As we head into the 2014 Big Ten Tournament, every coach’s job is safe. That’s the first time I’ve ever been able to say that during the past five years. I’ve been covering the BTT every year since 2010, and “Championship Week” has meant “Pink Slip Week” as one coach has gotten fired during each tournament in every year since 2011.
On top of job security, the 2014 Big Ten Tournament promises to be wild and unpredictable. They league’s results made no sense all season long, so I’m predicting this conference tourney will be the same. Seeding almost doesn’t matter here.
Match-ups are what matters in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament.
THU
#9 Illinois 44, #8 Indiana 41 11 AM BTN
These teams had identical conference records; at that’s what determines seeding. Even though UI and IU split regular season series, and the Illini have a better overall record (and a better Sagarin, RPI), the Hoosiers got the higher seed. I know that this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, until…..I learned what the tie-breaker was. IU’s February 2nd win over Michigan gave them the tie-breaker.
Okay, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.
#5 Ohio State 59, #12 Purdue 48 1:30 BTN
Watching Twitter and the Big Ten Network over-congratulate Northwestern for beating last place Purdue and finish 11/12 today was surreal. But I guess I acted just as inappropriately when Tim Beckman got his first B1G win at Purdue. Congratulations PU Athletic Director Morgan Burke! Both of your revenue producing programs finished last- for the first time in school history!
#7 Minnesota 67 vs #10 Penn State 64 5:30 ESPN2
The 2014 Big Ten Tournament continues another BTT annual tradition: the Gophers “Bubble Watch.” Every year I’ve covered this event, there’s “Will they or won’t they go dancing?” Gophers columns aplenty. Stephen Bardo loves this Penn State team, and given how much Stephen Bardo has been right lately, I’m picking against Penn St.
Here’s our latest Bracketology by the way
You will notice on the Bracket Matrix grades that The Sports Bank’s bracketology has been more accurate than ESPN’s Joe Lunardi three of the past four years. And our Bracketology “what if” scenarios piece, which involves the two Big Ten bubble teams.
#6 Iowa 73, #11 Northwestern 69 8pm ESPN2
When JerShon Cobb was ruled out for the rest of the season, I told myself that NU would not win a game the rest of the way. I never said this publicly though because I didn’t want to be a “Gloomy Gus” or a “Debbie Downer.” NU ended their seven game losing steak in West Lafayette, but I just don’t think they’ll pull off an upset here. The Hawkeyes beat Northwestern by 26 points in each of the two previous meetings. So although Chris Collins in getting the Hawks at the right time (UI is 1-5 in their last six), I don’t think it will be enough.
Lots of people hate Aaron Craft- that’s well documented. But why does Adam Woodbury get a free pass?
FRI
#1 Michigan 51 #9 Illini 45 ESPN/ESPN2 11
Aside from the season that the players quit on Bruce Weber, Illinois has reached or had a bye into every Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal round. Because this Illini team has had so much in common with the 1999 and 2008 Illini teams, I really wanted to pick them to once again make a run to the conference title game despite having a very very low seed. But I can’t in good conscience, do that. Not after witnessing, just a few days ago, how the Wolverines ripped them into many little pieces. It was the worst loss for Illinois in the history of their venue.
#4 Nebraska 77, #5 Ohio State 75 ESPN/ESPN2 1:30
Hopefully, for the sake of Dan Dakich, he doesn’t call this game. Because he’ll have to watch his all-time favorite college basketball player in the history of the entire universe get bounced from the conference tournament. Despite the loss, I still expect Aaron Craft to have a grindy, gritty, blue-collar, lunch-pail, hard-working, getting-after-it, doing all the little things, things that don’t show up in the stat sheet, plays the game right way kind of effort for a “full forty minutes.” “On both ends”
#2 Wisconsin 49, #7 Minnesota 41 BTN 5:30
Never pick Bo Ryan to finish anywhere lower than fourth. EVER! EVER!!!!! Additionally, you don’t want to pick against him very often in the Big Ten Tournament.
Also, don’t pick him beyond Ryan past the Sweet 16 in your office pool.
#3 Michigan State 81, Iowa 76 BTN 8
Always difficult to predict Tom Izzo in this tournament. They usually bow out right away, or win the whole thing. Often times, there’s no in between. Sometimes the Big Ten Tournament is their warm-up act for a deep March Madness run. Other years, it’s their Junior Varsity spring training scrimmage. Iowa’s defense has been horrendous lately.
SAT
12:40 SEMI CBS #4 Nebraska 87, #1 Michigan 85
It’s too bad so few people are into Nebrasketball because Tim Miles is press conference gold. He’s funny, witty, clever, insightful and entertaining almost all of the time. So even though spring football practice means 1,000,000 times as much to Nebraskans as college basketball, they don’t know what they’re missing
By the way, here’s one of the most powerful and richest men alive, “The Oracle of Omaha” singing the Nebraska fight song with a few hot NU cheerleaders that are 1/4 his age
3:30 SEMI CBS #2 Wisconsin 48, #3 Michigan State 43
For these two teams, just hope no gets hurt. As the big tournament looms next week, this is all the Badgers can do to earn a #1 seed. By the time, the 2014 Big Ten Tournament final rolls around, the bracket is pretty much set. Just like it is every year. The final game doesn’t factor in that much, and there’s a lot of factors beyond Bo Ryan’s control.
SUN 2:30 CBS FINAL Nebraska 69, Wisconsin 66
In a year where the Big Ten has been impossible to predict all along, of course the 2014 Big Ten Tournament will also be completely ridiculous. Yes, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will win it all! It will be just their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance ever. Will they win a game in the Big Dance? Well, maybe. Because they’re 0-6 all time in the tourney. And this year is different. To quote Lisa Simpson: “yes, in Rand McNally, people wear socks on their hands and hamburgers eat people.”
Actually, wait, a #4 over a #2? That’s not really crazy or wild at all! Of course, the final game is all red. Because the conference really needs more red teams…..and Rutgers and Maryland wait in the wings!
For our 2014 Big East Tournament Preview
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An MBA and Fulbright scholar, he’s also a frequent analyst on news talk radio; with regular segments on ESPN,NBC, CBS and Fox. A former NBC Chicago and Washington Times writer, he’s also been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)