Big Ten March Madness officially begins Thursday. With that in mind, The Daily Cardinal presents a comprehensive team-by-team breakdown of all the action to come in Indy.
No. 1 Wisconsin (16-2, 26-4)
For the Badgers, the biggest thing at stake this weekend, other than the tournament title, is NCAA Tournament seeding. A weekend sweep would likely mean a No. 2 seed, while a loss to Michigan or Iowa Friday could result in a No. 4 seed.
Head coach Bo Ryan said Monday that it is impossible to pick an MVP on this team, but if UW wins the conference tournament, one will have to be awarded. Watch out for Brian Butch this weekend. He is averaging 13.7 points over his last three games, and the senior knows that his collegiate career is nearing an end. Also, look for sophomore Jason Bohannon, who has scored at least nine points in eight of the last nine games. He has yet to receive national recognition, and this could be his breakout weekend.
No. 2 Purdue (15-3, 24-7)
The Boilermakers will also look to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding this weekend, but they will also be looking for respect and revenge if they face Indiana in the semifinals Saturday. The Hoosiers won the only meeting between the two teams this season, and, with the tournament being held in Indianapolis, Conseco Fieldhouse is likely to be split between those wearing black and those wearing crimson.
Opponents cannot focus on one specific Purdue player, but freshman Robbie Hummel was a first team all-conference selection after averaging 11.7 points this season and could get some national recognition in the coming weeks.
No. 3 Indiana (14-4, 25-6)
This weekend is about getting the entire team back on track for Indiana. The Hoosiers have the conference's two best players - senior forward D.J. White and freshman guard Eric Gordon - but Sunday's loss at Penn State showed that IU is far from where it needs to be heading into the postseason.
Indiana is slipping in the polls and in potential NCAA Tournament seeding. The Hoosiers will have the home crowd and badly need some momentum. Watch Gordon, who hasn't been the same since injuring his non-shooting hand Jan. 31 against Wisconsin. He gets his points whether he plays well or not, but if he turns the ball over and takes bad shots, Indiana could be one-and-done this weekend.
No. 4 Michigan State (12-6, 24-7)
It's been an up-and-down season for the preseason Big Ten favorites. They are a lock for the NCAA Tournament and will be playing for seeding. Who knows which team will show up - the team that put up 103 points at home against Indiana or the team that was 2-6 on the road in conference play? Their near-November upset of UCLA in Kansas City, Mo., is the only indication of how they might play on a neutral floor.
Preseason player of the year Drew Neitzel was so inconsistent this season that the media didn't even put him on their first-team All-Big Ten Team. However, he is still averaging 13.4 points per game, and this team will go as far as he takes them.
No. 5 Ohio State (10-8, 19-12)
The Buckeyes are the Big Ten's lone bubble team right now, and their work isn't done even though they beat Purdue and Michigan State at home last weekend, which were their only resume wins of the season. OSU's best road win? Take your pick between Cleveland State, Illinois and Penn State. It's likely the Bucks will need to beat Michigan State for the second time this week if they want to get into the NCAA Tournament.
With that said, senior forward Othello Hunter might be the guy that gets them there. He's only the third leading scorer on the team at 9.5 points per game, but Hunter was a huge spark for Ohio State in their last two wins, scoring 15 against Purdue and 13 against the Spartans.
No. 6 Minnesota (8-10, 18-12)
The Gophers almost put themselves back in NCAA Tournament talk when they nearly upset Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., but a late collapse made the loss look worse than it really was, and they followed it up with a 67-58 loss at Illinois.
If there is a team not headed to the NCAA Tournament with a chance to win the conference tournament, Minnesota is it, but that would be a lot to ask. If Tubby Smith's squad gets past 11th seeded Northwestern Thursday, an upset over Indiana on Friday would not be out of the question if senior Spencer Tollackson can stay out of foul trouble and have a big game.
No. 7 Penn State (7-11, 15-15)
After a disappointing season last year, the Nittany Lions started their 2007-'08 campaign strong, compiling a 10-4 record and going on an impressive seven-game winning streak. However, Penn State went into a complete downward spiral as its Big Ten schedule got tougher. The Nittany Lions followed their win streak with a six-game losing streak and were never able to get back on track.
Penn State has also been devastated by injuries. Both senior swingman Geary Claxton and junior forward Jamelle Cornley will sit out the remainder of the season. However, Penn State did finish its season on a high note, winning three out of their last four contests, including a stunning overtime victory over the No. 3 seeded Indiana Hoosiers. The Nittany Lions have a favorable first round matchup against struggling Illinois, but will need another miracle in order to beat surging Purdue in second round action.
No. 8 Iowa (6-12, 13-18)
The Hawkeyes have been a consistent contender in the Big Ten for the last several years, but the loss of their two top scoring forwards from last season - senior Adam Haluska to graduation and sophomore Tyler Smith, who transferred - proved to be too much for Iowa to handle. The Hawkeyes struggled in non-conference play and were never able to put together consecutive victories against Big Ten opponents.
Iowa is led by a pair of guards: senior Tony Freeman and junior Justin Johnson, who lead the team in scoring at 14 and 12 points per game, respectively. Iowa faces a fairly evenly matched team in Michigan in the first round, followed by regular season Big Ten champion Wisconsin if they advance.
No. 9 Michigan (5-13, 9-21)
It has been a rebuilding year for the Wolverines, who returned no starters from last year's underachieving squad. Michigan's roster includes just four upperclassmen and their lack of leadership showed during a difficult stretch where they faced four ranked opponents in non-conference play.
Freshman guard Manny Harris has shown tremendous potential, averaging 16 points per game to lead the Wolverines. He has scored 25 points or more in four games. Michigan could certainly challenge No. 8 Iowa in the first round but will need a spectacular performance to take down the top-ranked Badgers in the second round.
No. 10 Illinois (5-13, 13-18)
Perhaps the most disappointing team in the conference is the Fighting Illini, who played inconsistently throughout the year despite returning several key components from last season's squad. Illinois routed the No. 6 seed Minnesota by 23 points, yet they lost to No. 9-seeded Michigan by six points two weeks later in a game where they scored just 43 points.
The Fighting Illini are strong up front with senior big men Warren Carter and Shaun Pruitt, who lead Illinois in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Illinois could cash in on their first round matchup against an injury-plagued Penn State team but will likely have its hands full if it faces Purdue's balanced scoring attack in the second round.
No. 11 Northwestern (1-17, 8-21)
The 2007-'08 campaign has been a season Wildcat fans would like to forget. After a 1-4 start in non-conference play, Northwestern managed to rattle off four straight wins to finish above .500 going into Big Ten competition. But Northwestern's play since January has been nothing short of disastrous. Their lone victory in the Big Ten was a two-point win at Michigan, and, overall, the Wildcats won just three of their last 19 games.
One of the few bright spots for Northwestern has been the play of sophomore forward Kevin Coble, who is among the Big Ten's scoring leaders and registered 34 and 37 points, respectively, in matchups against Michigan and Indiana. Coble will likely need to be at his best once again for the Wildcats to defeat No. 6 Minnesota in the first round.
