Big Ten Basketball December 16 Recaps, Previews, and Open Thread

No games yesterday so we recap Sunday's massacres of the innocents.

Sunday's Games

Minnesota Golden Gophers 89, Texas Southern Tigers 53

Iowa Hawkeyes 91, Western Michigan Broncos 51

USC Trojans 68, Washington State Cougars 61

BoilerUp89: We had 349 comments on Saturday and 6 on Sunday. I don't think I need to say why.

Kind of...: Boy, I had a lot of great commentary in Sunday's article. Good thing I'm not being paid based on how many comments we get.

Today's Big Ten Games

#176 Toledo Rockets (5-5) at #11 Michigan State Spartans (9-1)

6:30 ET, Peacock

BoilerUp89: I don't think this game is on NBCSN too, but their website confuses and frightens me. Toledo has one of the longest tenured head coaches without a NCAA tournament appearance in Tod Kowalczyk. Kowalczyk has been at Toledo 18 seasons. He's won 5 MAC regular season titles but never punched thru in the MAC championship. That makes some sense as the MAC tournament has been held in Cleveland (America's worst city) since 2000 and nothing ever good happens there.

Kind of...: Great tidbit, BoilerUp89! Gonna have to deep dive this!

2014: tied with Western Michigan at 14-4. Lost to them in title game by 21.

2021: outright regular season title. Lost to 5-seed Ohio in the semis by 7.

2022: outright regular season title. Lost to 4-seed Akron in the semis by 8.

2023: outright regular season title. Lost to 2-seed Kent State in title game by 15.

2024: outright regular season title. Lost to 8-seed (!) Kent State in quarters by 8.

Also lost the title game in 2018 as a 2-seed (to Buffalo, by 10). So no gut-wrenching buzzer beater losses or anything. Just a string of convincing losses to teams seeded lower. Interesting.

BoilerUp89: As someone that follows mid major basketball heavily in late February and early March Ive been rooting hard for Toledo for a few years now.

#218 Valparaiso Beacon (6-4) at #58 Northwestern Wildcats (6-4)

8 ET, Peacock

BoilerUp89: The Beacon... So, I can sort of understand why Valparaiso wanted to drop the Crusader nickname. It was being appropriated by hate groups and the actions of the Crusaders in the Middle East and Constantinople was horrible. Even though I can no longer call them the Children's Crusade it makes sense. What doesn't make sense is adopting the nickname Beacon. Congratulations, Northwestern. Despite being one of three purple wildcats in Division 1 you have the most creative nickname in this matchup.

Kind of...: The Beacon nickname was not all right to All Right, as following a breakout performance in last year's MVC tournament, he transferred to Xavier.

Non-B1G Games Of Interest

#10 Louisville Cardinals (9-1) at #18 Tennessee Volunteers (7-3), 7 ET, ESPN
#121 DePaul Blue Demons (8-3) at #14 St. John's Red Storm (6-3), 7 ET, Peacock
#105 Florida State Seminoles (5-5) at #71 Dayton Flyers (8-3), 7 ET, CBSSN
#96 South Carolina (7-3) at #35 Clemson Tigers (8-3), 7 ET, ESPN2
#167 FIU Panthers (5-3) at #31 Miami Hurricanes (9-2), 7 ET, ACC Extra
#57 Butler Bulldogs (8-3) at #5 UConn Huskies (10-1), 8:30, Peacock
#133 Pacific Tigers (8-3) at #15 BYU Cougars (9-1), 9 ET, ESPN+
#91 UC San Diego Tritons (9-1) at #147 Loyola Marymount Lions (7-3), 11:30 ET, ESPN+

BoilerUp89: An in-state rivalry game, an in-city rivalry game, some Big East teams that won't get much attention later in the season, some mid-majors off to a good start to the season, and Dayton hosting a P5 team. I avoided the temptation to include undefeated Miami Ohio heading up to Wright State (is there even a road that connects the two?) and the last winless team South Carolina State who hosting South Carolina Upstate.

Kind of...: L'ville/Tennessee is obviously. FSU/Dayton is a curious one.