The Big Ten Conference tournament has been a by-the-numbers tournament so far this year, with the top seeds advancing in each of the games that have been played so far.
With the NCAA tournament bracket starting to take shape, it is clear that a number of Big Ten teams will need impressive showings in the Big Ten Conference championships to ensure a good seed in the Big Dance.
Indiana continued to show its dominance as it put to rest the Fighting Illini of Illinois 80-64 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. The Hoosiers will need to win the championship to help convince the tournament selection committee that they are deserving of a number one seed despite losses to unranked Minnesota and the then 14-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes down the final stretch.
The University of Michigan saw their hopes of a number one seed slip past them with big losses as well during the final month of play. Their loss to Wisconsin in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament was a big one and may have doubts swimming around the heads of star players Trey Burke and Glenn Robinson III as they enter into March Madness.
Ohio State took a 28-23 lead at halftime against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the semifinals and went on an 11-0 run to start off the second half. Forwards Deshaun Thomas and Sam Thompson looked impressive with 12 points each as of early in the second half. If they continue to dominate the Cornhuskers, they will face off against either Michigan State or Iowa in the semis of the Big Ten tournament.
The match-up between MSU and the Hawkeyes will certainly be an interesting one. This will be the first meeting between the two teams this year and the Spartans will certainly be looking to build on the momentum they've created since losing three conference games in a row to Indiana, Ohio State, and in-state rival Michigan.
On the upper half of the bracket, the two teams have already been decided. Indiana will look to continue its hot streak as they take on the Wisconsin Badgers in the semifinals tomorrow at 1:40 p.m. EDT in an effort to reach the finals. Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo have been outstanding, with Zeller contributing 24 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in the win against Illinois.
Predictions:
It will be interesting to see if the bracket continues to play out as seeded because that would mean a rematch between the number one seeded Hoosiers and the number two seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in the championship. Ohio State and Indiana split their regular season games and will both be looking for some momentum to carry with them into the NCAA tournament.
If it does indeed play out this way, look for the Buckeyes to stun the Hoosiers once again with the strong play of Thomas and Thompson just barely outdoing that of Zeller and Oladipo who may be looking a little too far forward as the Big Dance draws near.