Big Ten Basketball December 10 Recaps, Previews, and Open Thread

All numbers via Torvik. All predictions not financial advice.

Last Night's Games

Michigan Assassins 89, Villanova Wildcats 61

MaximumSam: Michigan was up by 30 in the first half again and dominated a good team again and are currently favored to win every single one of their remaining games. Oh dear.

Kind of...: It's pretty clear that the current portal + NIL environment is creating conditions for extreme performances. Last year's Duke team has the highest KenPom rating this century. But Houston and Florida would also be in the top 5, and Auburn in the top 10. Michigan's rating right now would be second in the 21st century. This is to be expected given that pre-NIL was, in essence a salary cap (an admittedly leaky one with a black market, granted), and the portal has turbocharged the quantity of assets available on which to spend those funds. This is the world we live in now. It could have been both more rational and more pro-labor, but it's not for a number of reasons. But, yeah, Michigan is really good.

Illinois Fighting Illini 88, The Ohio State Buckeyes 80

MaximumSam: The Buckeyes competed behind Bruce Thornton's 34, but they couldn't get enough stops to keep the Eastern Illinois bloc from taking the game. Ben Humrichous only played 20 minutes and only took two shots, so Illini fans should like that.

Kind of...: Illinois is good. How good remains to be seen, but at least "threat to make Elite Eight" good. Ohio State looks better than I thought they'd be, but there's still not much substance on their profile yet.

He was a HS QB: We lost to Alabama because we couldn’t hit free throws, but that was not the case today.

Indiana Hoosiers 113, Penn State Nittany Lions 72

MaximumSam: We were talking about the Nits getting within striking distance of not being a bottom feeder. They quickly said "not today, sirs."

Kind of...: Impressive win. Doesn't offset the Minnesota loss in my mind, but 41-point wins are good for analytics-based ratings of the kind that I often reference and that the selection committee considers more and more. Next up for the Hoosiers: at Kentucky this weekend. Do the conference proud, gents!

BoilerUp89: Lamar Wilkinson became the first D1 or NBA player to make 10 threes, score 40+ points, and play less than 25 minutes in the past 30 years. How bad was PSUs defense?

USC Trojans 94, San Diego Toreros 81

Kind of...: San Diego was hanging around...until they weren't. Three more scrubs to end the year, then, in the first week of January, the Trojans are at Michigan and at Michigan State. USC trying to avoid starting 1-3 in conference play, or trying to rally after starting 1-3 in conference play, will give us some sense of what they're made of.

Today's Big Ten Games

#95 Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-4) at #12 Purdue Boilermakers (8-1)

7 ET, BTN

Kind of...: I kinda feel bad for Purdue fans. First, Indiana is #1 in the country in football. Second, the Boilers just got nuked at home in the worst home setback for the #1 team in the poll era. And, even if you zoom out, in a year where Purdue started #1 and had the feel-good narrative of "yeah, they dipped into the portal a little bit, but this is team old-fashioned with their do-it-the-right-way coach and savvy-under-recruited point guard and they do things the right way" here comes mecha-Michigan to stomp on everything in its path. Then again, I lived through the Keady years, so...same as it ever was. Most consistent program in the conference, by far. But, always seeming to get wrong-footed, often through no fault of their own.

BoilerUp89: Purdue is fresh off getting their asses kicked. They should come out more focused.

#30 Wisconsin Badgers (7-2) at #34 Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-0)

9 ET, BTN

Kind of...: It should be a great game as the Huskers put THE NATION'S LONGEST WINNING STREAK!!! on the line. KenPom says Huskers by 1. Torvik says Huskers by 3. Each of the last two times these teams played in Lincoln, Wisconsin has blown second-half leads of 15 or more with win probabilities of 93% or higher. If you see me in the comments whining tonight--or seeming too optimistic too early--please remind me that my eyes should be wide open.

Non-B1G Games Of Interest

#89 New Mexico Lobos (7-2) at #49 VCU Rams (6-3)
#160 UMass Minutemen (6-3) at #137 Boston College (5-5)
#288 UT Martin Skyhawks (7-2) at #148 Southern Illinois Salukis (5-4)
#129 Duquesne Dukes (6-3) at #45 Boise State Broncos (6-3)

Kind of...: Challenge my mid-major credentials all you want, but it's mostly dreck tonight outside the conference. I do l0w-key want good things for Duquesne. Have a irrational soft spot for schools that made a Final Four 60-80 years ago that are non-entities today.

BoilerUp89: Definitely slim pickings.