We're just a few hours past the end of the only Big Ten game of the night, a 73-51 drubbing by Michigan State to Minnesota.


Minnesota came into East Lansing playing better than it has all season, by a mile. Minnesota had knocked off Michigan, Iowa (away), and Oregon in succession after starting the season 8-9 and 0-6 in its first six conference games. It was just enough to think that Ben Johnson was pulling off a mid-season miracle for the Golden Gophers.


Turns out Minnesota is exactly who we thought they were. They went into Michigan State and had one of the worst performances in the conference this season. Minnesota's offense was rendered obselete and its star, Dawson Garcia, was its only bright spot as he accounted for 21 of Minnesota's 51 points. On the game, the Gophers scored a miniscule .84 points per possession.

I'm going to attempt to write this next part with the proper amount of respect because Michigan State is on the best run in the Big Ten. The win against against Minnesota brings the Spartans winning streak to 13 straight games and moves them to 9-0 in conference play, leading the Big Ten by two games as the calendar turns to February.


There is no arguing that Michigan State has been the best team in the Big Ten. At 18-2 with wins over Illinois and... well the problem with the Michigan State love is that it has a whole lot of asterisks applied to all that winning.

For instance, Michigan State's one really good win against a top-team in the Big Ten, Illinois, comes with the asterisk that Illinois played without its best player and apparently only real offensive organizer, Kasparas Jakucionis. Jakucionis did technically play, a full nine minutes before fouling out of the game. That fouling out included three laughably bad whistles against him, and if we're being fair, a fifth foul that was so inexcusable on Jakucionis that it almost makes you think he deserved the other four.


The rest of Michigan State's conference schedule to this point has been against the dredge of the Big Ten: Rutgers, Washington, Minnesota again, and so on. But there is a lot of credit deserved for not falling victim to teams that aren't as good as you. Go ahead and ask Michigan if it'd like its loss to Minnesota back or Purdue and Penn State.

But thankfully, more than just being another blow out win for Michigan State, Michigan State-Minnesota marks a clear divide on the Big Ten schedule, a line of demarcation if you will.

Now the Big Ten starts in earnest with Michigan, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Illinois (I guess) chasing the Spartans who stand two games ahead of Michigan and Purdue.


And the leader in the clubhouse, Michigan State, starts to have to go through the top half of the Big Ten. So let's take a quick look at what the next six games will look like for the top of the Big Ten.

Feb. 1st - @USC

Feb. 4th - @UCLA

Feb. 8th - Oregon

Feb. 11th - Indiana

Feb. 15th - @Illinois

Feb. 18th - Purdue

The good news for Michigan State, if they win their next six games? That's probably it for the conference with taking on Illinois and Purdue in back to back games. That will be the only matchup between Purdue and Sparty so there will be no getting even for Purdue at Mackey Arena. With Michigan and Purdue playing each other again, that will mean Michigan State will make distance between at least one of the two schools without having to lift a finger.

But Michigan State's final stretch of the season is lurking with six of its last seven games going up against top-21 teams according to Kenpom and a trip to Iowa snuck in between.

Jan. 31st - Indiana

Feb. 4th - @Iowa

Feb. 7th - USC

Feb. 11th - @Michigan

Feb. 15th - Wisconsin

Feb. 18th - @Michigan State

Purdue has to feel this next 6 game stretch will decide if it will win its third straight Big Ten title or not. Purdue can afford to go 5-1 in this stretch as long as it takes down Michigan State on the road. That's not a small ask.


You can easily argue Purdue is playing the best basketball in the Big Ten right now despite the two conference losses and in a winner take all tournament, they might even be the favorites, but it will have to knock off two Michigan teams on the road in the next six games to feel like the conference is under its control again.

And Purdue has still had those stretches where they look like a team vulnerable to a certain style of play. But if its defense is for real, then it shouldn't give up much ground before Purdue heads up to East Lansing in the middle of the month.

Jan. 29th - @Maryland

Feb. 1st - @Northwestern

Feb. 4th - Indiana

Feb. 8th - @Iowa

Feb. 15th - @Purdue

Feb. 18th - Illinois

Technically, Wisconsin is a game behind Purdue and Michigan, but frankly, the way Michigan has played the last few games, it doesn't deserve the spot above Wisconsin. Wisconsin hasn't been spectacular, but it's handled business. It has a top-ten offense according to Kenpom, and has won 8 of its last 9 games with its only trip up, an 85-83 loss on the road to UCLA.

That said, it will have to tango with a dangerous, playing well Maryland team on the road and then Northwestern on the road in back to back games. It also has a trip to Mackey Arena looming in the near future. Badgers are unlikely a real cocntender considering it still has to go to the Breslin Center as well, but the three-loss Badgers have probably been better than they should be through this point in the season.

Feb. 1st - @Rutgers

Feb. 5th - Oregon

Feb. 8th - @Indiana

Feb. 11th - Purdue

Feb. 16th - @Ohio State

Feb. 21st - Michigan State

Tre Donaldson's step back three against Penn State might have just saved Michigan's season. Then again, with the way the Wolverines are playing, it might have just delayed the inevitable because Michigan is about to get put through the ringer as it prepares to play four games in ten days including a return trip for Purdue up to Ann Arbor after Purdue's near thirty point beatdown of the Wolverines a week ago.

Throw in a game at Ohio State, hosting Michigan State, and a tough trip to Bloomington. (Is it a tough trip? Assembly Hall deserves that respect, but not sure if this program does as IU has lost four of its last five and the question most pressing about that February 8th matchup might just be who is coaching the Hoosiers by that point.)


Anywho, Michigan will have to play significantly better than it has the last couple weeks to get through its next six games. Michigan is a classic 'high ceiling' team because when it looks good it looks really good, but sloppy play hasn't just been a symptom but an identity for this team. Dusty May has done a great job turning around the program in one year, but the carriage is starting to smell a bit like pumpkin.

Purdue is a must win game at home and Michigan still has to go to Michigan State to finish the season.

Jan. 30th - @Nebraska

Feb. 2nd - Ohio State

Feb. 5th - @Rutgers

Feb. 8th - Minnesota

Feb. 11th - UCLA

Feb. 15th - Michigan State

Illinois would have to win out to seriously consider winning the Big Ten most likely. This team definitely ain't doing that. No further comments needed.

#17 Wisconsin at Maryland - 7:00 PM BTN

Wisconsin will get a chance to say it belongs by adding a really good road win in an environment that can either be one of the best or one of the worst in the Big Ten. Maryland just whipped on Illinois on the road and took a close one in Assembly Hall. Now, it can end the Badgers hopes to challenge for the Big Ten title.

You probably already know about Derik Queen at Maryland, but Wisconsin has its own budding star worth watching, John Blackwell.

So sit back and enjoy the good Big Ten basketball and we'll check back in tomorrow and see how the Big Ten has shifted.