Michigan vs. Wisconsin score: Late surge lifts Wolverines to first Big Ten Tournament title since 2018

Michigan finished on an 11-2 run to claim the Big Ten Tournament title

The final college basketball game before the NCAA Tournament bracket unveiled up to the hype. No. 3 seed Michigan defeated No. 5 seed Wisconsin 59-53 to capture the Big Ten Tournament Championship on Sunday. The win marked Michigan's first Big Ten title since 2018, which was the last time the program went to the Final Four.

The Wolverines finished last in the Big Ten standings last season and hired former FAU coach Dusty May to turn the program around. Less than a year later, they are the final team standing in the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half before mounting its comeback.

Michigan big man Vlad Goldin and guard Tre Donaldson each scored 11 points in the win. Michigan has won its last 11 games in games decided by five points or fewer.

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Wisconsin was coming off a thrilling win over No. 1 seed Michigan State to advance to the Big Ten title game for the second consecutive season. Badgers star John Tonje was held to just nine points after scoring 32 in the win over the Spartans.

2025 Big Ten Tournament schedule, scores

Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse -- Indianapolis, Indiana
Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free) | Follow live: CBS Sports App  

All times Eastern; some start times approximated

Big Ten Tournament Championship Game -- Sunday, March 16
Game 14: No. 3 Michigan 59, No. 5 Wisconsin 53 | Recap

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Semifinals -- Saturday, March 15
Game 12: No. 5 Wisconsin 77, No. 1 Michigan State 74 | Recap
Game 13: No. 3 Michigan 81, No. 2 Maryland 80 | Recap

Quarterfinals -- Friday, March 14
Game 8: No. 1 Michigan State 74, No. 8 Oregon 64 | Recap
Game 9: No. 5 Wisconsin 86, No. 4 UCLA 70 | Recap
Game 10: No. 2 Maryland 88, No. 7 Illinois 65 | Recap
Game 11: No. 3 Michigan 86, No. 6 Purdue 68 | Recap

Second round -- Thursday, March 13
Game 4: No. 8 Oregon 72, No. 9 Indiana 59 | Recap
Game 5: No. 5 Wisconsin 70, No. 13 Northwestern 63 | Recap
Game 6: No. 7 Illinois 106, No. 15 Iowa 94 | Recap
Game 7: No. 6 Purdue 76, No. 14 USC 71 | Recap

First round -- Wednesday, March 12
Game 1: No. 13 Northwestern 72, No. 12 Minnesota 64 | Recap
Game 2: No. 15 Iowa 77, No. 10 Ohio State 70 | Recap
Game 3: No. 14 USC 97, No. 11 Rutgers 89 (2OT) | Recap

CBS Sports was with you every step of the way. Check below for updates in real time. 

[Mar 16, 2025 at 5:33 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Michigan wins Big Ten title 

FINAL: Michigan 59, Wisconsin 53

The final college basketball game before the NCAA Tournament bracket unveiled up to the hype. No. 3 seed Michigan defeated No. 5 seed Wisconsin 59-53 to capture the Big Ten Tournament Championship on Sunday. The win marked Michigan's first Big Ten title since 2018, which was the last time the program went to the Final Four. 

The Wolverines finished last in the Big Ten standings last season and hired former FAU coach Dusty May to turn the program around. Less than a year later, they are the final team standing in the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half before mounting its comeback. 

Michigan big man Vlad Goldin and guard Tre Donaldson each scored 11 points in the win. Michigan has won its last 11 games in games decided by five points or fewer.

Wisconsin was coming off a thrilling win over No. 1 seed Michigan State to advance to the Big Ten title game for the second consecutive season. Badgers star John Tonje was held to just nine points after scoring 32 in the win over the Spartans.

[Mar 16, 2025 at 5:09 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

We are tied

LATE 2H: Wisconsin 45, Michigan 45

Buckle up, everyone. We are due for a fantastic finish in the Big Ten title game. Michigan is currently on a 7-0 run in the last 1:44 to tie the game at 45. Michigan entered today 12-4 in games decided by five points or less. Michigan is 12-1 this season in games vs. Big Ten opponents (regular season and conference tournament) decided by five points or fewer.

[Mar 16, 2025 at 4:51 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Can Michigan continue its run?

