With the end of the regular season, basketball teams turn their focus to their respective conference tournaments. For some, it is a chance to raise their seeding for the NCAA Tournament.
For others, it is a chance to redeem a bad year. For the middle of the pack teams like Wisconsin, it is a chance to get in the Tournament through the back door.
After clinching the Big Ten regular season title against Penn State, 64-58, Purdue ended the season with its second straight Big Ten title.
Led by sophomore forward Shereka Wright, who averages 19.2 points per game, and Big Ten Defensive player of the year, senior guard Kelly Komara, Purdue claimed the first seed and a first-round bye. The Boilermakers will start the tournament on Friday at 1:30 against the winner of the Michigan-Illinois game.
After a rough start, Penn State went on to win 10 of its last 13 games. Sophomore guard Kelly Mazzante, who leads the nation in scoring with 24.6 ppg, is one of the nation's best players. Penn State ended its season against Michigan State Sunday in a 65-47 win. The Lady Lions have a first-round bye and will face the winner of Michigan State-Ohio State Friday.
Minnesota comes into the Big Ten Tournament as a No. 3 seed. The Gophers' strength lies with sophomore guard Lindsay Whalen who is the 2001-'02 Big Ten Player of the Year and leads the league in scoring with 22 ppg.
The team also boasts Big Ten Freshman of the Year, center Janel McCarville. Minnesota will face the winner of the Wisconsin-Northwestern game Friday night. The Gophers were responsible for Wisconsin's second loss (92-85) of the season after the Badgers went on a 15-game winning streak.
The No. 4 seed Iowa Hawkeyes will attempt to duplicate last season's success when, as a No. 2 seed, they captured the Big Ten tournament title. Another title run is not out of the question for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa is one of the more balanced teams in the Big Ten as they boast three players'senior guard Lindsey Meder, sophomore forward Jennie Lillis and senior forward Jerica Watson'that score in double-figures each game. The Hawkeyes' first opponent will be Indiana Friday afternoon.
The No. 5 seed Hoosiers carry a three-game winning streak into the Tournament. The emotional Feb. 24 return of Head Coach Kathi Bennett, who was seriously injured in a Feb. 8 car accident, can seemingly only add to Indiana's momentum. However the Hoosiers will have to rely on their third-ranked scoring defense and leading scorer senior center Jill Chapman to stifle Iowa's highly ranked offense.
After a 15-game winning streak, the Badgers find themselves in trouble, losers of nine of their last 10 games, including an 82-55 season-ending loss at Ohio State. A No. 6 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the Badgers take on Northwestern Thursday night. However, the Badgers may not be playing at full strength as senior forward Jessie Stomski suffered a concussion during the OSU-UW game. Her status for the tournament is uncertain.
Injuries plagued Ohio State early in the season, including junior forward Courtney Coleman, the team's leading scorer, to junior guard Tanya Mc Clure and sophomore guard Caity Matter as well as junior center LaToya Turner and freshman center Brandee Gibbs hurt the Buckeyes, but they were able to rebound and finish the season strong, ending with an 8-8 Big Ten Record and 13-4 overall. The No. 7 seed Buckeyes face Michigan State Thursday afternoon.
Illinois, the No. 8 seed in the tournament, plays No. 9 seed Michigan for the right to play top-seeded Purdue Friday.
Illinois swept Michigan in this season's series, notching their only win over a ranked team against the Wolverines Dec. 28. For Illinois to advance deep in the tournament, they will need sophomore forward Cindy Dallas and her 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game to play at top form.
No. 9 seed Michigan can empathize with Wisconsin and their sudden fall from grace as the Wolverines, highly ranked in the preseason, started 10-1 nonconference record before stumbling to a 1-6 conference start. They righted the ship by finishing 5-4. Michigan must rely on junior center LeeAnn Bies and her 16.2 ppg average to make a run against the top teams in the Big Ten.
Like their in-state counterparts, the Spartans have played inconsistently in the regular season and enter the tournament as a No. 10 seed.
While the Spartans are fresh off a defeat of Minnesota, just the second home loss for the Gophers all season, MSU will heavily rely on junior forward Syreta Bromfield and her 15.9 ppg average to augment the Spartans' second-ranked scoring defense in order to make a run.
Northwestern has struggled this year, going 0-16 in the Big Ten and 4-23 overall. NU relies heavily on freshman center Sarah Kwasinski, who averages 13.6 ppg, to stay in games. The Wildcats face Wisconsin Thursday night.
