Big Ten Recaps
Michigan Wolverines 84, Marquette Golden Eagles 70
BoilerUp89: Both teams came out offensively challenged. Michigan's offense woke up and they pulled ahead by 20+ before giving up a big run to let Marquette pull within single digits. Costello's 5 of 6 three point shooting off the bench helped Michigan as did Marquette's Nigel James Jr. going 0 of 11 from the field. James threw in 4 turnovers to 1 assist with zero rebounds. Did he just throw the game?
UCLA Bruins 106, Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions 37
BoilerUp89: UCLA covered the spread.
Kind of...: I'm sure Cronin is still unhappy about something.
glass: Yep, he took public issue with some random sports writer for not including Trent Perry in his list of top NCAA point guards.
Nebraska Cornhuskers 94, Lindenwood Lions 60
MaximumSam: Nebraska was up 38 in the first half, which I'm told is good.
Oregon Ducks 100, Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils 66
glass: And not a single lesson was learned.
Chicago State Cougars 81, Cal Baptist Lancers 62
MNW: WOWOWOWOWOW WHAT A WIN FOR OUR COUGARS
Mike Price was absolutely unconscious (7/12) from deep, dropping 25 off the bench. The Cougars debuted a little full-court press that got the Lancers out of their sets. CSU crashed the boards. It was an inspiring win that I hope launches Chicago State toward being competitive in the NEC and toward double-digit wins for the first time since a 13-19 campaign in 2023-24.
Southern Cal Trojans 77, California Golden Bears 65
MaximumSam: Not the most scintillating game in history, but a road win is a road win. Jacob Cofie played all 40 minutes and grabbed 15 rebounds, so it's not all flash and bang with the Trojans.
glass: You know it was a big game for the Bears because Cal packed nearly twice as many fans in their building than in any other contest so far this season. Just a shade over 5000.
BoilerUp89: As anyone who joined MNW and I in watching part of this game knows, the announcing was terrible as ESPN sought to promote SEC basketball (really odd considering this was an ACC/B1G game and the SEC doesn't look like they have a true national contender with Florida scuffling) and the Players Era Festival which neither USC nor Cal is participating in. Truly insulting behavior by this joke of a broadcast network to these two programs, their fans, and the neutral degenerates who stayed up late to watch this game.
MNW: It feels like, post-WWE-to-ESPN merger, I shouldn't be surprised at the depths to which ESPN will drop. And yet the tongue baths for SEC hoops, the MACtion halftime pimping of the objectively terrible College Football Playoff...it was just so bad.
Anyway. USC needs some gelling to happen, but there's plenty of talent there.
Thursday Night Previews
#308 Mercyhurst Lakers (1-2) at #96 Penn State Nittany Lions (2-1)
6:30 pm, B1G+
MaximumSam: Mercyhurst is coming off a big win over Penn State Shenango, so we'll see if that can carry over to Penn State Proper. Good name guy in guard Or Faran Frenkel.
BoilerUp89: Maybe Im still in a bad mood from the USC/Cal broadcast, but I hate so much about the Penn State basketball program and their approach to just getting through the season.
#209 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (2-1) at #29 Indiana Hoosiers (3-0)
6:30 pm, BTN
MaximumSam: Might be a fun watch - Tennessee Tech likes to go fast and not play defense, so we could be in store for a lot of points. They also have a Name Guy in guard Cbo Newton.
glass: I still do not understand Tennessee Tech's move from the OVC (where they've been since 1949) to the SoCon. Must have been purely a football move.
#299 Southern Tigers (0-4) at #68 Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-0)
8 pm, B1G+
MaximumSam: Southern has lost their first four games, though they were at least competitive in a couple of them against Drake and SMU. Name guys? Forwards RChaun King qualifies, though I like guard Lionel Larvadain.
Other Games of Note
#81 George Mason Patriots (2-0) vs #274 UMKC Roos (2-2) 3 EST, YouTube in St Petersburg, FL
#41 Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-0) at #27 Texas A&M Aggies (3-0) 8 EST, SECN+
glass: Light slate today. But I'll mention GM vs UMKC because A) Daytime basketball! 2) GMU is a fringe bubble team and D) the Roos were 1-27 last season and Mark Turgeon has already doubled their D1 win total.
MNW: You can follow up the GM-UMKC game with Bradley-Coppin at 5pm on YouTube, live! from St. Pete. Otherwise, the others I have my eyes on...
- #338 Central Connecticut Blue Devils at #310 Sacred Heart Pioneers (6pm CT, ESPN+): love some bad basketball
- #101 Richmond Spiders at #175 Southern Illinois Salukis (7pm, ESPN+): both teams get out and run a little, good matchup of mid-majors
Sickos Special:
#155 New Mexico St Aggies (0-1) at #163 UTEP Miners (1-1) 9 EST MW+
glass: Las Cruces is less than 50 miles from El Paso and there is always something appealing about rivalry games that continue after schools are no longer in the same conference.
BoilerUp89: Good rivalry game.
MNW: Only thing that sucks is that MW+ is paywalled :(
