Updated Big Ten Tournament Seeding Predictions and NCAA Tournament Resumes

Sorry for the lack of posting the last few days.  I've been busy returning videotapes.

And what a last few days it has been!  The Hoosiers overcame a slow start to blow out Nebraska at home Wednesday, after Iowa fell to Penn State in Happy Valley.  Last night, Maryland gave Minnesota its first Big Ten win in a shocking upset, and Michigan State handled Wisconsin in East Lansing to end the Badgers' seven-game win streak.  Now, everyone in the Top 3 of the Big Ten standings as a "bad loss" in conference.

Now, the Hoosiers just need to take care of those shit stains from West Lafayette this Saturday.

Next games

Here are this weekend's games (all times Eastern):

Saturday

-Penn State at Rutgers (1 p.m.; ESPNU)

-Ohio State at Nebraska (7 p.m.; BTN)

-Purdue at Indiana (8:30 p.m.; ESPN)

Sunday

-Michigan at Maryland (1 p.m.; CBS)

-Illinois at Wisconsin (7:30 p.m.; BTN)

Current Standings

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

1 (tie).  Iowa (11-3):  Wisconsin (W); at Ohio State (W); Indiana (W); at Michigan (L)

2 (tie).  Indiana (11-3):  Purdue (W); at Illinois (W); at Iowa (L); Maryland (W)

2 (tie).  Maryland (10-4):  Michigan (W); at Purdue (L); Illinois (W); at Indiana (L)

4 (tie). Michigan (9-5):  at Maryland (L); Northwestern (W); at Wisconsin (L); Iowa (W)

4 (tie).  Michigan State (9-5):  at Ohio State (W); Penn State (W); at Rutgers (W); Ohio State (W)

4 (tie).  Ohio State (9-5):  at Nebraska (W); Michigan State (L); Iowa (L); at Michigan State (L)

4 (tie).  Purdue (9-5):   at Indiana (L); Maryland (W); at Nebraska (W); Wisconsin (W)

8.  Wisconsin (8-5):  Illinois (W); at Iowa (L); Michigan (W); at Minnesota (W); at Purdue (L)

9.  Nebraska (6-8):  Ohio State (L); at Penn State (W); Purdue (L); at Northwestern (L)

10.  Northwestern (5-9):  at Michigan (L); Rutgers (W); at Penn State (L); Nebraska (W)

11 (tie).  Illinois (4-9):  at Wisconsin (L); Indiana (L); Minnesota (W); at Maryland (L); at Penn State (L)

11 (tie).  Penn State (4-9):  at Rutgers (L); Nebraska (L); at Michigan State (L); Northwestern (W); Illinois (W)

13.  Minnesota (1-13):  Rutgers (W); at Illinois (L); Wisconsin (L); at Rutgers (L)

14.  Rutgers (0-13):  Penn State (W); at Minnesota (L); at Northwestern (L); Michigan State (L); Minnesota (W)

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.  Iowa (14-4) (would have tiebreaker over IU based on better record vs. Michigan State)

2.  Indiana (14-4)

3.  Michigan State (13-5)

4.  Maryland (12-6) (would have tiebreaker over Purdue based on better combined record vs. IU and Iowa)

5.  Purdue (12-6)

6.  Wisconsin (11-7) (would have tiebreaker over Michigan based on 1-0 record vs. Michigan)

7.  Michigan (11-7)

8.  Ohio State (10-8)

9.  Northwestern (7-11) (would have tiebreaker over Nebraska based on 2-0 record vs. Nebraska)

10.  Nebraska (7-11)

11.  Penn State (5-13) (would have tiebreaker over Illinois based on 1-0 record vs. Illinois)

12.  Illinois (5-13)

13.  Minnesota (2-16) (would have tiebreaker based on better record vs. Maryland)

14.  Rutgers (2-16)

Big Ten Tournament Schedule

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

Wednesday March 9 – First Round

(12) vs. (13) (4:30 p.m. ESPN2)

(11) vs. (14) (7 p.m. BTN)

Thursday March 10 – Second Round

(8) vs. (9) (Noon, BTN)

