounds came from Zak Irvin, who notched third double double of the season. His 21 points were a game high, and <span>Ricky Doyle</span> added 12 points on 6 for 6 shooting.</p>
<p>Wisconsin won this game by playing stellar defense without fouling, and by controlling the battle on the glass. <span>Frank Kaminsky</span> had his 11th double-double of the season, with 16 points and 12 rebounds. <span>Nigel Hayes</span> was 1 rebound away from his own double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds. <span>Sam Dekker</span> had 17 points 6 rebounds and 6 assists and <span>Bronson Koenig</span> added 12 points for the Badgers. They will face #4 Purdue at 1:00 EST / Noon CT on CBS.</p>
<h5>#4 <a href="https://www.hammerandrails.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Purdue Boilermakers</a> 64 - #13 <a href="https://www.blackshoediaries.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Penn State Nittany Lions</a> 59</h5>
<p>Penn State came into this game trying to continue their run in the Big Ten Tournament after their upset victory over Iowa. Purdue had to avoid a bad loss that would push them closer to the bubble and probably force them into the NCAA play-in game in Dayton. <span>D.J. Newbill</span> caught fire early in the game, hitting his first three shots including 2 three pointers in a 2 minute span. Newbill then went cold for the rest of the half, but the rest of the Nittany Lions caught fire as Penn State opened up an 11 point lead late in the first half. But with Penn State up 8 with 30 seconds left in the half they got an offensive rebound and had the chance to pull it out and take the last shot of the half. Instead, Newbill opted for the quick shot, which he missed, and Purdue came back and hit a three to close the half and put them only down 5 at 37-32. Penn State then went on a 5 minute scoring drought early in the 2nd half that allowed Purdue to take the lead at 42-41. Penn State was able to answer, going up 50-44 after a <span>Brandon Taylor</span> three. <span>Vince Edwards</span> responded for Purdue with a three of his own to make it 50-47 with 8:47 left in the game. Penn State then went ice cold with a scoring drought that lasted until the final minute of the game. Purdue went up by 7 in the final minute and closed the game out from the free throw line and Penn State's run ended abruptly.</p>
<p>Penn State had only 3 turnovers in the game, but their cold shooting kept them from winning the game. <span>D.J. Newbill</span> led the Lions with 19 points, but it took him 18 shots to do it. He was 4 of 6 from three, but only 2 of 12 from inside the arc. <span>Ross Travis</span> had another stellar game for Penn State with 10 points and 9 rebounds.</p>
<p>For Purdue, <span>A.J. Hammons</span> was the man of the game. He had 23 points, 9 rebounds and 4 timely blocks. <span>Rapheal Davis</span> had 13 points for the Boilermakers and <span>Jon Octeus</span> had 9 points and 11 rebounds, which were a career high. Purdue will look to upset the Wisconsin Badgers tomorrow afternoon.</p>
https://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/3/14/8212615/2015-big-ten-tournament-recap-michigan-wisconsin-purdue-maryland-indiana-ohio-state-michigan-stateBrian LaTorre2015-03-14T08:41:14-05:002015-03-14T08:41:14-05:00BTT Saturday Preview and Open Thread: MARY vs. MSU
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<figcaption>Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Get ready for the semifinals of the 2015 Big Ten Tournament.</p> <p>The 2015 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-basketball-tournament" class="sbn-auto-link" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Big Ten Tournament</a> will resume on Saturday afternoon in the United Center with two intriguing matchups where four teams have the opportunity to reach the championship game and a shot at the trophy on Sunday. Although all four teams have likely locked up their NCAA Tournament positions, today's games could mean much for their seeding in the Big Dance. With that, let's take a look at all four games.</p>
<h3>The Rest</h3>
<h5>- #1 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/">Wisconsin Badgers</a> vs.<span> #4 </span><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hammerandrails.com/" style="font-size: 1em; background-color: #ffffff;">Purdue Boilermakers</a><span> </span>
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<p><a href="https://www.onthebanks.com/" class="sbn-auto-link"></a></p>
<h5>Game Time: 12:00PM CT (CBS)</h5>
<p>Before the season, if you had told people that Purdue would be just a game away from the Big Ten Tournament championship game, there probably would have been a lot of laughter. However, after knocking off Penn State on Friday afternoon, Purdue just needs two wins to hoist the trophy on Sunday. Meanwhile, Wisconsin was able to hold off a hot Michigan team and continue their path as the #1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.</p>
