Big Ten Tournament Preview
Posted by Henry Bushnell & Bennet Hayes on March 11th, 2015Henry Bushnell and Bennet Hayes will be in Chicago all week delivering coverage of the Big Ten tournament. In advance of the action tipping off Wednesday night, they sat down to tackle a few questions on the week that lies ahead.
Wisconsin is the clear favorite, but could an upset be in the works for the Badgers?
Wisconsin enters the Big Ten Tournament as a heavy favorite. Which team besides the Badgers has the best shot at winning it all this week?
- Bennet: Michigan State‘s regular season was no exemplar of consistency, but with Branden Dawson expected to return to the lineup for Friday’s quarterfinal game, they’ve officially made it to March in one piece. Betting against Tom Izzo this month is always a dicey operation — particularly with the experienced Valentine/Trice/Dawson core once again intact. Furthermore, snagging the #3 seed and delaying a potential rematch with Wisconsin until the championship game is another nice coup. The double-bye should also minimize the impact of depth issues that have at times proved troublesome. Michigan State never got the Badgers on its home floor this season; here’s guessing Sparty wouldn’t mind a crack at them in neutral territory. Izzo’s bunch has the chops to win three games in Chicago this week.
- Henry: I like the Sparty pick, but I’ll take Ohio State. I know a lot of people will be scared off by the beatdown Wisconsin put on the Buckeyes in Columbus in the regular season finale, but that result was a lot more about the Badgers than Ohio State. Thad Matta still has a very talented team, and one that on a per-possession basis has far outperformed its record. And if there’s one player in this tournament who can take over a game and engineer an upset of Wisconsin in the final, it’s D’Angelo Russell.
D’Angelo Russell And Ohio State Could Make A Run This Week In Chicago. (USA TODAY Sports)
Which player are you most looking forward to watching?
- Henry: I can’t wait to see Branden Dawson. I know he’s had an up-and-down year with some recent injury issues, but he should be ready to go on Friday. He’s one of those players where a television screen simply doesn’t do his game justice. I’ve seen him play live twice this year from the upper levels and he wowed me both times with his athleticism and sheer power. At the United Center, we should have a front row seat, and I expect his game up close to be even more eye-popping.
- Bennet: I’m hoping Melo Trimble might finally help me accept that Maryland is in the Big Ten. Using their second place finish in the league as proof, it’s clear the Terps’ new conference affiliation is a more natural fit for Trimble and his teammates than it is for me. I’m not sold on Maryland as a team (nor are the efficiency stats), but that has nothing to do with their sensational freshman. Trimble has been terrific all season and the individual accolades have started flying in (with more to come). Here’s hoping he has time to break a few more ankles this week.
Will Tom Crean coach his last Big Ten game as the head coach at Indiana this week?
- Bennet: As a neutral observer, Indiana’s chaotic season has been fun to watch. Yogi Ferrell has been captivating (he will be unfairly forgotten in too many All-American discussions); Troy Williams and James Blackmon have developed into creative scorers from the wing; and the Hoosiers have hoisted threes with delightful impunity. The crippling other detail: They have stopped NOBODY. That pathetic defense (Indiana ranks 226th nationally in defensive efficiency) will ultimately cost Tom Crean his job in a few weeks. To have a chance to save it, an NCAA Tournament bid seems necessary; it says here that a minimum of two wins this week is the prescription for a bid. The Hoosiers’ explosive offense certainly makes a Big Ten Tournament run possible, but their non-existent defense makes an early loss – to either Northwestern or Maryland – probable.
The Stakes Are High For Indiana. In All Likelihood, The Hoosiers Will Be Fighting For Both Its NCAA Tournament Life And Tom Crean’s Job This Week. (Getty)
- Henry: Northwestern over Indiana in the first round seems like a trendy upset pick, and my answer to this question is yes if that happens (postseason losses to Northwestern aren’t good for job security). But I think Indiana will pull that game out and perhaps even beat Maryland in the quarterfinals. Ultimately, though, I think Indiana will make the NCAA Tournament and Crean will be back on the sidelines in Bloomington for another year. Whether he should be on those sidelines is open for debate but maybe Indiana fans can view this week as a win-win scenario. A run in Chicago means Indiana will make the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence; but a quick loss might actually be better for the long-term future of the program.
What’s an underrated storyline as we enter the tournament?
- Henry: Crean has been hogging all the hot seat talk this week, but how about John Groce at Illinois? This Illini team has had too much talent during the past two years to go to consecutive NITs, but barring a run this week that’s appears to be a distinct scenario. The Illini are on the wrong side of the bubble and might need to win two games in the Big Ten Tournament to break through. Unfortunately for Groce, his team would get a do-or-die quarterfinal matchup with Wisconsin on Friday. Groce isn’t likely to get fired if he misses on the NCAA Tournament again this season, but the pressure would certainly ratchet up for next year.
- Bennet: Remember when Adam Woodbury was gouging eyes and Iowa was trying its hardest to make the NIT? The Hawkeyes have since righted the ship in a major way, entering this week on a six-game winning streak. Aaron White is on his way to capping a prolific career in style: He’s scored 20 or more points in each of his last four games. The Hawkeyes were the odd team out in a three-way tie for third place and don’t have the luxury of a double-bye, but don’t sleep on their title hopes in Chicago. Their size and experience is finally translating into victories, which means Iowa will be a tricky out — both this week and next.
