By Jackson Atoyebi

So…what a Big Ten campaign.  From beginning the year with scrutiny – and you heard talk shows saying the Big Ten’s weak this year, they’d be lucky if they get three teams in the tourney – to getting seven teams in the dance (maybe next year Wildcats), this was an entertaining and surprising year for the Big Ten.  The most surprising part for me is that I am not concluding the Big Ten year complaining about how no one can ever win a big game; in fact, this is not a season recap at all.

Why, you ask? (I know that was cheesy)

Because, as you all know by now (especially if you are following allbigten.com on Twitter and couldn’t watch the game - Twitter username: AllBigTen), Tom Izzo and the Spartans are heading to the Final Four.  They beat the #1 overall seed in the tournament, without much doubt of who the better team on the floor was at that particular time. Michigan State was able to control tempo, play stifling defense, control the boards, and utilize their rock in the middle in Goran Suton.  For once, a Big Ten school is the talk of the nation, for a good reason.

To me, the most remarkable feat in this whole magical run is Tom Izzo and the consistency of his program.  Just look at the numbers: 5 Final Fours in the last 11 years, 8 Sweet 16’s in the past 12 years (trailing only Duke in this category), and a 330-135 overall record over his time at Michigan State.  Must I go on?

The best part, and what should be noted, is he does this with mostly home grown talent who stay in the program.  You want to win now, next year at the latest; recruit kids that have their eyes set on the NBA.  You want to build a tradition… you follow the Tom Izzo formula.  Hopefully, this will bring the accomplishments, both his and of his program, to the national spotlight, for good.

By Jackson Atoyebi

Finally, the tourney is upon us.  And as usual, everyone is running around trying to create the perfect bracket, or at least win their office pool; the one Kelly from accounting has been dominating for the past 3 years (picking school colors and mascots mind you).    While to me, this is the greatest postseason tournament in sports, the first couple of days can be a little drawn out.  This is why I have chosen a couple of intriguing first round games that everyone should keep their eyes on.

We interrupt this thought to bring you this blog public service announcement:

THERE WILL BE NO “5 vs. 12” GAME ANALYSIS.  I AM TIRED OF THIS CLICHÉ. WE ALL KNOW THAT ONE OF THESE 4 GAMES WILL RESULT IN AN UPSET (BY THE WAY WISCONSIN IS THIS YEAR’S UPSET FOR MY MONEY). 

Now, back to our regularly scheduled article:

UCLA 6 vs. VCU 11:

Everyone wants to pick this upset because everything is going for VCU and against UCLA.  UCLA has to travel east, VCU has Maynor, who we all remember beating Duke with that floater in 2007, and UCLA is not as good this year as they have been in the past.  These are all reasons for an intriguing game that will be fun to watch, however I would not pull the trigger on picking this upset. 

Southern California 10 vs. Boston College 7:

This game will be fun to watch, mainly because of the youthful athleticism of SC and senior forward Taj Gibson, and the brilliant play of a one Tyrese Rice, the crafty veteran guard from BC.  You really don’t know what you’re going to get, especially when BC has come into the tournament limping, losing 5 of their last 9, and SC’s roster filled with youth can be inconsistence at times to say the least.  This game is a tossup, which will make it very entertaining.

Arizona State 6 vs. Temple 11

This game will be interesting because of two players: Harden (ASU) and Christmas (Tem). The best part is the two things they have in common; they’re both special college players who will be playing in NBA next year, and both can take their teams to victory single-handedly on any given night.  Both teams know these facts and allow both players free reign.  That, in my opinion, is enough a reason to tune in. 

These games were some of the matchups that stood out to me.  They may not stand out to you.  But that is what makes this tournament so special – the storyline.  The hardest part, however, is picking who the protagonist is going to be.  Goodluck.

By Jackson Atoyebi

This was a game that I was very excited to see.  And for the most part I was not disappointed.  Michigan State vs. Illinois at Assembly Hall featured the best two teams in the league this year (with no disrespect to the Boilermakers…ok, ok…maybe a little).  With a win, Michigan State would clinch at least a share of the regular season title for the first time in eight years.  The Illini, on the other hand, were trying to win and keep that slim hope alive at a share of the regular season crown (highly unlikely as Illinois would need to win this game and get another Michigan State loss at the hands of Indiana). 

You knew this game would be a traditional, physical, Big Ten game, especially with the defensive coaching philosophies of both sides and everything that was at stake.   Michigan State jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, and really took control of the game.  They used the Izzo formula: Defense + Rebounding = Win.  They won all the categories a team that depends on physical play needs to win, outrebounding the Illini both offensively and overall, as well as winning the turnover battle.  They were also able to withstand the Illini crowd and a second half push to prove that they are the best team in the conference. 

The Illini were lead by a great effort from their front-court super sophs, Tisdale and Davis.  They combined for 28 points and 13 rebounds, but were not able to make the key plays down the stretch to push Illinois over the top.  I thought they showed great effort, especially considering the intensity of the game and the lack of a real deep rotation.  I believe the lack of consistent play off the bench was the eventual downfall for the Illinois in this game.  The starters all logged at least 32 minutes and showed lack of explosion towards the end of the second half, which prevented them from getting the crucial stops needed, especially against the best team in the conference. 

