SB Nation Minnesota - Ohio State Buckeyes Win 2011 Big Ten Basketball Tournamenthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48959/mn-fave.png2011-03-13T16:43:05-05:00http://minnesota.sbnation.com/rss/stream/17979732011-03-13T16:43:05-05:002011-03-13T16:43:05-05:00Big Ten Basketball Championship 2011: Buckeyes Cruise To Title
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<p>The Ohio State Buckeyes, as expected, are the champions of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament, defeating a game Penn State Nittany Lion team in the finals at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, 71-60.</p>
<p>The Buckeyes carried a 29-23 lead into halftime of this one, and managed to expand their lead to as much as 17 in the second half, as they were just too deep and too strong for the Nittany Lions on this afternoon.</p>
<p>The Buckeyes got a balanced attack, as <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52369/william-buford">William Buford</a> led the team with 18 points, while <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26681/jon-diebler">Jon Diebler</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124094/jared-sullinger">Jared Sullinger</a> kicked in 15 points a piece in the winning effort. For Penn State, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26708/talor-battle">Talor Battle</a> led all scorers with 24 points on the afternoon, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26715/jeff-brooks">Jeff Brooks</a> had 19, but no other Penn State player had more than six.</p>
<p>The win gives the Buckeyes some solid momentum going into the 2011 NCAA Basketball Tournament, where they are expected to be the number one overall seed. Penn State's performance in the tournament has given them a spot in the Big Dance, too, by all accounts.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-golden-gophers/2011/3/13/2048478/big-ten-basketball-championship-2011-buckeyes-cruise-to-titleChristopher Gates2011-03-13T11:29:54-05:002011-03-13T11:29:54-05:00Big Ten Basketball Championship 2011: Ohio State And Penn State To Decide Title
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<p>A lot of people expected the Ohio State Buckeyes to be in the title game of the Big Ten Tournament. Very few people outside of Happy Valley expected their opponent to be the Penn State Nittany Lions. But that's the match-up we'll have in the finals of the Big Ten Tournament from Conseco Fieldhouse this afternoon.</p>
<p>The Buckeyes got here by defeating Northwestern on Friday afternoon by a score of 67-61, and besting the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/michigan-wolverines">Michigan Wolverines</a> yesterday, 68-61. This will be Penn State's fourth game of the tournament. They started things by beating the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/indiana-hoosiers">Indiana Hoosiers</a> on Thursday night, 61-55. They then moved on to the quarterfinals, where they defeated the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/wisconsin-badgers">Wisconsin Badgers</a> by a score of 36-33, and got past the Michigan State Spartans yesterday afternoon, 61-48.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.alongtheolentangy.com/2011/3/13/2047313/big-ten-tournament-penn-state-nittany-lions-vs-ohio-state-buckeyes">Over at Along the Olentangy, they seem pretty confident</a> of their chances to cut down the Conseco Fieldhouse nets this afternoon.</p>
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<p>Ohio State's biggest offensive advantage over Penn State is in their diversity of scorers, and the path to taxing the Penn State defense was set out in the last battle between these two teams. Forward <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124094/jared-sullinger">Jared Sullinger</a></span> and guards <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52369/william-buford">William Buford</a></span> and the aforementioned Diebler all scored double digits against the Lions on March 1st, while Battle was held in check by a stifling Buckeye defense. If the Buckeyes can continue their offensive efficiency from that game, they should stretch the Nittany Lions across the court and pick up right where they left off. Everything works off of Sullinger, and when the freshman phenom is on, the entire Ohio State offense is on. When the Nittany Lions spent two bodies on guarding Sullinger in the paint, Buford had an easy lane to the basket and Diebler had space to shoot his 3's.</p>
<p>Four of their five starters are seniors, and that experience has helped them play a bit above their statistical bearing. The defensive turnaround is truly bizarre, but I attribute that to desperation for an NCAA tournament berth and poor shooting from opponents. It is a tournament, so anything can happen, but Penn State's failure to launch on Senior Night has removed any fear I have of them. They're a solid team with a great player in <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26708/talor-battle">Talor Battle</a>, but we've already seen what happens once Battle is bottled up and the opponent is shooting well. I don't expect another 21-point victory, but I also don't expect another nail biter like the first game against the Nittany Lions in Columbus.</p>
