Big Ten Basketball

The 2021 Big Ten men's basketball tournament will feature two No. 1 seeds in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, a few other top-10 teams and the top two National Player of the Year candidates.

The competition in Indianapolis should be a fantastic appetizer for what is to come in Indiana during March Madness.

Juwan Howard's Michigan Wolverines are the top seed, but they are far from a lock to leave the floor with the trophy. The Illinois Fighting Illini surged into the No. 2 seed through wins over Michigan, the Wisconsin Badgers and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Illinois' recent run should give it odds similar to Michigan to capture the title.

When they are available, the full odds can be found on DraftKings Sportsbook.

                      

Big Ten Tournament Bracket and Schedule

🚨 #B1GNews Alert

It's official, #B1GMBBall fans. The 2020-21 #B1GTourney bracket is set!

Action begins 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 on @BigTenNetwork. March Is On 🔥

📰 : https://t.co/8HwgTpCG7f pic.twitter.com/yJBFvWf9nP

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 8, 2021

       

Before the top teams hit the floor in Indianapolis, the focus will be on two of the top sleepers: the Michigan State Spartans and Maryland Terrapins.

The No. 8 and No. 9 seeds are on different trajectories. Michigan State just upset Michigan, while the Terps closed the regular season with losses to the Penn State Nittany Lions and Northwestern Wildcats.

Maryland's last victory came February 28 against the Spartans. At that juncture, the Terps had a five-game winning streak and were on the way to an easy berth in the field of 68. Mark Turgeon's side may still get into the Big Dance, but Selection Sunday could be a bit nervy for it if it loses to Michigan State.

That game is important to Michigan because it faces the winner of that contest. A third showdown with Michigan State in less than a week could await it. The two Michigan-based schools have won the past four Big Ten tournament titles, so the Wolverines could be susceptible to a quarterfinal upset.

While Michigan appears to have a difficult draw, Illinois landed the best path to the semifinals of the top four teams. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Indiana Hoosiers have both been inconsistent throughout the season, and Illinois should make light work of either in the final eight.

Luka Garza and the Iowa Hawkeyes could have to play the Wisconsin Badgers for the second time in five days, and the Purdue Boilermakers potentially face a tough No. 4-No. 5 showdown with the Ohio State Buckeyes, who were considered a contender for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament a few weeks ago.

An Iowa-Illinois semifinal would feature Garza and Ayo Dosunmu, who could be considered the top two players in Division I.

If Michigan is eliminated early, the possible No. 2 vs. No. 3 clash could produce the Big Ten tournament champion. Even if the Wolverines advance to the semifinals, there is no guarantee they will reach the final since Purdue is playing some of the best basketball in the conference.

Matt Painter's side may be the top long shot to back since it won five straight contests to end the regular season and suffered just three defeats dating back to January 8.

             

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

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A year after Michigan's basketball team was pulled off the court ahead of their scheduled game against Rutgers after the Big Ten Tournament was canceled in its second day of games due to COVID-19, the men's college basketball postseason is once again poised to tip off.

This time, it would be nice to get through even the entire Big Ten Tournament; time and COVID-19 protocols will tell if we're able to make it through all of March Madness to crown a champion for 2021. 

COVID-19, of course, still continues to impact this year's tournament. For one thing, it was moved from the United Center in Chicago to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in the interest of more centralized testing and efficient protocols, the Big Ten announced in February. The tournament is set to return to Chicago in 2023. 

Because the 2020 tournament was canceled, 2019 champion Michigan State are the reigning champs heading into this year's big dance. This year, Michigan went 19-3 overall (14-3 in the Big Ten) to secure the title for the 15th time and its first regular-season championship since the 2013-14 season.

Big Ten Tournament 2021 Schedule

Wednesday, March 10

First Round

6:30 p.m. ET: No. 12 Northwestern vs. No. 13 Minnesota (Big Ten Network)

25 minutes after Game 1: No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 14 Nebraska (Big Ten Network)

     

Thursday, March 11

Second Round

11:30 a.m. ET: No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 9 Michigan State (Big Ten Network)

25 minutes after Game 1: No. 5 Ohio State vs. winner of Minnesota/Northwestern (Big Ten Network)

6:30 p.m. ET: No. 7 Rutgers vs. No. 10 Indiana (Big Ten Network)

25 minutes after Game 3: No. 6 Wisconsin vs. winner of Penn State/Nebraska (Big Ten Network)

