2009 Big Ten NCAA Tournament Predictions
Written March 5, 2009 by Jack Jones
Craig Trapp has been working hard going through all of the major conferences to let our visitors know his thoughts on who will be in and who will be out of the NCAA tournament. This can be important info down the stretch for those of you doing NCAA basketball betting as teams might have a little extra motivation to perform at a high level. Today, Craig is breaking down the Big Ten Conference, a league that is having a down year in Trapp’s eyes. There are only three teams that are locked into a spot in the dance, which is strange since most years this conference will have up to seven invites handed out.
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Michigan State
The Spartans have flown under the national radar this year but they easily won the Big Ten title and stand at 24-5 overall. Tom Izzo’s bunch plays very aggressive defense and hustles at all times. Ramar Morgan is the leading Spartan scorere with almost 15 ppg while Kalin Lucas adds 13 ppg. Lucas leads the offense in an efficient manner with his 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Spartans should be a #2 seed in the tournament if they can finish their season strong and Michigan State hasn’t been upset too many times under Izzo. A Sweet 16 berth is likely, but this team shouldn’t get much further than that.
Purdue
The Boilermakers had high hopes heading into the season when they were the favorite to win the conference and possibly be in contention for a national title. Injuries took a toll on this team but Purdue seems to be hitting their stride, as evidenced by their recent blow out win over Michigan State. It’s likely they’ll be beaten by the Spartans in their last game of the year though, leading to a #5 seed and a second round loss in the tournament.
Illinois
The Illini play the best defense out of anyone in the conference and are a talented young team that plays hard every night out. They surprised a lot of people with their play this year, but need to be more consistent shooting the ball. A few wins in the conference tournament could move this team up to a #4 seed, but Illinois has struggled away from home this year. Possible first round upset, especially in the dreaded 12 versus 5 spot.
Bubble
Three other teams on the bubble are Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Penn State. These schools should be invited as #8 or #9 seeds but won’t last long in the big dance. If these teams were in any of the other major conferences then they would probably be headed to the NIT.
Looking for help in beating the college basketball odds this March? Take a look at the NCAA basketball picks provided by Craig Trapp and our other expert handicappers.
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:
- SEC Tournament Predictions & NCAA Projections
- NCAA Tournament Predictions: Pac-10
- ACC Predictions for the 2009 NCAA Tournament
- NCAA Tournament Predictions: ACC
- NCAA Basketball Odds on Big Ten Teams To Win the Tournament
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