ESPN Men's Basketball

MILWAUKEE -- Some quick postgame thoughts on Xavier's 65-54 win over Minnesota:

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Bob Donnan/US PresswireCornell's Chris Wroblewski looks to pass during the Big Red's win over Temple.
• Rebounds: It's hard to win without them. Xavier had 15 offensive rebounds in the first half, 10 more than the Gophers, and the only thing that prevented Xavier from getting more easy put-backs was Minnesota's smothering interior defense, which registered a whopping 10 blocks in the first. The Gophers did a good job pushing Xavier away from the basket in the first half, and the Musketeers' 20 percent 3-point field goal percentage helped keep the game close.
• Those margins caught up with Minnesota in the second half. Xavier started making shots, forcing Minnesota to stretch its defense, especially in the secondary break, which in turn gave Xavier better chances to get at the rim. The Gophers 3s weren't falling, and Tubby Smith's team fell off the pace in the second half. By then, Minnesota had caught up on the boards. But it was too late.
• Indiana fans, eat your downtrodden hearts out. A day after former Hoosiers Armon Bassett and Ben Allen both registered upset first-round tournament wins with their post-Indiana teams (Ohio and St. Mary's, respectively), former Bloomington cohort Jordan Crawford added his name to the list of players Indiana fans sure wish hadn't transferred following the Kelvin Sampson fracas. Crawford is a much different, better player than he was earlier in his career. It shows. The guard gets to the rim at will and finishes with flair. He sinks 3-pointers from anywhere on the court. He draws defenders with jump stops and flicks perfect passes to open teammates. When Crawford sits, the Xavier offense stalls; when he's on the court, it's very difficult to keep the ball out of the hoop. Crawford finished with 28 points in the win -- and a whole bunch of "oohs" and "ahhs", too.
• For a team not especially known for its defense, the Musketeers put on an impressive performance Friday. In the first half, they made Minnesota uncomfortable with slaps and deflections. In the second half, they clamped down on the Gophers' half-court sets, closing off the pick-and-roll action that had been Minnesota's most effective weapon in the first 20. Minnesota started launching 3s, they didn't fall, and that was that.
• Minnesota guard Lawrence Westbrook seemed to float a bit in the second half. After scoring 15 points in the first 20 minutes, Westbrook got a mere four in the final 20. He also had a couple of conversations with referees, and was even caught looking at the crowd when he was supposed to be receiving a pass on the wing. Not Westbrook's best closing stretch, to say the least.

More from Xavier-Minnesota after coaches and players address the media.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Minnesota did enough damage at Conseco Fieldhouse to warrant a berth in the NCAA tournament.

And even after learning they had made the field of 65, the Golden Gophers left their mark on this building.

Let's just say the couch in one of the suites at Conseco will never be the same again.

"We all jumped together," point guard Devoe Joseph said. "I think we might have damaged the couch in there."

Damaged would be putting it mildly.

"We did break the couch," shooting guard Lawrence Westbrook confirmed. "We were excited to see our name."

It was a sight that seemed highly likely on March 2, when Minnesota didn't show up at Crisler Arena and left with a 83-55 loss to Michigan. But the team that dealt with adversity all season long -- from Al Nolen's academic problems to the legal issues surrounding newcomers Trevor Mbakwe and Royce White -- refused to go away.

Minnesota won four consecutive games, three in dominating fashion, to reach Sunday's Big Ten tournament championship game. The Gophers ended up winning seven of their final 10 games, including victories against Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue and, not to be forgotten, fellow bubble team Illinois on the road.

But a 29-point loss to top seed Ohio State raised the tension level as the selection show began.

"I honestly had no clue," said Joseph, who made the All-Tournament team. "I didn't want to jinx it and say that we were out or whatever. I was just praying that we were in."

Joseph's prayers were answered as Minnesota appeared as a No. 11 seed in the West region, facing No. 6 seed Xavier on Friday in Milwaukee. Other than beating Ohio State on Sunday, things couldn't have worked out much better for the Gophers, who should have plenty of fans at the Bradley Center.

Players have followed the bubble watch throughout the last few weeks, and cringed as several bubble teams appeared on the screen.

"When Florida got in, we were kind of shaking a little bit," Westbrook said, "but hey, we're in."

