It took until late in the evening Sunday for the whole picture to develop, but this year's Big Ten tournament seeding took an interesting twist in Wisconsin's favor. Thanks to Iowa's upset over the Nittany Lions and Minnesota's slip-up against Michigan in The Barn, the Badgers, who entered the day in sixth place, earned a No. 4 seed in the conference tournament. Despite having the same conference record, Wisconsin surpasses Ohio State and Penn State in the bracket because of its 3-0 record over both teams this season.
Nonetheless, the streaky play and number of upsets that so many of the teams in the Big Ten have experienced this season make seeding an insignificant factor. Rather, the fact that nearly every team in the conference has shown it has the potential to win the tournament and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament will have the whole nation keeping a watchful eye on the events in Indianapolis this weekend.
No. 1 Michigan State (15-3 Big Ten, 25-5 overall)
The regular season conference champions this year may have secured their place in the NCAA bracket, but two of their three Big Ten losses this season—at home to Penn State and Northwestern—leave many questioning whether Michigan State can walk away with a tournament title. But as the team with the best scoring offense and rebounding offense in the league, you can bet they will pull out a win if they hit 70 points in any game.
No. 2 Illinois (11-7, 23-8)
Another beneficiary of last minute parity in the Big Ten, Illinois leaped over Purdue in the conference standings thanks to a two-game skid at the finish by the Boilermakers and a season sweep by the Illini.
Since the 10-1 streak the team had in December and January, Illinois has been relatively inconsistent. Top-scoring sophomores Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis have been either hot or cold as of late, combining for as few as nine points or as many as 37 in some games in the last three weeks.
No. 3 Purdue (11-7, 22-9)
Despite playing well enough to stay amidst the nation's top 25 all season, Purdue has picked the worst time to fall into a slump. The Boilermakers lost three of their last four and even gave up a home loss to Northwestern a week ago. But with three players averaging better than 12 points per game and a Big Ten best +10.3 scoring margin, Purdue brings a better offense to the court than either of the opponents it could face first on Friday.
No. 4 Wisconsin (10-8, 19-11)
Despite a six-game losing streak and a 2-2 run to close the season, the Badgers still landed in position for a first-round tournament bye, which should be yet another reminder to the rest of the Big Ten: Bo Ryan's ball clubs always find ways to win. Wisconsin does not have a single player among the conference's 12 best scorers or assist leaders, but it has have the second-best scoring defense and best rebounding defense in the league. The defense is anchored by senior forward Joe Krabbenhoft, who has been averaging 6.7 boards per game.
No. 5 Ohio State (10-8, 20-9)
For a team that started the season 9-0 with wins against Butler, Miami and the then-formidable Fighting Irish, Ohio State went on to accrue a mediocre conference season. However, the Buckeyes have possibly the most consistent player in the conference in sophomore guard-forward Evan Turner, a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection earlier this week.
No. 6 Penn State (10-8, 21-10)
The biggest surprise of the season, Penn State, would guarantee its first NCAA tournament bid in eight years with two wins this weekend. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that they are led in scoring and assists by a second-year man. Sophomore guard Taylor Battle averages a Big Ten best 17.3 points per game and has led the Nittany Lions past all but two conference opponents this season—Wisconsin and Ohio State.
No. 7 Michigan (9-9, 19-12)
Wins against Duke, UCLA, Illinois and Purdue do not mean much when you lose seven out of nine during the thick of conference play. Sophomore guard Manny Harris and junior forward DeShawn Sims average better than 30 points and 14 rebounds per game combined, but an inconsistent defense will likely prevent them from moving past the second round.
No. 8 Minnesota (9-9, 21-9)
Head coach Tubby Smith got the Golden Gophers off to an astounding 15-1 start, but, just like everyone else in the Big Ten, could not get a groove going in conference play. Minnesota's last big win came at the end of January when it defeated Illinois. A deep and experienced bench—all but two players average 10 or more minutes per game—is Minnesota's greatest advantage heading into the tournament.
No. 9 Northwestern (8-10, 17-12)
Not even the Big East's ninth-place team is as impressive as Northwestern, which has shown it can beat tough teams—Flordia State, Michigan State and Purdue—but still let far too many games wind up in the loss column. Senior guard Craig Moore has been the team's secret weapon, lethal from beyond the arc on a number of occasions this year, and must be on top of his game if they are to rack up wins this weekend.
No. 10 Iowa (5-13, 15-16)
The Hawkeyes are the first team on the Big Ten's list that does not stand a chance of an at-large bid Sunday and lacks the tenacity to win the four-in-a-row that would earn entry through the conference tournament. Though four of its starters average better than 10 points per game, Iowa is marred by the fact that even the hapless Hoosiers have beaten them in conference play. However, if last year's Illinois team taught us anything, Iowa should not be without hope despite a sub-.500 record.
No. 11 Indiana (1-17, 6-24)
What makes Indiana potentially dangerous—despite an otherwise dreadful season—is how good their freshmen are getting. Given how close the Hoosiers' games against Penn State and Michigan State were in the closing weeks of conference play, solid play from freshman guard Verdell Jones III and freshman forward Tom Pritchard may get them a win when it matters the most.
