The Gophers hope Andre Hollins is all smiles this weekend.
NAPTOWN, IND. — Here’s a capsule look at the 17th annual Big Ten Tournament, which kicks off Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis when #8 seed Indiana takes on #9 seed and BTT stud Illinois at 11 a.m. CT at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It’s more than appropriate the Hoosiers and Illini kick off the hoops festivities. … they will meet for a Big Ten Tournament record eighth time.
My pick? Nothing sexy here, I’m going with the top seed, Michigan. The Wolverines are a talented, free-flowing, and enjoyable team to watch, and I don’t think their fun will end at the Big Ten Tournament. Two Big Ten teams will make it to Houston for the Final Four. One of those two will be a return appearance by Go Blue.
Team: Indiana
Seed: #8
Record: 17-14, 7-11
RPI (through March 9): 91
NCAA Tournament Status: All or nothin’
BTT Record: 10-16
Championships: 0
Runner-Up: 1
Semifinal Appearances: 5
Record vs. Illinois: 2-5
Never Lost To: Michigan (1-0), Michigan State (1-0)
Never Beaten: Iowa (0-2), Minnesota (0-2), Northwestern (0-1), Purdue (0-1)
Did You Know? The Big Ten’s most storied program hasn’t won the BTT and has made only 1 finals appearance.
Team: Illinois
Seed: #9
Record: 18-13, 7-11
RPI: 68
NCAA Tournament Status: Get to the title game and we’ll talk
BTT Record: 24-14
Championships: 2 (2003, 2005)
Runner-Up: 4
Semifinal Appearances: 12
Record vs. Indiana: 5-2
Never Lost To: Minnesota (5-0), Northwestern (2-0), Penn State (3-0)
Never Beaten: Iowa (0-1), Michigan State (0-3)
Did You Know? Illinois has made 12 trips to the semifinals, including appearances in the first eight.
Team: Ohio State (defending champion)
Seed: #5
Record: 23-8, 10-8
RPI: 23
NCAA Tournament Status: Lock
BTT Record: 26-11
Championships: 5 (2002, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013)
Runner-Up: 4
Semifinal Appearances: 10
Record vs. Purdue: 2-1
Never Lost To: Michigan (6-0), Minnesota (1-0), Nebraska (1-0), Northwestern (1-0)
Never Beaten: nadda
Did You Know? Ohio State has appeared in the last 5 championship games, and 7 of the last 8.
Team: Purdue
Seed: #12
Record: 15-16, 5-13
RPI: 139
NCAA Tournament Status: All or nothin’
BTT Record: 9-15
Championships: 1 (2009)
Runner-Up: 1
Semifinal Appearances: 4
Record vs. Ohio State: 1-2
Never Lost To: Indiana (1-0), Northwestern (1-0), Penn State (1-0)
Never Beaten: Michigan (0-2), Michigan State (0-3), Wisconsin (0-1)
Did You Know? PU (along with the rival Hoosiers) hasn’t exactly parlayed Conseco/Bankers Life Fieldhouse into “home-cooking” success. Between the two schools, the Boilers’ 2009 championship is the only title-game appearance in 8 tournaments held in Indy.
Team: Minnesota
Seed: #7
Record: 18-12, 8-10
RPI: 51
NCAA Tournament Status: 1 win might do it, but probably need 2
BTT Record: 13-16
Championships: 0
Runner-Up: 1
Semifinal Appearances: 4
Record vs. Penn State: 2-0
Never Lost To: Indiana (2-0), Penn State (2-0)
Never Beaten: Illinois (0-5), Iowa (0-2), Ohio State (0-1), Wisconsin (0-1)
Did You Know? Only one time (2005) have the Gophers earned a bye.
Team: Penn State
Seed: #10
Record: 15-16, 6-12
RPI: 111
NCAA Tournament Status: All or nothin’
BTT Record: 9-16
Championships: 0
Runner-Up: 1
Semifinal Appearances: 3
Record vs. Minnesota: 0-2
Never Lost To: Michigan State (2-0)
Never Beaten: Illinois (0-3), Iowa (0-1), Minnesota (0-2), Purdue (0-1)
Did You Know? Go figure, the Nittany Lions are 2-0 vs. MSU. Both wins led to NCAA Tournament appearances.
Team: Iowa
Seed: #6
Record: 19-11, 9-9
RPI: 49
NCAA Tournament Status: 1 win should do it, 2 would cement it
BTT Record: 15-14
Championships: 2 (2001, 2006)
Runner-Up: 1
Semifinal Appearances: 4
Record vs. Northwestern: 2-0
Never Lost To: Illinois (1-0), Indiana (2-0), Minnesota (2-0), Northwestern (2-0), Penn State (1-0)
Never Beaten: Michigan (0-5)
Did You Know? The 2006 Hawkeyes were the lowest seed (#6) to win the BTT.
