[ad_1]
Illinois has the most Big Ten wins this season on Saturday. But in that unprecedented year, it failed to win a conference championship.
After a thrilling 73-68 victory at No.7 in Ohio State, the No.4 in Illinois closed the regular season 20-6 overall and 16-4 in the conference game. But Michigan – which enters its regular season final at Michigan State on Sunday with a 14-2 Big Ten record – has previously been named conference champion by the Big Ten because it has the best winning percentage in the conference.
Still, Michigan will play three fewer conference games because the Wolverines took a two-week precautionary hiatus due to the spread of a COVID-19 variant in the Michigan Track Department. The Michigan No.2 is two games less than every other Big Ten team.
Michigan (19-2, 14-2) is clearly one of the best teams in the country, and the Wolverines would have clearly been favored in all three games they haven’t made up: at Northwestern, Penn State and vs. . Indiana – the last five teams Michigan had beaten before this season. But Michigan surprisingly lost to Minnesota earlier in the season, and the Illini defeated the Wolverines 76-53 on Tuesday without their top player, the National Player of the Year nominee. Go Dosunmu. So the Illini think they also have a case for a Big Ten banner.
“I think when it’s all said and done we’ll be co-champions,” Dosunmu said. “I mean, look at our CV. We lost four games, I believe. We beat Michigan, who are the champions. They haven’t played three more games. Any day in the Big Ten, anyone can be beaten. I think we have proven that we are one of the best teams in the country. With this win tonight, we think we are Big Ten champions.
Become VIP! Get your first month of Illini Inquirer for just $ 1 or get 30% off the first year of an annual subscription!
Illinois would likely have a better case for a Big Ten title share if Michigan lost to Michigan State (14-11, 8-11 Big Ten) on Sunday, but the Wolverines beat the Spartans at home by 19 on Thursday. But even with one loss, a Wolverines record 14-3 (.824) leads the Illini (.800) in winning percentage despite an end-of-two assumption in the win column. In the mind of Illinois coach Brad Underwood, that’s the most important number.
“I know we won 16 games, and we played all 20,” Underwood said. “We all knew it would be a unique situation with an imbalanced schedule in terms of not playing every game. But I know, no one has won more games than us – and we’ve all played them.
Illinois likely won’t get a Big Ten regular-season championship banner. But winning 11 of 12 – including three back-to-back top-25 road wins and back-to-back road wins in the top 10 teams (No.2 in Michigan and No.7 in Ohio state) has likely solidified the first seed of the NCAA tournament’s No. 1 program. in 16 years.
The Illini’s main focus this season is an NCAA championship banner, and they look more threatening for that title than at any point in the season. Plus, the Illini have yet another chance to win a Big Ten title banner next week when they start the Big Ten Tournament as the No.2 seed.
“This is exactly what I came back for and more,” Dosunmu said. “I wanted to come back and cement my name with my teammates in history, Illinois basketball history and college basketball history. We have a lot more to do, but we’re going to absorb it all. “
[ad_2]
Source link