LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 11: Sportscaster Dick Vitale broadcasts before a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament between the Pepperdine Waves and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs defeated the Waves 100-74. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)The 2021 Big Ten slugfest continues Thursday night when the No. 21 Wisconsin Badgers host the No. 11 Iowa Hawkeyes.
Big Ten hoops this season is one of the best basketball conferences we’ve seen in years. Iowa has Final Four potential written all over it, yet the Hawkeyes are fighting for sole possession of fourth place in the conference standings on Thursday night.
Right now, Michigan owns sole possession of first place in the Big Ten with a 14-1 overall and 9-1 conference record. It’s going to be tough catching the Wolverines at this point, but second, third, fourth and fifth place remains to be sorted out.
Iowa and Wisconsin will battle it out for the Big Ten’s current fourth place on Thursday. Dick Vitale thinks the Badgers can walk away with a win if they contain Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp.
“In the game between Iowa & Wisconsin / Badgers MUST make Luka Garza get a tough 20 (points) & they MUST contain Joe Wieskamp who in the last 4 games is averaging 20.5 points / Badgers are second in the nation in the least number of turnovers and the Hawkeyes are third,” Vitale tweeted. “Iowa is third in the nation scoring at 87.4 but are 3-4 in its last seven games.”
Vitale is expecting tonight’s Big Ten clash to be one of the more competitive college basketball games we’ve seen all year.
Tonight I am really looking forward to joining @espnbob for an important @B1GMBBall battle btw @IowaHoops vs @BadgerMBB 7 pm EST on @espn / Hawkeyes last 3 games playing much better Team D . The Badgers def. reb must be better than vs last game vs Michigan .
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 18, 2021
Iowa and Wisconsin are the respective fourth- and fifth-place teams in the Big Ten right now. That just goes to show how competitive the conference is this season.
The difference in the seedings could play a huge difference come Big Ten Tournament time.
No. 21 Wisconsin hosts No. 11 Iowa Thursday night at 7 p.m. ET. ESPN will broadcast the Big Ten showdown.
