Updated Big Ten Tournament Seeding Predictions and NCAA Tournament Resumes

Last night, MSU got off the schnide (no idea if that is spelled right) by beating up on Northwestern, 68-44, in Welsh-Ryan Arena, which would be the third-largest high school basketball gym in the State of Indiana.  The Spartans have now shoved their way into a five-way tie for second place in the Big Ten.

In the other game, Wisconsin took care of Nebraska in Lincoln, 65-55.

Tonight's IU/Maryland game in College Park will have some pretty big implications, as the winner will have the inside track for the 2-seed in the Big Ten Tournament.  Both schools have relatively favorable schedules from here on out.

On the slate tonight:

-Penn State at Ohio State (7:00 p.m. EST, BTN)

-Indiana at Maryland (9:00 p.m. EST, BTN)

Current Standings

Here are the current standings, with the conference record, each team's remaining games, and my predictions.  I will try to update these after every day or every couple days of games.

1.  Wisconsin (10-1):  Illinois (W), at PSU (W), Minnesota (W), at Maryland (L), MSU (W), at Minnesota (W), at OSU (L)

2 (tie).  Indiana (7-4):  at Maryland (L), Minnesota (W), Purdue (W), at Rutgers (W), at Northwestern (W), Iowa (W), MSU (W)

2 (tie).  Maryland (7-4):  IU (W), at PSU (W), Nebraska (W), Wisconsin (W), Michigan (W), at Rutgers (W), at Nebraska (W)

2 (tie).  Ohio State (7-4):  PSU (W), at MSU (L), at Michigan (L), Nebraska (W), Purdue (W), at PSU (W), Wisconsin (W)

2 (tie).  Purdue (7-4):  at Rutgers (W), Nebraska (W), at IU (L), Rutgers (W), at OSU (L), at MSU (L), Illinois (W)

2 (tie).  Michigan State (7-4):  OSU (W), at Michigan (L), at Illinois (W), Minnesota (W), at Wisconsin (L), Purdue (W), at IU (L)

7.  Iowa (6-4):  Minnesota (W), at Northwestern (W), Rutgers (W), at Nebraska (L), Illinois (W), at PSU (W), at IU (L), Northwestern (W)

8.  Illinois (6-5):  Michigan (W), at Wisconsin (L), MSU (L), at Iowa (L), Northwestern (W), Nebraska (W), at Purdue (L)

9.  Michigan (6-6):  at Illinois (L), MSU (W), OSU (W), at Maryland (L), at Northwestern (W), Rutgers (W)

10.  Nebraska (5-7):  at Purdue (L), at Maryland (L), Iowa (W), at OSU (L), at Illinois (L), Maryland (L)

11.  Minnesota (4-7):  at Iowa (L), at IU (L), Northwestern (W), at Wisconsin (L), at MSU (L), Wisconsin (L), PSU (W)

12.  Penn State (3-8):  at OSU (L), Maryland (L), Wisconsin (L), at Northwestern (L), Iowa (L), OSU (L), at Minnesota (L)

13.  Rutgers (2-10):  Purdue (L), at Iowa (L), IU (L), at Purdue (L), Maryland (L), at Michigan (L)

14.  Northwestern (1-10):  Iowa (L), at Minnesota (L), PSU (W), IU (L), at Illinois (L), Michigan (L), at Iowa (L)

Projected Big Ten Tournament Seeding

Given my predictions and Big Ten tiebreaking rules, here is how the Big Ten Tournament seeds should fall into place:

1.  Wisconsin (15-3)

2.  Maryland (14-4)

3.  Indiana (13-5)

4.  Iowa (12-6) (has tiebreaker over OSU based on 2-0 record vs. OSU)

5.  Ohio State (12-6)

6.  Michigan State (11-7) (would have tiebreaker over Purdue based on 1-0 record vss. Purdue)

7.  Purdue (11-7)

8.  Michigan (10-8)

9.  Illinois (9-9)

10.  Nebraska (6-12) (would have tiebreaker over Minnesota based on better record vs. Iowa and Ohio State than Minnesota)

11.  Minnesota (6-12)

12.  Penn State (3-15)

13.  Northwestern (2-16) (has tiebreaker over Rutgers based on 1-0 record vs. Rutgers)

14.  Rutgers (2-16)

Big Ten Tournament Schecule

Here are the dates/times/TV schedule for the Big Ten Tournament (and a link to the bracket), which will be in Chicago.  All times are Central.

