Adam Hunger/Associated Press
The Big Ten has been one of the most entertaining conferences to watch in men’s college basketball.
The top spot in the conference standings changed hands multiple times. The Wisconsin Badgers own that position entering the final week of the regular season.
Wisconsin’s top spot will be challenged by the Purdue Boilermakers on Tuesday night in a game that could either set the top spots in the Big Ten tournament field, or make the picture more jumbled going into the final few days of regular-season action.
There are a few clear paths to top-four seeds, but one unexpected loss could shift the seeding picture for next week’s event in Indianapolis.
Big Ten Tournament Schedule
Wednesday, March 9
No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed (6 p.m. ET, BTN)
No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed (8:30 p.m. ET, BTN)
Thursday, March 10
No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed (11:30 a.m. ET. BTN)
No. 5 seed vs. No. 12 vs. No. 13 winner (2 p.m. ET. BTN)
No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed (6:30 p.m. ET, BTN)
No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 vs. No. 14 winner (9 p.m. ET, BTN)
Friday, March 11
No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 vs. No. 9 winner (11:30 a.m. ET, BTN)
No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 vs. No. 12/13 winner (2 p.m. ET, BTN)
No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 vs. No. 10 winner (6:30 p.m. ET, BTN)
No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 vs. No. 11/14 winner (9 p.m. ET, BTN)
Saturday, March 12
Semifinal No. 1 (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
Semifinal No. 2 (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Sunday, March 13
Championship Game (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Bracket Predictions
1. Wisconsin
2. Illinois
3. Purdue
4. Ohio State
5. Rutgers
6. Iowa
7. Michigan State
8. Michigan
9. Indiana
10. Penn State
11. Maryland
12. Northwestern
13. Minnesota
14. Northwestern
The top of the Big Ten tournament bracket will be determined by Tuesday’s clash between the Wisconsin Badgers and Purdue Boilermakers.
Wisconsin used a four-game winning streak to reach the top of the conference and it gets the edge going into Tuesday night because of its home-court advantage.
Purdue lost two of its last three road games against the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans and it only beat the Northwestern Wildcats by six points in its lone road win in that span.
Tuesday’s clash at the Kohl Center could be a back-and-forth duel between Johnny Davis and Jaden Ivey, who are two of the individual stars you must watch in March.
The Illinois Fighting Illini will likely swoop up the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament if Wisconsin holds serve at home.
Illinois closes the regular season with home games against the Penn State Nittany Lions and Iowa Hawkeyes. It would have one fewer loss than Purdue in that situation.
The Ohio State Buckeyes’ play over their final three games will determine the final double bye and the order beneath the No. 3 seed.
Ohio State plays host to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Michigan State and Michigan. It enters Tuesday one game ahead of Iowa and Michigan State in the loss column.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights could be the biggest beneficiary of the results over the next six days. Rutgers finishes with the Indiana Hoosiers on the road and a home game with Penn State.
Rutgers can win both games and move ahead of Iowa and Michigan State since both programs have tougher schedules in the final week of the regular season.
Iowa could lose to Illinois and Michigan State may stumble in one of its road games at Michigan or Ohio State.
Any one of Rutgers, Iowa and Michigan State would love to earn the No. 5 seed to avoid a tough matchup in the first round in Indianapolis.
Michigan and Indiana will be the most desperate teams in the Big Ten tournament as they look to make one final push to secure spots in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
The Wolverines and Hoosiers could play each other in a bubble elimination game with the winner taking on the No. 1 or No. 2 seed.
The top teams in the Big Ten tournament field will be fighting for NCAA tournament seeding along with the right to cut down the nets in Indianapolis.
The two Michigan schools have won six of the last nine Big Ten tournaments. Illinois is the reigning champion.
Wisconsin and Purdue could have extra motivation in Indianapolis to end their Big Ten tournament droughts and potentially move up a seed line in the field of 68 in the process.
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