Big Ten Basketball Tickets - Teams on the Bubble for NCAA Tourney
March 2, 2010 by BrentWarnken
Upstaging the Illinois Fighting Illini at Mackey Arena on Feb. 20, the Purdue Boilermakers basketball team defended its national No. 3 ranking and solidified a stand in the NCAA Tournament next month. The Boilers are the top dog in the Big Ten right now, surpassing Michigan State (thanks to MSU's loss to Ohio State) during the last week of February. While Purdue looks to the big dance next month and a couple Big Ten teams follow suit, there are still a few teams on the cusp of making the tournament, including the following.
Illinois: Currently (as of Feb. 22) harboring a record of 9-5 in the ten, Illinois initially had the momentum to make an NCAA at-large bid for the tourney but has been losing steam as of late. The Fighting Illini lost two big games to conference rivals Purdue and Ohio State in mid-February, trumping two victories earlier this season against Michigan State and Wisconsin. The Illini need to post wins against Michigan (Feb. 23) and Minnesota (Feb. 27) to have a shot at seeing playtime in the NCAA Tournament, especially considering that Illinois' last two games of the season are against Ohio State (March 2) and Wisconsin (March 7).
Minnesota: The Gophers are 7-7 in the Big Ten as of Feb. 22, which only gives them a fighting chance at making the tournament next month. Minnesota was out of the picture until Feb. 18, when they upset rival Wisconsin 68-52. This big win puts them on the bubble for a tourney bid, and their end-of-the-season schedule looks much easier than Illinois', though they'll still have to play Purdue and Illinois to get through the regular season.
Wisconsin: The Badgers are thought to be a lock for the tournament with a 10-5 record going into the last week in February, and they are most certainly a team selling Big Ten basketball tickets this season. Wisconsin has posted some shockers this year, keeping things fresh in the Big Ten with wins against Ohio State, Purdue and Michigan State earlier this season.
Of course, with Purdue taking reign with an 11-3 conference record and a No. 3 national standing in the AP Poll, the Boilermakers will most certainly make it big at the big dance this year. Both Ohio State and Michigan State continue to sit in the Top 25 of the polls, as well, with the Buckeyes currently at No. 9 and the Spartans at No. 14. Both teams will look forward to the NCAA Tournament in March, but both will have to finish the season strong to get a favorable seed.
The big losers in the Big Ten this year are Penn State, Iowa and Indiana, as all three teams have lost eight or more games this season. The Big Ten is looking stronger than ever this year, competing as one of the top conferences in the country, and with Purdue still in contention for a No. 1 seed in the tournament the Big Ten is certainly making its mark on collegiate basketball in 2010.
