Big Ten has lived up to the billing in NCAA Tournament

The second round was full of surprises in the NCAA Tournament, and for some Big Ten basketball teams. The conference as a whole was dominant, and there were many thrilling wins for Big Ten teams, including the tournament’s biggest upset.

Here is how my predictions for Big Ten teams in the second round of the NCAA Tournament played out:

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Here were my predictions from Saturday:

No. 1 Michigan over No. 9 Saint Louis

“This should be yet another matchup where the Wolverines can impose their will. Robbie Avila is an exciting player made for March Madness, but I think Aday Mara will slow him down, and Michigan will ultimately have too much firepower. I expect Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. to both have big games, propelling Michigan to win by double digits.”

Michigan was dominant as I expected, and Yaxel Lendeborg put up one of his best games of the season, showing how much more dangerous this team can be when he gets going.

No. 3 Michigan State over No. 6 Louisville

“Two powerhouse programs will match up in this game. Both teams get their chance to prove how good they really are. Louisville got gift-wrapped a terrible shooting performance from UCF in round 1. Michigan State is the more complete team, and I think both their defense and stars like Jeremy Fears Jr. will show up, leading the Spartans to a close win.”

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Coen Carr is one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball, and in this matchup, he was an elite scorer. To end the season, there was a lot of doubt cast on this team, but in the tournament, they have flipped the switch.

No. 3 Illinois over No. 11 VCU

“Illinois will have its hands full vs VCU coming off its upset vs North Carolina. The Fighting Illini will have to use their size in this game and make their presence felt on the glass. VCU can shoot, and a guy like Terrence Hill Jr. can combat the Fight Illini’s great 3-point shooting ability. David Mirkovic will have to come up huge again and I think he will lead the Fighting…

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Publish date : 2026-03-25 12:44:00

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