Today’s first quarterfinal match-up consists of one of the biggest powerhouses of the 2025-2026 NCAA season, the Michigan Wolverines (#1 Seed in the Big Ten Tournament) vs their rival The Ohio State Buckeyes (#8 seed in the Big Ten Tournament). This is the first game all tournament for Michigan as they received a bye to the quarterfinals by being one of the top 4 seeds respectfully. This is Ohio State’s second game in the tournament, as they received a bye till the third round by being the 8th seed. The Buckeyes got here by defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes yesterday in an exciting game that came down to the final minutes, with Ohio State defeating Iowa 71-67.
This game was very close throughout, and you could feel the energy of the players and their fans. Both fan-bases came out in numbers, but I have to give Ohio State the fans here, as you heard them loud and clear throughout the entirety of the game. After the first half, we saw Michigan leading Ohio State 39-35. Michigan was being led by freshman guard Trey McKenney, who had 10 points at half, being 4-5 from the field and 2-3 from the 3 point line. Sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. led the team in getting 6 boards and 6 points with shooting 3-8 from the field. Ohio State was led by senior guard Bruce Thornton with 13 points at halftime on 5-7 shooting with one 3-pointer.
This was another Big Ten Tournament game that went down to the wire. Ohio State had a few opportunities to catch up and tie Michigan, but its efforts fell flat. Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau ended the game with an impressive 15 points, 7 assists, and 2 rebounds. While his shooting performance fell flat from the field, he made it up by making 8 of his 10 free throws. Michigan will play the winner of Wisconsin and Illinois.
