The Big Ten is loaded with talent this season, with Michigan leading the way in a conference that is expected to send at least eight teams to March Madness and maybe even more.
While several Big Ten teams will be dancing at the NCAA tournament, only one can win the conference tournament and the automatic bid that comes with it. While the teams that are expected to win the conference tournament likely won’t need the automatic bid to make the field of 68, there are 18 teams in the Big Ten, and all of them make the conference tournament. If one of the bottom-feeders in the conference can find a way to make a run over the next week, they could steal a spot in the field and force the rest of the bubble teams to sweat just a little bit more.
The Big Ten tournament began Tuesday with the bottom four teams in the conference battling to make it into the tournament field, while the top four teams in the conference get a bye all the way to the quarterfinals and won’t play their first tournament game until Friday. The preliminary rounds will be broadcast primarily on the Big Ten Network with a few games on Peacock, while the semifinals and championship game will be carried nationally by CBS.
Big Ten men’s basketball final regular-season standings
| Rank | Team | Conference record | Overall record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | (3) Michigan | 19–1 | 29–2 |
| 2. | (11) Nebraska | 15–5 | 26–5 |
| 3. | (8) Michigan State | 15–5 | 25–6 |
| 4. | (9) Illinois | 15–5 | 24–7 |
| 5. | (23) Wisconsin | 14–6 | 22–9 |
| 6. | UCLA | 13–7 | 21–10 |
| 7. | (18) Purdue | 13–7 | 23–8 |
| 8. | Ohio State | 12–8 | 20–11 |
| 9. | Iowa | 10–10 | 20–11 |
| 10. | Indiana | 9–11 | 18–13 |
| 11. | Minnesota | 8–12 | 15–16 |
| 12. | Washington | 7–13 | 15–16 |
| 13. | USC | 7–13 | 18–13 |
| 14. | Rutgers | 6–14 | 13–18 |
| 15. | Northwestern | 5–15 | 13–18 |
| 16. | Oregon | 5–15 | 12–19 |
| 17. | Maryland | 4–16 | 11–20 |
| 18. | Penn State | 3–17 | 12–19 |
Big Ten men’s basketball conference tournament bracket
Big Ten men’s basketball conference tournament full schedule
March 10: First round
Game 1: No. 17 Maryland 70, No. 16 Oregon 60
Game 2: No. 15 Northwestern 76, No. 18 Penn State 66
March 11: Second round
Game 3: No. 9 Iowa 75, No. 17 Maryland 64
Game 4: No. 12 Washington 83, No. 13 USC 79
Game 5: No. 15 Northwestern 74, No. 10 Indiana 61
Game 6: No. 14 Rutgers 72, No. 11 Minnesota 67
March 12: Third round
Game 7: No. 8 Ohio State 72, No. 9 Iowa 69
Game 8: No. 5 Wisconsin 85, No. 12 Washington 82
Game 9: No. 7 Purdue 81, No. 15 Northwestern 68
Game 10: No. 6 UCLA 72, No. 14 Rutgers 59
March 13: Quarterfinals
Game 11: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 8 Ohio State, noon ET (BTN)
Game 12: No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 5 Wisconsin, 25 minutes following Game 11 (BTN)
Game 13: No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 7 Purdue, 6:30 p.m. ET (BTN)
Game 14: No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 6 UCLA, 25 minutes following Game 13 (BTN)
March 14: Semifinals
Game 15: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 1 p.m. ET CBS)
Game 16: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14, 25 minutes following Game 15 (CBS)
March 15: Championship game
Game 17: Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 16, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
Who is favored to win the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament?
Michigan (-135) is the favorite to win the Big Ten tournament heading into the action, having dropped just two games all year and one to a conference opponent—a three-point loss to Wisconsin that happened back in early January. Other contenders include Illinois (+425), Michigan State (+600) and Purdue (+800).
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Big Ten Men’s Basketball Conference Quarterfinals: Full Schedule, Bracket and How to Watch.