MID 2H: Wisconsin 38, Michigan 32

Wisconsin led by as many as 11 points with 13:11 remaining, but Michigan scored the last five points to cut the deficit to 38-32. Wisconsin has made a field goal in over four minutes, and star John Tonje has missed all seven of his attempts from the floor. The Wolverines haven't attempted a free throw yet.

[Mar 16, 2025 at 4:16 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Wisconsin leads Michigan at halftime

HALF: Wisconsin 23, Michigan 21

We have reached halftime of the Big Ten title game with Wisconsin taking a 23-21 lead into the locker room. Offense has been at a premium, with both teams shooting under 30% from the floor. Perhaps most surprisingly, Wisconsin star John Tonje was held scoreless. Tonje missed all four of his shot attempts in the first half less than 24 hours after scoring 32 points in a win over Michigan State.

Wisconsin is looking for its first Big Ten title since 2015, the same year the program went to the national title game. Michigan last won the Big Ten Tournament in 2018 -- the last time the Wolverines went to the Final Four. 

[Mar 16, 2025 at 3:51 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Michigan up early in Big Ten title game

MID 1H: Michigan 12, Wisconsin 10

We have reached the (near) midway mark of the first half. Michigan leads Wisconsin 12-10 in the Big Ten title game thanks to five points a piece from Vlad Goldin and Nimari Burnett. Both teams are struggling from the 3-point line here early. Michigan is 2 of 9, while Wisconsin is 3 of 13. Wisconsin star John Tonje, who had 32 points yesterday in a win over Michigan State, has yet to score.

[Mar 16, 2025 at 3:00 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Previewing the Big Ten title game

If you're reading this, we made it! Selection Sunday is just hours away, but a Big Ten champion needs to be crowned. That will happen later today when No. 5 seed Wisconsin (-3.5) faces No. 3 seed Michigan in Indianapolis for all the marbles. Wisconsin is looking for its first Big Ten title since 2015, the same year the program went to the national title game. Michigan last won the Big Ten title in 2018 -- the year the Wolverines went to the Final Four last. It's safe to say that the winner of this game will get some positive mojo heading into the tournament. 

Buckle up. We are in for a fun day of hoops. In case you missed it, Wisconsin was one of the biggest winners from yesterday's slate.

College basketball winners, losers entering Selection Sunday: Spartans slip, bubble teams avoid some disaster

Cameron Salerno

[Mar 16, 2025 at 2:30 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Where are Michigan and Wisconsin projected to be in the bracket?

In the latest Bracketology projections by CBS Sports' Jerry Palm, Michigan is listed as a No. 3 seed in the East Region. Wisconsin is a projected No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region. The winner of this game should have a strong chance of, at minimum, holding their respective seed line. Michigan State, Alabama, Tennessee and St. John's are on the No. 2 seed line. St. John's (as of right now) is the only team that won a conference title. Tennessee is in action against Florida.

Bracketology: Florida vs. Tennessee showdown for SEC title will also be for a No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament

Jerry Palm

[Mar 15, 2025 at 6:01 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Michigan advances to Big Ten title game

FINAL: Michigan 81, Maryland 80

The second game of the Big Ten Tournament doubleheader lived up to the hype, as No. 3 seed Michigan defeated No. 2 seed Maryland 81-80 to advance to the Big Ten title game. After Maryland star Derik Queen connected on both free throw attempts with 5.3 seconds left to give his team a one-point lead, Michigan guard Tre Donaldson scored a game-winning layup with 0.4 seconds remaining.

Michigan will face No. 5 seed Wisconsin for the Big Ten title on Sunday. That game will mark the final college basketball game before the NCAA Tournament bracket is released.

This game had everything. Michigan went on an 18-0 run and led by as many as 15 points in the second half. Then, Maryland went on a big run of its own (14-0) to get back in the game.

[Mar 15, 2025 at 3:19 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Wisconsin upsets Michigan State

FINAL: Wisconsin 77, Michigan State 74

How about an upset to start the day in the Big Ten? No. 5 seed Wisconsin eliminated No. 1 seed Michigan State with a 77-74 win on Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The Badgers will face the winner of No. 2 seed Maryland vs. No. 3 seed Michigan for the Big Ten title on Sunday.

The Badgers will be making its ninth Big Ten title appearance in program history

Wisconsin star John Tonje had another big performance and scored a game-high 32 points, but it was his defense that won the game in the end. Tonje blocked a 3-point shot attempt that would've sent the game to overtime.

The loss almost certainly ends Michigan State's hopes of receiving the final No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday, but Tom Izzo's squad should appear on the No. 2 line tomorrow.

