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| Michigan State and Ohio State could be clawing for the Big Ten tournament title too. |
That means the upcoming Big Ten tournament, which begins Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, should be just as close and drama-filled as the regular season. Michigan State is the top seed, followed by Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Indiana. The Big Ten could have as many as seven teams invited to the N.C.A.A. tournament, according to ESPN.com’s projections. There are different things at stake for different teams, depending on where they are in the seeding food chain.
While no team made a legitimate run at being a No. 1 seed in the N.C.A.A. Tournament, Michigan State (24-7) and Ohio State (25-6) have good chances of being a No. 2. Michigan State needs to recover from dropping the final two games of the regular season — and losing its shot at winning the title outright. The Spartans suffered an additional blow during the 72-70 loss to Ohio State on Sunday, as starting freshman forward Branden Dawson is out for the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Ohio State, on the other hand, has momentum after clawing its way back into the Big Ten title race by winning two tough road games in the final seconds at Northwestern and Michigan State.
Michigan (23-8) and Indiana (24-7, 11-7 Big Ten) look to continue their resurgences with improved performances at the Big Ten tournament. Wisconsin (23-8, 12-6) and Purdue (20-11, 10-8) don’t look as strong as in previous years, but still can be tough. While Michigan State and Ohio State look to make runs deep in the N.C.A.A., the party would be started in Evanston simply if seventh-seeded Northwestern reached the tournament for the first time. The Wildcats (18-12, 8-10) have come close to defeating Michigan twice, Ohio State, and have a victory over Michigan State. A rematch with Michigan could be lurking in Friday’s second round, if Northwestern gets past Minnesota in its opening game on Thursday.
A decent run in the Big Ten tournament could bolster Northwestern’s hopes. “We’re not going to lobby for anything,” Northwestern Coach Bill Carmody said during Monday’s coaches teleconference. “…The whole case is laid out, and if it gets close among certain teams, then that’s when they go into comparing squads, and that’s how I will leave it. …It is what it is.” Penn State (No. 12), Iowa (8), Illinois (9), Minnesota (10) and Nebraska (11) have all endured miserable, loss-laden seasons, but an upset in the conference tournament could erase some of the pain.
“We’re playing with house money – no one expects you to win, everyone expects you to lose,” said Penn State Coach Pat Chambres said. “There is no pressure on us, we’re going to go out, have fun, play loose, compete, let’s see what happens over 40 minutes.”