Ohio State vs. Wisconsin: Jared Sullinger Leads Buckeyes, Breaks Madison Curse
Ohio State finally got off its Wisconsin snide, besting the Badgers in their home dome 58-52.
If there was a time to do it in Madison, it would be this year, as the 20th-ranked Badgers seem to have lost their Kohl Center mojo.
The Buckeyes leveraged solid play from blue-chip big man Jared Sullinger, who finished with 24 points and three steals while pulling down 10 huge boards for his squad. Flat-top forward Ryan Evans finished with a Badger-high 14 points, but no combination of players could truly neutralize Ohio State’s front line.
Wisconsin suffered its fourth loss at the Kohl Center, a citadel for the Badgers in recent years. They looked to extend their win streak against the Thad Matta-led Buckeyes to 10 straight, but instead saw their season record drop to 18-6, 7-4 in the Big Ten.
Five of the Badgers’ last six games have been decided by three buckets or less, and the Buckeyes have been unable to overcome Wisconsin teams, often overmatched on paper, in Madison. First place was up for grabs, with the Badgers ranked second behind Big Ten leader Ohio State, but the Buckeyes maintained their dominance over the conference with the hard-scrabbled win.
The Badgers followed their traditional slow-and-low tendencies, but the Buckeyes seemed better prepared to deal with the their one-dimensional attack. Wisconsin was haggard from behind the arc, shooting 5-for-25 in a cold first-half effort.
The battle of the Jareds didn’t live up to the hype, but was solid nonetheless. The Buckeyes’ Jared had the better day, but Badger Jared Berggren finished with a respectable 10 points and three rebounds. The Badgers showed their normal penchant for stifling defense, limiting the Buckeyes to 21 points below their 77.3 season average.
Either way, the Buckeyes were happy to exit Madison with their first win since 2000.
Buckeye point guard Aaron Craft kept Jordan Taylor in check most of the game with Taylor only delivering 12 points. He was unable to pull off his late-game heroics of last year that saw him bring the then-No. 1 Buckeyes to their knees. Taylor protected the ball against the pickpocketing savant in Craft, but couldn’t convert his selfish ways into many points for his team.
Taylor tried to rekindle the fire he displayed in besting the Buckeyes last season when he hit a running bank shot to start a rally that pulled Wisconsin within four with 6:09 left in the game. A bonus free-throw point precipitated a blocking foul by Sullinger, his third foul of the game, but the Badgers couldn’t take advantage of his precarious situation and get him off the floor.
Mike Bruesewitz had a big block on Sullinger with four minutes and followed it up with a three-pointer to bring the Badgers within one. That’s the closest they would get, though, as the Buckeyes held off the Badger surge.
Sullinger had 16 points and five boards in the first half, and Bo Ryan couldn’t find a proportionate response for his dominance after the break. Ohio State’s big man had a measure of revenge, accusing Badger fans of spitting on him after his team’s loss last year in Wisconsin.
The loss is Wisconsin’s first in seven games, which still keeps them in the top third of the conference.
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Big Ten Basketball: No. 22 Michigan vs. No. 10 Michigan State
The Michigan Wolverines (17-6, 7-3 Big Ten) will head to East Lansing on Sunday for a key game against the Michigan State Spartans (17-5, 6-3 Big Ten).
These two Big Ten rivals faced each other a few weeks ago, with the Wolverines beating the Spartans 60-59 on an exciting defensive stand.
Trey Burke, who has been phenomenal for the Wolverines all season, had one of his best games against Michigan State. He dropped 20 points (8-11 from the field, 3-6 from downtown), grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists. He also registered two steals and blocked two shots.
The Wolverines have won the past three matchups and will look to register their second straight season sweep of the Spartans.
Michigan is one game away from completing their most difficult stretch of the year. Four of their last five games have been on the road, and after Sunday, the Wolverines will have played three straight games against top 20 teams.
In their past four games, they lost a heartbreaker to a tough Arkansas team in Fayetteville, beat Purdue in Mackey Arena, lost to No. 3 OSU in Columbus and beat No. 20 Indiana in Ann Arbor.
After winning 15 games in a row, the Spartans have dropped three of their past five games. Last Tuesday, Draymond Green went down with a knee sprain in a loss against Illinois. The injury did not look promising, and after the game Green expressed that he could not put any pressure on his left leg.