[Mar 15, 2025 at 12:50 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Previewing Saturday's slate

And then there were four. The Big Ten Tournament started with 15 teams in the bracket, and the field has been reduced to the semifinals. No. 5 seed Wisconsin will face No. 1 seed Michigan State with a trip to the Big Ten title game. Shortly after, No. 3 seed Michigan will face No. 2 Maryland on the other side of the bracket.

Odds for the games are below

• No. 1 seed Michigan State (-2.5) vs. No. 5 seed Wisconsin
• No. 2 seed Maryland (-4.5) vs. No. 3 seed Michigan

Michigan State played Wisconsin earlier this month at home and handed the Badgers a 71-62 loss. Maryland also faced Michigan earlier this month on the road and came away with a thrilling 71-65 victory.

[Mar 14, 2025 at 11:15 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Michigan eliminates Purdue

FINAL: Michigan 86, Purdue 68

No. 3 seed Michigan is moving to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals after recording a 86-68 win over No. 6 seed Purdue. Michigan used a big offensive performance from star big man Danny Wolf to advance. Michigan will face No. 2 seed Maryland on Saturday with a trip to the Big Ten title game on the line.

Purdue was coming off a comeback win over USC and struggled for a majority of the game to find a rhythm after opening the game on a 6-0 run. The Boilermakers' last lead came with 18:20 left in the first half.

[Mar 14, 2025 at 8:36 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Maryland cruises past Illinois to advance

FINAL: Maryland 88, Illinois 65

No. 2 seed Maryland flexed its muscles in a 88-65 win over No. 7 seed Illinois behind a balanced offensive output. Less than 24 hours after scoring 106 points in a win over Iowa, Illinois was held to just 65 points against Maryland.

Maryland star Rodney Rice scored 26 points, and big man Derik Queen added a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds). Maryland will face the winner of Purdue-Michigan on Saturday, with a trip to the Big Ten title game on the line.

Illinois entered as a No. 8 seed in the latest Bracketology projections by CBS Sports Jerry Palm. Now out of the Big Ten Tournament, the Fighting Illini will await their seeding on Selection Sunday.

[Mar 14, 2025 at 4:54 pm ET · Kyle Boone]

Wisconsin whips UCLA in Big Ten quarterfinals

FINAL: Wisconsin 86, UCLA 70

Wisconsin turned a potentially good game on paper into a rout on the floor early at the Big Ten quarterfinals on Friday with an 86-70 beatdown of No. 4 seed UCLA. The Badgers led by double digits nine minutes into the game and busted it wide open in the second half, at one point leading by as many as 27 points.

It was an offensive clinic vs. the defensive-minded Bruins as the Badgers drained 19 of their 32 3-point attempts and got 26 points from star John Tonje. It was quite the opposite for UCLA, which missed 21 of its 30 3-point attempts and finished 3 of 12 on shots that qualified as layups, per Stat Broadcast data.

The win advances Wisconsin into the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament for a second consecutive season. It will face No. 1 seed Michigan State at 1 p.m. ET on CBS. 

[Mar 14, 2025 at 2:16 pm ET · Kyle Boone]

Michigan State keeps momentum rolling

FINAL: Michigan State 74, Oregon 64

No. 1 seed Michigan State showed no signs of slowing Friday in its first postseason appearance with a 74-64 win over No. 8 seed Oregon in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The Spartans, who closed the regular season with seven consecutive wins and clinched the outright Big Ten title, never trailed in the second half and kept the Ducks out of arm's reach down the stretch.

Jase Richardson led the way with 17 points as his late-season surge continued, and three other Spartans -- Jeremy Fears, Jaden Akins and Coen Carr -- scored in double figures. 

Oregon committed 15 turnovers and missed 15 of its 19 3-point attempts in the loss.

Michigan State moves into the Saturday semifinals round where it awaits the winner of UCLA-Wisconsin. That game will be played at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

[Mar 14, 2025 at 10:47 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

Previewing Friday's slate

Two days ago, the Big Ten Tournament started with 15 teams, but the bracket has since been reduced to eight. Thus far, the bracket has been mostly chalk, which should give college basketball fans four elite matchups heading into the home stretch before Selection Sunday.

