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2012 Big Ten Basketball Tournament Predictions & Schedule

The 2012 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will take place at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The tournament will span four days, starting on Thursday, March 8 and wrapping up on Sunday, March 11.  The Big Ten was a bit crowded at the top. Michigan State, Ohio State, and Michigan shared the regular season title with a 13-5 conference mark. As a whole the conference is projected to send seven teams to the NCAA Tournament, but that number could jump to eight if a team from the bottom surprises everyone and wins four games in four days. The games will be televised on the Big Ten Network(BTN), ESPN2, ESPN, and CBS. Here is a closer look at the schedule, plus my game-by-game predictions all the way to the Championship Game on Sunday.

Schedule/Predictions

First Round – Thursday, March 8

Game 1 (BTN – 11:30AM EST) – No. 8 Iowa vs. No. 9 Illinois – The Fighting Illini beat the Hawkeyes 65-54 at home in the only regular season matchup. It was Illinois’ only win over their last nine games. Iowa is a team worth keeping an eye on in this tournament. I look for Matt Gatens to carry the Hawkeyes to a win and put an end to a disappointing season for Illinois.

Game 2 (BTN – 2:00 EST)  – No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 12 Penn State – The Hoosiers won both meetings against Penn State in conference play, and I can’t see Indiana suffering a let down in this one. After a rough stretch where the Hoosiers went just 2-5 over seven games, they enter the tournament with seven wins in their last eight games.

Game 3 (ESPN2 – 5:30 EST) – No. 7 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Minnesota -These two teams split their two games, with each team holding serve at home. Northwestern has been doing everything they can to get an invite to the NCAA Tournament, while Minnesota has lost six of their last seven. I like Northwestern to get that much-needed win and advance to play Michigan in round 2.

Game 4 (ESPN2 – 8:00 EST) – No. 6 Purdue vs. No. 11 Nebraska – Nebraska had just won road win in conference play, and I can’t see them making it past Purdue. The Boilermakers crushed Nebraska 83-65 in the only regular season meeting, and  are playing with a bit of momentum with five wins over their last seven games.

Quarterfinals – Friday, March 9

Game 5 (ESPN – 12:00 EST) – No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Iowa – The Spartans needed a win at Indiana or at home against Ohio State to win the Big Ten regular season title outright, but couldn’t get it done. The confidence of this team has definitely been rattled. The good news is they have one of the best in the business in head coach Tom Izzo to get them back on track. I think Iowa will give them a scare, but in the end it will be Michigan State moving on to the Semifinals.

Game 6 (ESPN – 2:30 EST) – No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Indiana – While the tournament is considered to be at a neutral location, its going to feel like a home game of Indiana. The Hoosiers  lost at Wisconsin 50-57 in the only meeting between these two teams. With the crowd on their side, I expect Indiana to get their revenge over the Badgers.

Game 7 (BTN – 6:30 EST) – No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 7 Northwestern – These two teams played a thrilling couple of games in conference play. Michigan won 66-64 at home in overtime and then went on the road and beat the Wildcats 67-55 in overtime. I expect another entertaining showdown in the tournament, but this time I believe it will be Northwestern who comes out on top.

Game 8 (BTN – 9:00 EST) – No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Purdue – I believe the Buckeyes late rally to beat the Spartans in the season finale is just what this team needed. Ohio State held on for a 87-84 win against Purdue at home, but this time I think Ohio State shows why they are a team you have to watch out for in the NCAA Tournament. Buckeyes by double-digits.

Semifinals – Saturday, March 10

Game 9 (CBS – 1:40 EST) – No. 1 Michigan State vs No. 5 Indiana – This is quite a rematch in the semifinals. Both teams beat up on the other team by 15-points at home. The home-feel that the Hoosiers are going to have in this tournament will again be the deciding factor, as the Spartans lose for the third time in four games.

Game 10 (CBS – 4:10 EST) – No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Northwestern – Northwestern got the two wins they needed to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but the magic stops here. Ohio State feeds off that big win over Purdue and cruises past the Wildcats to the Championship game.

Championship Game – Sunday, March 11

Game 11 (CBS – 3:30 EST) – No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Indiana – Indiana was able to upset Ohio State 74-70 at home way back on Dec. 31. The Buckeyes returned the favor with a 80-63 home win of their own. I think the Hoosiers will give the Buckeyes all they can handle in this game, but it will be Ohio State who make a statement and wins the Big Ten Tournament.