Joseph, who took over the lead guard duties after Nolen was ruled ineligible, can't wait to lead the team to its second consecutive tournament appearance.

"It's been my dream since I was younger to play in the NCAA tournament," he said. "Once I saw our name come up, I was super happy. It's the same thing as last year. Maybe better this time."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Evan Turner carried Ohio State into the Big Ten tournament championship game.

His teammates did the rest. With Turner's help, of course.

Turner still played a huge role in a 90-61 win against Minnesota, but backcourt mates David Lighty, Jon Diebler and William Buford borrowed the spotlight for a bit. Lighty and Diebler -- along with Turner, of course -- keyed the decisive 23-5 run midway through the second half. Ohio State was the aggressor immediately after halftime, Minnesota countered and then the Buckeyes delivered the knockout blow with layups and 3-pointers.

Ohio State made a convincing case for a No. 1 seed today, but the spot likely will go to Duke or West Virginia. Still, if the Buckeyes play like this, there's a decent chance they'll be back in Indy in three weeks. They scored 57 points in the second half.

The wait now begins for Minnesota, which had a very impressive tournament but would have liked a less lopsided result against Ohio State. It's debatable how much this game matters to the selection committee, but Minnesota must hope the bracket was finalized around 4:30 p.m. ET.

For a group that played almost every minute of the tournament together, Ohio State's backcourt only got stronger as things went along. To the surprise of no one, Turner was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after recording 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Lighty added 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Diebler (19 points) and Buford (13 points) also stepped up.

Minnesota didn't get nearly the same production from its key contributors. Guard Blake Hoffarber (0 points, 0-for-2 shooting) was a total nonfactor and got schooled by Diebler, and center Ralph Sampson III looked too tentative in the final. Lawrence Westbrook, Devoe Joseph and Damian Johnson did their part, but Ohio State simply had too much firepower.

Only one team has claimed the Big Ten tournament title by winning four games in four days, and Minnesota seemed to wear down today.

INDIANAPOLIS -- After a sluggish start from both teams, things picked up toward the end of the half, and Devoe Joseph's 3-pointer at the buzzer keeps things close entering the break.

Quick thoughts at halftime:

• Evan Turner is a tough defensive assignment for just about anybody, and Minnesota's Lawrence Westbrook is no exception. Westbrook is giving up seven inches to Turner, who tallied seven points and eight rebounds in the first half. The Gophers senior likely will need some help on Turner in the second half.
• Turner actually hasn't been Ohio State's top weapon today. His backcourt mates Jon Diebler (10 points), William Buford (6 points) and David Lighty (6) are all playing well so far. Diebler really came on strong toward the end of the half with a steal and slam, followed by a 3-pointer.
• Westbrook is certainly pulling his weight on the offensive end so far. Minnesota's inside game has been so-so aside from Colton Iverson, so the Gophers are settling for jump shots. He already has hit two 3-pointers from the left corner. Westbrook never shies away from taking big shots, and today he's making them. The Gophers need Blake Hoffarber (0 points) to start stepping up.
• Minnesota will need more after halftime from center Ralph Sampson III, who looks very tentative so far. Sampson has only two points and three turnovers and seems bothered by Ohio State's pressure defense. If he emerges and Paul Carter starts finishing better around the rim, Minnesota should be in this thing the whole way.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Minnesota is showing this week that there's always time to put your best foot forward.

The Gophers' three-game run at the Big Ten tournament is their best stretch of the season, hands down. They beat Michigan State on Friday for the first time since 2006. They have reached the tournament championship game for the first time in team history.

All new goals, achieved just in the nick of time.

Coach Tubby Smith called the first 20 minutes of Saturday's semifinal matchup against Purdue "as good a half as I've been a part of." He's been a part of quite a few.

After Minnesota stomped No. 2 seed Purdue 69-42 to advance to the tournament championship game, forward Paul Carter said, "This is when you want to peak, right now, this time of the year."

Purdue might cringe at Carter's statement. Not because it's wrong, but because it's true.

And the Boilermakers definitely didn't peak Saturday. In fact, the 27-point loss was their worst since an 85-58 loss at Indiana on Jan. 10, 2007.