The team insists Green will be ready to go come Sunday, but it is unclear how effective he will be.
The resurgence of the Wolverines has reinvigorated this rivalry, which had been dominated by the Spartans for the past decade. A win at the Breslin Center would be a huge confidence boost for the Wolverines, and it would put them in a great position in the Big Ten.
The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS at 1 pm.
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No. 24 Florida State holds off No. 18 Virginia 58-55
No. 24 Florida State held off 18th-ranked Virginia 58-55 to keep a share of first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
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Ohio State looks to end skid in Madison (AP)
Among the hundreds of games fighting for position in Aaron Craft’s mind, one stands out. And the thing he remembers most from Ohio State’s stunning upset loss last year at Wisconsin is that runaway torrent of cardinal flowing right at him from all directions. “It was the first time I’ve ever had a court stormed on me,” the Ohio State point guard said of the then-No.
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Ohio State vs. Wisconsin Preview: Why the Badgers Will Beat the Buckeyes Again
Wisconsin is the Rodney Dangerfield of college basketball…no respect.
It doesn’t seem to matter that year after year, the Badgers are one of the toughest teams in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball…no respect.
Today, Ohio State faces the Badgers on the road.
Once again, Ohio State is one of the best teams in the country (No. 3 at 19-3).
Building around a dominating big man like Jared Sullinger, the Buckeyes have a good head-start to being hard to handle.
But for some reason, Ohio State just can’t seem to get it done in Madison.
Last year, the Buckeyes were No. 1 in the nation with a perfect 24-0 record. But, Bo Ryan‘s bunch didn’t back down one bit and sent OSU home with their first loss of the season.
With first place in the Big Ten on the line, here are three reasons why the Badgers will beat the Buckeyes again.
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Michigan vs. Michigan State: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More
Michigan (17-6, 7-3) and Michigan State (17-5, 6-3) will continue to battle for Big Ten supremacy on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s the second meeting of the season between the two rivals, with the Wolverines picking up a 60-59 victory over the Spartans last month.
The Wolverines picked up an impressive road win against Indiana on Wednesday. It was the team’s fourth victory over a ranked opponent this season. They would like to develop more consistency, though, having alternated wins and losses over their past seven games dating back to mid-January.
Michigan State is coming off an excruciating loss to Illinois. The Spartans shot a dreadful 24 percent from the field and yet lost by just one point. If they fall one game short of winning the regular-season Big Ten title, they will look back at that performance as a failed opportunity.
Where: Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.
When: Sunday, Feb. 5 at 1 p.m. ET
Watch: CBS
Listen: WWJ 950 AM (Michigan) or WJIM 1240 AM (Michigan State)
Live Streaming Audio: Spartans Radio Network
Betting Line: Not yet available
Key Injuries (via USA Today)
Michigan: Eso Akunne (out, foot) and Jon Horford (questionable, foot)
Michigan State: Draymond Green (probable, knee)
What’s at Stake?
This game is crucial for both teams as the Big Ten schedule begins to wind toward its conclusion. Ohio State is leading the conference at 7-2, with both Michigan powerhouses following closely behind. The winner of Sunday’s clash will give themselves a leg up in the race.
Then there are bragging rights. The Wolverines and Spartans have one of the best rivalries in all of college sports, so the intensity level when they play is through the roof. That should make for an awesome game to kick off Super Sunday right.
What They’re Saying
Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News passed along a quote from Michigan’s Trey Burke about the Big Ten race:
‘We feel like we’re still on the bubble and we’re just trying to get to March,’ said Trey Burke, Michigan’s superb freshman guard. ‘Every game from here on out is a must-win. You can go from second or third in the Big Ten to sixth or seventh in a matter of a week.
‘We know every single game, you’re playing for a Big Ten championship.’
As for Michigan State, Seth Davis of CBS Sports provides an update on Draymond Green:
Michigan Player to Watch: Tim Hardaway Jr.
Hardaway continues to be Michigan’s most potent player on the offensive end. In his second season with the Wolverines, he’s averaging 15 points and three assists, both increases from his freshman year. He scored 10 points in the first meeting.