Odds for each game are as follows:

• No. 8 seed Oregon (+5.5) vs. No. 1 seed Michigan State
• No. 5 seed Wisconsin (-1.5) vs. No. 4 seed UCLA
• No. 7 seed Illinois (+1.5) vs. No. 2 seed Maryland
• No. 6 seed Purdue (-2.5) vs. No. 3 seed Michigan

Notably, Wisconsin and Purdue are both favored today as a higher seed. Despite UCLA being an underdog tody, keep an eye on the Bruins. Mick Cronin's squad can be boom or bust this tournament. 

[Mar 13, 2025 at 11:22 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Purdue closes the night with a comeback win vs. USC

FINAL: Purdue 76, USC 71

After trailing by as many as 10 points, No. 6 seed Purdue rallied down the stretch to secure a 75-71 win over No. 14 seed USC. The Boilermakers advance to Friday's quarterfinals and will face No. 3 seed Michigan with a trip to the semifinals on the line. Purdue big man Trey Kaufman-Renn scored a team-high 30 points, and Braden Smith added a near double-double (12 points, nine rebounds) in the win.

USC ends its season with a 16-17 record in Year 1 of the Eric Musselman era. The Trojans opened the Big Ten Tournament with a thrilling win over Rutgers.

[Mar 13, 2025 at 8:39 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Illinois advances with win over Iowa

FINAL: Illinois 106, Iowa 94

Illinois is moving on to the next round of the Big Ten Tournament after a 106-94 win over Iowa. The Illini took a 49-45 lead into the locker room and scored 57 points in the second half to advance. Illinois guard Kylan Boswell scored a team-high 24 points and Tre White added 22. All five starters scored in double figures.

Illinois will face No. 2 seed Maryland on Friday with a trip to the semifinals on the line.

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery was ejected midway through the second half after picking up two quick technical fouls. Iowa opened the Big Ten Tournament with a win over Ohio State and finished 17-16 overall.

[Mar 13, 2025 at 4:40 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Wisconsin cruises to win over Northwestern

FINAL: Wisconsin 70, Northwestern 63

No. 5 seed Wisconsin is moving to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals after a 70-60 win over No. 13 seed Northwestern. The Badgers will face No. 4 seed UCLA on Friday with a trip to the semifinals on the line. Wisconsin star guard John Tonje scored 18 points to propel his team to the next round.

Northwestern opened the tournament with a win over Minnesota on Wednesday. The Wildcats trailed by as many as 18 points in the second half and shot just 5-for-20 (25%) from the 3-point line.

[Mar 13, 2025 at 2:07 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Oregon advances with win over Indiana 

FINAL: Oregon 72, Indiana 59

No. 8 seed Oregon opened the second round of the Big Ten Tournament with an impressive 72-59 win over Indiana. The Ducks will face No. 1 seed Michigan State on Friday with a trip to the semifinals on the line. Oregon was playing its first game in the Big Ten Tournament as a member of the conference.

Oregon star guard Jackson Shelstad finished with 18 points, while TJ Bamba scored 17 in the win. Indiana entered the day as one of the "Last Four In" in CBS Sports' latest Bracketology projections by Jerry Palm. The Hoosiers may be sweating on Selection Sunday, but as of now, Mike Woodson's squad is in the field.

[Mar 13, 2025 at 10:28 am ET · Kyle Boone]

Odds for Big Ten tourney second round

• Every single lower-seeded team advanced in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday in the first round, so Thursday's second-round slate may be pretty hard to top. But oddsmakers seem to think we could be in for more drama in Indy today. 

Here's a look at the slate and the odds:

• 12 p.m. ET: Oregon (-2) vs. Indiana
• 2:30 p.m. ET: Wisconsin (-7.5) vs. Northwestern
• 6:30 p.m. ET: Illinois (-11) vs. Iowa
• 9 p.m. ET: Purdue (-9.5) vs. USC

Every game on Thursday will air on Big Ten Network.

