Big Ten Tournament Thursday Recap: Favorites All Advance

Thursday's matchups have paved the way for a great Friday in the Big Ten Tournament.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith handles the ball Thursday against USC. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We are now two days into the Big Ten Tournament and it has not dissapointed.

Here is a look at what happened on Thursday in Indianapolis and also what matchups have been set up for Friday.

Big Ten Tournament Thursday Recap

No. 8 Oregon 72, No. 9 Indiana 59

Oregon extended its winning streak to eight games with a 72-59 victory over Indiana. Jackson Shelstad led the Ducks with 18 points, while TJ Bamba added 17 as Oregon advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal matchup against No. 1 seed Michigan State, the Big Ten’s regular-season champion.

Oregon guard TJ Bamba (5) celebrates after a play against Indiana. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Indiana kept things competitive early but struggled to overcome Oregon’s timely runs. The Ducks closed the first half on a 10-0 surge to take a 37-29 halftime lead, then put the game away late with a 9-0 run. Malik Reneau led the Hoosiers with 19 points, but Indiana couldn’t muster enough offense down the stretch.

With back-to-back losses to Oregon in the past nine days, Indiana now faces an anxious wait to see if it has done enough to earn an NCAA Tournament bid. While the Hoosiers have a solid résumé, their fate—and whether they can avoid the First Four in Dayton—now rests in the hands of the selection committee.

Meanwhile, Oregon continues its red-hot run and will look to keep its momentum going against Michigan State in the quarterfinals.

No. 5 Wisconsin 70, No. 13 Northwestern 63

Wisconsin used a strong second-half surge to defeat No. 13 seed Northwestern 70-63 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday, setting up a quarterfinal clash with No. 4 seed UCLA. Nolan Winter and John Tonje led the way for the Badgers, each scoring 18 points.

Wisconsin forward Nolan Winter dribbles the ball while Northwestern guard Justin Mullins defends. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Wisconsin controlled much of the game but truly broke away midway through the second half. Holding an eight-point lead, Max Klesmit drained a three-pointer to spark a decisive run, followed by a Kamari McGee triple to extend the advantage to 56-42. Tonje then buried back-to-back threes, pushing the lead to 62-46, giving the Badgers a cushion they would not relinquish.

Nick Martinelli put together another strong performance for Northwestern, leading all scorers with 22 points. However, the Wildcats struggled offensively, shooting just 37% from the field. With the victory, Wisconsin moves on to face UCLA in the quarterfinals, while Northwestern’s season likely comes to an end barring an NIT invitation.

No. 6 Purdue 76, No. 14 USC 71

No. 20 Purdue survived a tough test from USC on Thursday night, closing the game on a 5-0 run to secure a 76-71 victory in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Trey Kaufman-Renn matched his career high with 30 points, delivering the go-ahead free throws with 28 seconds left as the sixth-seeded Boilermakers advanced.

Purdue overcame a sluggish start, erasing a 10-point first-half deficit to tie the game by halftime before battling through a tight second half. Kaufman-Renn was the driving force, shooting 12-of-20 from the field, while Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith contributed 12 points, nine assists, and the game-sealing free throws with 3.6 seconds left.

USC had a chance to tie in the final seconds but never got off a three-point attempt. With the win, Purdue moves on to a high-stakes quarterfinal battle against Michigan, a team it split the regular-season series with. Meanwhile, USC’s season likely comes to an end.

No. 7 Illinois 106, No. 15 Iowa 94

No. 24 Illinois put on an offensive showcase Thursday night, defeating Iowa 106-94 in a wild second-round Big Ten Tournament matchup. Kylan Boswell led the way with a career-high 24 points, while Tre White added 22 as the Fighting Illini extended their winning streak to four games and advanced to face second-seeded Maryland in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Illinois controlled much of the game, but Iowa made things interesting—especially after Hawkeyes guard Payton Sandfort caught fire from beyond the arc. Sandfort tied a career high with 30 points, knocking down eight three-pointers to match the Big Ten Tournament’s single-game record.

However, Iowa’s comeback hopes took a major hit when head coach Fran McCaffery was ejected with 13:33 remaining after receiving two technical fouls for leaving the coach’s box to argue with officials. At the time, the Hawkeyes trailed 69-60, and Illinois capitalized by sinking all four technical free throws to maintain control.

Fran McCaffery is ejected in likely his last game at Iowa 😭

Poetic.

pic.twitter.com/YcoaclFMxb

— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 14, 2025

Iowa briefly cut the deficit to single digits, but Illinois’ balanced attack proved too much to overcome. Tomislav Ivisic delivered a key double-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, while the Illini’s ability to answer each Iowa surge kept the game from slipping away.

Illinois now looks to continue its hot streak against Maryland in the quarterfinals, while Iowa’s season likely comes to an end after a hard-fought battle.

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