Their 11 first-half points marked the lowest in Big Ten tournament history, and Purdue's lowest since at least 1950. Purdue had a 12-point first half against Michigan State in the first round of the 2003 Big Ten tournament.

"They had a great day, and we had a bad day," Painter said. "I look at it as, we need to burn that tape and forget about it."

Unfortunately for Purdue, the NCAA tournament selection committee is going to be setting any fires on the 15th floor of the Westin Hotel a few blocks from here. They watched Saturday's debacle, and it's the final time they'll see Purdue before finalizing the selections.

The Boilers certainly wanted to leave a better lasting impression on a group that must evaluate them without star forward Robbie Hummel. Purdue has gone 4-2 since Hummel's season-ending knee injury: wins against Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern and Penn State, and losses to Minnesota and Michigan State. The Boilers averaged only 43 points in the losses. They were outrebounded 50-26 on Saturday.

There was fear of another key injury as starting guard Lewis Jackson hobbled off the court in the second half. A Minnesota player stepped on Jackson's surgically repaired left foot, but the prognosis is favorable.

"[The trainers] didn't think it was something where he couldn't come back and play here this week," Painter said.

So, how should the committee size up Purdue?

"They have to evaluate us really for where we are in terms of the guys on our roster and the guys that are currently playing," Painter said. "We're a good basketball team. Obviously, we're not better at this point than when Rob Hummel was playing. ... But we can't control that. We've got to go out and play and not make excuses. Our guys figured out a way to win the Big Ten without him.

"They have to evaluate us in our current state, and we understand that."

Purdue no longer has time to showcase itself to the committee. Minnesota, on the other hand, is just getting started.

Walking through the bowels of Conseco Fieldhouse, Minnesota athletics director Joel Maturi said he'd be "shocked" if the Gophers weren't into the NCAA tournament after the Purdue win. Minnesota can put any remaining doubts to rest by beating Ohio State on Sunday.

"We don't want to leave that to chance," guard Lawrence Westbrook said. "We want to get a win [Sunday], so we're 100 percent in the tournament."

INDIANAPOLIS -- The 2010 Big Ten tournament has reached the semifinals. Here's a look at the two matchups on tap today at Conseco Fieldhouse.

No. 1 seed Ohio State vs. No. 5 seed Illinois (CBS, 1:40 p.m. ET)

Records: Ohio State (25-7), Illinois (19-13)

Season series: The Buckeyes swept two games from Illinois and did so in convincing fashion, pummeling the Illini 72-53 in Champaign and 73-57 in Columbus.

Advancement: Winner faces Purdue or Minnesota in the championship game Sunday (CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET).

What to watch for Ohio State: Evan Turner's legend grew Friday as the National Player of the Year frontrunner hit a 37-foot shot as time expired to lift the Buckeyes to a 69-68 victory over Michigan. Turner has been very good against Illinois this season, averaging 16 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists in the two meetings. Ohio State called Friday's game a wake-up call after a 10-day layoff, and Turner and his teammates need to reclaim their defensive swagger. Illinois big men Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis turned in one of their best performances Friday against Wisconsin, and it'll be important for Buckeyes center Dallas Lauderdale to stay out of foul trouble. Buckeyes sharpshooter Jon Diebler was on fire in his last game against Illinois, swishing 7 of 14 attempts from 3-point range.

What to watch for Illinois: The Illini likely put themselves in the NCAA tournament with the Wisconsin win, but they can virtually guarantee a spot with a win today. Star guard Demetri McCamey comes off one of his more complete performances of the season (13 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds), and he'll need an even better effort against the Buckeyes and Turner, his former high school teammate in Chicago. Tisdale did a nice job of extending Wisconsin's defense Friday, hitting two 3-pointers and several long 2-pointers. If he can bring Lauderdale or David Lighty away from the bucket, it should free up opportunities for others. D.J. Richardson looked like a freshman for much of Friday's quarterfinal win, but he found his shooting stroke late and never lost confidence. He needs to be a factor today if Illinois plans to advance.

Quotable:

Ohio State forward David Lighty: "It's a wake-up call. Watching games [Thursday], watching Syracuse go down, watching Kansas go down to the wire almost and things like that, it's kind of like we almost did the same thing. We have to get our minds right. It's like second lift, second wind for us."