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<p>However, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2011/3/13/2047291/penn-state-vs-ohio-state-big-ten-tournament-championship-ncaa-tournament-bubble-talor-battle">over at Black Shoe Diaries</a>, they think they have a pretty good shot at pulling off the upset.</p>
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<p>Penn State's senior class might well be heading to the NCAA Tournament by day's end, win or lose, but it has never beaten Ohio State. You can bet that's something <span class="sbn-auto-link">Talor Battle</span> an Co. would like to check off their college career bucket list in their final conference game. It's not going to be easy by any means. The Buckeyes have an extra day of rest and a deeper bench to throw at a paper thin Penn State lineup playing its fourth game in four days, but it's hard to beat a team three times in one season. With two games between these teams already in the books, Ohio State will have no secrets against Penn State. The question is whether the Lions can make the most of what they know is coming.</p>
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<p>Tip-off for the Big Ten Tournament Championship is set for 2:30 PM Central time, and you'll be able to watch all of the action on CBS.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-golden-gophers/2011/3/13/2047882/big-ten-championship-game-2011-basketballChristopher Gates2011-03-12T17:27:47-06:002011-03-12T17:27:47-06:00Big Ten Tournament 2011: Big Second Half Propels Nittany Lions To Finals
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<p>The Penn State Nittany Lions knew they had to go on a bit of a run if they were to stake a reasonable claim to a spot in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Today, they notched their third win in a row in the 2011 Big Ten Tournament, and that might just be enough to get them a spot on the dance floor.</p>
<p>Talor Battle poured in 25 points on the afternoon, and Tim Frazier added 22 for the Nittany Lions as they took down the Michigan State Spartans by a final score of 61-48. That win earns them the right to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the finals of the tournament tomorrow afternoon.</p>
<p>The two teams went into the locker room tied at 26, and Michigan State took a 29-28 lead early in the half, but the Nittany Lions went on a 14-2 run, keyed by four straight three-pointers by Battle. The Nittany Lions remained firmly in control the rest of the way, as Michigan State just couldn't get anything going after the halftime break.</p>
<p>The Spartans were led in scoring for the afternoon by Kalin Lucas, who has 16. Durrell Summers chipped in with 11, and Draymond Green added 10 in the losing effort.</p>
<p>So, the Big Ten Tournament finals are set, as we'll have Penn State taking on Ohio State from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Tip-off is set for 2:30 PM Central time tomorrow, and you'll be able to watch all the action on your local CBS station.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-golden-gophers/2011/3/12/2046985/big-ten-tournament-2011-big-second-half-propels-nittany-lions-toChristopher Gates2011-03-12T15:57:50-06:002011-03-12T15:57:50-06:00Big Ten Tournament 2011: Penn State And Michigan State Tied At Halftime
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<p>The Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan State Spartans are locked in a good one in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals from Conseco Fieldhouse, as the two teams are tied at 26 as they head into the locker room at halftime.</p>
<p>Michigan State got off to a hot start, scoring 11 of the game's first 13 points to take a 11-2 lead, and had another nine-point lead at 19-10 with 10:43 left in the half. But the Nittany Lions chipped away at the Spartans' lead, going on an 11-2 run of their own to tie the game at 21. The Nittany Lions even had the lead towards the end of the first half at 26-23, but <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123904/keith-appling">Keith Appling</a> hit a three pointer late in the half to give us a tie game.</p>
<p>Penn State's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99917/tim-frazier">Tim Frazier</a> leads all scorers with 11 points, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26708/talor-battle">Talor Battle</a> has chipped in with eight for the Nittany Lions. On the Michigan State side, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26641/durrell-summers">Durrell Summers</a> leads the way with eight, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52346/draymond-green">Draymond Green</a> has six.</p>
