12/2 Big Ten Recap: USC Tops Oregon

The Big Ten opened conference play on Tuesday night with three intriguing games. All eventually went as projected, but there was some drama along the way.

Let’s take a look at what happened.

–No. 24 USC Trojans 82, Oregon Ducks 77

This was arguably the most meaningful game of the night, as both teams entered needing a win. USC needed to show its 7-0 start wasn’t a mirage and Oregon wanted to put its early struggles in the rearview mirror. The game also looked relatively competitive, at least on paper, given that it was in Eugene.

Things largely played out according to that plan. Oregon got an early lead, but the Trojans came storming back by halftime. And while things remained competitive in the second half, USC did just enough to score a five-point win at the buzzer. Chad Baker-Mazara led the way with 25 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Kwame Evans led Oregon with 23 points in the losing effort.

The win pushed USC to 8-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play. It’s still unclear about where the Trojans fall in the Big Ten pecking order, but this is certainly a positive start for the team. On the other side, Oregon fell to 4-4 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play with the loss. It’s the program’s worst start through eight games since 2022, though that 4-4 start didn’t include any league games. Before that, you have to go back to 2009 to find a year when the Ducks had this underwhelming of a start.

USC will now return home to face Washington on Saturday. The Ducks will get UCLA on the road on Saturday. KenPom projects another loss for Oregon.

–Maryland Terrapins 89, Wagner Seahawks 63

There wasn’t much notable about this one. Maryland hosted a vastly overmatched opponent and cruised to a 26-point win. Pharrel Payne impressed in the effort, finishing with 30 points and 10 rebounds. The win pushed Maryland to 6-3 overall. The Terps will now prepare to open Big Ten play on Saturday on the road against Iowa.

–No. 7 Michigan State Spartans 71, Iowa Hawkeyes 52

This projected as the best game of the night. Michigan State was rolling and Iowa looked like one of the nation’s more underrated squads. However, the Spartans had other thoughts, as the team jumped the Hawks in the first half and scored a 19-point win. Jeremy Fears was fantastic in the outing, finishing with 14 points and six assists. Jaxon Kohler also had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Iowa struggled to score all night, finishing with just 0.90 points per possession.

Michigan State improved to 8-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play with the win, while Iowa fell to 7-1 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play with the loss. The win bumped the Spartans into the top 10 nationally on KenPom and sets the team up for a monster outing against Duke at home on Saturday. Iowa will try and get back on track on Saturday at home against Maryland.

–Penn State Nittany Lions 87, Campbell Camels 76

This one was probably closer than Nittany Lion fans would have liked, but Penn State still managed to take care of business and score an 11-point home win. Kayden Mingo impressed in the win, finishing with 21 points, four assists, and three rebounds. Ivan Juric also had 16 points. The win pushed Penn State to 8-1 on the season. The team will now prepare to open Big Ten play on the road against Indiana next Tuesday.

–No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers 81, Rutgers Scarlet Knights 65

The Scarlet Knights have seen some magic against Purdue at home in the past and were hoping for some more on Tuesday night. Unfortunately for them, that wasn’t the case, as the Boilermakers won pretty comfortably. Trey Kaufman-Renn dominated inside en route to 19 points and 13 rebounds. Braden Smith also had 16 points, as Purdue shredded Rutgers’ defense.

The win pushed Purdue to 8-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play, while Rutgers fell to 5-4 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. The Boilers will now prepare for a massive home game against Iowa State on Saturday. Rutgers will try and avoid another loss on Saturday on the road at Michigan.