Big Ten Tournament, Semi-Finals
Submitted by Darren Demaree on Sat, 03/14/2009 - 12:54
#1 MichiganState Vs. #5 Ohio State 1:40pm
The Spartans beat the Buckeyes by 9 in East Lansing, and by 11 points in Columbus. It looks like the Spartans are only two victories away from not only a Big Ten Tournament title, but also possibly a #1 seed. The Buckeyes, also considered locks for the Big Dance will also be looking to improve their seeding.
This feels like one of those games that will come down to Jon Diebler hitting open 3-pointers while Evan Turner creates. If he does hit those shots, it will be a long day for the Spartans. On the other hand if Kalin Lucas goes for 20 points in a half again, the Buckeyes will get blown out of the water.
#2 Illinois Vs. #3 Purdue 4:05pm
Illinois took both meetings this season, including an 18-point beat down in Champagne.
The winner of this game will surely leapfrog the other in terms of tournament seeding. It looks like both of them will be seeded between #3 to #5, and the winner of this game will go a long way closer to a #3.
I love this Purdue team. I think they’re a sweet sixteen team, and I don’t think there are many teams that can beat them 3 times in a row. Look for Robbie Hummel to score big, and Purdue’s defense to overwhelm the Illini’s running attack.
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