<p>We're twenty minutes away from setting the finals of the Big Ten Tournament. Penn State has never made the tournament championship before, while Michigan State has gotten there a few times. Whatever happens, we'll have a recap here at SB Nation Minnesota when it's all said and done.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-golden-gophers/2011/3/12/2046855/big-ten-tournament-2011-penn-state-and-michigan-state-tied-at-halftimeChristopher Gates2011-03-12T14:53:01-06:002011-03-12T14:53:01-06:00Big Ten Tournament 2011: Lower Seeds Battle For Finals
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<p>An unlikely semifinal match-up will finish up our action for Saturday in the 2011 Big Ten Tournament, as the Penn State Nittany Lions will fight to tighten their tenuous grip on a spot in the NCAA Tournament against a team that has already done just that this week, the Michigan State Spartans.</p>
<p>Both of these teams will be playing their third game of the tournament. Penn State started off the tourney by beating the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/indiana-hoosiers">Indiana Hoosiers</a>, 61-55, and followed that up by lulling the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/wisconsin-badgers">Wisconsin Badgers</a> to sleep in a 36-33 victory. Michigan State defeated the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/iowa-hawkeyes">Iowa Hawkeyes</a> on Thursday, 66-61, and then thumped the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/purdue-boilermakers">Purdue Boilermakers</a> by a score of 74-56 last night.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2011/3/12/2045849/penn-state-looks-to-advance-to-championship-against-michigan-state">The folks at Black Shoe Diaries are cautiously optimistic</a> about the Nittany Lions' chances of advancing to their first-ever Big Ten Tournament title game.</p>
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<p>There aren't many things in college basketball more difficult than beating <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="#">Tom Izzo</a></span> and Michigan State in March. The Spartans have earned all the headlines of their last two tournament runs for a reason: they're good and they know it. At the same time, the Lions earned their fair share this season as well, and for that reason, they'll don the white jerseys in this game. It might be little more than symbolic, but Penn State is the higher seed and needs to play with the confidence that should come with that. The Lions are good, too, and the stage is their to prove it to the world. Time to get it done and lock up a bid. A decade's wait is long enough.</p>
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<p>At The Only Colors, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theonlycolors.com/2011/3/12/2046661/game-thread-michigan-state-vs-penn-state">the Spartan faithful are a little surprised at who they're playing today</a>.</p>
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<p>So, it's a bit of a surprise playing a team in blue instead of a team in red today. This is probably a good thing: empirically, Wisconsin is a better team than Penn State, and while MSU has lost games to the Lions in recent years (including this year), those difficulties are nothing compared to the struggles MSU has had against the Badgers in the Bo Ryan era. Games against Wisconsin are always emotional affairs for MSU, and no doubt avoiding the Badgers means that MSU will be less exhausted heading into the BTT championship and/or the opening rounds of the big Tournament.</p>
<p>Nonethless, MSU is only 4-2 against the Lions in the past three years, and many of the wins have been been of the nail-biter variety. As always, <span class="sbn-auto-link">Talor Battle</span> is the Lions' headliner, but <span class="sbn-auto-link">Jeff Brooks</span> (who should have been on one of the all-Big Ten teams) is a big threat down low, and performed very well against MSU in January. This game clearly means more to Penn State than to MSU: many bracketologists have PSU as one of the last 4 teams in, a position which very well may be compromised with a loss today. Conversely, MSU is probably safe at this point, but winning this tournament would bring more than a modicum of redemption to an otherwise disappointing season. You know Lucas, Green, Roe, Summers, Kebler, and the rest want this <i>badly</i>.</p>
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<p>This one is set to tip off in about 20 minutes or so, and the action will be broadcast on CBS.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-golden-gophers/2011/3/12/2046638/big-ten-basketball-tournament-2011Christopher Gates2011-03-12T14:52:46-06:002011-03-12T14:52:46-06:00Big Ten Tournament 2011: Buckeyes Pull Away Late To Defeat Wolverines, 68-61
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<p>The Ohio State Buckeyes led by as many as 18 points in the second half, and used that big cushion to take down their rivals from Michigan, 68-61, in the semifinals of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament.</p>
