Road to Selection Sunday: Big Ten Tournament Preview, Tid-Bits & Much More

[GopherHole Staff]

Road to Selection Sunday: Big Ten Tournament Preview, Tid-Bits & Much More
By SelectionSunday

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/358791?referrer_id=388419

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.

 

[XMan]

Great write up. Well done.

 

[OSUfan]

Yes, good column.

I didn't realize that OSU had six wins against Michigan in the BTT. The Evan Turner shot from 2010 will be remembered for a long time, though. I know OSU beat Michigan 3 years in a row in the conference tournament, 2010-2012. And I recall a victory in 2007 as well, as they played practically back to back games that year. But that's just four.

I'd say OSU is due to lose fairly early in the Big Ten tournament as they have had a lot of success there in recent years and the team they have this year is hardly one you'd expect to win this tournament.

This could be the year when a lower seeded team strikes for the title. Each of the top 3 teams have lost to at least one of the worst teams in the league (Indiana and Illinois). I believe there has only been one team seeded in the bottom half to win the league tournament and that was over 10 years ago (Iowa won in 2006 but they were a pretty high seed that year, IIRC their lower seeded run was in like 2001 with Luke Recker leading the way). With all the parity in the Big Ten this season, that would be a fitting ending.

 

[OSUfan]

Another interesting trivia note - you mentioned PSU's 2-0 mark against MSU in the BTT. Penn State, with their 2001 win against North Carolina in the NCAA tournament, has more wins against the Tar Heels since January 1, 2001, than OSU, MSU and Wisconsin combined.

 

[howeda7]

Another interesting trivia note - you mentioned PSU's 2-0 mark against MSU in the BTT. Penn State, with their 2001 win against North Carolina in the NCAA tournament, has more wins against the Tar Heels since January 1, 2001, than OSU, MSU and Wisconsin combined.

If that's true, than so do the Gophers! Ski U Mah!

 

[station19]

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.

Who is the other team?

 

[Dr.Don]

Who is the other team?

One of the others he listed, dumazz!!!

 

[station19]

One of the others he listed, dumazz!!!

That was so stupid it was funny.

 

[OSUfan]

If that's true, than so do the Gophers! Ski U Mah!

Yessir!

 

[OSUfan]

Who is the other team?

Good question!

It's hard for me to conclude that any individual B1G team is likely to make the F4 this season. In fact I would go so far as to say that it is much more likely that none make it than for 2 to make it. However, I think MSU and UW are best positioned to do it. I just don't think UM has enough balance in terms of interior presence and I don't think they have enough reliable scorers. In a single-elimination tournament, it's hard to make a Final Four with only 3 guys you can really rely on for points. UM last year had much better balance offensively with four guys averaging double figures in points for the season plus McGary who averaged over 14 ppg in the tournament.