The Big Ten Tournament is only a few weeks away from embarking on its new 18-team format, where all schools participate for the first time, and the anticipation for the action in Chicago is palpable.
Seedings are starting to solidify, but so are doubts over teams that look to contend. Here’s how the Big Ten slate played out with just two weeks of regular season play to go.
Cornhuskers continue for consistency
Nebraska has been one of the best storylines in college sports this season, as a squad that entered Big Ten media day predicted to finish in the bottom five of the conference.
The Cornhuskers rattled off 20 straight wins to begin their season, immediately snapping any negative prediction placed on them. While that streak eventually was snapped with Nebraska’s first loss, they rebounded, and until this last week of play looked like a real postseason contender.
First, a three-point loss to No. 13 Purdue on Feb. 10 raised doubts about the Cornhuskers’ ability to compete against upper-echelon teams. They then smashed Northwestern, 68-49. Nebraska suffered another bad loss to Iowa by five points on Feb. 17, then smashed Penn State by over 20.
Despite solid defense against the Hawkeyes, who shot under 35%, the offense couldn’t cash in, with only two double-digit scorers. Against the Nittany Lions, the offense followed the trend of the defense, with forward Pryce Sanford orchestrating the blowout behind a career high 33 points and a new single-game program record of eight made threes.
Cornhusker play has been very up and down, with great performances against bottom-of-the-barrel Big Ten teams, but struggling performances against better squads — a worrying sign for them as the postseason looms.
Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) reacts after hitting a basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Al Goldis | AP Photo
Mesmerizing moments in The Mitten State
Michigan, typically known for its Great Lakes, has been cherished on the hardwood this season for its great makes.
Both of the region’s top universities, Michigan State and Michigan, employ two of the highest-scoring offenses in the country, which have led them to be regarded as two likely national championship contenders.
Over the last week of play, both the Spartans and Wolverines were tested by two very different foes, with only one leaving the state victorious. Regardless of those split results, the consensus is that both need to find a way to rebound if they want to make good on their March Madness goals.
On Saturday, two of the teams ranked as consensus NCAA No. 1 seeds for the first bracket reveal of the season, Duke and Michigan, faced off, and the matchup lived up to all the hype.
The Blue Devils marched into a packed Chrisler Center and pulled off a nailbiter 68-63 win. Two of college basketball’s forwards went face-to-face as Yaxel Lendenborg outscored star freshman Cameron Boozer with his game-high 21 points.
Boozer’s 18 points led Duke, as it was able to put the brakes on a Wolverines’ offense that had a chance to tie things up with under 30 seconds left in regulation.
For Michigan, it was its lowest-scoring performance of the year, while Duke has consistently pulled off multiple mid-60-point wins with its staunch defense. While the Wolverines’ loss saw them drop two places from their previous No. 1 AP Poll spot, the Spartans flew up a pair of spots to No. 13.
It doesn’t mean Michigan State’s win came easily; it was a one-possession game with under 20 seconds left, and the Buckeyes couldn’t mount a comeback. At halftime, Ohio State actually led by three points and looked poised to win behind guard Bruce Thornton, who finished with a game-high 32 points and no turnovers.
Carson Cooper led Michigan State with his team-high 20 points. While the nation’s assist leader, Jeremy Fears Jr., had a quiet 2-of-7 night with eight assists and four turnovers.
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