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With the regular season complete, it's time for the Big Ten men's basketball tournament. Taking place from Wednesday to Sunday at the Target Center in Minneapolis, the battle to be champion of the conference will be impressive. Of course, the Big Ten will certainly have many NCAA Tournament representatives. But improved tournament seeding and team pride will keep schools battling.
This year, Purdue is a likely NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed regardless of its performance. Other Big Ten teams forecast as safely within the NCAA field are Illinois, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan State. Iowa and Ohio State are teams likely on the outside of the NCAA bubble, but still in competition.
Big Ten men's basketball tournament seeding scenarios 2024
The Big Ten has 14 teams, and the top 10 teams are all given a bye from Wednesday's action. The league's top four teams (No. 3 Purdue, No. 13 Illinois, Nebraska and Northwestern) all earned a double-bye and won't play until Friday. But the most interesting teams are the ones on that NCAA bubble.
Iowa/Ohio State
The Hawkeyes have a No. 7 seed, which means their first game will be on Thursday against No. 10 seed Ohio State. Needless to say, the loser of this game is likely out of the NCAA field. The winner could have done enough to seal an NCAA Tournament bid. If not, a Friday battle with Illinois could be determinative.
Michigan State
The Spartans were considered a likely NCAA Tournament team for much of the year, but they have work to do. A win over No. 9 seed Minnesota on Thursday morning is almost certainly not enough for the Spartans to reach the NCAA field. But a possible victory on Friday over No. 1 seed Purdue might do the job.
Potential matchups in Big Ten men's basketball bracket
That possible Purdue/Michigan State game on Friday would be interesting, as would the winner of Ohio and Iowa State against Illinois on Friday. Nebraska has a pretty straightforward path to the semifinals on Saturday. For a team without an NCAA Tournament win in history, it could be a big March for the Huskers.
Northwestern and Wisconsin on Friday is another intriguing possibility. Purdue has a relatively easy path to the final if it can survive its Friday game.
Big Ten men's basketball tournament schedule