[Mar 13, 2025 at 8:27 am ET · Kyle Boone]

Wednesday madness at the Big Ten tourney

If it's drama you like, then there was plenty of it to be had Wednesday at the Big Ten Tournament. The second round of action featured the following results and subsequent fallout within the league:

Second round results

• No. 13 Northwestern 72, No. 12 Minnesota 64 
• Game 2: No. 15 Iowa 77, No. 10 Ohio State 70 
• Game 3: No. 14 USC 97, No. 11 Rutgers 89 (2OT) 

Fallout

• Minnesota early Thursday morning announced it has fired men's basketball coach Ben Johnson after four seasons. Johnson, a former Golden Gophers player, led the team to a 15-17 record this season — his third sub-.500 season in four years.
• Iowa's win over Ohio State all but officially killed the Buckeyes' bid to make the 2025 NCAA Tournament. They entered the day on the outside of the bubble and Jerry Palm says the result was probably the final nail in their coffin. "There aren't a lot of definites when it comes to bubble teams yet, but we can say good-bye to Ohio State," Palm said. "The Buckeyes lost to Iowa to drop to 17-15 overall and that won't be good enough."
• Rutgers fell in double overtime late Wednesday night to finish its season at 15-17. It will not make the NCAA Tournament this year, dooming the program to become the first team with two top-five recruits and still miss the NCAAs, Cameron Salerno writes.

[Mar 12, 2025 at 11:16 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

USC advances with double-overtime win vs. Rutgers

FINAL: USC 97, Rutgers 89 (2OT)

With 4:04 remaining in the first half of the final Big Ten Tournament game of the day, USC extended its lead over Rutgers to 33-18. The Scarlet Knights flipped the switch after the halftime intermission and led by as many as four points with 36 seconds left, but USC managed to force overtime and held on for a 97-89 win in double overtime.

USC star Desmond Claude scored a team-high 28 points, while Wesley Yates lll added 24 in the win.

USC will face No. 6 seed Purdue in the final game of the second round Thursday. Rutgers entered the season with high expectations because of the additions of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Both players are expected to be drafted early in the 2025 NBA Draft.

[Mar 12, 2025 at 8:03 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Ohio State's NCAA Tournament hopes over after loss to Iowa

FINAL: Iowa 77, Ohio State 70

After suffering a 77-70 loss to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, the Buckeyes hopes of reaching the Big Dance in Year 1 of the Jake Diebler era are over, according to CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm.

"There aren't a lot of definites when it comes to bubble teams yet, but we can say good-bye to Ohio State," Palm said. "The Buckeyes lost to Iowa to drop to 17-15 overall and that won't be good enough."

Iowa guard Brock Harding knocked down a 3-pointer with less than 15 seconds remaining to stretch the lead to five, which sealed the upset win. Iowa star forward Payton Sandfort finished with 17 points.

Ohio State took a brief 58-57 lead with less than nine minutes remaining in the second half before Iowa closed the game on a 20-12 run. The Hawkeyes will face No. 7 seed Illinois in the second round on Thursday.

[Mar 12, 2025 at 5:31 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Northwestern wins opening game of the Big Ten Tournament

FINAL: Northwestern 72, Minnesota 64

The opening game of the Big Ten Tournament is in the books, with No. 13 seed Northwestern knocking off No. 12 seed Minnesota 72-64 to advance to the second round. The Wildcats will face No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the second game of the day on Thursday.

Northwestern star Nick Martinelli finished with a game-high 28 points, while Ty Berry added 14 in the win. Northwestern took a 32-29 advantage into the locker room and used a big run in the opening minutes of the second half to pull away for good. Minnesota finishes with a 15-17 record.

[Mar 12, 2025 at 3:39 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Who will win the Big Ten title?

The experts at CBS Sports made their predictions earlier this week on who would take home the Big Ten Tournament title. The most popular selection was No. 1 seed Michigan State. Purdue was the most popular pick as a potential sleeper team to win the Big Ten title.

March Madness 2025: College basketball conference tournament predictions, picks, odds, upsets, sleepers

Cameron Salerno

[Mar 12, 2025 at 3:36 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Big Ten action begins today

The opening game of the Big Ten Tournament between Northwestern and Minnesota is just moments away. The race to the Big Ten title game will look much different this year because of the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington to the conference, though the Huskies were one of three teams (Penn State and Nebraska the others) that missed the cut line and will be sitting at home for the Big Ten Tournament.

Odds for each game are as follows:

• No. 13 seed Northwestern (-2.5) vs. No. 12 seed Minnesota
• No. 15 seed Iowa (+5.5) vs. No. 10 seed Ohio State
• No. 14 seed USC (-1.5) vs. No. 11 seed Rutgers

Only one of the six teams in action today (Ohio State) is on the bubble. The Buckeyes are currently listed as one of the "Last Four Out" in the latest Bracketology projections by CBS Sports' Jerry Palm. Ohio State may need to make a mini-run (and hope bid stealers don't come into play) to feel comfortable heading into Selection Sunday.