Can anyone challenge Wisconsin?
Is it Wisconsin and everyone else in the Big Ten? That's not typical for this conference, which tends to be ultra-competitive, but it's competitive in a different way. While the Badgers essentially breezed through the conference, the next group of five teams behind them has been inconsistent all season. So the biggest question heading into Wednesday is who gets hot and challenges Wisconsin.
Maryland is the only Big Ten team to beat the Badgers at full strength, but the Terrapins haven't always looked great. They've been extremely lucky in close games — 10-0 this season — and have blowout losses to Iowa and Ohio State. The next group of four teams — Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan State and Purdue — all finished 12-6 in conference, showing flashes of looking like the second best team in the conference and other flashes of showing major issues. Beneath that group is Indiana and Illinois, both of whom have played their way into needing to sweat out Selection Sunday.
So now the question becomes: who can challenge Wisconsin? Maryland hasn't lost since being blown out at Iowa in early February, but other than the win over the Badgers, the Terrapins have played a lot of close games against Big Ten bottom-feeders. Iowa is also on a hot streak, winning six in a row, but has to beat Purdue and (likely) Wisconsin — two teams it's 0-3 against — to get to the title game. On the other side of the bracket, will Tom Izzo's team make a run in March once again? Can Ohio State turn things on?
There are more questions than answers, but right now, it's Wisconsin and everyone else. And the battle for who gets to give the Badgers their best shot should be very interesting to watch.
The format
Since the Big Ten expanded to 14 teams, the conference tournament will now have five games. The 11-through-14 seeds will play opening round games on Wednesday. The 5-through-10 seeds get byes and will open on Thursday, while the 1-through-4 seeds get double byes and begin play in the quarterfinals on Friday.
The Big Ten Network, ESPN and ESPN2 will have the first three rounds, while CBS will have the semifinals and finals.
The teams
- Wisconsin Badgers (Bucky's 5th Quarter)
- Maryland Terrapins (Testudo Times)
- Michigan State Spartans (The Only Colors)
- Purdue Boilermakers (Hammer and Rails)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (Black Heart Gold Pants)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (Land-Grant Holy Land)
- Indiana Hoosiers (The Crimson Quarry)
- Illinois Fighting Illini (The Champaign Room)
- Michigan Wolverines (Maize n Brew)
- Northwestern Wildcats (Inside NU)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (The Daily Gopher)
- Nebraska Cornhuskers (Corn Nation)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (Black Shoe Diaries)
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights (On The Banks)
Bracket
Schedule and Results (All Times Eastern)
Wednesday, March 11 (First Round)
No. 12 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Penn State, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
No. 11 Minnesota vs. No. 14 Rutgers, 8 p.m., Big Ten Network
Thursday, March 12 (Second Round)
No. 8 Illinois vs. No. 9 Michigan, Noon, Big Ten Network
No. 5 Iowa vs. Nebraska/Penn State winner, 2:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 10 Northwestern, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
No. 6 Ohio State vs. Minnesota/Rutgers winner, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Friday, March 13 (Quarterfinals)
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. Illinois/Michigan winner, Noon, ESPN
No. 4 Purdue vs. Iowa/Penn State-Nebraska winner, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 Maryland vs. Indiana/Northwestern winner, 6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
No. 3 Michigan State vs. Ohio State/Minnesota-Rutgers winner, 9 p.m., Big Ten Network
Saturday, March 14 (Semifinals)
TBD vs. TBD, 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., CBS
Sunday, March 15 (Championship)
TBD vs. TBD, 3:30 p.m., CBS
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