        

Friday, March 12

Quarterfinals

11:30 a.m. ET: No. 1 Michigan vs. winner of Maryland/Michigan State (Big Ten Network)

25 minutes after Game 1: No. 4 Purdue vs. Ohio State/Northwestern/Minnesota (Big Ten Network)

6:30 p.m. ET: No. 2 Illinois vs. winner of Rutgers/Indiana (Big Ten Network)

25 minutes after Game 3: No. 3 Iowa vs. Wisconsin/Penn State/Nebraska (Big Ten Network)

       

Saturday, March 13

Semifinals

1 p.m. ET: Friday afternoon winners (CBS)

25 minutes after Game 1: Friday evening winners (CBS)

        

Sunday, March 14

Championship

3:30 p.m. ET: Saturday winners (CBS)

       

Big Ten Tournament Seeding

1. Michigan

2. Illinois

3. Iowa

4. Purdue

5. Ohio State

6. Wisconsin

7. Rutgers

8. Maryland

9. Michigan State

10. Indiana

11. Penn State

12. Northwestern

13. Minnesota

14. Nebraska

      

Given its double-bye by virtue of its No. 1 seed, Michigan kicks off tournament play at 11:30 a.m. ET on Friday, March 12, against the winner of the matchup between No. 8 Maryland and No. 9 Michigan State.

If Michigan State defeats Maryland, it will set up a third meeting between Michigan and Michigan State in a nine-day period. 

Michigan had a higher winning percentage in Big Ten games than Illinois (20-6, 16-4), but it would be foolish to sleep on the Illini. Illinois' No. 2 seed in the tournament is its highest since 2009, when it also earned the second seed. Illinois set a new mark this season with 16 conference wins, the most in program history. 

Illinois will face the winner of No. 7 Rutgers vs. No. 10 Indiana on Friday. 

This year marks the highest seed No. 3 Iowa (20-7, 14-6) has earned in the Big Ten Tournament since clinching the No. 2 seed in 2006. That was the year the Hawkeyes defeated Ohio State 67-60 to win their second-ever Big Ten Tournament championship. 

No. 4 Purdue earns a top-four seed for the sixth time in the last seven years. The Boilermakers, who begin play on Friday, are enjoying a Big Ten-best five-game win streak heading into the postseason.

The Big Ten championship final will be Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET, and the NCAA tournament selection show will air afterwards. 

Before the NCAA men's basketball tournament takes over Indianapolis, the strongest conference in the sport will use the city as its showcase stage. 

The 2021 Big Ten tournament will be held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the first since 2016. The Michigan Wolverines enter as the No. 1 seed. 

Michigan and its in-state rival, the Michigan State Spartans, have won the last four Big Ten tournament titles, but only one of them will get a chance to win a championship on Selection Sunday. 

The Wolverines and Spartans could meet for the third time in a week in the quarterfinals if the Spartans win their No. 8-No. 9 matchup on Thursday. 

That is one of many intriguing storylines that could emerge from Wednesday to Sunday. Another one is which lower seed will make a deep run. There has not been a No. 1-No. 2 Big Ten tournament final since 2007.

        

Big Ten Tournament Bracket and Schedule

The @bigten bracket is SET 🙌

Who's your pick to win it? pic.twitter.com/0YEsBpUvDh

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 8, 2021

The initial drama in Indianapolis will surround Michigan State, whose NCAA tournament hopes received a massive boost on Sunday following a 70-64 win over Michigan. 

Izzo's team won five of its last seven regular-season games, a run that also included triumphs over the Illinois Fighting Illini and Ohio State Buckeyes. 

One of those losses was to the Maryland Terrapins, who could be in bubble peril after losing two straight games to the Northwestern Wildcats and Penn State Nittany Lions. 

If Michigan State earns a third meeting with Michigan, it has a blueprint to beating a likely No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. 

Even if the Spartans spring another upset, they would face a tough run to the championship given the quality of the Big Ten this season and the history of the tournament. 

Only three teams seeded beneath No. 4 have won the Big Ten tournament. Michigan became the lowest seed to win it all in 2017 as the eighth-rated team. 

If the champion comes from the top four seeds, there is no bad candidate to fill that role. 

Few teams have been able to figure out Michigan this season, and it has just three losses from conference play on its resume. 

