Big Ten Tournament Day 3: The Agony and the Ecstasy

The quarterfinals of the 2015 Big Ten Tournament come to a close with little surprise, but ample amounts of heartache and drama as the top four seeds advance to Saturday’s semifinal round.

Anyone who expected upsets or added suspense going into Friday’s quarterfinal of the Big Ten Tournament probably came away more than a little disappointed as each of the four top seeds did pretty much what they were expected to, making Saturday’s semifinal action an exercise in “Yeah, I guess.”

Despite the outcome, each game provided a fair amount of surprise mixed with a dollop of disappointment as early performances from each of the lower seeds brought with them the potential of upsets before being quelled in the final minutes.

The King is Still King: Wisconsin 71, Michigan 60

Coming off their surprise/not surprise victory over burst bubble Illinois in second round action, Michigan looked ready for just about anything, and for awhile, they looked ready to give the Badgers a solid fight. If Zak Irvin (21 points, 11 rebounds), Ricky Doyle (12 points on 100 percent shooting) and Spike Albrecht (10 points) had played as hard all season as they had in this game, their season might’ve meant more than their mediocre 16-16 showed.

Regardless of the Wolverines’ remarkable 52 percent shooting, five turnover day, in the end, they were still playing Wisconsin, and when it comes down to it, you simply can’t fight fate, particularly when fate’s name is Frank Kaminsky. Along with the sharp shooting of Sam Dekker for 17 points, Frank the Tank’s 16 points and 12 rebounds was just too much for Michigan to overcome.

While Wisconsin’s next test is Purdue, Michigan’s next test comes in the form of staying healthy next season.

Cinderella’s Slipper Repossessed: Purdue 64, Penn State 59

There’s nothing worse than seeing defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, but that’s a lesson the Nittany Lions are forced to process as they return home to State College after tasting the sweet nectar of Mother Upset against Purdue, only to have it slapped out of their hands in the closing minutes.

To be sure, three straight games in three days is going to be daunting for any team, much less a mediocre Penn State squad that got their act together, fighting for their lives in a squeaker against Nebraska and upsetting a hot Iowa squad, so the fact that they exploded against the Boilers only to implode with less than five minutes to go is almost fitting for a team that was never meant to go the distance.

But go the distance they did, behind D.J. Newbill’s 19 points and Ross Travis‘ 10 points and nine boards. They fought to put Purdue on the ropes, and this was their game to give away, which they ended up doing largely due to fatigue and also helped by the fact that A.J. Hammons woke up from his first half nap to put together a commanding 23 points to come back from the brink.

While Purdue was considered secure for the NCAA Tournament, one can’t help but to think that losing to Penn State would bounce them back onto the bubble, if not leave the Boilers gasping for air.

As for Penn State, their season can be summed up by the final image of Newbill bent over in a rapture of tears and exhaustion. They gave all they could give, which was more than anyone expected.

A Loss is a Loss Until It’s Not: Maryland 75, Indiana 69

By not losing to Northwestern on Thursday, Indiana head coach Tom Crean managed to not only fight off the dogs calling for his scalp one more day, he also got the Hoosiers to the one opponent they had the best chance of winning against: Maryland.

In analyzing the Hoosiers chances prior to the game, there was only one logical conclusion to come to:

Of all the Big Ten teams the Hoosiers faced this season, they seemed to have the best match-up with the Terrapins, but in order to pull out a win, the all-Big Ten Freshman would have to produce without question.

He didn’t.

James Blackmon, Jr. ended the game a dismal 2 of 12 for six points after scoring 25 the night before. Yogi Ferrell and Troy Williams did what they’ve done all season, scoring 18 and 17 points respectively, but without the extra oomph from Blackmon, the Hoosiers end up shooting 36 percent, ensuring that they never had a chance, even though this was still a winnable game up until the last couple minutes.

By contrast, Maryland’s Dez Wells and Melo Trimble are playing like true leaders right now, and while that may not take them to a Big Ten Tournament title, it will serve them well in the NCAA Tournament.

As for Indiana’s tournament hopes, depending on who you ask, the Hoosiers are either in or out. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi still has them on the Last Four In bubble as an 11-seed. While a tournament berth would be good news for Crean, ultimately this isn’t a team to bet on when it comes to advancing, unless, that is, Blackmon decides he wants to play.

Can’t Spell March Without Izzo: Michigan State 76, Ohio State 67

After polishing off the Buckeyes, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo is taking his Spartans back to a familiar place in the semifinals, their fifth straight appearance. Regardless of the slip ups and stumbles earlier in the season, March has always been more than kind to the Spartans, and Izzo’s players are answering the bell.

While Denzel Valentine is the marquee player everyone has their eyes on, and for good reason, as he scored 23 in this game, the true marksman to watch out for is Travis Trice. Trice scored 15 of his 18 total points in the second half, and this has always been the hallmark of performance for Izzo: no matter how the first half goes, the second half will ultimately win the game.

Ohio State always had their work cut out for them, but all this loss means is that they must wait until Sunday to find out their seed in the tournament is, so they’re fine. Moreover, the Buckeyes can look ahead to the performances of D’Angelo Russell and Shannon Scott as they carve their way through the tournament.

Up Next: A Not-So Final Four

While all the remaining teams set for Saturday’s semifinals are already NCAA Tournament locks, that doesn’t mean there’ll be nothing to enjoy from the rest of the Big Ten Tournament. Sure, Wisconsin will likely pick their teeth with scrappy Purdue, but Maryland and Michigan State could prove to be the game of the tournament as each school is now locked into a struggle for bragging rights.

Does this mean another championship for Michigan State? Now that would be telling.

Next: Despite Tournament Loss, Indiana Hoosiers Likely Dancing

More from Busting Brackets

Home/Big Ten