Thursday theatrics in the Big Ten

For college basketball followers on the east coast, Thursdays can be tough. It's when the Pac-12, WCC, WAC and Summit League play one of their two games, with the end times not until after 1 am ET. But if you try to sleep before all games are finished, you'll likely miss something awesome. For those fans, we've got you covered. 

Let's get to the news.

1. Late-game drama for the Big Ten

Any game that involves the Hawkeyes will include lots of scoring, and it wasn't clear if the inconsistent Wolverines could keep up. Freshman wing Jett Howard answered that question. He scored 17 points in the first 10 minutes and helped Michigan control most of the game. Then this happened.

Iowa kept all that momentum in overtime, limiting Michigan to just five total points in a 93-84 win. Kris Murray led Iowa (11-6, 3-3 in Big Ten) with 27 points, while forward Filip Rebraca had 13 points and 12 rebounds. But it was Sandfort who keyed it all with 26 points off the bench on 4-of-9 shooting from deep — 24 coming after halftime. It was his second straight game with at least four 3-pointers, a boost Iowa needed after a rough end to 2022.

As for Michigan (9-7, 3-2), Howard scored 17 more points after the hot start to finish with 34 on 12-of-22 shooting. Hunter Dickinson and Dug McDaniel each had 12, but the Wolverines' inability to get stops in the final minutes (it led 77-70 with less than two minutes left) was the difference. 

This isn't a bad loss for Michigan, but at 9-7 and 3-2 in Big Ten, it is vulnerable to any team going forward. Yes, any team. Keep reading.

Minnesota shocks Ohio State for first Big Ten win

Minnesota was coming off an 81-79 overtime home loss to Nebraska. If you can't beat the Cornhuskers at home, what's next? Oh, just a 70-67 road win at Ohio State.

The Gophers (7-8, 1-4 in Big Ten) raced to a double-digit lead and managed to hang on despite some controversy at the end (what is it with the Buckeyes and questionable calls?) involving a foul on Brice Sensabaugh.

Dawson Garcia had his best game in a Gophers uniform, scoring 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Point guard Ta'Lon Cooper played all 40 minutes and produced 13 points and 11 rebounds.

For Ohio State (10-6, 2-3), that's three straight losses, with this one as a shocker. The good news is Zed Key played 30 minutes off the bench after missing the last game with a shoulder injury. He had 10 points and eight rebounds, while the Sensabaugh had 18 and 10 on 6-of-18 shooting. 

So what's going on in the Big Ten? The AFTER DARK crew broke it down.

2. Julian Strawther's game-winner quiets BYU

In its last trip to Provo (BYU heads to the Big 12 next season), Gonzaga looked like it might give the home crowd something to remember. A second-half scoring funk, coupled with the Cougars raining 3s, gave BYU a 10-point lead with five minutes to play. 

This was a familiar situation for the No. 8 team, which trailed late in the second half against both San Francisco and Santa Clara in the past week. Gonzaga rallied in both games. And it managed one more comeback thanks to a trio of timely 3-pointers. Hunter Sallis in the left corner, Nolan Hickman off a turnover with one minute left, then the shot of the game by Julian Strawther.

BYU (13-7, 3-2 in WCC) did nothing in its final possession, losing 75-74.

"This crew knows how to win. They’ve been in this program, they don’t ever think they’re out," coach Mark few said.

Maybe he's right. Winning on the road is as hard as ever.

Drew Timme led all scorers with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Anton Watson had 16 and 8 on 7-of-11 from the floor. Strawther was 3-of-11 from the field before the final shot. An argument can be made that Gonzaga (15-3, 4-0) doesn't look like a top-10 team. But in a sport where many teams struggle to win on the road, you have to be impressed that this team finds ways to win against top-100 caliber opponents away from the Kennel.

Other notable games from the night:

USC 68, Colorado 61The top players for each team played well, as Drew Peterson (15 points) and Boogie Ellis (14 points) outplayed KJ Simpson (17 points) and Colorado (11-7, 3-4 Pac-12) in the final minutes for USC (12-5, 4-2). But the real winner was USC freshman Vince Iwuchukwu, who played five minutes in his season debut. He'd been out since summer because of a heart issue.

