Big Ten Tournament Preview
Big Ten Tournament: With COVID-19 still being a big issue in the United States, the hope is all the games will be played as the Big Ten is home to six top 25 teams. The regular season concluded on Sunday, finalizing the 14-team tournament in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.
RANKINGS
#1 Michigan
#2 Illinois
#3 Iowa
#4 Purdue
#5 Ohio State
#6 Wisconsin
#7 Rutgers
#8 Maryland
#9 Michigan State
#10 Indiana
#11 Penn State
#12 Northwestern
#13 Minnesota
#14 Nebraska
SCHEDULE
Wednesday, March 10
First Round
Game 1: No. 12 Northwestern vs. No. 13 Minnesota, 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
Game 2: No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 14 Nebraska, 25 minutes after Game 1 on Big Ten Network
Thursday, March 11
Second Round
Game 3: No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 9 Michigan State, 11:30 a.m. on Big Ten Network
Game 4: No. 5 Ohio State vs. Game 1 winner, 25 minutes after Game 3 on Big Ten Network
Game 5: No. 7 Rutgers vs. No. 10 Indiana, 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
Game 6: No. 6 Wisconsin vs. Game 2 winner, 25 minutes after Game 5 on Big Ten Network
Friday, March 12
Quarterfinals
Game 7: No. 1 Michigan vs. Game 3 winner, 11:30 a.m. on Big Ten Network
Game 8: No. 4 Purdue vs. Game 4 winner, 25 minutes after Game 7 on Big Ten Network
Game 9: No. 2 Illinois vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
Game 10: No. 3 Iowa vs. Game 6 winner, 25 minutes after Game 9 on Big Ten Network
Saturday, March 13
Semifinals
Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 1 p.m. on CBS
Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 25 minutes after Game 11 on CBS
Sunday, March 14
Championship
Game 13: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 3:30 p.m. on CBS
Quick Breakdown of 14 Teams
Michigan
The Wolverines could slip a little bit from their #2 spot, splitting the games against unranked Michigan State and suffering a blowout loss to Illinois. Senior guard, Eli Brooks, had a protective boot on his left leg as he watched the second half against the Spartans.
Illinois
The Fighting Illini could have made a case to be ranked higher than Michigan as they beat the Wolverines by a ton and the Buckeyes in a battle to the very end. Star Ayo Dosunmu also returned and the Illini are peaking at the right time.
Iowa
The Hawkeyes have beat Ohio State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. They have played better defense as of late and are poised to make a deep run behind Iowa’s all-time leading scorer.
Purdue
The Boilermakers proved all their doubters wrong as they had low expectations coming into the season losing to teams like Miami and Minnesota. They have turned it around with a five-game winning streak.
Ohio State
After a seven-game winning streak, th Buckeyes have failed to close strong losing four straight. A drop in the standings is likely.
Wisconsin
The Badgers lost five out of six to end the season; however, they ranked in the top 30 in offensive and defensive efficiency.
Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights have looked very good and very bad during parts of the season. Hard to tell which Knights team will show up in their first game.
Maryland
The Terrapins mostly likely couldn’t lock an NCAA Tourney bid by blowing a double-digit lead against Penn State.
Michigan State
The Spartans might have kept their Tourney bid alive beating Illinois, Ohio State, and Michigan in the span of three weeks.
Indiana
The Hoosiers may look forward to next season as their coach Archie Miller may be fired soon.
Penn State
The Nittany Lions cannot be overlooked as they came back from a sixteen-point deficit against Maryland and won. They have a good shot to beat Wisconsin.
Northwestern
The Wildcats have now won three straight games and have played their best basketball as of late.
Minnesota
The Gophers may be looking for a new coach after this season to replace Rick Pitino. The team has struggled to find momentum during the second half of the season.
Nebraska
The Huskers with a 7-19 record will be needing a miracle to punch a ticket to the dance.