However, two of those defeats occurred in the last three games. The loss to Illinois can be chalked up as a rare bad performance, while the defeat to Michigan State had the right combination of playing a team back-to-back in quick succession and Michigan State being desperate for a big win.

The Wolverines have five Top 25 wins from the regular season, and they defeated two of the other three top-four seeds in this tournament. 

The Purdue Boilermakers are a much different team compared to when they lost to Michigan on January 22. Matt Painter's team is on a five-game winning streak and has only lost twice since January 30.

The knock on that streak is most of the victories came against the bottom-tier sides in the Big Ten. Purdue's only Top 25 win in that stretch occurred versus the Wisconsin Badgers. 

Illinois went through a much more difficult stretch to earn the No. 2 seed, as it beat Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State in three straight games. 

The Fighting Illini's recent run and inside-outside combination of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn could make them one of the hot picks to capture the crown in Indianapolis.

The Iowa Hawkeyes come into the Big Ten tournament with far less hype, but they do have the National Player of the Year favorite in Luka Garza. 

Additionally, Fran McCaffery's squad has played better defense of late, as it held opponents below 75 points in each of its last seven wins. 

No matter which team emerges from the Big Ten tournament as champion, it will have earned the reward with at least two wins over Top 25 squads. 

From a neutral's perspective, it should be the most entertaining competition in the next week.

        

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

Luka Garza's career will go down in Iowa history, and his jersey number will, too. 

The school announced Sunday—after Garza dropped another double-double in No. 5 Iowa's 77-73 win over No. 25 Wisconsin—that it would retire No. 55.

The moment @LukaG_55 found out. 💛#Hawkeyes | #FightForIowa pic.twitter.com/grTf3rmGZ3

— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) March 7, 2021

"I honestly didn't expect that at all," Garza said, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf. "I didn't realize that was a plan or that was going to happen. I was just really happy we won the game. For Coach to tell me that, it was a surreal feeling. Time slowed down, as I heard those words."

Garza became the program's all-time leading scorer at the end of February, as the team embarked on a streak that saw it win seven of its last eight games with the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments looming. With the victory over Wisconsin on Sunday, the team locked up the No. 3 seed heading into the conference tournament. 

Entering play Sunday, Garza, who was a consensus first-team All-American last year, was averaging 17.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game on 54.5 percent shooting and 36.5 percent from deep for his career. 

In addition to his school-record 2,201 points, Garza leads the program in a number of other categories, including conference scoring (1,399), total field goals made (829), field-goal attempts (1,522) and 40-point games (two). His name also appears on a myriad of other Iowa record lists (h/t KCRG News). 

His 642 points this season are the most nationwide. 

Eight other Hawkeyes players have had their number retired, including NBA champions Ronnie Lester and B.J. Armstrong.

The No. 4 Illinois Fighting Illini wrapped up their regular-season schedule on Saturday by getting revenge on the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes with a 73-68 victory on the road at the Schottenstein Center. 

When these two teams first met in Champaign on Jan. 16, the Buckeyes handed Illinois an 87-81 home loss thanks to a season-high 26 points from E.J. Liddell. 

Illinois got a boost in the rematch with the return of star guard Ayo Dosunmu. The junior missed the previous three games because of a concussion he suffered on Feb. 23 against Michigan State. 

Dosunmu proved to be a significant addition in this game. His layup with 44 seconds to play broke a 68-68 tie. He scored six of Illinois' final nine points over the last four minutes to help secure the win. 

E.J. Liddell had a terrific performance for Ohio State in defeat. He led the Buckeyes with 19 points and grabbed four rebounds. 

   

Notable Game Stats

• Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois: 19 points (7-of-10 FG), 4 rebounds, 3 assists
• Kofi Cockburn, Illinois: 12 points (6-of-11 FG), 6 rebounds
• Andre Curbelo, Illinois: 19 points (6-of-8 FG), 6 assists, 5 rebounds
  
• E.J. Liddell, OSU: 19 points (8-of-17 FG), 4 rebounds
• Duane Washington Jr., OSU: 15 points (6-of-18 FG), 6 assists
• Justice Sueing, OSU: 15 points (4-of-6 FG), 8 rebounds

Dosunmu's Return Carries Illinois 

After Illinois destroyed Michigan at Crisler Center by 23 points without Dosunmu on Tuesday, head coach Brad Underwood's team is making a case to be the best in the country. 