Illinois head coach Bruce Weber: "No matter what, [Ohio State has] to be feeling relieved about [Friday's win], and then second, 'We kicked Illini butt two times.' I hope we can have a little bit of a mental edge."

No. 2 seed Purdue vs. No. 6 seed Minnesota (CBS, 25 minutes after Ohio State-Illinois game)


Records: Purdue (27-4), Minnesota (20-12)

Season series: Purdue crushed Minnesota 79-60 in West Lafayette on Jan. 5 and found a way to escape Williams Arena with a 59-58 win Feb. 24 after losing star forward Robbie Hummel to a season-ending knee injury in the first half.

Advancement: Winner faces Ohio State or Illinois on Sunday in the championship.

What to watch for Purdue: The Boilermakers missed 10 of their first 11 shots Friday against Northwestern and likely can't afford another slow start against surging Minnesota. Juniors E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson are really answering the bell in Hummel's absence, and both men need strong performances again today. Johnson recorded a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in the 1-point win at Minnesota, while Moore recorded 18 points and five assists in the teams' first meeting. The Boilers amped up their defensive intensity Friday and will try to fluster Gophers guards Devoe Joseph, Lawrence Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber. Purdue won Friday without much from senior guards Chris Kramer and Keaton Grant, who struggled with poor shooting and cramps. Both men need to be better today.

What to watch for Minnesota: The Gophers have put themselves firmly on the NCAA tournament bubble, and they probably will put themselves into the field of 65 by beating Purdue. Aside from an ugly loss at Michigan on March 2, Minnesota has played pretty good ball the last three and a half weeks. Minnesota already has avenged a 1-point home loss to Michigan State and looks to do the same against Purdue. The Gophers' interior defense needs to be good on Johnson, but Tubby Smith is getting very solid play from forward Damian Johnson and center Colton Iverson right now. Minnesota has more length from Purdue and needs center Ralph Sampson III to bounce back from a poor performance Friday (0 points, 2 rebounds). Remember that Sampson had the best game of his career against Purdue in Minneapolis, recording 21 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Quotable:

Purdue coach Matt Painter: "Our next opponent, no matter who it is, we have to out rebound them, but if we don't, we have to shoot the ball better. We're not going to get out rebounded and shoot the way we did [Friday] and win basketball games. You've got to understand how you're going to win, but you've also got to understand how you're going to lose and be proactive about that as a coach and really drill that home to your players."

Minnesota coach Tubby Smith: "We're as talented as anybody when we play the right way. I think every coach in America feels that way about their team, especially when they get to this level. If you don't feel that way, you're not going to win any games. I've got as much confidence in this team as in any team I've ever coached."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Lawrence Westbrook wasn't sure how Minnesota's overtime upset of Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals would affect the Golden Gophers' NCAA tournament chances.

But the Minnesota senior guard planned to find out. Fast.

"I've got to watch ESPN and see," he said after the 72-67 win. "It can't hurt us. We helped ourselves. We have to be in the discussion, at least. We've just got to keep on playing."

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently has the Gophers as the first team out of the NCAA field, but that's certainly an improvement from 48 hours ago, when Minnesota was simply an afterthought. The Gophers, who now have four wins against top 25 teams, likely will move onto the right side of the bubble with a win Saturday against No. 2 seed Purdue in the tournament semis.

"Our loss is hopefully Minnesota's gain," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said.

They came to Indianapolis after a season of what-ifs and quality losses, which don't help much on the tournament résumé. Arguably no team in America has had a more frustrating string of losses: seven by five points or fewer, four by three points or fewer and 1-point home losses to then-No. 3 Purdue and then-No. 6 Michigan State.

It's why head coach Tubby Smith bristled at a suggestion late Friday that his team was an enigma.

"I didn't see ups and downs," he said. "I saw close losses where we didn't make plays. ... We haven't been far off, and I've been trying to stay positive, telling the guys, 'Don't listen to any garbage. Don't listen to the static. Don't listen to the people that disrespect you.'"

Smith's players might not be listening, but they're certainly aware of how they're perceived. The team dons T-shirts before and after games that contain one word: Respect.

Minnesota earned some on Friday night.

"Every one of these games is our last chance," said center Colton Iverson, with the "Respect" T-shirt hanging from his neck. "I feel like we came with more intensity [than Michigan State]. We had more to play for.

