Big Ten Weekly Men's Basketball Central - December 16-22
BIG TEN MEN'S BASKETBALL
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BIG TEN STATISTICS
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NCAA STATISTICS
BIG TEN SCHEDULE & RESULTS
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BIG TEN STANDINGS
NCAA AP TOP 25 POLL
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NCAA USA TODAY TOP 25 POLL
Big Ten. Big News.
- Entering Tuesday’s action, the Big Ten owns a nonconference record of 122-32, the second-best win percentage (.792) and third most wins of any conference. Big Ten teams have defended home court to the tune of an 87-4 mark in nonconference action, winning games by more than 21 points per game. The league also owns nine victories over ranked opponents.
- Michigan and Nebraska are two of the seven remaining undefeated teams. This is the Wolverines’ best start since 2020-21, when U-M began 11-0 en route to a Big Ten title and Elite Eight run. Saturday’s buzzer-beating win at Illinois extended Nebraska’s best start in program history and its nation-leading and school-record win streak to 15 games, dating back to last season.
- The Big Ten was represented by 11 teams in this week’s AP and USA Today Coaches Polls, released on Monday. Michigan leads the at No. 2 in this week’s AP poll, followed by No. 6 Purdue, No. 9 Michigan State, No. 15 Nebraska, and No. 18 Illinois. According to the Coaches Poll, the Wolverines hold steady at No. 1, with Purdue at No. 6, Michigan State at No. 9, Nebraska at No. 15, Illinois at No. 18, and Iowa at No. 25. Indiana, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, and Washington also received votes in one or both polls. The Big Ten joins the Big 12 and SEC with six ranked teams each.
- Each Big Ten has now played two conference games, with Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Purdue, and UCLA sporting 2-0 marks. All 18 Big Ten teams will face nonconference opposition before returning to conference action on Jan. 2.
- This week’s schedule includes three games against top 25 opposition. On Saturday at 1 p.m., Ohio State will meet No. 12 North Carolina at the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta (3 p.m./CBS). Also on Saturday, No. 6 Purdue and No. 21 Auburn will play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as part of the Indy Classic (6:30 p.m./Peacock). On Sunday, Oregon will face No. 7 Gonzaga inside Portland’s Moda Center as part of the Northwest Elite Showdown (6 p.m./Peacock).
- On Monday, the Big Ten announced its weekly award winners. Indiana’s Lamar Wilkerson and Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort were named Big Ten Co-Players of the Week. Wilkerson averaged 29.5 points on 63.6 percent shooting from the floor, including 12-20 from three-point range, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while splitting a pair of game this week. The redshirt senior from Ashdown, Ark. notched a career-high 44 points against Penn State, a Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall record, and a program-record 10 made three-pointers in less than 24 minutes of action. Per OptaSTATS, Wilkerson is the only Division I or NBA player in the last 30 seasons to score 40-plus points and make 10-plus three-pointers in a game while playing less than 25 minutes.
- Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort recorded 23.0 points on 64 percent shooting, including 47 percent from three-point range, along with 3.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game as Nebraska went 2-0. The junior from Waukee, Iowa scored a career-high 32 points on 12-18 shooting, matching a career-high with six three-pointers, in Nebraska’s win at No. 13 Illinois, tallying the Huskers’ first 15 points and 26 points in the first half. Sandfort also added 14 points, four rebounds and three assists in Nebraska’s 90-60 win over Wisconsin.
- Illinois’ Keaton Wagler was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after averaging 21 points and 7.5 assists in a pair of games, while shooting 50% from the field, 54% from three-point range, and 92% from the free throw line. The freshman from Shawnee, Kansas led the Illini with a career-high 23 points and five assists while playing 39 minutes in an 88-80 win at Ohio State. He also paired 19 points and a career-best 10 assists in 40 minutes on the floor of Illinois’ 83-80 loss to Nebraska.
- Milestone Watch... Congratulations to Northwestern head coach Chris Collins, who claimed his 200th career victory on Saturday. Collins joins Arthur Lonborg (1927-50) as the only Northwestern coaches with 200 victories... Congratulations to Purdue’s Braden Smith became the second player in NCAA history with at least 1,500 points, 850 assists and 550 rebounds (Ohio’s D.J. Cooper; 2010-13). Smith also stands 32 assists shy of the Big Ten’s career assist mark.
- Through games on Monday, Dec. 15, the Big Ten boasts 13 teams in the top 75 spots in the NET Rankings, including six in the top 25, and 10 in the top 50. Michigan leads the Big Ten contingent at No. 1, followed by No. 9 Purdue, No. 10 Michigan State, No. 12 Nebraska, No. 13 Illinois, and No. 19 Iowa. Indiana, USC, UCLA, and Ohio State also claimed spots in the top 50. No other conference in the country has more teams in the top 25 (Big 12 - 6), top 50 (SEC - 10), or top 75 (Big 12 -13).
- The 29th annual TIAA Big Ten Tournament will be played at the United Center in Chicago, March 10th – 15th, 2026. For the first time, all 18 Big Ten teams will compete for the tournament title. The tournament will open with a pair of games on Tuesday, March 10 and culminate with championship on Sunday March 15.