Big Ten Tournament 2022: Preview, Predictions and Players to Watch

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Andy Manis/Associated Press

There will be more than bragging rights on the line during next week’s Big Ten men’s basketball tournament.

Beyond the automatic March Madness bid extended to the champion, there are NCAA Tournament resumes to improve and seed lines to climb up or down.

Five different teams have top-25 rankings. Another handful rests somewhere just inside or out of the bubble. This field is absolutely loaded.

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Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Tournament Schedule

First Round: March 9

Second Round: March 10

Quarterfinals: March 11

Semifinals: March 12

Championship: March 13

                

Current Standings

Wisconsin 15-4 (24-5)

Illinois 14-5 (21-8)

Purdue 13-6 (24-6)

Iowa 12-7 (22-8)

Ohio State 12-7 (19-9)

Rutgers 11-8 (17-12)

Michigan State 10-9 (19-11)

Michigan 10-9 (16-13)

Indiana 9-10 (18-11)

Maryland 7-12 (15-15)

Penn State 7-12 (12-15)

Northwestern 6-13 (13-15)

Minnesota 4-15 (13-15)

Nebraska 3-16 (9-21)

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Duane Burleson/Associated Press

If accuracy is the aim for predictions, then the safe, boring route is usually the smartest to take.

Would it be all kinds of fun if a team like Rutgers or Indiana played its way off of the bubble by taking down this entire field? Absolutely. But the odds of that coming to fruition are so tiny that predicting it does nothing beyond turning the bold meter all the way up.

The eye test and the stat sheet both say the tournament champion will likely come from the ranked quintet: Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, Iowa and Ohio State.

The question is whether offense or balance will be the difference-maker. Purdue, Iowa and Ohio State all tilt heavily toward the opposite end, each ranking 11th or better in adjusted efficiency on that side and 74th or worse on defense, per KenPom.com. Illinois (18th on offense, 32nd on defense) and Wisconsin (42nd and 27th) are better balanced but not as explosive.

Purdue could catch fire and incinerate this entire field. When Iowa’s shooters are on, the Hawkeyes can take down anyone. Still, our crystal ball likes Illinois for its experience and ability to win games on either end.

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Kofi Cockburn, Illinois

Cockburn is a welcome sight for anyone bemoaning basketball’s move to a much more perimeter-oriented game.

The 7’0″, 285-pound junior is a throwback bruiser in the post, not to mention a walking double-double (21.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game). When the Illini’s shooters can keep opposing defenses honest, Cockburn is basically unguardable around the basket.

           

Jaden Ivey, Purdue

Assuming Ivey makes the NBA leap this summer, he won’t wait long to hear his name called. He has moon-boots kind of bounce and brings the fireworks every time he finds a lane to the basket.

He leads a balanced Purdue attack which features three other double-digit scorers in 7’4″ center Zach Edey, senior sixth man Trevion Williams and 6’5″ guard Sasha Stefanovic. But Ivey is the jaw-dropper; not just of this team, but the entire conference.

            

Keegan Murray, Iowa

Murray could be right on Ivey’s heels at the draft, as the conference’s leading scorer does everything NBA teams want from a 6’8″, 225-pound swingman. He never seems more than a step away from the basket given his explosive athleticism, and he can pile up points in transition, out of isolations, on the offensive glass or out of pick-and-rolls.

Over his last nine outings—eight of them Iowa wins—he has averaged 25.6 points per game while hitting 50 percent of his threes and a preposterous 62.7 percent of his twos.