<p>Ten minutes into the second half, Tim Hardaway, Jr. made a shot to pull the Wolverines to within two at 47-45, but the Buckeyes went on a big 16-0 run after that to open their lead up to 18. The Wolverines didn't get any closer than four the rest of the way.</p>
<p>The Buckeyes had a balanced attack this afternoon, with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26681/jon-diebler">Jon Diebler</a> leading the way with 16 points, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124094/jared-sullinger">Jared Sullinger</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52369/william-buford">William Buford</a> chipping in with 14 points each. Sullinger also pulled down 13 rebounds for the Buckeyes.</p>
<p>For the Wolverines, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99899/darius-morris">Darius Morris</a> led the team with 16 points, and Hardaway, Jr. put in 15.</p>
<p>The Buckeyes now await the winner of the second game of the day between Penn State and Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament finals.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-golden-gophers/2011/3/12/2046753/big-ten-tournament-2011-buckeyes-pull-away-late-to-defeat-wolverinesChristopher Gates2011-03-12T13:45:26-06:002011-03-12T13:45:26-06:00Big Ten Tournament 2011: Ohio State With Halftime Lead Over Michigan
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<p>In our first Big Ten Tournament semifinal of the day, the Ohio State Buckeyes have the lead over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/michigan-wolverines">Michigan Wolverines</a> by a score of 31-27.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26681/jon-diebler">Jon Diebler</a> has led the way so far for the Buckeyes, with his 12 points leading all scorers in this one. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124094/jared-sullinger">Jared Sullinger</a> has made his presence felt as well, scoring seven points and pulling down eight rebounds during the first twenty minutes of play.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99899/darius-morris">Darius Morris</a> leads the Wolverines thus far with nine points, and Tim Hardaway, Jr. has scored six for Michigan.</p>
<p>Michigan has done well from long range, having hit four of eleven three point attempts. The Buckeyes have knocked down two of their seven shots from behind the arc.</p>
<p>The winner of this game will advance to the Big Ten Tournament finals, where they will play the winner of this afternoon's second game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan State Spartans.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-golden-gophers/2011/3/12/2046630/big-ten-tournament-2011-ohio-state-with-halftime-lead-over-michiganChristopher Gates2011-03-12T13:16:09-06:002011-03-12T13:16:09-06:00Big Ten Tournament 2011: Ohio State And Michigan Get Us Started
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<p>When you think of Ohio State and Michigan, your thoughts will more than likely turn to the Big House, the Horseshoe, and college football. But this afternoon, those two teams will lock horns for the right to advance to the finals of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament.</p>
<p>Ohio State got here on the strength of their 67-61 overtime victory against Northwestern yesterday, while the Wolverines defeated Illinois 60-55.</p>
<p>At Along the Olentangy, SB Nation's Ohio State site, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.alongtheolentangy.com/2011/3/12/2045536/big-ten-tournament-michigan-wolverines-vs-ohio-state-buckeyes-preview">the fans of the scarlet and gray like their chances</a>.</p>
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<p>I was confident about yesterday's game against Northwestern, and my confidence turned out to be misplaced. I'm confident about this game, but for more concrete reasons than an athleticism advantage. Michigan has to shoot absurdly well to account for their rebounding and free throw rate deficiencies, and that's a tough task against the Buckeye defense.</p>
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<p>Over at Maize n Brew, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.maizenbrew.com/2011/3/12/2046472/2011-big-ten-mens-basketball-tournament-semi-finals-michigan-v-ohio">they're pretty happy to be in the NCAA Tournament</a> after being on the bubble for so long.</p>
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<p>Yesterday was a great day for Michigan. They won a critical bubble game against a bubble team in Illinois. They significantly improved their NCAA Tournament resume even with other bubble teams pulling off upsets. How much? They jumped 6 spots in RPI, and now sit comfortably at 50th. Michigan's Strength of Schedule remains 17th, but after playing Ohio State today, that will likely jump as well.</p>
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<p>This one will tip off at 12:40 PM Central time, and you can see all the action on CBS.</p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/minnesota-golden-gophers/2011/3/12/2046350/big-ten-tournament-2011-ohio-state-michiganChristopher Gates