Updated Big Ten Tournament Seeding Predictions and NCAA Tournament Resumes

What's the fucking point, anymore?  The worst thing a team can do is give you hope.  At the beginning of the year, if you would have told me IU would be 19-10 at this point in the season and 9-7 in Big Ten play, I would have been okay with that, given the relative youth of the team and complete lack of size.  But the Hoosiers did something wrong:  they started winning.  After a loss to Louisville in New York December 9, IU won 8 of 10, including wins over Butler, Ohio State, and Maryland, to get to 15-4 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten.  Then, as they often do, Hoosier fans' expectations started to get inflated.  Those expectations have come crashing back to reality over the last ten games, where the Hoosiers have gone 4-6.  Last night, the Hoosiers managed to go a full ten minutes without scoring in the second half, at one point missing an uncharacteristic ten 3-pointers in a row, en route to a 72-65 loss to Northwestern in Evanston.  The Hoosiers were also abysmal at the foul line, going 7-16 on the night.  Predictably, social media immediately put all of the blame on Tom Crean, you know, because he was the one missing free throws and wide open shots.  It was Northwestern's fourth win in a row, marking the first time since 1967 that the Wildcats have won four in a row in Big Ten play.  Fucking A.  With remaining home games against Iowa and Michigan State, the Hoosiers better get their shit together.

In the other game, Iowa beat Illinois, 68-60.  Whoopteedoo.

In non-Big Ten news, Florida State freshman Xavier Rathan-Mayes scored 30 points in the final 4:38 of the Seminoles' 81-77 loss to Miami.  That's insane.

On the slate tonight:

-Minnesota at Michigan State (7:00 p.m. EST, BTN)

-Nebraska at Ohio State (7:00 p.m. EST, ESPN)

-Rutgers at Purdue (9:00 p.m. EST, ESPNU)

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 (13-2):  MSU (W), at Minnesota (W), at OSU (L)

2.  Maryland (11-4):  Michigan (W), at Rutgers (W), at Nebraska (W)

3 (tie).  Purdue (10-4):  Rutgers (W), at OSU (L), at MSU (L), Illinois (W)

3 (tie).  Michigan State (10-4):  Minnesota (W), at Wisconsin (L), Purdue (W), at IU (L)

5.  Iowa (9-6):  at PSU (W), at IU (L), Northwestern (W)

6.  Ohio State (8-6):  Nebraska (W), Purdue (W), at PSU (W), Wisconsin (W)

7.  Indiana (9-7):  Iowa (W), MSU (W)

8.  Illinois (7-8):  Northwestern (W), Nebraska (W), at Purdue (L)

9.  Michigan (7-8):  at Maryland (L), at Northwestern (W), Rutgers (W)

10 (tie).  Nebraska (5-10):  at OSU (L), at Illinois (L), Maryland (L)

10 (tie).  Minnesota (5-10):  at MSU (L), Wisconsin (L), PSU (W)

10 (tie).  Northwestern (5-10):  at Illinois (L), Michigan (L), at Iowa (L)

13.  Penn State (3-12):  Iowa (L), OSU (L), at Minnesota (L)

14.  Rutgers (2-13):  at Purdue (L), Maryland (L), at Michigan (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.  Michigan State (12-6) (MSU would have tiebreaker over Purdue and OSU, based 2-0 vs. other schools, while Purdue and OSU both would have 1-2 records vs. other two schools)

4.  Ohio State (12-6) (has tiebreaker over Purdue based on better record vs. Maryland or, if OSU beats Wisconsin, better record vs. Wisconsin)

5.  Purdue (12-6)

6.  Indiana (11-7) (IU would have tiebreaker over Iowa based on 1-0 record vs. Iowa)

7.  Iowa (11-7)

8.  Illinois (9-9) (would have tiebreaker over Michigan based on better record vs. Maryland)

9.  Michigan (9-9)

10.  Minnesota (6-12)

11.  Nebraska (5-13) (has tiebreaker over Northwestern based on 1-0 record vs. Northwestern)

12.  Northwestern (5-13)

13.  Penn State (3-15)

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:  25-3

Good wins:  5 (Oklahoma* (15), Georgetown* (23), Indiana (36), Boise State (45), Buffalo (45))

Bad losses: 1 (at Rutgers (150))

2.  Maryland

RPI:  9

Overall record:  23-5

Good wins:  6 (Wisconsin (6), Iowa State* (12), Michigan State (27), at Michigan State (27), at Oklahoma State (30), Indiana (36))

Bad losses:  None (at Illinois (59))

3.  Michigan State

RPI:  27

Overall record:  19-8

Good wins:  2 (Indiana (36), Ohio State (43))

Bad losses:  2 (at Nebraska (124), Texas Southern (156))

4.  Indiana

RPI:  36

Overall record:  19-10

Good wins:  5 (Maryland (9), SMU (20), Butler* (25), Pittsburgh (38), Ohio State (43))

Bad losses:  1 (at Northwestern (107))

5.  Ohio State

RPI:  43

Overall record:  19-8

Good wins:  2 (Maryland (9), Indiana (36))

Bad losses:  None (at Michigan (79))

Bubble

6.  Iowa

RPI:  51

Overall record:  18-10

Good wins:  4 (Maryland (9), at North Carolina (16), at Ohio State (43), Ohio State (43))

Bad losses:  1 (at Northwestern (107))

7.  Purdue

RPI:  58

Overall record:  18-9

Good wins:  4 (NC State (35), Indiana (36), at Indiana (36), Ohio State (43))

Bad losses:  3 (at Vanderbilt (115), North Florida (171), Gardner-Webb (175))

8.  Illinois

RPI:  59

Overall record:  17-11

Good wins:  3 (Maryland (9), Baylor* (11), at Michigan State (27))

Bad losses:  1 (at Nebraska (124))

Out

9.  Michigan

RPI:  79

Overall record:  13-13

Good wins:  2 (Oregon* (40), Ohio State (43))

Bad losses:  2 (Eastern Michigan (159), NJIT (174))

10.  Minnesota

RPI:  95

Overall record:  15-12

Good wins:  1 (Georgia* (29))

Bad losses:  3 (at Penn State (106), Northwestern (107), at Nebraska (124))

11.  Penn State

RPI:  106

Overall record:  15-13

Good wins:  None (George Washington (81))

Bad losses:  3 (at Northwestern (107), at Rutgers (150), Charlotte* (199))

12.  Northwestern

RPI:  107

Overall record:  14-14

Good wins:  1 (Indiana (36))

Bad losses:  2 (Georgia Tech (109), at Nebraska (124))

13.  Nebraska

RPI:  124

Overall record:  13-14

Good wins:  1 (Michigan State (27))

Bad losses:  4 (at Penn State (106), Creighton (120), Incarnate Word (145), at Hawaii (164))

14.  Rutgers

RPI:  150

Overall record:  10-18

Good wins:  1 (Wisconsin (6))

Bad losses:  5 (at Penn State (106), Northwestern (107), at Nebraska (124), St. Francis (PA) (203), St. Peter's (252))