Big Ten Men's Basketball Weekend Rundown: Conference Tournament Bracket Set

The Big Ten regular season has come to a close.

The Big Ten Tournament is up next, and the bracket is finally set. Let's break down the games from this past week from Thursday to Sunday and what each one meant for each team's postseason future.

*Rankings are from when the games were played

Big Ten Basketball Thursday Results:

No. 8 Michigan State 91, Iowa 84

No. 8 Michigan State stormed back in the second half to defeat Iowa 91-84 on Thursday night, securing the outright Big Ten regular-season championship for the first time since 2020. Jace Richardson led the Spartans with 22 points, fueling a dominant second-half effort.

Trailing by 10 with just over 12 minutes remaining, the Spartans flipped the game with a 19-2 run and never looked back, extending their winning streak to six games. Iowa controlled much of the first half, using a 22-2 run to take a 37-30 lead into the break, but couldn’t hold off Michigan State’s second-half surge.

Big Ten Basketball Friday Results:

Illinois 88, No. 18 Purdue 80

Illinois pulled off a dramatic late comeback to stun No. 18 Purdue 88-80 on Friday night, closing the game on a 13-1 run to secure its third straight win. Kasparas Jakucionis delivered the decisive blow, drilling a go-ahead three-pointer as the Illini rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit.

Mar 7, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) drives the ball during the fi — Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis drives the ball during the first half against Purdue. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Will Riley led the way with 22 points, while Tre White added 20 points and nine rebounds. Purdue got a monster performance from Trey Kaufman-Renn, who poured in 29 points. However, the Boilermakers faltered in the final minutes, allowing Illinois to storm back and steal a crucial conference win.

Big Ten Basketball Saturday Results:

Penn State 86, No. 12 Wisconsin

Penn State pulled off a stunning second-half comeback to upset No. 12 Wisconsin 86-75 on Saturday, denying the Badgers a chance to clinch a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament. D’Marco Dunn led the Nittany Lions with 25 points.

Wisconsin fought back to within two on a John Blackwell three-pointer, but the Badgers went ice cold down the stretch, missing their final six shots and failing to score a field goal in the last few minutes. Blackwell and Steven Crowl each had 19 points for Wisconsin, but their 22-game home winning streak against Penn State came to a shocking end at the worst possible time.

No. 13 Maryland 74, Northwestern 61

No. 13 Maryland overcame a sluggish offensive performance to pull away late for a 74-61 win over Northwestern on Saturday, securing its seventh victory in the last eight games. Julian Reese dominated in his home finale, posting 19 points and 11 rebounds. The Terrapins struggled early and found themselves trailing in the second half, but they tightened up defensively and controlled the game down the stretch.

Northwestern was led by a stellar 28-point effort from Nick Martinell but couldn’t keep pace late, falling to Maryland for the first time in four meetings. Despite the loss, the Wildcats still have a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, while Maryland continues to build momentum heading into the postseason.

Indiana 66, Ohio State 60

Indiana closed out the regular season with a gritty 66-60 comeback win over Ohio State on Saturday, erasing a 10-point second-half deficit to secure ninth place in the Big Ten standings. Trey Galloway and Malik Reneau led the Hoosiers with 16 points each, while a late 12-0 run, sparked by a pair of Galloway three-pointers, put Indiana in control for good.

Indiana's Mackenzie Mgbako (21) shoots past Ohio State's Aaron Bradshaw (4) during the Indiana versus Ohio State men's basket — Indiana's Mackenzie Mgbako shoots against Ohio State's Aaron Bradshaw. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State led by five with just under six minutes left but went ice cold down the stretch, failing to make a field goal for the rest of the game while committing costly turnovers. Micah Parrish led the Buckeyes with 19 points, but their late-game struggles cost them a chance at a higher seed, forcing them to play on the opening day of the Big Ten Tournament.

UCLA 90, USC 63

UCLA dominated rival USC in a 90-63 blowout Saturday night, closing the regular season with a statement win. Eric Dailey Jr. delivered a career-best performance with 25 points, while Skyy Clark contributed 17 points for the Bruins, who finished an impressive 15-2 at home.

Aday Mara added 14 points as UCLA completed its first season sweep of the Trojans since 2017-18. USC struggled to take care of the ball, committing 20 turnovers that led to 37 UCLA points. Wesley Yates III led the Trojans with 21 points, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with a red-hot Bruins squad heading into postseason play.

Big Ten Basketball Sunday Results:

Iowa 83, Nebraska 68

Iowa secured the final spot in the Big Ten Tournament with a crucial 83-68 win over Nebraska on Saturday, eliminating the Cornhuskers in the process. Payton Sandfort led the way with 22 points to help the Hawkeyes pull away in the second half. Nebraska started strong, but Iowa responded with a barrage of threes to take a 40-35 halftime lead.

The Hawkeyes steadily extended their advantage after the break, with Pryce Sandfort’s deep shot pushing the lead to double digits midway through the second half. With the win, Iowa joins a logjam of teams at the bottom of the standings and will face Ohio State in the opening round of the conference tournament, while Nebraska’s late-season struggles leave it on the outside looking in.

Mar 9, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Brice Williams (3), guard Sam Hoiberg (1), center Braxton Mea — Nebraska players walk off the court after falling to Iowa. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

What a truly disappointing ending to Nebraska's season. The Huskers just never could realize their potential or play consistent basketball.

Oregon 80, Washington 73

Nate Bittle delivered a career-best performance with 36 points and 12 rebounds, leading Oregon to an 80-73 overtime victory over Washington in the regular-season finale Sunday. The Ducks extended their winning streak to seven games and completed a season sweep of their rival, locking up the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, where they will face ninth-seeded Indiana.

Bittle was dominant from the start, scoring 21 points in the first half and finishing 13-of-20 from the field. Washington forced overtime with a late free throw but struggled in the extra period, failing to score a field goal until the final 30 seconds. With the loss, the Huskies join Penn State and Nebraska in missing the 15-team conference tournament, while Oregon looks to carry its momentum into the rest of March.

No. 8 Michigan State 79, No. 17 Michigan 62

No. 8 Michigan State capped off its dominant regular season with a 79-62 victory over No. 17 Michigan on Sunday, closing with seven straight wins and securing the first-ever 18-team Big Ten title by a three-game margin. Tre Holloman led the way with a career-high 20 points, while Jase Richardson added 18 as the Spartans continued their scorching form, beating their fifth AP Top 25 opponent in the past seven games.

Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo secured his 11th Big Ten title, tying the all-time conference record. The Wolverines struggled offensively outside of Vladislav Goldin, who posted 29 points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Michigan’s third straight loss, its longest skid of the season.

Rutgers 75, Minnesota 67

Rutgers secured a crucial 75-67 overtime win over Minnesota on Sunday, improving its Big Ten Tournament seeding while leaving the Gophers in a five-way tie for 12th place. Dylan Harper led the charge with 22 points, including six in overtime, as the Scarlet Knights dominated the extra period, outscoring Minnesota 10-2 to take control.

The Gophers were led by Dawson Garcia’s 19 points, while Frank Mitchell provided a spark off the bench with his second straight double-double. The win locked Rutgers into the 11th seed, setting up a first-round matchup with USC, while Minnesota claimed the 12th seed and will face Northwestern.

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