The Big Ten regular season is coming to a close, and once again, the conference picture is very blurry. As it stands right now, the title still belongs to anyone with a few teams showing a stronger desire for it than others. It's time to take a look at just where each team stand on its push towards the finish line.
Teams like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois have played solid all year.??Minnesota has seen its stock rise lately while Purdue and Indiana have seen it fall.?? All of these teams are jockeying for position late in the season with some teams doing a better job than others.
The Badgers finally got over the hump Wednesday and took over sole possession of first place in the Big Ten from Michigan, for possibly their most impressive win of the season. They have played the most solid basketball of any Big Ten team with only a single two-game losing streak all year.
The Wolverines finally relinquished their hold of first place in the Big Ten. A Big Ten tournament championship is the highest honor that Michigan can achieve since they are ineligible for the NCAA national championship or the National Invitational Tournament. So, in essence, the Wolverines are playing for a high seed in their own national championship.
The Fighting Illini have played the best basketball of the year in the Big Ten behind Player of the Year candidate and senior forward Brian Cook. Nevertheless, they are still only in second place and must win out the season if they want another Big Ten regular season title. Regardless of where they finish the season, they will still be a force to contend with in March.
After a slow start to conference play the Gophers have been on fire lately, winning seven of their last nine games. They have peaked at the perfect time and are headed for an astounding finish to the regular season. They could be one of the sleeper teams in March.
The Boilermakers have taken a nose dive lately, falling from the top spot in the Big Ten.?? Since starting 7-1, Purdue has lost four of five, including road losses to undaunting Ohio State and Northwestern. They must right the ship to keep from limping their way into the post-season tournament.
The Spartans' win over Minnesota was huge and may give them just the momentum they need to make a strong push to the end of the season.?? Michigan State plays relatively weak teams to finish the season with two of the three games at home.
After their 14-3 start, the wind was completely taken out of the Hoosiers' sails. Possibly the most disappointing team in conference play, Indiana has lost seven of its last nine games and their hopes of an NCAA tournament bid are getting slimmer by the day.?? Something needs to change fast.
Strangely enough, the Hawkeyes may actually be right where they want to be. Iowa has never had higher than a No. 6 seed in the last three years of the Big Ten tournament, yet Head Coach Steve Alford has compiled a 8-2 record in the tournament in those three years which includes one tournament championship.
The Buckeyes are not even close to last year's Big Ten tournament championship team. At 13-12 on the season so far, Ohio State's season may end early without a strong showing in the conference tournament.
Despite a couple of impressive conference wins, the Wildcats have looked largely unimpressive for most of the year. The 'Cats will be lucky to make it out of the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
Penn State has looked weak all season and is probably already looking forward to next season.?? The Nittany Lions' season will more than likely also include a first round exit in their only post-season tournament this year.
Only two weeks remain in the Big Ten season, and it will be interesting to see where all of the teams end up once the Big Ten tournament rolls around.??Just like last year, there will be nothing close to \clarity"" in the Big Ten until those two weeks have passed.