The Wolverines lack depth, so Hardaway can’t afford to have many off nights down the stretch if the team is going to make some noise atop the Big Ten. He should have a matchup advantage against either Brandon Wood or Branden Dawson, so he needs to make the most of that opportunity.
Michigan State Player to Watch: Draymond Green
After suffering a knee injury that had Spartan fans holding their collective breath, it appears Green will be ready to roll on Sunday and that’s tremendous news for Michigan State. At 15 points and 10 rebounds per game, he’s having the best season of his collegiate career.
Michigan doesn’t have anybody who will be able to contain him. The reason he only scored seven points the last time around was because he didn’t have his shooting touch. Playing at home should give him the extra boost he needs to perform like the dominant interior force he can be.
Key Matchup: Trey Burke vs. Keith Appling
Burke and Appling are two of the best young guards in the Big Ten. Both guys are the secondary scoring options on their team, while also being trusted to run the point. Burke got the better end of the matchup in the first game, which is the main reason Michigan picked up a narrow victory.
The story will be similar on Sunday. Appling will be looking to bounce back after making just two of his 19 shots over the past two games. He needs to start being more aggressive going to the bucket instead of setting for jumpers. If he can do that, and I think he will, the Spartans will earn a regular-season split.
Prediction
Michigan State 75, Michigan 68
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Ohio State vs. Wisconsin: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More
First place in the Big Ten is up for grabs as the Ohio State Buckeyes (19-3, 7-2) travel to the Kohl Center to take on the Wisconsin Badgers (18-5, 7-3).
Wisconsin got off to a slow start in conference play but has won six in a row to pull within a half-game of Ohio State. Here’s a deeper look at what should be an intense battle.
Where: Kohl Center, Madison, Wisconsin
When: Saturday, Feb. 4, 2:00 p.m EST
Watch: ESPN, or stream live on ESPN3
Listen: For Wisconsin fans, a list of radio affiliates can be found here. For Ohio State fans, a list of affiliates can be found here.
Betting Line
No line has been established yet, but the fact that Wisconsin is at home and has been on fire lately should make it fairly close. A one- or two-point spread either way wouldn’t surprise me.
Key Injuries
According to USA Today, there are no major injuries to report.
What’s at Stake?
First place in the Big Ten. There’s still another month of conference play to go, but there’s only a game separating the top four teams.
A win here would be huge for either team. Wisconsin doesn’t want to drop a fourth home game. Ohio State has a tougher remaining schedule, so the Buckeyes arguably have the most work left to do.
What’s more, the Buckeyes look like a current No. 1 seed and will need to keep winning if they want to hold on to that.
But hey, other than those things, nothing.
What They’re Saying
ESPN Stats and Info points out that this will be a low-scoring game:
“The Buckeyes and Badgers rank first and second, respectively, in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to kenpom.com, and both rank among the top 25 teams nationally in field goal percentage allowed.”
Though, it’s the Big Ten. What game isn’t low scoring?
Also, this may be a basketball game, but the recent recruiting flap seems to be driving this rivalry to a whole new place.
Mike Fiammetta of the Badger Herald takes a deeper look into the rivalry of these two teams.
The hardcourt battle comes at the perfect time, and while these guys don’t necessarily care about the gridiron, tempers might be at an all-time high.
Ohio State Player to Watch: Jared Sullinger
The big man has been up-and-down this year, but when the offense rolls through him, the Buckeyes are a much better team.
He’s averaging 17 points and nine rebounds on the year, and he’ll have to be tough against Wisconsin’s hard-nosed defense.
Wisconsin Player to Watch: Jordan Taylor
He was seen as the nation’s best point guard coming into the year, but he struggled mightily. As it goes, though, he has upped his game as of late, and it has turned into wins for the Badgers.
Most importantly, he’s taken care of the ball during Wisconsin’s winning streak. He’ll have to continue to do that.
Key Matchup: Taylor vs. Aaron Craft
Jordan Taylor has to be effective for Wisconsin to win, but he’ll have to do against the stingiest perimeter defender in the nation in Aaron Craft.
Craft is averaging over two steals per game and can be an absolute menace against opposing guards. This is going to be a fun matchup to watch.
Prediction
Wisconsin has been better as of late, but I still worry about its ability to actually put the ball through the net. The defense is good, but probably not good enough.
Even at home.