Team: Northwestern
Seed: #11
Record: 13-18, 6-12
RPI: 133
NCAA Tournament Status: All or nothin’
BTT Record: 6-16
Championships: 0
Runner-Up: 0
Semifinal Appearances: 0
Record vs. Iowa: 0-2
Never Lost To: Indiana (1-0)
Never Beaten: Illinois (0-2), Iowa (0-2), Michigan State (0-3), Ohio State (0-1), Purdue (0-1), Wisconsin (0-1)
Did You Know? Northwestern has never advanced beyond the quarterfinals.
Team: Michigan
Seed: #1
Record: 23-7, 15-3
RPI: 9
NCAA Tournament Status: Lock
BTT Record: 13-15
Championships: 1 (1998)
Runner-Up: 0
Semifinal Appearances: 4
Record vs. Indiana/Illinois: 0-1/1-2
Never Lost To: Iowa (5-0), Purdue (2-0)
Never Beaten: Indiana (0-1), Ohio State (0-6), Wisconsin (0-2)
Did You Know? Michigan won the first championship in 1998 but hasn’t appeared in a title game since.
Team: Nebraska
Seed: #4
Record: 19-11, 11-7
RPI: 41
NCAA Tournament Status: Probably in, but 1 win would seal it
BTT Record: 1-2
Championships: 0
Runner-Up: 0
Semifinal Appearances: 0
Record vs. Ohio State/Purdue: 0-1/1-1
Never Lost To: the 9 teams they’ve never played
Never Beaten: Ohio State (0-1), of the teams they’ve played
Did You Know? In just 3 seasons NU has earned more first-round byes than Northwestern and Penn State, and as many as the Gophers.
Team: Wisconsin
Seed: #2
Record: 25-6, 12-6
RPI: 6
NCAA Tournament Status: Lock
BTT Record: 17-14
Championships: 2 (2004, 2008)
Runner-Up: 3
Semifinal Appearances: 8
Record vs. Minnesota/Penn State: 1-0/1-2
Never Lost To: Michigan (2-0), Minnesota (1-0), Purdue (1-0)
Never Beaten: nadda (excluding Nebraska)
Did You Know? The Badgers’ only game vs. the Gophers came in the 2004 Kris Humphries season. Here’s hoping there’s a second meeting 10 years later.
Team: Michigan State
Seed: #3
Record: 23-8, 12-6
RPI: 24
NCAA Tournament Status: Lock
BTT Record: 19-13
Championships: 3 (1999, 2000, 2012)
Runner-Up: 0
Semifinal Appearances: 10
Record vs. Iowa/Northwestern: 4-2/3-0
Never Lost To: Illinois (3-0), Northwestern (3-0), Purdue (3-0)
Never Beaten: Indiana (0-1), Penn State (0-2)
Did You Know? Surprisingly, MSU has only three finals appearances, but Sparty converted all three into championships.
A DOZEN BTT TIDBITS & FACTOIDS
Some other tidbits and factoids from the 16-year history of the Big Ten Tournament:
(1) Ohio State and Illinois own the Big Ten Tournament. The two have combined for a 50-25 record with 7 championships and 15 title-game appearances.
(2) Excluding Nebraska (entered Big Ten for 2011-12 season), the only matchup yet to occur is Michigan-Michigan State. Is this the year these two bitter rivals finally square off in the BTT, with a championship on the line, to boot?
(3) Beware #7 Gophers. The #10 seed is 9-7 vs. the #7 seed, including victories in the last two tournaments by the Gophers (over Northwestern) and Nebraska (over Purdue).
(4) Beware #3 Sparty if you face #6 Iowa in the quarterfinals. The #6 seed is 9-4 all-time vs. the #3 seed.
(5) Every seed except for the #7 (bad news, Gophers) and #12 (only 2 years of existence) has advanced to a championship game.
(6) The #1 (7) and #2 (6) seeds have combined to win 13 of the 16 championships.
(7) Only on three occasions have the #1 and #2 seeds met in the title game, the last in 2007 (Ohio State-Wisconsin). The #2 seed has won 2 of the 3 matchups.
(8) Michigan State (1999, 2000) and Ohio State (2010, 2011) are the only back-to-back winners.
(9) Illinois advanced to the championship game as the #11 seed in 1999.
(10) Do you think Buckeye fans revel in the fact they’re 6-0 all-time vs. the Wolverines?
(11) The #5 seed is 2-0 vs. the #12 seed since Nebraska’s BTT participation started in 2012.
(12) Bar none, from my BTT experience Illinois has the conference’s most annoying and arrogant fans. Every time I hear the “ILL……….INI” cheer, I want to hurl.