Big Ten Basketball: 5 biggest takeaways from 2019 Gavitt Tipoff Games
By Adam Childs
4. Isaiah Livers can be a star
Livers has shown flashes of being a great player, but he was never the focal point for the Wolverines offense. He was one of the best sixth men in the conference last year and one of the best three-point shooters by percentage also.
But with guys like Charles Matthews, Ignas Brazdeikis, and Jordan Poole he was kind of lost in the mix. Well, he isn’t lost anymore. Livers looked great against Creighton on Tuesday scoring 22 points on 8-12 shooting including 4-7 from deep.
We have already written about how LIvers could be the surprise candidate for conference POY and if he keeps having games as he did against the Blue Jays it is definitely possible. He still needs to prove himself game in and game out, but he has shown that he can shoot and get to the rim. He has the inside and outside game to dominate, he just needed the opportunity. Juwan Howard is giving him that and he may just be getting started.
5. Ohio State looks legit
Michigan State was the clear cut favorite in the Big Ten, but then most people had Maryland and Ohio State behind them. But they both still had questions on if they were legit. When Ohio State struggled with Cincinnati in the first game there were still questions on if the Buckeyes could compete.
If Wednesday is an indication Ohio State can not only compete they may be one of the better teams in the country. Villanova struggled last year but was again a trendy pick to make it back to the Final Four this year. They were picked by many to beat the Buckeyes but Ohio State had other plans.
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Led by a balanced scoring attack with five guys scoring in double figures, the Buckeyes raced out to a big lead early and just kept plugging away. They made Villanova look like they didn’t belong on the court with them and showed they could give Michigan State a run for their money in the Big Ten.
With the victory, the Buckeyes now own one of the most impressive early-season wins in the country. If they continue to play like that they should be a big-time player in the national scene this year.