Ohio State 55, Wisconsin 48
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Mid-Major Update: South Dakota State Knocks off Summit Leader Oral Roberts 75-60
“If you’re not up for this game, then you’re not going to be up for any game.”
That is a direct quote from South Dakota State head men’s basketball coach Scott Nagy, a statement made in the closing moments of practice the day before their highly-anticipated matchup with Summit League leader, Oral Roberts, on Thursday.
None truer words could have been spoken, and his players responded in a big way.
Entering the game trailing the Golden Eagles by two-and-a-half games in the standings, the Jackrabbits came out of the gates swinging, taking an early advantage of 15-2 in the opening minutes. That early lead would signify the beginning of the end for Oral Roberts, as they couldn’t mount any sort of comeback, eventually dropping the game all together, 75-60.
To put this game into perspective, Oral Roberts entered the game with a 20-4 overall record, 12-0 in conference play, a ranking of 11 in the latest collegeinsider.com mid-major poll and an average 74.5 points per game as a team.
South Dakota State played, quite possibly, their best all-around defensive effort of the season. The 60 points Oral Roberts scored in the game was their lowest point total all season. The Jackrabbits forced 15 turnovers, using a combination of physical play and tenacity by cutting off passing lanes, picking the pocket of the opposition and diving on the floor for loose balls.
These are the qualities that make up a great defensive effort, and that’s exactly what SDSU got out of its players in the game.
On the offensive end, it was a rather stagnant shooting night from the three-point line for both teams, combining to go 9-of-34 from beyond the arc—SDSU 6-21, ORU 3-13. When the three ball wasn’t dropping, the Jackrabbits saw their opportunity to penetrate the lane and get easy buckets, while also getting their three big men involved in any way they could.
Junior guard—and national sensation for those who know who he is—Nate Wolters led the game with 24 points, using a combination of his smooth shooting stroke, quick, crafty dribbling skills and explosive bursts to the rim to garner much of the attention from the Oral Roberts defense.
Once the Golden Eagles found Wolters creating offense for himself, they focused their attention on him, allowing Wolters to create offense for his teammates and to tally nine assists for the game as well.
Wolters’ favorite target of the game was forward Jordan Dykstra, who came up with 22 monster points from all over the floor, also forcing his way to seven crucial rebounds.
Five other Jackrabbits scored in the contest, the highest point total of those five being eight points by Chad White. While it may appear to be a little lopsided in point distribution, each player who stepped on the floor during this game knew his assignment and had no issue doing the dirty work, reaping all the benefits of the win in the process.
For Oral Roberts, the 20.2 points per game they usually get out of their star forward Dominique Morrison were nowhere to be found, as he only tallied 12 total points for the game and fouled out of the game late in the second half.
Credit has to be given to SDSU for shutting down Morrison, as they did not want a repeat of their trip to Oral Roberts in early January. In that game, Morrison had a career-high 38 points, going 5-of-8 from the three-point line in the Golden Eagles’ 97-75 victory.
Overall, the Jackrabbits proved that they can compete with anybody in the Summit League, now handing Oral Roberts their first conference loss on the season. They have also split the season series with Oakland—they would have swept that series had it not been for an insane three-point shooting night from Travis Bader, who hit a school-record 10 threes in their 92-87 victory last week—and defeated North Dakota State 91-88 in overtime in Fargo two weeks ago.
This win is significant because it is also a confidence booster as the Jackrabbits head towards the home stretch of the college basketball season.
A win of this magnitude dictates that it is no longer a one-horse race for the Summit League championship. Rather, it has now become one of the hottest conference races in the country.
Both South Dakota State and Oral Roberts have nationally-televised Bracketbuster games on February 18th against Buffalo and Akron, respectively. For both teams, this is their lone opportunity to show the selection committee that, come Selection Sunday, whomever doesn’t win the conference tournament at the beginning of March should not be overlooked for an at-large bid for the big dance.
February is shaping out to be a big month in the Summit League, especially for South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits are looking to continue their winning ways and stake their claim as a threat come tournament time.
Coach Nagy hit the nail on the head with his statement before the Oral Roberts game.
“If you are not up for this game, then you are not going to be up for any game.”
Now, the Jackrabbits need to take that mindset into the rest of the season if they want to achieve their goals of winning the Summit League championship.
