With No. 10 Michigan State’s 58-43 victory over No. 22 Wisconsin on Thursday, the standings only got more bunched at the top of the Big Ten.
Big Ten basketball standings 2013: Michigan State forces a three-way tie for second
The Michigan State Spartans moved into a three-way tie for second place after their win Thursday night over the Wisconsin Badgers.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Wisconsin only trailed by seven at half, but Michigan State used a 16-2 run at the beginning of the second half to bury the Badgers. The win pushed the Spartans into a three-way tie for second place with the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Wisconsin now sits in sole possession of fifth place at 11-6.
The other game of the night pitted Penn State against Northwestern. The Nittany Lions picked up their first road win in conference play, defeating the Wildcats 66-59. Jermaine Marshall and D.J. Newbill each had impressive performances for Penn State, as each player scored 18 points.
The game had little impact on the overall Big Ten standings, as Penn State is now 2-15 on the season and in last place, while Northwestern is 4-12 and in second-to-last place.
Now, every team in the Big Ten has just one game remaining on their schedule. Here is an updated look at the standings as of Friday morning.
| TEAM | CONF | OVERALL |
| Indiana | 13-4 | 25-5 |
| Michigan | 12-5 | 25-5 |
| Ohio State | 12-5 | 22-7 |
| Michigan State | 12-5 | 23-7 |
| Wisconsin | 11-6 | 20-10 |
| Illinois | 8-9 | 21-10 |
| Minnesota | 8-9 | 20-10 |
| Iowa | 8-9 | 19-11 |
| Purdue | 7-10 | 14-16 |
| Nebraska | 5-12 | 14-16 |
| Northwestern | 4-13 | 13-17 |
| Penn State | 2-15 | 10-19 |
Indiana has already clinched at least a partial conference championship. Depending on this weekend’s game between IU and Michigan, the Hoosiers will either win it outright with a win, or potentially share it with other teams.
Other key games to watch for will be Ohio State vs. Illinois, Michigan State welcoming in Northwestern and Wisconsin traveling to face Penn State, which is 1-16 in conference play.
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