<p>Despite being a semi-final game, this one actually has a lot of implications regarding the NCAA Tournament. Purdue appears to be in the Big Dance right now, but, of course, the committee has not issued any opinion, meaning we are going off <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/bracketology" class="sbn-auto-link">bracketology</a> posts from various sites. Again, the Boilermakers are <i>very likely </i>in already, but with a win on Saturday, they are a lock and nothing weird could keep them out. For Wisconsin, they will be looking to notch off another win for their resume and continue their pursuit of a #1 seed in this year's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness" style="background-color: #ffffff;">NCAA Tournament</a>.</p>
<p>The matchup in this game is pretty easy to spot and it will occur inside between Big Ten Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky and AJ Hammons. The Boilermakers are one of the few teams in the conference that can actually matchup with the Badgers inside. This is not to say that Purdue has better guys upfront, but they have the size and depth with Hammons and other big man <span>Isaac Haas</span> to at least compete. Unlike some teams, Wisconsin and Kaminsky will have to work for every possession inside. Purdue ranks #19 in blocking rate and there is a good reason why.</p>
<div>The other interesting matchup in this one could be at the point guard position between <span>Bronson Koenig</span> and <span>Jon Octeus</span>. Both have been playing well lately and though neither is considered the "top" guy on their respective teams, they will mean a lot to this matchup. Koenig has scored double-digits in his last two games, had offensive ratings of over 130 in each game, and went 5-9 from 3PT range. Meanwhile, Octeus has double-digits in five of his last six games including and 18 point performance in a must win game against Illinois last week. These guys will not get a ton of attention coming in, but if one gets hot, it would mean a ton for this game.</div>
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<h3>Semi-Final #2</h3>
<h5>- #2 <a href="https://www.testudotimes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Maryland Terrapins</a> vs. 3 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.theonlycolors.com/">Michigan State Spartans</a>
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<h5>Game Time: 25 Minutes After #1 vs #4 (CBS)</h5>
<p>On Friday evening in the late session, Maryland was able to hold off a late charge by Indiana to move on and Michigan State solidly took care of business against Ohio State. As a result, the Terps and Spartans are now lined up for their third meeting this season on Saturday.</p>
<p>Though both teams are solidly in this year's NCAA Tournament coming into this game, this is the type of game that has the ability to push a team up in seeding for March and take a good, but not great resume and push it into that next category to grab that extra spot or two. Maryland is looking to grab a #2 seed and Michigan State is trying to grab another win or two to push it out of the #7 to #9 seed range and perhaps into a high #7 seed or even a #6 seed. If they can do this, their odds for March certainly would take a huge step forward.</p>
<p>The major matchup to watch in this game could be on the wing where Michigan State will hope to use <span>Branden Dawson</span> and <span>Denzel Valentine</span> to create matchup problems for the Terps. <span>Jake Layman</span> and <span>Richaud Pack</span> have done a really nice job this year and Maryland is #41 nationally in 3PT defense, but the Terps have not been a great rebounding unit. They sit at just #123 in defensive rebounding and #257 in offensive rebounding. Dawson ranked 2nd in the Big Ten in defensive rebounding rate and could be a problem all day for Maryland. If the Terps can minimize the damage the Spartans do here, it would go a long way toward a win.</p>
<p>Another key aspect to watch in this game will be at the free throw line. Maryland ranked #15 nationally in percentage of points off free throws while Michigan State is #340 in free throw percentage. Typically, free throw shooting is an afterthought in a game of this magnitude, but it is something that could make a major difference in this game as the Terps are incredibly efficient at getting to the line and the Spartans are incredibly inefficient at converting at the line. This will not determine the game, but expect it to play a role at least.</p>
<h3>Bracket Implications</h3>
<p>With the Big Ten Tournament starting to round toward completion, the bracket is starting to get relatively simple, but you can still get a sense of each team's path toward this weekend. Let's take a look at the bracket.</p>
<h5>2015 Big Ten Tournament Bracket</h5>
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<p>There's no doubt that Saturday should have two exciting games on the slate with plenty of implications for all four teams and the NCAA Tournament in general. Get ready to buckle up for some great play out of Chicago.</p>
https://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/3/14/8214437/2015-big-ten-tournament-preview-michigan-state-maryland-wisconsin-purdue-where-to-watch-tv-channelThomas Beindit