Wednesday March 11 – First Round

(12) vs. (13) (3:30 p.m. ESPN2)

(11) vs. (14) (6 p.m. BTN)

Thursday March 12 – Second Round

(8) vs. (9) (11 a.m., BTN)

(5) vs. (12)/(13) (1:30 p.m., BTN)

(7) vs. (10) (5:30 p.m., ESPN2)

(6) vs. (11)/(14) (8 p.m., ESPN2)

Friday March 13 – Quarterfinals

(1) vs. (8)/(9) (11 a.m., ESPN)

(4) vs. (5)/(12)/(13) (1:30 p.m., ESPN)

(2) vs. (7)/(10) (5:30 p.m., BTN)

(3) vs. (6)/(11)/(14) (8 p.m., BTN)

Saturday March 14 – Semifinals

(1)/(8)/(9) vs. (4)/(5)/(12)/(13) (12 p.m., CBS)

(2)/(7)/(10) vs. (3)/(6)/(11)/(14) (2:30 p.m., CBS)

Sunday March 15 – Finals

(1)/(4)/(5)/(8)/(9)/(12)/(13) vs. (2)/(3)/(6)/(7)/(10)/(11)/(14) (2:30 p.m., CBS)

NCAA Tournament Resumes for All 14 Big Ten Teams

Here is each Big Ten team's updated NCAA Tournament resume.  From top to bottom, I will list each team's RPI (based on ESPN's daily RPI), "good" wins (wins against RPI Top 50 teams or, if none, the team's best win), "bad" losses (losses against teams with an RPI of 101+ or, if none, the team's worst loss).  An * means the game was played on a neutral court, and for the "good" wins and "bad" losses, the team's current RPI is identified.  Also, I have categorized the teams by "In," "Bubble," or "Out," which is my best guess, based on what I know right now, as to whether each team is a lock for the NCAA Tournament, is on the bubble, or is out.

In

1.  Wisconsin

RPI:  6

Overall record:  22-2

Good wins:  6 (Oklahoma* (13), Georgetown* (20), Indiana (29), Iowa (37), at Iowa (37), Boise State (40))

Bad losses: 1 (at Rutgers (116))

2.  Maryland

RPI:  15

Overall record:  19-5

Good wins:  4 (Iowa State* (16), at Oklahoma State (22), Michigan State (46), at Michigan State (46))

Bad losses:  None (at Illinois (49))

3.  Indiana

RPI:  29

Overall record:  16-7

Good wins:  5 (Maryland (15), Butler* (17), SMU (24), Ohio State (35), at Illinois (49))

Bad losses:  None (at Purdue (72))

4.  Ohio State

RPI:  35

Overall record:  18-6

Good wins:  3 (Maryland (15), Indiana (29), Illinois (49))

Bad losses:  None (at Purdue (72))

5.  Iowa

RPI:  37

Overall record:  15-8

Good wins:  4 (at North Carolina (10), Maryland (15), at Ohio State (35), Ohio State (35))

Bad losses:  None (at Purdue (72))

Bubble

6.  Michigan State

RPI:  46

Overall record:  16-8

Good wins:  2 (Indiana (29), at Iowa (37))

Bad losses:  2 (at Nebraska (101), Texas Southern (167))

7.  Illinois

RPI:  49

Overall record:  16-8

Good wins:  3 (Baylor* (11), Maryland (15), at Michigan State (46))

Bad losses:  1 (at Nebraska (104))

8.  Purdue

RPI:  72

Overall record:  15-9

Good wins:  3 (Indiana (29), Ohio State (35), Iowa (37))

Bad losses:  4 (Kansas State* (101), at Vanderbilt (103) Gardner-Webb (159), North Florida (203))

Out

9.  Michigan

RPI:  79

Overall record:  12-11

Good wins:  1 (Illinois (49))

Bad losses:  2 (NJIT (173), Eastern Michigan (179))

10.  Penn State

RPI:  88

Overall record:  15-9

Good wins:  1 (George Washington (50))

Bad losses:  2 (at Rutgers (116), Charlotte* (192))

11.  Minnesota

RPI:  91

Overall record:  14-9

Good wins:  2 (Georgia* (26), Illinois (49))

Bad losses:  1 (at Nebraska (104))

12.  Nebraska

RPI:  104

Overall record:  13-11

Good wins:  3 (Cincinnati (32), Michigan State (46), Illinois (49))

Bad losses:  3 (Creighton (124), Incarnate Word (154), at Hawaii (190))

13.  Rutgers

RPI:  116

Overall record:  10-15

Good wins:  1 (Wisconsin (6))

Bad losses:  4 (at Nebraska (104), St. Francis (PA) (152), Northwestern (155), St. Peter's (221))

14.  Northwestern

RPI:  155

Overall record:  10-14

Good wins:  None (Western Michigan (114))

Bad losses:  1 (at Nebraska (104))