Arizona State 90, Oregon 73The Cambridge brothers (Devan and Desmond) had a great night for Arizona State (14-3, 5-1 in Pac-12), combining for 35 points and eight rebounds. Will Richardson had 16 points to lead Oregon (9-8, 3-3), who couldn't build off its solid win over Utah last week, alternating wins and losses from the past six games.

Arizona 86, Oregon State 74An 18-point halftime lead made this a snoozer from start to finish, with Ažuloas Tubelis leading all scorers with 25 points and 10 rebounds. All five starters had at least nine points, with No. 9 Arizona (15-2, 4-2 in Pac-12) shooting 53 percent from the field. If nothing else, Oregon State (7-10, 1-5) got good production from its bench, with Michael Rataj and Tyler Bilodeau each scoring 18 points.

UCLA 68, Utah 49The No. 7 Bruins (15-2, 6-0 in Pac-12) got a big night from freshman Adem Bona with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Tyger Campbell led all scorers with 17 points and seven assists. Utah (12-6, 4-2 in Pac-12) shot just 37 percent from the field and only Rollie Worster was in double figures with 12 points.

Stony Brook 67, Drexel 66The lone CAA game turned out to be a thriller, as Tyler Stephenson-Moore made the game-winning shot to move the Seawolves (7-10, 3-1 in CAA) into a tie for second. He had 21 points to lead all scorers, while Amari Williams (14 points and 6 rebounds) led a balanced effort for the Dragons (10-7, 2-2).

Oral Roberts 87, Western Illinois 63The Golden Eagles (14-4, 5-0 in Summit) continued their conference dominance thanks to 37 points from star guard Max Abmas. He was highly efficient, making 12-of-16 shots and 7-of-10 from 3-point range. It's the third 30+ point game for the senior guard since December 29. Western Illinois (9-8, 2-4) falls to 8th in the standings.

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3. Milwaukee's quick rebuild has it on top of Horizon

There were five Horizon League games last night, with the marquee one being Milwaukee's 80-75 win over Northern Kentucky. The Panthers were up big early and hung on, getting 28 points from BJ Freeman off the bench.

The Norse, led by star guard Marques Warrick, were supposed to be in this position. But to see the Panthers — now 12-5 overall and 6-1 in the Horizon — here, alone atop the league, well, that's ahead of schedule for a team picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll.

After last year's disastrous 10-22 season, the program cleaned house. Bart Lundy, who was a big winner at Queens (when they were a D-II program), rebuilt a roster with transfers and five new starters. And after road victories over Detroit Mercy, Cleveland State and Purdue-Fort Wayne (by 11 combined points), Milwaukee proved to be a legit threat in the Horizon.

They may even be the favorite, which is no small thing.

Milwaukee might not be as talented as the previous ones in the Pat Baldwin era, all of which finished under .500 overall and in league play. But as Coach Lundy says, chemistry can be just as, if not more important than raw talent: "I think the chemistry issues they had were big. They didn't play together; they didn't seem to be a cohesive unit. We've got to establish that".

The Panthers have yet to play Youngstown State, which will be the real make-or-break moment in the league race. But given Milwaukee's balance, who's to say it can't keep this up?

4. Friday nights are for the A-10

In a surprisingly good Friday night slate, it's the Atlantic 10 that stands out most.

Dayton (12-5, 4-0 in A-10), winners of seven straight, stand alone atop the league. The Flyers have won their last four by an average of 17.5 ppg and are doing it without guards Malachi Smith and Kobe Elvis, who have been out since November with injuries.

That makes tonight's game against VCU (12-5, 3-1) interesting. 

The Rams have one of the country's best point guards in Ace Baldwin (13.3 ppg and 6.4 apg) and remain a tough and formidable defense. And with the additions of Michigan transfers, Brandon Johns and Zeb Jackson, they have an offensive boost that allows them not to rely on low-scoring games to win.

