Rutgers guard Caleb McConnell gave the media a warning after the Scarlet Knights knocked off Michigan 62-50 Thursday in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament: Guard your phones. Advertisement According to McConnell, Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell is so anti-cellphone that he recently smashed his own in a team meeting with the players. “Coach Pikiell hates the cellphones, man, he wants us to throw them away,” McConnell said. “If you have any cellphones in here and pull them out around him, he might smash yours. ” Advertisement The problem with cellphones is obvious. They distract the players from the task at hand. “He just wants us to focus,” McConnell said. “The cellphones have been a really big mental issue, and he wants us to stay positive. When you’re doing bad, everyone wants to bash you, keep you down. As soon as you’re doing good, and winning games, all of a sudden you’re the best team in America He just wants us to all stay focused and not worry about what other people are saying. ” [ [Follow us] Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Big Ten Tournament on Instagram ] Pikiell was reluctant to talk about the smashed phone, but called cellphones a “complete waste of time” and added he was proud of how Rutgers has fought through adversity. “The phones don’t help you be better players. ” he said. “They don’t help. That’s it. ” A drought unlike any other Rutgers' Cam Spencer goes up for a basket during the first half of a game against Michigan at the Big Ten Tournament on March 9, 2023. (Erin Hooley/AP) Michigan went 14 minutes in the second half without a field goal, going 0-for-12 from the field between Hunter Dickinson’s three-pointers. Rutgers used that drought to run away with the game. “It was a tough loss for this team, the coaching staff and also the university,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said. “I’m proud of how our young men competed throughout the season. The adversity we’ve been through, I think we grew from. Trust me, we did. I wouldn’t want to be with any other group. ” The Wolverines were on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament bid before Thursday’s game, and those hopes obviously evaporated with an unwatchable second half. They hit a few shots in garbage time to go 4-for-21 in the half, a 19% field-goal percentage. “We had a couple good looks, but the ball just didn’t fall in,” Dickinson said. Advertisement Upsets have been the norm so far Wisconsin's Connor Essegian drives to the basket past Ohio State's Eugene Brown III during the second half of a game on March 8, 2023. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP) Early returns in the Big Ten Tournament suggested everything was status quo. Which this season, of course, means nothing is going according to plan. The lower seeds won the first four games for the first time in tournament history after No. 13 Ohio State knocked off No. 5 Iowa 73-69 on Thursday afternoon. The back-and-forth game was tied eight times, saw 18 lead changes and came down to the final moments, with a mad scramble for the ball ending in the Buckeyes’ possession with 11. 5 seconds left. The Buckeyes inbounded the ball to Justice Suieng, who made two free throws to seal it. “When it got to that loose ball that I had to dive on, I wasn’t too sure who had the tie-up,” said Sueing, who finished with 14 points. “So I threw it to Bruce (Thornton) to kind of get that going. Yeah, they had the time. It ended up working out. ” Ohio State clogged the lanes and came away with 10 steals and 14 points off turnovers. The Buckeyes will play No. 4 Michigan State in the second quarterfinal Friday. Advertisement On Wednesday, Ohio State nearly blew a 27-point lead in a win over No. 12 Wisconsin, and No. 14 seed Minnesota upset No. 11 Nebraska. The Buckeyes were 3-15 in their last 18 games entering the tournament, while the Gophers finished in last in the Big Ten with a 2-17 record and came in with 12 losses in their last 13 games. No matter. Both teams knew it was a second chance to prove they weren’t as bad as their record suggested. “Just showing up each and every day,” Gophers forward Dawson Garcia said after the win. “We know we’re playing good basketball right now, so we know it’s not a fluke. So we’ll just continue to ride this wave that we’re on. I know for a fact nobody’s satisfied in the locker room. ” Advertisement Free tickets for Northwestern students Northwestern fans cheer in the stands before the start of a game between Northwestern and Penn State at Welsh-Ryan Arena on March 1, 2023. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) Chicago Tribune Sports Weekdays A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy . > Northwestern starts its Big Ten Tournament run Friday — and undergrads can see the action in person for free. Student tickets will be distributed at the Norris University Center on Friday, with details emailed to students. The batch of hundreds of tickets was donated by the Ryan family, who have made wide investments to the university over the years, including the ongoing renovation efforts at Ryan Field. What we’re reading Filling out a Big Ten Tournament bracket? Our picks after a ‘consistently insane’ regular season. Column: After a dizzying season of highs and lows, Illinois enters the Big Ten Tournament as an enigma Friendship and leadership: How Chase Audige, Robbie Beran and Boo Buie helped Northwestern basketball rebound Column: The only sure thing in this week’s Big Ten Tournament at the United Center is unpredictability Another strike possible at United Center ahead of Big Ten Tournament Northwestern’s Chris Collins, Boo Buie, Chase Audige and Chris Lowery earn Big Ten honors The schedule A general view of signage during the Big Ten Tournament at United Center on March 10, 2023. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images) Wednesday (13) Ohio State 65, (12) Wisconsin 57 (14) Minnesota 78, (11) Nebraska 75 Thursday’s second round (BTN) (9) Rutgers 62, (8) Michigan 50 (13) Ohio State 73, (5) Iowa 69 (7) Illinois vs. (10) Penn State, 5:30 p. m. (6) Maryland vs. (11) Nebraska, 8 p. m. Friday’s quarterfinals (BTN) Advertisement (1) Purdue vs. (9) Rutgers, 11 a. m. (4) Michigan State vs. (13) Ohio State, 1:30 p. m. (2) Northwestern vs. 7-10 winner, 5:30 p. m. (3) Indiana vs. 6/11 winner, 8 p. m. Saturday’s semifinals (CBS-2) Noon and 2:30 p. m. Sunday’s championship game (CBS-2) 2:30 p. m. .