Gonzaga has a stronghold on that title right now as the lone unbeaten team in the nation, but the Illini play in a conference that currently has four teams ranked in the Top Seven and six teams overall in the Associated Press Top 25. 

Illinois made it through that gauntlet of opponents with a 20-6 record. 

Even though Dosunmu's return was the big story on Saturday, Illinois needed Kofi Cockburn's presence in the paint and Andre Curbelo's scoring off the bench to give the team additional scoring options. 

Dosunmu played up to his usual standards. He tied Curbelo for the team high in scoring and missed just three of his 10 field-goal attempts. 

This, likely, won't be the last big shot @AyoDos_11 hits in the second half. pic.twitter.com/lOhfT5M8GR

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 6, 2021

Ayo Dosunmu hasn't missed a shot with the mask pic.twitter.com/ZrDZeIKnyC

— Andy Olson (@imandyolson) March 6, 2021

Cockburn created all sorts of problems for Ohio State early in the game. The 7-footer had 10 of his 12 points in the first 15 minutes of the first half. Curbelo's 19 points on Saturday were a season high and the third straight game he's had at least 17 points. 

The biggest play of the game was Dosunmu's go-ahead layup in the final minute that wound up being the last lead change for either side. 

One final B1G @AyoDos_11 dagger: https://t.co/RW3PHJdOm0 pic.twitter.com/GVQ9BIPP2k

— Illinois on BTN (@IllinoisOnBTN) March 6, 2021

Ayo Dosunmu proved he’s the best player in the country today.

— Nico Haeflinger (@NicoHaeflinger) March 6, 2021

Ayo Dosunmu: 19 points, four rebounds, three on 7-of-10 shooting in his return. Had the game-winning and-one in the final minute.

Ayo should be royalty in Champaign forever for blessing them with three years. He has turned into everything you want out of a college lead guard.

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) March 6, 2021

By virtue of having a big-time scorer who is capable of making plays in crucial moments, Illinois is in prime position to make a significant run in the NCAA tournament. It may have locked up a No. 1 seed with this victory, though a deep run in the Big Ten tournament next week would solidify the team's standing.

Liddell's Second-Half Surge Can't Lift Buckeyes

On the day that Liddell was named one of the 15 finalists for this year's Wooden Award, the Ohio State star looked like he was going to disappoint in a marquee game. 

Liddell finished the first half with just five points on 2-of-7 shooting in 17 minutes. The Buckeyes were able to stay within four points at halftime thanks to Duane Washington Jr.'s 11 points. 

The second half proved to be a turning point for Liddell. He scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting in his attempt to lead the Buckeyes back. 

Another big E.J. Liddell bucket. 💪

No surprise, No. 4 at No. 7 is a close one.@EasyE2432 // @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/u7Vjzjzfkh

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 6, 2021

E.J. Liddell has 10 of Ohio State's last 12 points, and the #Buckeyes lead 68-64 with 3:46 to play. He's got 14 of his 19 in the second half.

— Adam Jardy (@AdamJardy) March 6, 2021

In one crucial sequence, Trent Frazier's three-pointer got Illinois to within one point at 65-64 with 4:14 remaining. Liddell responded with a three of his own on an assist from Washington that gave the Buckeyes some breathing room. 

E.J. Liddell (@EasyE2432) wants this sweep of Illinois.

The @OhioStateHoops star's also playing like he wants All-B1G 1st-team honors. pic.twitter.com/vk7Y94RQ7C

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 6, 2021

Unfortunately, Ohio State missed its final 10 field-goal attempts. Liddell only attempted two shots during that span. 

Saturday was a bad day overall for the Buckeyes offense. They shot just 40 percent overall and made nine of their 29 three-point attempts. 

That's been a consistent problem for Ohio State during its current four-game losing streak. The offense is shooting just 29-of-87 from behind the arc over this stretch. 

Until the Buckeyes get consistent scoring around Liddell, they will continue to struggle. They briefly looked like they had figured things out in the second half, but they went ice cold down the stretch when they needed a basket the most. 

   

What's Next?

Illinois and Ohio State will travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the start of the Big Ten tournament, which begins March 10. 

Draymond Green was a consensus All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year during his career at Michigan State, but he may have cost his alma mater a game on Thursday. 

Michigan head coach Juwan Howard revealed he used a video of the Golden State Warriors forward talking trash about the Wolverines to motivate his team prior to its 69-50 victory over the Spartans, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN.