(5) vs. (12)/(13) (2:30 p.m., BTN)

(7) vs. (10) (6:30 p.m., ESPN2)

(6) vs. (11)/(14) (9 p.m., ESPN2)

Friday March 11 – Quarterfinals

(1) vs. (8)/(9) (Noon, ESPN)

(4) vs. (5)/(12)/(13) (2:30 p.m., ESPN)

(2) vs. (7)/(10) (6:30 p.m., BTN)

(3) vs. (6)/(11)/(14) (9 p.m., BTN)

Saturday March 12 – Semifinals

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

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

Sunday March 13 – Finals

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

NCAA Tournament Resumes for All 14 Big Ten Teams

Here is each Big Ten team's NCAA Tournament resume, including each team's RPI (based on ESPN's daily RPI), overall record against D-1 opponents, "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.  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.  Maryland

RPI:  12

Overall record:  21-5

Good wins:  5 (Iowa (15), Purdue (19), Connecticut* (36), Princeton* (42), at Wisconsin (48))

Bad losses:  1 (at Minnesota (213))

2.  Iowa

RPI:  15

Overall record:  20-6

Good wins:  4 (Michigan State (17), at Michigan State (17), Purdue (19), at Purdue (19))

Bad losses:  1 (at Penn State (108))

3.  Michigan State

RPI:  17

Overall record:  22-5

Good wins:  7 (Kansas* (1), Maryland (12), Louisville (25), Florida (31), Indiana (35), Providence* (37), Wisconsin (48))

Bad losses:  1 (Nebraska (154))

4.  Purdue

RPI:  19

Overall record:  21-6

Good wins:  4 (Michigan State (17), Florida* (31), at Pittsburgh (41), at Wisconsin (48))

Bad losses:  1 (at Illinois (129))

5.  Indiana

RPI:  35

Overall record:  21-6

Good wins:  3 (Iowa (15), Notre Dame* (20), Wisconsin (48))

Bad losses:  3 (at Penn State (108), Wake Forest* (117), UNLV* (143))

Bubble

6.  Wisconsin

RPI:  48

Overall record:  16-10

Good wins:  4 (at Maryland (12), Michigan State (17), Indiana (35), at Syracuse (39))

Bad losses:  4 (at Northwestern (103), Marquette (116), Milwaukee (151), Western Illinois (254))

7.  Michigan

RPI:  54

Overall record:  18-8

Good wins:  3 (Maryland (12), Purdue (19), Texas* (22))

Bad losses:  None (at Ohio State (79))

Out

8.  Ohio State

RPI:  79

Overall record:  17-10

Good wins:  1 (Kentucky* (10))

Bad losses:  2 (Louisiana Tech (113), Memphis* (133))

10.  Northwestern

RPI:  103

Overall record:  17-10

Good wins:  1 (Wisconsin (48))

Bad losses:  1 (Penn State (108))

9.  Penn State

RPI:  108

Overall record:  13-13

Good wins:  2 (Iowa (15), Indiana (36))

Bad losses:  3 (Duquesne* (135), at Nebraska (154), Radford (155))

11.  Illinois

RPI:  129

Overall record:  12-14

Good wins:  1 (Purdue (19))

Bad losses:  3 (at Northwestern (103), Nebraska (154), North Florida* (169))

12.  Nebraska

RPI:  154

Overall record:  14-13

Good wins:  1 (at Michigan State (17))

Bad losses:  2 (Northwestern (103), Samford (264))

13.  Minnesota

RPI:  213

Overall record:  7-19

Good wins:  1 (Maryland (12))

Bad losses:  8 (Northwestern (103), at Northwestern (103), at Penn State (108), Illinois (129), Oklahoma State* (139), Milwaukee (151), at Nebraska (154), South Dakota (177))

14.  Rutgers

RPI:  256

Overall record:  5-20

Good wins:  None (Farleigh Dickinson (239))

Bad losses:  6 (Wake Forest (117), Illinois (129), at Illinois (129), Nebraska (154), at Nebraska (154), at St. John's (206))