"I'm not on the committee, but I hope people are looking at us."

Those who tuned in Friday saw a talented team that seems to be clicking at the right time. They saw a team that out-toughed an Izzo-coached squad, which is never easy to do. They saw a team getting big contributions from Iverson (12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks), forward Damian Johnson (8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) and guard Blake Hoffarber (14 points, 5 rebounds).

They also saw a team following a new leader, Devoe Joseph, who took over the point guard duties from Al Nolen after Nolen was ruled academically ineligible. Joseph racked up 17 points, four assists and six rebounds Friday, blending a shooting guard's mentality with his new role as floor leader. He hit two 3-pointers in the extra session, including a game-tying triple with 4:12 left.

"I was very composed and just very excited to win the game," Joseph said. "I was in the zone, to the point where I wasn't really thinking too much."

Added Smith: "He's a clutch performer."

Perhaps the same can start to be said about this Minnesota team, which was about as un-clutch as they come for most of the season. The Gophers are two wins away from a tournament title and an automatic berth, and they think they can get there.

"I have as much confidence in this team as any team I've ever coached," Smith said. "The sky's the limit."

In the post-game locker room, Joseph huddled with Iverson and several other players. They put their hands together and counted off, "1-2-3!" But instead of punctuating the cheer with "Win!" or "Big Ten champs!" they simply exhaled and started laughing.

They'd earned the right to breathe easy. At least for a night.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Forty-eight hours ago, the Big Ten seemed in danger of sending only four teams to the NCAA tournament.

Now the league might get six.

After Illinois upset Wisconsin earlier in the day, No. 6 seed Minnesota held on for a 72-67 overtime win against No. 3 seed Michigan State. The Gophers recorded their fourth win against a Top 25 opponent and now find themselves firmly on the bubble rather than the wrong side of it.

If Illinois is supposedly in the field of 65, how far behind are the Gophers?

The win wasn't easy, as Minnesota blew a 10-point, second-half lead and fell behind early in overtime.

Minnesota has endured a season of near misses, losing five games by three points or fewer, including 1-point home setbacks to both Michigan State and Purdue. Friday's game started to look like another one, as Michigan State closed regulation on a 15-5 run.

Then Devoe Joseph stepped in.

Joseph, who has been huge down the stretch in place of ineligible point guard Al Nolen, recorded 17 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead the Gophers (20-12). He swished two huge 3-pointers in overtime and provided tremendous leadership throughout.

The Gophers, who had forwards Colton Iverson (12 points) and Damian Johnson (8 points) both foul out, also received a big performance from guard Blake Hoffarber (14 points). Senior guard Lawrence Westbrook struggled but had a huge 3-point play in overtime.

Michigan State came out flat and struggled mightily at the foul line, hitting just 18 of 34 attempts. The Spartans really missed junior guard Chris Allen, suspended for the game for violating team policy. They needed Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers to carry a greater load, and both starters struggled for much of the game.

Things got heated in the closing minutes with several near fights, but Minnesota won the ultimate battle and will advance to face Purdue on Saturday.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Point guard Devoe Joseph carried Minnesota through 20 minutes. After halftime, Minnesota's other guards got involved in a big way.

And with the Gophers' three-headed backcourt clicking, Penn State had no chance to rally. Joseph, Lawrence Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber combined for 31 points as No. 6 seed Minnesota stomped No. 11 seed Penn State 76-55. Minnesota led the entire game but really opened things up early in the second half with a 20-10 run.

The Gophers' NCAA tournament hopes remain alive as they advance to Friday's quarterfinals, where they'll face No. 3 seed Michigan State (Big Ten Network, approximately 9 p.m. ET).

This qualifies as an impressive performance for Minnesota, especially given the way Penn State had been playing the last few weeks. The Nittany Lions split their final six Big Ten contests and gave league co-champs Purdue and Michigan State all they could handle.

After a sloppy end to the first half, Minnesota made almost no mistakes in the final 20 minutes. Hoffarber and Westbrook got it going from long range, and Ralph Sampson III, Damian Johnson and Colton Iverson beat up Penn State in the post. I'm really impressed with the leadership Joseph has showed at point guard.

