March Madness is here.
The month every college basketball fan salivates over has arrived, and the MSU women’s basketball team will kick off what is sure to be a wild month in this weekend’s Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
March Madness is here.
The month every college basketball fan salivates over has arrived, and the MSU women’s basketball team will kick off what is sure to be a wild month in this weekend’s Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The No. 2-seed Spartans play Michigan at 11:30 a.m. Friday.
“We’re ready to play anybody right now,” junior forward Kalisha Keane said. “It’s not going to be about who we’re playing. It’s about us and how we’re going to take our mentality into the game.”
MSU, winners of 10-of-11 games to end the regular season, come to Indianapolis as one of the odds-on favorites to bring home the program’s first Big Ten Tournament championship since 2005. That year, the Spartans won 13-of-14 to close the regular season and advanced to the national championship game.
But if the Big Ten has been one thing this season, it’s unpredictable. On any given night, anyone can beat anyone. That’s been proven by Indiana beating both MSU and Ohio State and Purdue beating Ohio State and then losing to Illinois.
Although the Spartans likely will face teams battling for their NCAA Tournament lives, this marks MSU’s chance to earn the championship that has eluded them.
“We want a ring, so we’re going to be just as hungry,” junior guard Brittney Thomas said. “It’s going to up the intensity because some people are fighting for their postseason lives and we’re trying to get some hardware.”
Record 27-4 overall, 15-3 Big Ten
How they got here Ohio State has superstar power in Jantel Lavender (20.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and Samantha Prahalis (16.5 ppg, 8.1 apg) to beat any team on any night, but it needs support from its role players, namely Brittany Johnson and Sarah Schulze, two 3-point sharpshooters.
Player to watch Lavender didn’t win her third straight Big Ten Player of the Year award for no reason. She simply was the most dominant player in the league and can single-handedly take over a game.
Did you know? The duo of Lavender and Prahalis combine for almost 48 percent of their team’s points this season.
Record 15-13, 7-11
How they got here After a respectable nonconference season, the Fighting Illini struggled in league play, at one point losing five straight. But after losing to MSU, the Illini won their last two games and come into the tournament with confidence.
Player to watch Center Jenna Smith has been banged up much of the season but still has managed to average 18.1 points and 11 rebounds per game. She also is an 87 percent free-throw shooter.
Did you know? Illinois is the league’s worst 3-point shooting team, hitting only 31 percent of its attempts.
Record 21-8, 12-6
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How they got here The Spartans turned a 2-5 league start into a 12-6 finish thanks to a renewed defensive focus that saw the team hold its opponents to 55 points per game.
Player to watch As long as senior Allyssa DeHaan is in the lineup, she’ll be the focal point of both teams. The 6-foot-9 center and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year has extended her range this season and is showing the ability to consistently knock down outside shots while still being a factor in the paint.
Did you know? The Spartans have 10 players average 15 minutes or more per game, led by junior guard Brittney Thomas at 31.2.
Record 17-12, 8-10
How they got here Michigan has had an interesting season, beating Xavier and taking Ohio State to the limit twice but losing to the likes to Indiana and Northwestern.
Player to watch Jenny Ryan was a big factor in U-M’s win against Northwestern on Thursday. She scored 12 points with eight rebounds and four assists, blowing away her season averages. If U-M gets another performance like that, watch out.
Did you know? The Wolverines have four players averaging at least 29.8 minutes per game.
Record 17-12, 10-8
How they got here The Hawkeyes are the second hottest team in the league behind MSU, winning nine of their last 11, including an overtime win against Wisconsin on Sunday to clinch the No. 3 seed.
Player to watch Kachine Alexander is a straight-up baller. At 5-foot-9, she led the Big Ten in rebounding with 11.3 per game and is seventh in the league in scoring at 15.6 per game. On top of that, she added almost four assists per game to those totals. She is a triple-double waiting to happen.
Did you know? Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jaime Printy became the youngest player to verbally commit to Iowa, doing so at age 15.
Record 17-12, 8-10
How they got here At one point this season, it looked as though the Lady Lions would challenge Ohio State for the league. Then the bottom dropped out, as the team lost 8-of-9 to end the regular season.
Player to watch Tyra Grant (18.8 ppg) is one of the most dangerous players in the league and can strike at any time.
Did you know? Penn State is 5-23 in February and March the last three seasons.
Record 20-9, 10-8
How they got here After winning four straight games from Jan. 7-17, Wisconsin ended the season 5-5, never winning more than two games in a row. Although Wisconsin’s defense has been stout, its offense is ninth in the league.
Player to watch Guard Alyssa Karel (13.8) led the team in scoring and was a second team All-Big Ten selection.
Did you know? The Badgers led the Big Ten in scoring defense by a wide margin — 55.2 to Illinois’ 59.4.
Record 14-15, 9-9
How they got here It’s been a rocky year for the Boilermakers. They have beat three of the top four seeds (Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin) but also lost to the bottom three (Illinois, Northwestern, Minnesota).
Player to watch Guard Brittany Rayburn has been Purdue’s go-to scorer all season, leading the team with 14.6 points per game. Rayburn, though, can be shut down and is shooting only 35 percent from the field and 29 percent from 3-point range.
Did you know? The Boilermakers are holding teams to a league-low 27.8 percent from behind the arc.