Big Ten Men’s Basketball Bracketology: Zach Edey, Purdue reign supreme
Sunday’s matchup between No. 2 Purdue and No. 6 Wisconsin was as good as it gets in Big Ten basketball. The top spot in the conference was on the line a month out from the Big Ten Tournament, and we got a tightly-contested game featuring twists and turns, star performances and one of the conference’s best settings.
In the end, it was Purdue reasserting its dominance over the conference in a 75-69 victory. Going into Madison and beating the Badgers is probably the Boilermakers’ most impressive victory of the season, and that is saying something considering their strength of schedule. It won’t change much in these bracket projections, but it was a massive test for Purdue to pass as its revenge tour marches on.
Even more exciting? These teams will lock horns again in West Lafayette on the final day of the regular season. In the meantime, here’s how the Big Ten breaks down bracket-wise as things stand:
Purdue: 1-seed
Games this upcoming week: vs. Indiana on Sat.
This season has been all about the Boilermakers proving they can win in ways besides relying on Zach Edey to go crazy. He notched 18 points and 13 boards against Wisconsin but was only Purdue’s third-leading scorer. Plus, this game was won just as much on the defensive end, where the Boilermakers held the Badgers to 41.5% shooting and made a few key steals down the stretch to seal it.
Wisconsin: 2-seed
Games this week: at Michigan on Wed., at Rutgers on Sat.
It’s difficult to lose two straight games and remain a two-seed, but that speaks to the difficulty of the Badgers’ last week. Pinnacle Bank Arena has become a house of horrors for contenders visiting Nebraska, and Wisconsin did only lose to Purdue by six in a game where it shot 15.8% from three. The Badgers have every opportunity to get back on track this week.
Illinois: 4-seed
Games this week: at Michigan State on Sat.
The overtime bug that bit Illinois against Northwestern came around to their side Sunday in an 87-84 victory at home against Nebraska. The Fighting Illini have won five of their last six and are that one overtime period in Evanston away from a six-game winning streak. They have nearly a week to prepare for a tough road game at Michigan State.
Michigan State: 7-seed
Games this week: at Minnesota on Tue. (Peacock), vs. Illinois on Sat.
Here come the Spartans! As winner of five of its last six games (and four of those wins came by nine points or more), Michigan State is building the traditional resume to match the NET ranking that has consistently placed top-30 in the country. Yes, this streak has come against lower-tier opponents, but that’s a worthy trade-off for the Spartans’ brutal early slate.
Northwestern: 9-seed
Games this week: vs. Nebraska on Wed., vs. Penn State on Sun.
The Wildcats’ rough week started when a comeback to force overtime against the Boilermakers fell flat in the extra period. It continued with another overtime loss, this time at Minnesota. They were outscored by a combined margin of 38-20 in those overtimes. Given that three of their last four games have gone past regulation, you have to wonder if some fatigue is setting in.
Nebraska: 10-seed
Games this week: at Northwestern on Wed., vs. Michigan on Sat.
If NCAA Tournament seeding was decided solely by home record, Nebraska might be a No. 1 seed. The Cornhuskers added another victim to their collection of home wins when they beat Wisconsin in overtime. On the other hand, they were this close to getting off the schneid on the road in the Big Ten when they came back from a 10-point deficit in the final four minutes in Champaign Sunday, only to come up short and fall to 0-6 in away Big Ten games. Ohio State is the only other Big Ten team still winless on the road in-conference.
Iowa: Out (close to the bubble)
Games this week: at Penn State on Thu., vs. Minnesota on Sun.
The Hawkeyes keep hovering around the area where they could establish themselves as a true tournament candidate with a good run. A loss at Indiana and tight win over Ohio State isn’t going to qualify as the start of that run. Maybe it begins in earnest this week with winnable but challenging matchups against the Nittany Lions and Golden Gophers, both of whom are playing better than their records indicate.
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