"He had a nice little video I wanted the guys to listen to," Howard said. "I think they really enjoyed watching it and listening to the words that were said."

Michigan looked motivated as it bounced back from Tuesday's blowout loss to Illinois and clinched the Big Ten title with the win.

The two rivals play again Sunday, and the Wolverines might have a new motivation in the rematch. After all, Michigan State is firmly on the bubble for the NCAA men's tournament and can ill-afford to lose two straight to end its regular season.

Michigan might just knock its rival right out of the Big Dance.

The Illinois Fighting Illini delivered a statement win in Big Ten play on Tuesday, but they are still expected to finish behind the Michigan Wolverines in the conference standings. 

With Michigan and Illinois projected to be on different sides of the Big Ten tournament bracket, we could witness a showdown on Selection Sunday with Ayo Dosunmu potentially available for the Fighting Illini. 

The 21-year-old's presence in Indianapolis could change the complexion of the tournament, as it would make his team the possible favorite to win the competition. 

Beneath Michigan and Illinois, there is plenty left to play for in terms of seeding, as the teams in third, fourth and fifth are separated by a half-game in conference record, and the next four have less than two games between them. 

The Purdue Boilermakers are the hottest team in that collection of programs, and their current run could turn into postseason success in their home state. 

             

Big Ten Tournament Schedule

All Times ET

First Round: Wednesday, March 10 (6:30 p.m., 9 p.m., Big Ten Network)

Second Round: Thursday, March 11 (sessions start at 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network)

Quarterfinals: Friday, March 12 (sessions start at 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network)

Semifinals: Saturday, March 13 (1 p.m., 25 minutes following first game, CBS)

Final: Sunday, March 14 (3:30 p.m., CBS)

       

Bracket Predictions

Illinois' Results Land No. 1 Seed In NCAA Tournament

Illinois' win over Michigan put it in front of the pack for the fourth No. 1 seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. 

The Gonzaga Bulldogs and Baylor Bears should join Michigan on the top seed line, but the recent losses for the Ohio State Buckeyes have opened up the fourth No. 1 seed to a handful of teams. 

Illinois entered Monday as the No. 4 team in the AP Top 25, and it now has wins over four of the other five teams in the top six of the Big Ten. 

Brad Underwood's team can move that total to five if it takes care of Ohio State in its regular-season finale on Saturday. 

Illinois was always going to be a dangerous team this month, but its potential to make a deep run in March was dented without Dosunmu on the floor. 

If the star guard returns for the Big Ten tournament, the Illini could reel off a few games to solidify a position on the top seed line. Underwood listed Dosunmu as day-to-day due to a facial injury he suffered against the Michigan State Spartans, per Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune. 

With Dosunmu on the hardwood, Illinois has one of the best inside-outside duos in the country with him and Kofi Cockburn. They both average over 17 points per game, and the center is close to averaging a double-double at 9.8 rebounds per game. 

If the supporting cast, led by Trent Frazier, shows up in the same way it did against Michigan, they could propel the Illini to even greater heights. 

Frazier produced 22 points in the triumph in Ann Arbor, Michigan, while Andre Curbelo chipped in 17 points. 

Frazier and Curbelo do not have to score at that high of a rate when Dosunmu returns, but if they add at least 10-12 points each game, Illinois could have one of the more unstoppable offenses in March. 

At the moment, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Wisconsin Badgers would be on Illinois' side of the Big Ten bracket. The Illini beat both teams by five points and can negate their paint presences with Cockburn. 

If they beat Ohio State on Saturday and then add another ranked win or two in Indianapolis, the Illini should fill out the final spot on the No. 1 seed line.

         

Purdue Extends Hot Run Into Indianapolis

Purdue possesses the longest winning streak in the Big Ten at four games. 

In fact, Matt Painter's team is 10-3 since January 8, and its only defeats have come at home to Michigan and on the road against the Maryland Terrapins and Minnesota Golden Gophers. Maryland should be in the field of 68, while Minnesota was a bubble contender until a week ago. 

Purdue's best victory of its latest stretch occurred on Tuesday against Wisconsin, when 7'4" center Zach Edey earned 21 points and seven rebounds. 

Edey, who averages 8.6 points per game, has four double-digit performances in his last six games and has been able to stay out of foul trouble for most of conference play. He has committed four fouls once since January 1. 

