11/27 Big Ten Recap: MSU Beats UNC

The Big Ten had a plethora of games on Thanksgiving, highlighted by a ranked matchup between Michigan State and North Carolina. Teams like Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin also had intriguing games.

Let’s take a look at what happened.

–No. 11 Michigan State Spartans 74, No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels 58

Through six games, Spartan fans have felt good about their squad. The team took care of Arkansas at home in early November and scored a lopsided win over Kentucky in the Champions Classic. The question was whether that could carry over against another blue blood in North Carolina on Thursday.

Fortunately for Michigan State, the answer came back positively.

While North Carolina started the game well, Michigan State thoroughly outplayed the Tar Heels en route to victory. Jeremy Fears led the way with 19 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Carson Cooper also had 14 points and six rebounds. Michigan State’s defense was also impressive, holding North Carolina to just 0.95 points per possession and 17.4 percent from three-point range.

The win pushed Michigan State to a perfect 7-0. And fans have to be ecstatic with that start, considering the Spartans have already played multiple powers away from home. Tom Izzo and team will now return home before opening Big Ten play on Tuesday against Iowa. The Spartans will be solid favorites in that one.

–Stanford Cardinal 72, Minnesota Golden Gophers 68

The Gophers had a better effort in this one than many of the team’s recent outings, but it still wasn’t quite enough, as Stanford scored a four-point win over Minnesota. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson led the way with 23 points and four rebounds in the loss. Minnesota fell to 4-3 with the loss. The team will now prepare for Santa Clara on Friday.

–Oklahoma State Cowboys 86, Northwestern Wildcats 81

This was a tight game until deep into the second half, when the Cowboys got hot. Nick Martinelli played an exceptional game with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to get the win. Northwestern fell to 5-2 with the loss. The team will hope to bounce back on the road against Wisconsin on Wednesday.

–Creighton Bluejays 76, Oregon Ducks 66

The Ducks wrapped up a rough trip to Vegas on Thursday, falling to Creighton in a game that was relatively competitive, though it ended up being decided by double-digits at the final buzzer. Sean Stewart probably had the best game on Oregon’s team, finishing with 18 points and seven rebounds. Dezdrick Lindsay also had 14 points.

Oregon fell to 4-3 overall with the loss. We’ll see if the Ducks can get back on track next week against USC at home on Tuesday. KenPom favors the Trojans.

–Rutgers Scarlet Knights 80, UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 65

The Scarlet Knights finally beat a competent opponent on Thursday, scoring a 15-point win in Vegas against UNLV. Emmanuel Ogbole led the way with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Dylan Grant also had an encouraging showing with 17 points and eight rebounds.

The win pushed Rutgers to 5-3 overall. The team will now prepare for an absolute gauntlet of a week, beginning with Purdue at home on Tuesday and Michigan on the road on Saturday. The two opponents currently sit second and first, respectively, on KenPom.

–Washington Huskies 83, Nevada Wolf Pack 66

The Huskies opened up play in Palm Springs on Thursday against Nevada and scored a solid win. Wesley Yates led the way with 25 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Zoom Diallo also had 19 points. Washington improved to 5-1 with the win. The team will now face Colorado on Friday.

–Wisconsin Badgers 104, Providence Friars 83

Like Rutgers above, Wisconsin finally got a quality win on Thursday, blowing past Providence in San Diego. Nick Boyd led the way with 36 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds. Austin Rapp also had 20 points and eight rebounds. The win pushed Wisconsin to 5-1 on the season. The team will now prepare for a feisty TCU squad on Friday.