Fox Sports Eugene

WEEKLY RELEASE – DEC. 17

Big Ten. Big News.

• After two weeks of conference play, the Big Ten turns its attention to non-conference action until Jan. 2. Michigan, Michigan State, and UCLA opened the league slate at 2-0, with 12 teams set to enter the new year at 1-1 in Big Ten play. This week’s schedule includes nine neutral site contests, with two coming against top five opposition on Saturday afternoon, as Purdue faces No. 2 Auburn and Ohio State meets No. 4 Kentucky. Nebraska will also head to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic for games on Sunday, Monday, and Christmas Day.
• The B1G enters this week’s action having posted an 122-32 (.792) mark in non-conference play, which was the 2nd best winning percentage of any league in the nation. Among those wins, the B1G was 95-6 (.941) on their home courts with a +21.7 PPG average margin of victory. The conference’s 122 wins and .792 win percentage are second most of any conference, behind only the SEC (144-20/.878).
• Ten different B1G teams were ranked or received votes in the Associated Press and/or USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls released on Dec. 9th. Oregon leads the way in the media poll at No. 10, followed by No. 16 Purdue, No. 18 UCLA, No. 20 Michigan State, and No. 24 Michigan. The coaches also ranked the Ducks at No. 10, with Purdue at No. 17, UCLA at No. 18, Michigan State at No. 19, and Michigan at No. 20. Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Penn State, and Wisconsin also received votes in one or both polls.
• Six Big Ten teams were ranked in the top 25 and 11 in the top 50 in the NET Rankings through Monday’s games. UCLA was the league’s top ranked team at No. 13, followed by No. 14 Illinois, No. 15 Maryland, No. 17 Oregon, No. 21 Michigan State, and No. 25 Michigan. Penn State, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Iowa were also included in the top 50. Only the SEC has more teams in the top 50 (13) than the Big Ten.
• Eleven of the Big Ten’s 18 teams rank in the top 50 of the Kenpom Ratings through Monday’s games. UCLA leads the way at No. 13, followed by No .16 Illinois, No. 17 Michigan State, No. 19 Oregon, No. 20 Maryland, No. 21 Purdue, No. 23 Michigan, No. 32 Penn State, No. 35 Wisconsin, No. 36 Ohio State, and No. 45 Iowa. Only the SEC has more teams in the Kenpom Top 50 (13) than the Big Ten.
• On Monday, the Big Ten announced its Player and Freshman of the Week honors. Nebraska’s Brice Williams was named Player of the Week, while Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis and Rutgers’ Dylan Harper shared Freshman of the Week honors. Williams set season highs in points (30), field goals (10) and rebounds (six) along with a team-high five assists in Nebraska’s 85-68 win over Indiana, becoming the only the second Husker in the Big Ten era (2011-12 to present) to have a game with at least 30 points and five assists. The senior scored nine of his 30 points in the final 6:30 after Indiana closed to within 68-67. The 30 points marked Williams’ career-high at Nebraska and the first time a Husker scored 30-or-more points against Indiana.
• Jakucionis averaged 23.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists against a pair of top-20 teams. The rookie led the Illini to an 86-80 victory over No. 20 Wisconsin, scoring a career- and game-high 24 points before tallying a team-high 22 points in a 66-64 loss to No. 1 Tennessee. Harper claimed his third Freshman of the Week honor after averaging 24 points. 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists as the Scarlet Knights scored a pair of wins. Harper posted his first career double-double with 24 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in an 80-76 win over Penn State, then added 24 points, including the game-winning three pointer at the buzzer, to top Seton Hall 66-63.
• Penn State’s Ace Baldwin recorded a program-record 16 assists in the Nittany Lions’ 99-51 win over Coppin State on Saturday, besting the previous school record of 15 that was set by Tom Doaty on Jan. 29, 1975 (vs. Syracuse). Baldwin now owns 714 career dimes and is one of just two active players with more than 700 career assists, joining Dajuan Harris Jr. of Kansas (734).
• The nation’s top ranked scoring defense was on display on Saturday, as UCLA held Arizona to just five points, including one field goal over the game’s final 10:49, en route to a 57-54 win at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. The Bruins closed the game on a 19-5 over that span to claim the victory.
• The 2025 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 12-16. This will mark the 14th time the tournament has been held in Indianapolis. The tournament will be the first to feature a 15-team field and begin with three games on Wednesday, March 12. Peacock will televise the opening three games of the 2025 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, with second-round and quarterfinal games on Thursday and Friday slated for Big Ten Network. For the 28th consecutive year, CBS Sports will broadcast the semifinals and championship game on CBS, with those games also streaming live on Paramount+.