After another wild night of Big Ten basketball, another potential conference title contender has essentially been eliminated from the race after losing in a must-win situation.
Fortunately for Michigan State, that means one less team to worry about.
On Tuesday night, Spartan fans were treated to some good news as two of their biggest competitors to win the Big Ten title dropped a game that they were projected to win. Nebraska was either favored by 1.5 points or an underdog by the same amount, depending on where you looked, at home against Purdue, and the Cornhuskers lost a tough one. That meant that they now have three losses.
Illinois lost to Wisconsin at home on the same night, dropping the Illini to 11-3 in league play right after losing to Michigan State. The Spartans don’t see the Illini again, so having them lose their third Big Ten game was huge and that means Michigan State’s biggest worry is Michigan.
However, a few teams were surging in the rearview mirror that could’ve given the Spartans and the other handful of contenders a run for their money at the title.
That team is now no longer in the running.
Michigan State no longer needs to worry about Iowa
Iowa had been one of those surging teams in the Big Ten standings, sitting just outside of that top-five group of Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Purdue, and Illinois.
The Hawkeyes, along with Wisconsin and UCLA, had just four losses in conference play, right behind Michigan State, Illinois, Nebraska, and Purdue who have three. After losing to one of the worst teams in the conference in a must-win situation on Wednesday evening, Iowa is now almost-officially out of the race.
Iowa now has five losses on the season, and if they want to win the Big Ten, they’d have to win out even though the Hawkeyes still have to face Purdue, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, and Nebraska again. Oh, and the Hawkeyes would need Michigan to lose at least four more games, and Illinois, Nebraska, Michigan State, and Purdue to all lose at least two more.
Sorry, Iowa, but your time is up. You had a fun season, but this isn’t your Big Ten title-contending year.