Both teams are a year away, with Michigan State having a little more upside because of their depth.  That does not mean Michigan State, or Illinois for that matter, can’t make a run in the dance.  They both have the formulas for success: defense, rebounding, and most importantly good guard play.  Lucas and McCamey are stars on the rise, and both coaches have been there before.  With the right seeding, don’t be surprised if we are seeing each team fighting for a spot in a regional final.  However, we could easily see each team get bounced before the finale of the first weekend.  Only time will tell.

By Jackson Atoyebi

Many questions have been asked about the legitimacy of Illinois and the Big Ten, especially after their showing this past week, where they managed to only score 33 (rivaling the amount of scoring that was done by some teammates of mine in college off the court).   Today’s game, however, would prove to be a little different for the Illini as they were able to go to Ohio State and pull out an impressive road win 70 -68.

From the opening tip, the Illini were able to cut through the zone of the Buckeyes with sharp cuts and precision passing.  Mike Davis made the most of the opportunities presented by a very wide-open middle of the Buckeye zone, flashing into the paint constantly, then killing them with constant 8-10 foot jump hooks.  He was also able to find open shooters or make the hi-low pass to a cutting Mike Tisdale.

And with that said, you would think this game was a blowout.

Ohio State deserves some credit for managing to keep the game close; especially when you consider the fact they allowed Illinois to shoot 58.3% from the field.  Every time the Illinoi thought they had a grasp of momentum, and thus control of the game, Ohio State would hit a big three, or there would be some miraculous drive from Evan Turner.   Still, it wasn’t enough because they were not able to get any stops, and to be a good team — a tournament team — you must be able to make defensive stops.

Illinois shut up the critics by using offensive efficiency (23 assists on 28 fgs made), contrary to what we might have expected after their game against Penn State.  Watching this game, I thought Illinois should’ve won by double figures.   They say you must play ten points better than your opponents to win on the road – guess they were 12 today.

By Jackson Atoyebi

In order to win on the road, you must be a team with a mental toughness, and play with bunker-like togetherness.  I thought Ohio State coming in winning four games straight, would exhibit this type of play throughout their game against Wisconsin, especially on the road where they are tough to beat.

Let me start by saying this game was about as interesting to watch as a chick-flick on Valentine’s Day.  I mean seriously, sometimes I like the Big Ten for its defense and physicality, however this game was just bad; but I now digress.

This game was lost for Ohio State in two areas; turnovers and defensive rebounding.  They shot it well from the field (55%), but they were not able to get enough shots to score efficiently enough to win on the road.  They were led by a solid performance from Evan Turner, who had 23 points, 5 boards and 5 assists.  While those numbers look good, the lack of a floor leader hurt the Buckeyes and Turner, who ended with 6 turnovers himself.

Wisconsin, on the other hand, dictated the game with their defense and rebounding.  They used pressure defense to frustrate the Ohio State backcourt and to create extra possessions and opportunities for themselves.  And did they ever need those extra possessions.  They were a miserable 38% from the field as a team, a major contributing factor to their rebounding edge (15 offensive rebounds).

Wisconsin should be happy with the win, but understand there is still much more work for them to do to punch any dance ticket.  They are still not efficient offensively, and teams down the stretch will have too much talent offensively for the Badgers to expect to win with their defense.   Ohio State will be dancing, but they must sure up their backcourt, or establish someone as a legitimate point guard or else it will be a quick two-step for the Buckeyes.

By Jackson Atoyebi

What makes one lose sleep in basketball? For Coach Beilein and the Wolverines - an undersized frontcourt going up against a man-child in Thabeet (or just a man - check his birth certificate). Then again it could be the overwhelming athleticism and depth the Huskies. Needless to say, much had to go in the Wolverines favor for the upset of the college season to take place.

Michigan had a few advantages coming into this contest that I thought could benefit them – most important being they’ve won games in which they were major underdogs (UCLA, Duke). They also like switching their defensive scheme between man-to-man, 1-3-1 and 2-3 zones all night, which hopefully would cause UConn to settle for jump shots (in which they are pedestrian) and not exploit their inside dominance.

The game began the way everyone in Ann Arbor hoped, back and forth with no one able to gain a true grasp of the game. Defensively, Michigan confused UConn with their constant switching of defensive, forcing 9 first-half turnovers. Michigan did a good job of attacking the shot blocker, Thabeet, taking the ball to his chest with the drive and the backdoor cut. This then created some open looks for 3-point shooter Stu Douglass, who made 6 of his 8 attempts.

In the second half, the depth and talent took its toll on the game. UConn wore down the Maize and Blue with their defense. Michigan shot a frigid 31% from the field in the second half, which caused some easy transition buckets for UConn and gave their home crowd something to cheer for.

Michigan fans should keep their heads high though. Michigan fought hard and almost pulled out a win against a team who is everybody’s favorite right now to win it all. They also proved, to me especially, that they’re a tournament team. They’ve been able to play with anybody in the country, anywhere in the country. They may not have the overall record or RPI that the committee is looking for when it’s all said and done, but they pass the eye test of a tournament team.