The hard-to-guard center and freshman guard Jaden Ivey, who has four straight double-digit point games, have provided Purdue with more scoring depth of late. 

In addition to getting hot at the right time, Purdue will have some of the smallest travel time of any Big Ten tournament and March Madness participants since both competitions are happening in Indiana. 

If Purdue remains in its comfort zone, it could be a finalist in the Big Ten tournament and could improve its NCAA tournament seeding if a few of those wins are over Top 25 teams. 

Painter guided Purdue to two Big Ten tournament finals in the last four seasons in which it was held, and he led the program to three straight Sweet 16 appearances from 2017-19.

With some red-hot scorers and a coach who knows how to win in March, Purdue could end up as a popular pick to make noise in the coming weeks. 

        

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

The entire college basketball season points to March. Nothing is more exciting than the conference and NCAA tournaments, which are beloved for buzzer-beaters, upsets and matchups of top-ranked teams.

But the Big Ten couldn't wait to get started.

During the last two weeks, the conference has created some of the most intriguing storylines of the 2020-21 men's season. Just as it appeared we had a decent understanding of the Big Ten, several teams have shattered their perception—both in a good or bad way—while providing a few incredible games.

March Madness has already begun in the Midwest.

Two weeks ago, Michigan State's tournament hopes seemed buried. After a 6-0 start, the Spartans lumbered to a 4-9 record in league play, including five losses against six ranked Big Ten teams. It would take a dramatic turnaround for MSU to rejoin the bubble, let alone earn a place in the 68-team NCAA tourney field.

Indiana had obvious flaws but stood at 12-9 with a couple of victories over Iowa. Win a few more games, and coach Archie Miller would bolster his job security while guiding the Hoosiers into March Madness.

That consensus has since vanished, and it all started with MSU's 78-71 triumph at Assembly Hall on Feb. 20.

Including that loss, IU has dropped four straight games. The Hoosiers have tumbled from a projected No. 11 seed for the NCAA tournament to the outer edge of the bubble. Miller's hot seat has risen from moderately warm to sweltering.

Michigan State followed up that victory with stunning upsets of Top Five teams Illinois and Ohio State. Following a loss to Maryland, the Spartans recovered with a second win against Indiana. After putting the "long" in long shot, MSU is unquestionably in the conversation for an NCAA bid.

In just two weeks, Indiana and Michigan State have practically switched places on the bubble.

The top of the Big Ten is even more interesting.

After returning from a 23-day coronavirus-related pause, Michigan put together a spectacular five-game stretch. Head coach Juwan Howard's team toppled Wisconsin and Rutgers, held off Ohio State in a Game of the Year candidate, dispatched Iowa with a dominant second half and took out Indiana.

Based on those performances, it appeared the Big Ten's hierarchy read Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa. Ohio State—which has beaten Illinois—had a much stronger showing than Iowa against Michigan, then the undisputed top team.

Within a week, however, Iowa and Illinois obliterated that assessment.

Despite losing key role player Jack Nunge to a season-ending knee injury, Iowa smacked the Buckeyes 73-57 in their own building. Iowa's defense, deservedly criticized for its shaky performances, assembled its best game of the season.

Illinois star Ayo Dosunmu broke his nose in a loss to Michigan State. Without the All-American guard, however, the Illini handled Nebraska and Wisconsin before pulverizing Michigan.

Lesson learned, Big Ten.

There is no internally reworked power ranking to share, especially not with Ohio State hosting Illinois in its regular-season finale March 6. The Buckeyes could create a perfect two-week transitive circle if they upend the Illini, who beat Michigan, which crushed Iowa, which hammered Ohio State.

For unattached fans, this could hardly be more exciting.

We haven't even mentioned Purdue because it last played a top program in mid-January, but the 17-8 Boilermakers swept Ohio State this season. Wisconsin, though on a slide recently, is an NCAA tournament lock. Maryland and Rutgers are on track to play in March Madness too. They're all valuable complementary pieces of the nation's best league, per KenPom.com.

At the perfect moment, the Big Ten has begun to provide a whole lot of mayhem. Michigan remains a prime national contender, but Illinois is a strong challenger. Iowa is finally showing elite balance, and Ohio State still has great upside.

In a matter of 14 days, the conference has shifted from seemingly understood to fascinatingly unpredictable.

Yet the best part of the season—the real March Madness—is still to come.