Inside the Hall’s 2024 Big Ten tournament preview

  • 03/13/2024 8:06 am in

We’ll have our traditional what to expect series previewing Penn State or Michigan on Thursday, but first up, here’s a Big Ten tournament preview. The event tips off later today:

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota (Target Center)
Dates: March 13-17
Teams with a bye to Thursday: Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State
Teams with a double bye to Friday: Purdue, Illinois, Nebraska, Northwestern
Television: Peacock, BTN, CBS
Tickets: Vivid Seats

Tournament bracket

Most friendly path to Sunday

Purdue. The Boilermakers were the league’s best team in the regular season and earned the No. 1 seed. Two of the three teams to beat Purdue in the regular season are in the bottom half of the bracket. It would be a major surprise if Purdue isn’t playing for a Big Ten championship on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.

Most intriguing Thursday matchup

Iowa-Ohio State. Both teams are currently on the wrong side of the NCAA tournament bubble but could make the field with a run in Minneapolis. The loser is going to the NIT and the winner will play Illinois on Friday for a chance to strengthen its resume. KenPom expects a very close game, with the Buckeyes currently favored by one. Ohio State enters the tournament playing as well as any Big Ten team besides Purdue. The Buckeyes have won four straight and six of their last eight games under interim coach Jake Diebler. Iowa, meanwhile, squandered a significant opportunity on Sunday at home by falling 73-61 to Illinois.

Team with the most to prove

Wisconsin. At one point, the Badgers looked the part of a Big Ten title contender. After beating Michigan State 81-66 on Jan. 26, Greg Gard’s team sat at 16-4 overall and 8-1 in the Big Ten. Things have gone off the rails since. Wisconsin is 3-8 in its last 11 games, and all of its wins in the stretch have come against teams that are not currently projected to make it to the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin’s computer numbers are still strong, and the Badgers will be a part of March Madness, but this late-season collapse is a terrible look for Gard, given the experience on the roster.

Bids on the line

In the latest projections from bracketologist Andy Bottoms, six Big Ten teams are projected to make the NCAA tournament – Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin. Iowa is among the First Four out and while Ohio State isn’t mentioned by Bottoms, the Buckeyes might enter the conversation with a strong showing at the Target Center.

Players to watch

· Zach Edey, Purdue: Edey is on his way to back-to-back national player of the year awards and is the toughest player to contain in the country. This will be his final conference tournament, as he’s already announced he’ll enter the NBA draft when the season concludes. It may be a while before the conference sees another player this dominant.

· Tyson Walker, Michigan State: Walker finally looked healthy in Michigan State’s regular-season finale at Indiana. He’s the type of player capable of carrying his team on a deep run in March, and the Spartans’ guard play gives Tom Izzo a chance to rewrite the narrative for an underwhelming regular season in the postseason. Walker is the critical piece and needs to be at his best if Michigan State is going to advance in March.

· Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State: Baldwin Jr. doesn’t get enough credit for being one of the best two-way guards in the country. The VCU transfer is a big reason the Nittany Lions won nine conference games. Assuming Baldwin Jr. can lead Penn State past lowly Michigan on Wednesday, he’ll get a chance to beat Indiana for a third time this season on Thursday.

· Payton Sandfort, Iowa: The Hawkeyes need a big weekend in Minneapolis to make the NCAA tournament. Sandfort is the man capable of leading them to the wins needed. An elite shooter, Sandfort can get hot from the perimeter and that’s exactly what the Hawkeyes, who have a suspect defense, will need to get past Ohio State and earn a rematch with Illinois.

· Kel’el Ware, Indiana: Ware is on an ascent as the season comes to a close. He’s been dominant lately and nearly averaged a double-double this season. His touch around the basket is rare for a 7-footer and he’s the best defensive rebounder in the league. If the Hoosiers are going to make a run in Minneapolis, Ware will be a major reason why.

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