Eleven teams. Ten games. Four days. One trophy.
March Madness has officially begun in Madison, as the Wisconsin women's basketball team heads to Conseco Fieldhouse this weekend for the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.
The Badgers picked up the No. 8 seed and will face ninth-ranked Illinois in its first round game at 4 p.m. Thursday. The two teams split the regular season series, with each winning in its respective venue. The winner will take on league champ Ohio State in the quarterfinals.
All 10 Big Ten Tournament games will be televised live on the Big Ten Network, except Sunday's championship on ESPN2.
Here is a team-by-team rundown of what to watch for this weekend:
No. 8 Wisconsin
(9-9 Big Ten, 16-12 overall)
ESPN.com bracketology"" specialist Charlie Creme has Wisconsin just missing the NCAA Tournament, and Wisconsin's three seniors want nothing more than to make the big dance - its first since 2002. Selected as the media's Big Ten Player of the Year, senior guard Jolene Anderson led the conference with 19.6 points per game while ranking third in rebounds (7.6) and seventh in assists (3.7) per game. Fellow guard Janese Banks and forward Danielle Ward add 12.5 points and 1.3 blocks per game, respectively.
If it gets past the Illini, Wisconsin would get a third game against Ohio State who beat the Badgers twice during the regular season. Anderson, Banks and Ward would love to knock off the Buckeyes and steal the stage with a conference crown, as the Badgers need a big weekend to make the field of 64.
No. 9 Illinois (8-10, 16-13)
Head coach Jolette Law was not happy after a controversial no-call at the buzzer the last time Illinois and Wisconsin met in Madison. Perhaps it is fitting that the two teams square off a third time, as the Illini want to rid the bitter taste from their mouths.
Illinois will need a big game from outstanding sophomore Jenna Smith, who finished second in conference points per game with 18.3. Junior Lori Bjork is a deadly 3-point shooter, making 40.2 percent from behind the arc. If these two heat up, it could spell trouble for the Badgers.
No. 1 Ohio State (13-5, 22-7)
The Buckeyes were the preseason Big Ten favorite and have remained at the top of the standings for the majority of the season. Ohio State will see a tricky matchup regardless of the outcome of the Wisconsin/Illinois game. The Illini defeated the Buckeyes in Champaign, Ill., while the Badgers battled in two tight losses.
Although Wisconsin's Anderson was voted by the media as the Big Ten POY, the Buckeyes' freshman phenom Janel Lavender was selected by the coaches to the same award. Lavender has dominated the inside for Ohio State, averaging a team-high 17.8 points and a conference-high 9.7 rebounds per game. Paired with senior Marscilla Packer, who averages 14.7 points from the wing, this year's Ohio State squad is still the heavy favorite to take home the trophy.
No. 2 Iowa (13-5, 20-9)
The surprise co-champion Hawkeyes take their newly polished regular season title to Indy with high hopes. Iowa, which secured a share of the title by defeating Wisconsin, has won 11 of its last 13 conference games. Big Ten Coach of the Year Lisa Bluder has her team playing well and ready for a successful weekend in Indianapolis.
First-team All-Big Ten senior Kristi Smith leads the potent Hawkeyes with 14.4 points per game. Sixth-year senior and second-team All-Big Ten honoree Johanna Solverson adds 12.9 points and 4.3 assists per game. A showdown between the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes in the championship would give the winner undisputed conference laurels.
No. 3 Purdue (11-7, 15-14)
Perched atop the conference standings after defeating Ohio State in early February, the Boilermakers responded by losing four of their last six games to fall into a tie for third place. Purdue will need a very good showing in Indianapolis to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Boilers are led by juniors Danielle Campbell and Lakisha Freeman, who score 12.5 and 12.1 points per game, respectively. Big Ten All-Defensive team honoree and sophomore FahKara Malone is the heart of the team, averaging 2.4 steals per game.
No. 4 Minnesota (11-7, 20-10)
Losing the tiebreaker to Purdue to pick up the fourth seed may actually play out in the Gophers' favor. By beating Michigan State, Minnesota could set up a potential semi-final matchup against Ohio State. The Gophers beat the Buckeyes in Minneapolis earlier this season, but were swept by No. 2 Iowa.
First team All-Big Ten senior guard Emily Fox has developed into one of the league's best, averaging 17.2 points and 4.5 assists per game. Fox and teammate Leslie Knight, a second-team All-Big Ten senior forward averaging 16.4 points in conference play, produce the league's highest scoring tandem.
No. 5 Michigan State (10-8, 18-12)
Michigan State never lived up to its preseason expectations, barely managing a .500 conference record. The Spartans can change that this weekend with wins against Minnesota and Ohio State, two probable NCAA-Tournament teams.
Alyssa DeHaan is Ms. Everything for the Spartans, as the 6'9' sophomore center ranks No. 2 in the nation in blocks, averaging 4.0 per game. She also leads the Spartans in points with 14.8 and rebounds with 7.6 per contest. DeHaan and company will need to keep winning in Indy to seal a spot in the big dance.
No. 6 Indiana (10-8, 17-13)
The Hoosiers have ridden quite a rollercoaster this season, but have arguably the easiest route to the title game. A dismal Northwestern team followed by a faltering Purdue squad provides first and second round opponents, setting up a semifinal game against Iowa - a team that beat them by 15 in Iowa City, Iowa, in early February.
Marshfield, Wis., native and Hoosier sophomore Jamie Braun finished sixth in the league scoring race, averaging 16.3 points per game. Junior Whitney Thomas adds 12.1 points and 8.7 points for Indiana, which could be this year's dark horse in Indy.
No. 7 Michigan (9-9, 16-12)
Junior Carly Benson, who leads the team with 11.7 points per game, was awarded as a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the conference coaches with junior Jessica Minnfield picking up an Honorable Mention.
Head coach Kevin Borseth was visibly upset after his Michigan team surrendered a 20-point lead to Wisconsin last week. Michigan should have no trouble with ailing Penn State, but a quarterfinal matchup with red-hot Iowa could spell a disappointing trip to the WNIT for the maize and blue.
No. 10 Penn State (4-14, 13-17)
The Nittany Lions have lost 11 straight, including one in Evanston, Ill., to give Northwestern its sole conference victory. Senior Kammela Gissendanner leads Penn State with 14.3 points per game and junior Brianne O'Rourke leads the conference in assists with 4.9 per contest.
Whether O'Rourke can find anyone to pass to will be this weekend's story for Penn State.
No. 11 Northwestern (1-17, 5-25)
Freshman Amy Jeaschke leads the Wildcats with 13.3 points per game, but the Wildcats will have to play to absolute perfection if they expect to get past Indiana on the opening day.