Penn State had a season of near misses, but tonight's blowout loss has to be extremely tough for Ed DeChellis and his team. Star guard Talor Battle (10 points, 3-for-10 shooting) was a nonfactor for most of the game, and while he got some help from Andrew Jones, Chris Babb and David Jackson, it came too late.

The 2009 NIT champs certainly backslid this season, and it'll be interesting to see what happens with DeChellis in the coming days.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Minnesota is playing defense with the purpose of a team that needs a good week here to make the field of 65. Penn State came out looking ready for the offseason, though the Nittany Lions picked things up toward the end of the half.

Quick halftime thoughts:

• Penn State arguably came in as the hotter team, but Minnesota was the aggressor from the start, jumping out to a 7-0 lead. Penn State's greatest strength -- aside from star guard Talor Battle -- is its length, but Minnesota is even longer and has shown it so far. Gophers senior forward Damian Johnson, who was snubbed from the All-Big Ten Defensive team earlier in the week, has been tremendous with nine points and two rebounds in the first half.
• Battle has been relatively quiet for Penn State (4 points, 2 assists), but sophomore guard Chris Babb is providing a big lift. Babb engineered a 5-0 run to end the half all by himself and has eight points. Penn State is at its best when Battle gets help from his supporting cast. Babb has provided some so far, but other players like David Jackson and Jeff Brooks need to become more involved.
• Speaking of involved, Minnesota's starting guards Lawrence Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber were virtually invisible in the first half. They were a combined 0-for-4 from the field for no points. Westbrook and Hoffarber combine to average 23.6 points a game, so they really need to pick things up after the half. Fortunately for them, point guard Devoe Joseph stepped up with 10 first-half points on 4 of 7 shooting.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The 2010 Big Ten men's basketball tournament tips off today at Conseco Fieldhouse with three first-round games on tap.

Here's a quick look at the matchups:

No. 8 seed Michigan vs. No. 9 seed Iowa (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m. ET)

Records: Michigan (14-16), Iowa (10-21)

Season series: Michigan won both meetings, pounding Iowa 60-46 at Crisler Arena and rallying for a 80-78 overtime victory in Iowa City.

Advancement: Winner faces No. 1 seed Ohio State in the quarterfinals Friday (ESPN, noon ET)

Three things to watch:

• These are the two worst offensive teams in the Big Ten, as Michigan averages just 64.4 points and Iowa puts up 60.8 points. The Hawkeyes shot just 30.9 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from 3-point range (4-for-24) in the game in Ann Arbor, while Michigan had a 14-point first half Sunday against Michigan State. Despite the offensive struggles, the teams found their scoring rhythm in their last meeting, as both shot better than 45 percent from beyond the arc. Don't be surprised if the game comes down to 3-point shooting.
• Michigan center DeShawn Sims is a load for most opposing teams, and a smallish Iowa squad will have its hands full with the senior. Sims recorded double-doubles in both meetings with the Hawkeyes this year, including a 27-point, 10-rebound effort in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes will need strong defensive performances from Jarryd Cole and Aaron Fuller today.
• Iowa can't afford any sort of hangover effect if it expects to advance in Indy. The Hawkeyes lost their last two regular-season games, to Wisconsin and Minnesota, by a combined 62 points. Iowa endured its worst-ever loss to Wisconsin (67-40). As freshman guard Eric May told The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette, "You’ve got to Etch A Sketch it and get it out of your system."

No. 7 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Indiana (ESPN2, 25 minutes after Game 1)

Record: Northwestern (19-12), Indiana (10-20)

Season series: Northwestern crushed Indiana 78-61 in Evanston on Feb. 7, but the Hoosiers responded with an 88-80 overtime win Saturday at Assembly Hall.

