Wild weekend pulls Badgers, others, within game of Maryland for Big Ten title
The log jam atop the Big Ten Conference in men’s basketball got a lot more interesting over the weekend.
Saturday, No. 24 Michigan State upset ninth-ranked Maryland, and pulled within a game of the conference lead.
Sunday, Wisconsin won its sixth in a row, coming back from four down with less than 2 minutes remaining, to beat Minnesota 71-69, while Illinois slipped by Indiana 67-66.
The Badgers, Spartans and Illini are now all one game behind the Terrapins for the Big Ten title with two games remaining.
Maryland is trying its hardest to lose the regular-season title. They’ve lost two of three and the lone win came in the final second on a 3-pointer to beat Minnesota.
| TEAM | CONF. | GB | OVERALL |
| 9 Maryland | 13-5 | – | 23-6 |
| 24 Michigan State | 12-6 | 1 | 20-9 |
| Illinois | 12-6 | 1 | 20-9 |
| Wisconsin | 12-6 | 1 | 19-10 |
The Badgers, who have won seven of their last eight since La Crosse native Kobe King announced he was leaving the team, play at home Wednesday against Northwestern and then Saturday at Indiana (18-11, 8-10).
Of course, last time Wisconsin beat Indiana — 84-64 on Dec. 7 — King had a career-high 24 points.
Maryland plays Wednesday at Rutgers, then home Saturday against No. 19 Michigan.
Michigan St. and Illinois appear to have the biggest challenges.
The Spartans play Tuesday at No. 16 Penn State, then home Sunday against No. 23 Ohio State. Illinois plays No. 23 Ohio State and 18th-ranked Iowa.
If it comes down to tiebreakers, Wisconsin beat Maryland this season, split with Michigan State and lost to Illinois.
TOP PHOTO: Wisconsin’s Tyler Wahl (5) looks to pass the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Minnesota, Sunday, March 1, 2020, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)