Big Ten Basketball: Conference tournament preview and predictions

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Feb 28, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Pat Chambers calls a play from the sideline during the first half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State, by previous years measures, had a decent year. The Nittany Lions were 7-11 in conference, their highest win total since their last appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2010 – 11. The team is relatively young as well, with three of their four top scorers returning next season.

Their leading scorer, senior Brandon Taylor, is another one of the Big Ten’s unheralded scorers. The 6’6″ guard/forward averages 16.3 points a game and is Penn State’s primary option every time down the floor.

Penn State’s upset home victory over the regular season champion Indiana Hoosiers offers a potential cautionary tale. Taylor’s 11 points in the final 10 minutes were fuel for the upset-minded Nittany Lions. As these highlights show, when Taylor is on, Penn State can be a dangerous team.

Penn State’s tournament match-up will be against Ohio State on Thursday. The teams only met once in the regular season, a 66-46 blow-out in Columbus. Taylor was held to just 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting from the field. The Nittany Lions’ 46 points were a season low. The Buckeyes are also playing for their tournament life and can ill-afford a slip-up against this underdog Penn State squad.

Prediction? Ohio State will not win by 20 this time and Taylor likely will have a better game. However, Ohio State will still win comfortably because they are longer, more athletic, better defensively and on the ‘boards.

Still, a good season for the Nittany Lions and if they can develop scoring talent in lieu of Taylor, next season could be better.

Next: 9. Northwestern Wildcats

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