The Oral Roberts game was merely step one.
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Michigan Wolverines’ Free Throws at Crisler Center Beat Michigan State Spartans
Multiple referee decisions made it possible for Michigan to prevail against Michigan State, 60-59 on January 17, at the Crisler Center, in Ann Arbor.
Michigan’s Tim Hardaway Jr. drew two first half charging fouls on layups made by MSU that should have been called blocking fouls. Hardaway’s feet were moving and clearly not set. Four points were taken off the scoreboard and two foul shots were taken away from the Spartans.
A replay showed Michigan State’s Draymond Green being fouled while shooting, but no call was made. This took away two free throws.
In the second half, MSU’s Keith Appling was clearly fouled on a running jumper. He made the shot and should have had a free throw tacked on.
Later, with the Spartans leading by three, Michigan’s Stu Douglas missed a lay up and MSU’s Derrick Nix grabbed a rebound. With the ball in the hands of Nix, a ref called a shooting foul on Michigan State’s Draymond Green giving Douglas two free throws.
On these observations alone, MSU had four points and three free throws taken from them, while Michigan had two free throws given to them. These events played a large part in the outcome of the game.
Michigan led for the first 35 minutes of the game, yet MSU led in major statistical categories including: Rebounds (31 to 15), assists (13 to 8), three point percentage (47% to 29%), and free throw percentage (80% to 62%). Field goal percentage was close at 48% for MSU, to 51% for Michigan, so something else had to contribute to the outcome.
A closer look revealed that MSU shot only five free throws while Michigan shot 13. MSU was called for 12 fouls, while the Wolverines was only whistled for eight.
This had a strong influence on strategies of the coaches and had a direct effect on the game’s outcome. Free throw differential has been a recurring theme in Michigan’s wins over MSU, in Ann Arbor.
Michigan has won five of its last nine games against MSU, in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines have more than doubled MSU’s free throw attempts in four of five of the games, and shot 11 more free throws than MSU in the fifth game.
Their free throw attempt advantage was greater than their margin of victory in every win. There was only one game at Crisler where MSU shot more free throws than Michigan, in a 54-42 win in 2009, when Michigan fouled on purpose late in the game, giving MSU eight more free throws.
Michigan has attempted 74 more free throws than MSU in their five wins. In 2012, Michigan shot 13 free throws to MSU’s five.
In its 2011 70-63 win, it shot 31 free throws to MSU’s 20, while MSU had four more fouls.
The Wolverines won in 2007, with the help of 33 free throw attempts against MSU’s 15, plus there were six more fouls called against MSU.
2006 was the most lopsided differential, with the Wolverines shooting 34 free throws to MSU’s 10. The Spartans also had 11 more fouls called against them.
It all started in 2003, with the Wolverines shooting 24 free throws to MSU’s 11, and MSU was called for six more fouls.
The outcomes of these games were decided by free throw attempts more than any other factor.
One may think that this is just an example of “home cooking” that also happens at home for the Spartans.
In the last nine MSU vs. Michigan games played at the Breslin Center, only 2007’s 59-44 Spartan victory had either team shooting 50 percent or more free throws than the other, at 16 for MSU and four for UM. MSU’s 15 point margin of victory in the game was greater than the free throw attempt difference.
The issue in Ann Arbor is related to four referees.
Ted Valentine and Terry Wymer worked the 2012 and 2011 games. Donne Gray officiated games in 2006 and 2007. Steve Welmer worked the game in 2003 and teamed up with Gray for the 2006 debacle.
The problem of the free throw attempt difference is something that the Big 10 should investigate to ensure fairness in future games.
Over the past nine games at the Crisler Center, Michigan has attempted 70 more free throws than MSU. It’s hard enough to win conference games on the road. A team shouldn’t have to beat their opponent and the referees.
All statistics from the Michigan Wolverine stat site thevictorsreport.com
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No. 10 Murray State rallies, now 22-0 (AP)
Isaiah Canaan scored 24 of his 32 points in the second half and No. 10 Murray State remained unbeaten with an 81-73 win over Southeast Missouri State on Thursday night. Jewuan Long added 13 points for Murray State (22-0, 10-0), which is off to the best start by an Ohio Valley Conference team since Western Kentucky opened 21-0 in 1953-54.
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