Big Ten Basketball Weekend Rundown: Michigan State Still King, Purdue Right Behind

Welcome back to the Big Ten Basketball Weekend Rundown.

In this edition of the Weekend Rundown, we will be going over the results from Thursday to Sunday and examining where each team stands as January nears its end. Which teams won big, and which ones came up short?

Big Ten Men's Basketball Weekend Rundown: Thursday Results

Maryland 91, No. 17 Illinois 70

Maryland put on a dominant performance Thursday night, cruising to a 91-70 victory over No. 17 Illinois behind standout efforts from Julian Reese and Derik Queen, who combined for 52 points. Reese also grabbed an impressive 17 rebounds. The Terrapins seem to be hitting their stride, winning four of their last five games.

Meanwhile, Illinois struggled, committing 16 turnovers that Maryland turned into 27 points. Kasparas Jakucionis led Illinois with 21 points and seven assists, but the absence of their 7-foot-1 big man Tomislav Ivisic due to illness left a noticeable gap, especially on the boards. Maryland looked sharp and in control, while Illinois seemed out of sync.

Big Ten Men's Basketball Weekend Rundown: Friday Results

No. 11 Purdue 91, No. 21 Michigan 64

Braden Smith delivered a standout performance as No. 11 Purdue dominated No. 21 Michigan in a commanding 91-64 victory on Friday night. Smith stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and four steals, coming close to recording a triple-double. Fletcher Loyer added 18 points, and Trey Kaufman-Renn chipped in 15 as the Boilermakers bounced back emphatically from their recent home loss to Ohio State.

Purdue came out firing, opening the game with a 13-2 run and building a massive 51-26 lead by halftime. Michigan struggled to keep pace, with Vladislav Goldin leading the team with 14 points. Purdue looked focused and relentless, while Michigan appeared overwhelmed from the start, suffering their second straight loss.

Purdue Boilermakers forward Raleigh Burgess (34) and Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) tie up Friday, Jan. 24, 2 — Purdue forward Raleigh Burgess (left) and Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. battle for the ball | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa 76, Penn State 75

Iowa managed to hold off a late surge from Penn State to secure a nail-biting 76-75 victory on Friday night. The Hawkeyes took control early, with Payton Sandfort’s three-pointer giving them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. They built a 10-point cushion late in the game, leading 68-58 with just over seven minutes remaining.

Despite having possession in the final seconds, Penn State couldn’t capitalize, missing two three-pointers and failing to get off a shot at the buzzer after a missed Iowa free throw. Owen Freeman and Drew Thelwell paced the Hawkeyes with 16 points each. Although Iowa nearly let this one slip away, they held on, while Penn State’s valiant rally came up just short.

UCLA 65, Washington 60

Skyy Clark and Aday Mara each scored 12 points to help UCLA edge Washington 65-60 in a tightly contested game on Friday night. The Bruins extended their win streak to three games, building on the momentum from a narrow victory over No. 18 Wisconsin earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Washington suffered its sixth straight conference loss.

The Huskies made a push late in the second half, cutting the deficit to three points on a DJ Davis triple with under two minutes left. However, UCLA responded with a timely three-pointer from Dylan Andrews and free throws by Clark in the final seconds to seal the win.

Big Ten Men's Basketball Weekend Rundown: Saturday Results

Minnesota 77, No. 15 Oregon 69

Dawson Garcia had his best game of the season, scoring 31 points on an efficient 13-of-19 shooting, as Minnesota upset No. 15 Oregon 77-69 on Saturday. Parker Fox was a force on the boards, recording 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Lu’Cye Patterson chipped in 11 points to help the Gophers secure their third straight Big Ten victory.

The Gophers came out hot, racing to a 26-8 lead and maintaining control for most of the game. Oregon briefly went ahead in the second half for just 22 seconds after a three-point play by T.J. Bamba, but Minnesota quickly responded. Minnesota looked sharp on both ends of the floor, while Oregon struggled to find consistency in their first road loss of the season.

No. 8 Michigan State 81, Rutgers 74

Jase Richardson led No. 8 Michigan State to its 12th straight win, scoring a career-high 20 points in an 81-74 victory over Rutgers on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The Spartans (17-2, 8-0 Big Ten) remained undefeated in conference play. This marks Michigan State’s longest winning streak since their 2018-19 season, which saw them reach the Final Four under.

Rutgers fought valiantly, with Jordan Derkack coming off the bench to score a season-high 26 points. Ace Bailey contributed 18 points, though his shooting was inefficient at just 4-of-17. While Michigan State’s balance and depth propelled them to victory, Rutgers' struggles with shooting accuracy ultimately proved too much to overcome.

Big Ten Men's Basketball Weekend Rundown: Sunday Results

No. 18 Wisconsin 83, Nebraska 55

John Tonje poured in 27 points to lead No. 18 Wisconsin to an 83-55 blowout over Nebraska on Sunday, extending the Cornhuskers’ losing streak to six games. The Badgers rebounded from a narrow 85-83 loss to UCLA, quickly asserting themselves with an explosive start.

Brice Williams led the Cornhuskers with 11 points, but the team couldn’t recover from the early deficit. Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian, facing his old team for the first time, scored eight points. Nebraska's season is on the brink of total collapse at this point. No team in the country needs a win more than the Huskers.

No. 17 Illinois 83, Northwestern 74

No. 17 Illinois cruised to an 83-74 win over Northwestern on Sunday, with Kylan Boswell leading the charge with 17 points and six rebounds. The Illini showcased a well-rounded performance, with Morez Johnson Jr. contributing 15 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. Ben Humrichous added 14 points, while Kasparas Jakucionis registered a double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.

Northwestern found itself in a deep hole at halftime, down 43-21, despite strong performances from Nick Martinelli and Jalen Leach, who both scored 17 points. The Illini’s relentless offensive rebounding, with 21 boards on that end alone, proved to be a key factor in their win.

Jan 26, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (2) looks to pass as Northwestern W — Illinois guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn looks to pass as Northwestern guard K.J. Windham pressures. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Maryland 79, Indiana 78

Rodney Rice’s clutch 3-pointer with just seven seconds left propelled Maryland to a 79-78 victory over Indiana on Sunday, securing their third straight Big Ten win and second consecutive road triumph. The Terrapins held off a fierce Indiana rally, while the Hoosiers dropped their fourth game in five outings.

Maryland shot 49% from the field and was deadly from long range, hitting 12-of-24 threes. Rodney Rice led the way with 23 points, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. Ja’Kobe Gillespie contributed 18 points, nine assists, and four 3-pointers, while Selton Miguel added 15 points.