Advancement: Winner faces No. 2 Purdue in the quarterfinals Friday (Big Ten Network, 6:30 p.m. ET)

Three things to watch:

• The matchup features two of the Big Ten's top offensive threats. Northwestern sophomore forward John Shurna was the Big Ten's leading scorer in league games (20.1 ppg). Shurna matched his career high with 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Saturday's loss to IU. Indiana guard Verdell Jones III finished sixth in the Big Ten in scoring for conference games (16.7 ppg). Jones racked up 28 points in the teams' first meeting.
• Northwestern needs to put a body on Indiana's Jordan Hulls, Derek Elston and Bobby Capobianco, especially after Saturday's game. All three Hoosiers freshmen recorded career highs in scoring, including 24 points from Hulls on 8 of 12 shooting from long range. Northwestern has struggled defensively away from its home court, and it'll be interesting to see if Wildcats head coach Bill Carmody sticks with the 1-3-1 zone against IU.
• Two of the Big Ten's top freshmen will be on display today. Northwestern wing Drew Crawford earned Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year honors, and Indiana forward Christian Watford also gained consideration for the award. Watford will look to beat up Northwestern in the post, while the Wildcats need a lift from Crawford, who has been fighting injuries during the second half of league play.

No. 6 Minnesota vs. No. 11 Penn State (Big Ten Network, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Records: Minnesota (18-12), Penn State (11-19)

Season series: Minnesota won both meetings, but both were close. The Gophers prevailed 75-70 in Williams Arena and beat Penn State 66-64 in State College on Lawrence Westbrook's jumper as time expired.

Advancement: Winner faces No. 3 Michigan State in the quarterfinals Friday (Big Ten Network, approximately 9 p.m. ET)

What to watch:

• Minnesota certainly should be on upset alert, as Penn State is playing its best ball right now. The Nittany Lions won three of their final six Big Ten contests and lost the other three by a combined 14 points. Penn State lost 11 Big Ten games by 10 points or fewer, including seven by six points or fewer. Penn State guard Talor Battle averaged 21.5 points in two meetings with the Gophers this year.
• Gophers senior forward Damian Johnson will be playing with a chip on his shoulder today. Johnson's exclusion from the All-Big Ten Defensive team drew the ire of both he and head coach Tubby Smith, who called it "a travesty" and said Johnson should have been the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Johnson can showcase his defensive prowess today against Penn State's David Jackson, who has played well lately.
• Westbrook can make clutch shots, as he showed last month at Penn State, and everyone at the Big Ten tournament knows what Blake Hoffarber can do when the pressure is on. Minnesota needs both guards to be on target as the Gophers probably need at least two wins this week to make the NCAA field.

Think Tom Izzo's happy?

Down 13 in the second half and facing a Minnesota team that had seemed to figure them out, Michigan State came back, stole a late lead, and managed to keep Minnesota from tipping in a last-second bucket -- the Gophers had three separate chances above the rim in one of those lingering late possessions that, like a scene from "Hoosiers," never seem to end -- to take a 65-64 win in Minneapolis.

This was a vintage Michigan State win and, at the risk of overusing the concept of "momentum," the kind of game that could change the trajectory of MSU's entire season. This was the sort of win that justifies the Izzo's peerless reputation. This is the sort of win that proves this Spartans team is just as legit as their preseason hype anticipated.

Of course, this was not a perfect win, nor was it a particularly impressive performance. Enthusiasm must be tempered. Michigan State didn't dominate by any stretch; for a while, they barely competed. The Gophers were the superior team for most of the afternoon, and held the lead from the opening tip to 1:27 mark in the second half. Minnesota forced Michigan State out of the paint and onto the perimeter, and the Spartans finished the first half with a mere four points in the lane. (Minnesota, meanwhile, had 18.) Lawrence Westbrook and Devoe Joseph both finished with 16, and both led a balanced, coherent Gophers attack, one that fully took advantage of Michigan State's horrid first-half shooting.

But in a conference -- a sport, really -- where road wins are few and far between, Michigan State managed to play poorly for 30 minutes and still found a way to win down the stretch. There's a handy arc here. Tom Izzo's teams are always talented, are almost always led by great guards (in this case, Kalin Lucas, who had 22 points and the key 3 to take that first lead), almost always struggle early thanks to a tough non-conference schedule, and always manage to figure things out in time to own the Big Ten and roll through the NCAA tourney with experience and mettle on their side.

That's why Tom Izzo is Tom Izzo. That's why Michigan State is Michigan State. The Spartans win these games. Why should this year be any different?

(Update: Another look at Minnesota's last possession shows a good bit of contact on Lawrence Westbrook's shot. Tubby Smith and company definitely have a gripe there. They also deserve a lot of credit for playing as well as they did; Michigan State's ascendency was never guaranteed. Tough loss, but the Gophers can build on this.)