Big Ten Basketball January 5 Recaps, Previews, and Open Thread

Yesterday's Game

Indiana Hoosiers 90, Washington Huskies 80

BoilerUp89: For some reason, Washington came out in a triangle and two defense daring anyone other than DeVries and Wilkerson to beat them. The Hoosiers obliged them going 43% from three after starting off 5 of 5.

Overall it was just an odd game plan by the Huskies. Despite an overwhelming advantage in the paint with Steinbach, the German freshman only got 9 shot attempts compared to Claude's 15 (5 of 15) and Diallo's 12 (6 of 12). Between the disappointing offensive plan and Indiana's other guys pouring it on from three, the Hoosiers had a relatively easy home victory.

Kind of...: Yep, sure seems like something is off with Washington's approach. Steinbach gives you a 20/10 double-double (on 9 FGA!) and was still basically the fourth option. It may well be that he knows he's hitting the draft, the gunners are all looking to enhance their draft prospects, and this team will just float along this way the rest of the season. So...take the win Indiana, but you're defense isn't very good either.

Today's Games

#22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-0, 3-0) at #43 The Ohio State Buckeyes (10-3, 2-1)

6:30 ET, FS1

BoilerUp89: Nebraska takes their show on the road. I can't help but think of the road not traveled by the Buckeyes. They also received an invitation to The Crown but declined. Could they have won it and used that as a springboard for this season?

How will Nebraska respond coming off arguably the biggest regular season victory in program history? Can they be consistent on the road against the middle of the conference?

Kind of...: NATION'S LONGEST WINNING STREAK!!!

Think calling win over Sparty the biggest regular season win in school history is stretching it a bit. Winning at Illinois seems bigger this season. But they may well be on pace to be the best TEAM in school history. Evidence of that is that not winning tonight would be a disappointment (though KenPom does make the Buckeyes a one-point favorite). Either way, the Huskers are appointment viewing.

BoilerUp89: Biggest home victory. It was a highly anticipated game and they haven't won many top 25 matchups as a ranked team.

Kind of...: Okay, guess I'll be the old guy in the rocking chair. But back in the Big 8 days they took down a top 5 Kansas team, and a Kansas team that made the NCAA finals. Even in B1G play, they beat Final Four bound Wisconsin to basically punch their ticket in '14. And I would assume my esteemed co-author hasn't forgotten the Huskers upset of #1 Purdue two years ago.

BoilerUp89: There have been better wins but not bigger wins. Nebraska isn't in top 10 conversation very often.

HoustonBoiler: Time to take the combines on the road! Definitely beating number 1 at home is better than beating number 9. However, beating number 9 while ranked number 13 is the bigger game and will get you into the top 10.

#63 Oregon Ducks (8-6, 1-2) at #187 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-7, 0-3)

7 ET, Peacock

BoilerUp89: Oregon just beat Maryland and now attempts to complete the Eastern seaboard sweep. The key for Oregon? Crash the offense glass. Rutgers is terrible at limiting opponents to 1 opportunity per trip down the court and it's the thing Oregon does best. It's unknown whether Jackson Shelstad can go in this one. The Ducks eked out a victory over Maryland without him, but winning without their star isn't going to be a great idea as the season progresses.

Kind of...: The Ducks can't afford to lose this game. KenPom has then as underdogs for the next nine games after this one, so there's really do coming back from a loss tonight most likely. But a win here and a win at home against Ohio State Thursday keeps the NCAA hope on life support.

#40 USC Trojans (12-2, 1-2) at #16 Michigan State Spartans (12-2, 2-1)

8:30 ET, FS1

BoilerUp89: Tough road trip for USC. Get blasted by Michigan and then travel to what will be an angry Michigan State. Michigan State will look to use their superior athleticism to win the possession battle on the boards and make USC's half court offense get stuck in the sand.

Kind of...: USC doesn't have any great wins, but they did bank a few pretty good wins, so they're in reasonable shape overall. Next five are @ MSU, @ Minnesota, vs. Maryland, vs. Purdue, vs. Northwestern. Go 3-2 and you stay in reasonable shape.

HoustonBoiler: USC did seem to have a knack for winning close games earlier in the season though not over great teams.

Non-B1G Games of Interest

#131 Columbia Lions (11-3) at #163 Cornell Big Red (7-6), 5 ET, ESPN+
#104 William & Mary Tribe (11-3) at #204 Charleston Cougars (9-6), 7 ET, CBSSN
#108 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (12-2) at #75 McNeese Cowboys (11-3), 7:30 ET, ESPN+

BoilerUp89: Pretty light slate for college basketball but don't sleep on any of the three games highlighted.

It's weird for the Ivy League to play on a Monday, but evidence that the schools aren't in session yet. Columbia & Cornell are likely the two best challengers to Yale this season, but to be the top challenger you need to defeat the others.

William & Mary and Charleston are two of the four remaining Coastal Athletic Association programs undefeated in conference play and two of my top four contenders to take the auto bid come March. I don't think either is the best team in the CAA but getting a higher seed for the CAA tournament matters and this game is extremely relevant to that.

The Lumberjacks are the biggest challenger to McNeese in the Southland this year despite McNeese already taking a conference loss to Incarnate Word.

Kind of...: With the four team tournament, Columbia/Cornell doesn't quite mean as much as when the bid went to the regular-season champ, but you still want to get off on the right foot.

As for the Colonial, all right-thinking people would like to see William & Mary make their first tournament. But, yeah, if I'm betting, it's gonna be UNCW or Hofstra.

If you're of the "morbid fascination" variety, I'd mentioned the intrastate battle between Milwaukee and Green Bay tonight in Packertown. Milwaukee is off to a 2-1 conference start that is probably a bit flattering. But the story is Green Bay. After last year's historically bad season, Greg Gottlieb now has the Phoenix looking relatively competent at 7-8/2-2 (good for #249 in KenPom, which is pretty much middle of the pack in the Horizon). How you feel about this improvement is for you to decide. (If you're not a Gottlieb fan, take some solace in knowing that his predecessor at Green Bay, Sundace Wicks, is doing things at Wyoming.)

BoilerUp89: The CAA Tournament gets weird sometimes. Brian Earl is the right coach to end the drought even if it isn't this season.