And the Rams are comfortable if this gets into an ugly, defensive battle (which is how Dayton plays). If VCU pulls off the upset, we may have to renew the conversation regarding the best team in the A-10. (9 pm ET, ESPN2

Other games to watch on Friday

Yale at Cornell: Every Ivy League team has at least one win through three games, with the surprising Cornell Big Red (12-4, 2-1) in second place. Yale (11-5, 1-2) has one of the best players in the league in Matt Knowling (15.8 ppg) and looks to get a needed win to keep pace with 1st-place Princeton. (5 pm ET, ESPNU)

Villanova at Butler: Maybe it's my respect for the program or the hope that Justin Moore returns soon and leads a turnaround, but time is running out for Villanova (8-9, 2-4 in Big East). It's on the road to take on a slumping Butler (10-8, 2-5) that has lost two straight by 15.5 ppg. (7 pm ET, FS1).

Michigan State at Illinois: Riding high on a seven-game winning streak that includes wins over Michigan and Wisconsin, Michigan State (12-4, 4-1 in Big Ten) is a conference contender. It'll be a good test for Illinois (11-5, 2-3) which has won two straight games after the departure of guard Skyy Clark. If they win at home against the Spartans, then expect the national stock for the Illini to rise back up. (9 pm ET FS1).

5. Five teams that need a "players only" meeting

It is something we hear about every season: "Players only" meetings when teams go through adversity, whether on the court or behind the scenes.

Several teams could certainly use one of those before this weekend's games. Here are five that are currently in trouble.

Kentucky Wildcats (10-6, 1-3 SEC): The preseason top-5 team returned the National Player of the Year in Oscar Tshiebwe, which should make them Final Four contenders. He's averaging 16 ppg and 13 rpg, but the team sits outside of the bubble, coming off a Quad 4 home loss to South Carolina. Making matters worse, the best player on the team is questioning the effort of his teammates.

With the outside rumors of coach John Calipari potentially looking elsewhere, this is the time for the team to come together and find a way to start winning some games. There are some flaws on the roster, including spacing issues when Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler are on the court together. But with a trip to Knoxville coming up, they'll need a collective effort to stay within striking distance, much less win.

Indiana Hoosiers (10-6, 1-4 Big Ten): Injuries are starting to pile up for the preseason Big Ten favorite, with Xavier Johnson and Race Thompson out for an extended period. But with freshmen Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau, this roster can withstand some personnel losses since they have one of the best players in the country in Trayce Jackson-Davis. But Indiana has fallen in three straight, including the 19-point road laugher at Penn State after players lashed out on a social media post.

The good news for Indiana is that they still have no bad losses and the win over Xavier looks great. But as the kids say, the "vibes" are bad for this team. A road game at Wisconsin is up next, and if the Hoosiers can't beat them without possibly their best player (Tyler Wahl), they will really be in trouble.

Virginia Tech Hokies (11-6, 1-5 ACC): The Hokies are on a five-game losing streak, and while most of them were decided in the final minutes, none of those defeats were against the top-6 teams in the ACC standings. All of them were without Hunter Cattoor, a double-digit scorer and elite 3-point shooter. 

Cattoor is a good but not great player, and the Hokies have Virginia, Clemson and Duke up next. With the schedule getting difficult and the status of the veteran shooter unknown, Virginia Tech needs to find ways to replace his production. Maybe that's freshman Rodney Rice, who played his first college game on Wednesday.

Memphis Tigers (12-5, 2-2 AAC): In the past, the Tigers were known as a good defensive team with below-average guard play. They fixed that problem by landing AAC Player of the Year Kendric Davis, but unfortunately, the defense has been a disaster since the start of league play. A 113-104 double-overtime loss at UCF was the latest indictment. "Some guys are just focused on shots and minutes and not actually defense," coach Penny Hardaway said this week.

Having given up at least 86 points in three of four games in league play, Memphis and its players have some soul-searching to do. Forget about beating Houston; the Tigers can lose to just about anyone in the league until they get it together on that end of the court.

Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-6, 0-4 Big 12): I wasn't going to put a Big 12 team in here since there is no such thing as a "bad loss" in that league. But when you lose by 34 points to an Iowa State team that isn't known for high-powered offense, then things might be falling apart. 

Between the poor ball-handling and 3-point shooting, and now, suspect defense, Texas Tech is in danger of finishing last in the Big 12. It is reportedly set to get Utah Valley transfer Fardaws Aimaq back soon, but is he good enough to lift it out of this rut?

Clemson looks for statement win

It feels weird to say that a team that's in first place in the ACC after six games still has doubters, but Clemson's list of conference wins is as follows: Wake Forest, at Georgia Tech, NC State, at Virginia Tech, at Pittsburgh, and Louisville. When the Panthers are your best win to date, that's a fairly easy schedule. But with Duke coming to town, we'll get a good look at how legit the Tigers are. The ACC looks to be up for grabs so if Clemson can win this one, they may indeed be the team to beat. (5 pm ET on Saturday, ACC Network).

The other games to watch this weekend (All times ET)

SATURDAY

• Miami (14-2, 5-1 ACC) at NC State (13-4, 3-3), Noon (ACC Network)

• Kentucky (10-6, 1-3 SEC) at Tennessee (14-2, 4-0), Noon (ESPN)

• Wisconsin (11-4, 3-2 Big Ten) at Indiana (10-6, 1-4), 1 pm (CBS)

• Kansas State (15-1, 4-0 Big 12) at TCU (13-3, 2-2), 2 pm (ESPN2)

• LSU (12-4, 1-3 SEC) at Alabama (14-2, 4-0), 4 pm (ESPN)

• Providence (14-3, 6-0 Big East) at Creighton (9-8, 3-3), 2 pm (FS1)

• Iowa State (13-2, 4-0 Big 12) at Kansas (15-1, 4-0), 4 pm (ESPN+)

• Arizona (15-2, 4-2 Pac-12) at Oregon (9-8, 3-3), 6 pm (ESPN)

• Texas Tech (10-6, 0-4 Big 12) at Texas (14-2, 3-1), 8 pm (ESPN)

• Portland (9-10, 1-3 WCC) at Gonzaga (15-3, 4-0), 10 pm (ESPN2)

• New Mexico (15-2, 2-2 MWC) at San Diego State (13-3, 4-0), 9 pm (CBSSN)

SUNDAY

• St. John's (12-6, 2-5 Big East) at UConn (15-3, 4-3), Noon (FS1)

• Marquette (14-4, 6-1 Big East) at Xavier (14-3, 6-0), Noon (FOX)

• Northwestern (12-4, 3-2 Big Ten) at Michigan (9-7, 3-2), Noon (Big Ten Network)

• Ohio State (10-6, 2-3 Big Ten) at Rutgers (12-5, 4-2), 2:15 pm (Big Ten Network

• Maryland (11-5, 2-3 Big Ten) at Iowa (11-6, 3-3), 4:30 pm (Big Ten Network)

Caged Tigers

Memphis is 12-5 overall and 2-2 in the American after a loss to UCF on Wednesday night. There's no shame in that — the Knights are square in the NCAA Tournament hunt — but it's surprising to see the Tigers give up so many points.

Is it a team capable of stringing together enough wins to sneak into the NCAA Tournament? Jeff Goodman, Chris Mack and John Fanta debate on AFTER DARK.

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Links as you check the NET rankings every morning when your team is finally good.

• John Calipari and Kentucky's AD have a frosty relationship, among other notable things in this eye-opening article from Kyle Tucker ($)

• Jim Boeheim can't believe the 'stupid things' people say about NCAA tourney expansion.

• Former Southeast Missouri State HC Rick Ray tweets about his settlement with his former school after a lawsuit over his firing and lack of payment.

• WVU part ways wtith assistant Larry Harrison.

• 247sports gives its latest rankings update on the 2023 recruiting class.

• The NCAA is creating its equivalent to the NIT for the Women's game.

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