Big Ten Tournament capsules

By Joe Rexrode • Lansing State Journal • March 8, 2007

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1. Ohio State

27-3 overall, 15-1 Big Ten

• First game: Friday vs. Michigan-Minnesota winner

• At stake: The Buckeyes are playing to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. "I think they'll get a No. 1 seed regardless of what happens," said Jerry Palm, a bracketologist who runs the site collegerpi.com.

2. Wisconsin

27-4, 13-3

• First game: Friday vs. MSU-Northwestern winner

• At stake: The Badgers are trying to join the Buckeyes as a No. 1 seed for the big tourney. "Wisconsin might need to win this tournament to get a No. 1," Palm said. If the Badgers lose early, a No. 2 seed is still a near certainty.

3. Indiana

20-9, 10-6

• First game: Friday vs. Illinois-Penn State winner

• At stake: The Hoosiers, like MSU, are considered a safe bet to make the NCAA field. Also like MSU, IU is projected in the 8-10 seeding range at this point. A deep run could give the Hoosiers a shot at a 6-seed or so.

4. Iowa

17-13, 9-7

• First game: Friday vs. Purdue

• At stake: It's pretty simple. Iowa has to win this tournament, and the automatic NCAA bid that comes with it, to avoid the NIT. The Hawkeyes' nonleague performance, computer numbers and late-season loss at Penn State ensure that.

5. Purdue

20-10, 9-7

• First game: Friday vs. Iowa

• At stake: This team's directly on that NCAA bubble. Purdue must beat Iowa "to get into the discussion," Palm said. After that, Purdue likely will play Ohio State or Michigan in the semifinals. If it's U-M, Purdue has to win that one as well to be safe.

6. Illinois

21-10, 9-7

• First game: Today vs. Penn State

• At stake: The Illini are in virtually the same spot as Purdue. Illinois has to beat Penn State, then Indiana in the quarterfinals. "And they could still not get in with that," Palm said. "This team might have to make the finals."

7. MSU

21-10, 8-8

• First game: Today vs. Northwestern

• At stake: Palm said MSU actually has the third-best NCAA profile in the league at this point because of excellent RPI and strength of schedule numbers, and a win over Texas in November in New York. But a loss to the lowly Wildcats could make MSU vulnerable. If the Spartans go on a run, Palm says an NCAA 5- or 6-seed could be attained.

8. Michigan

20-11, 8-8

• First game: Today vs. Minnesota

• At stake: First U-M needs wins over the Gophers and Ohio State in the quarters. "I'm not even thinking about them until they do that," Palm said. "That could change things, but I'm kind of thinking they need to win this tournament to get in."

9. Minnesota

9-21, 3-13

• First game: Today vs. Michigan

• At stake: A dreadful season that saw coach Dan Monson dismissed early on will end in Chicago. The Gophers can ruin Michigan's faint NCAA hopes, just as they did a year ago in the Big Ten tourney.

10. Northwestern

13-17, 2-14

• First game: Today vs. MSU

• At stake: Four wins would get the Wildcats to .500, good enough to earn an NIT bid. Of course, that would mean Northwestern would get the automatic NCAA bid. Not happening. Maybe the Wildcats can score a stunner in front of the hometown fans.

11. Penn State

11-18, 2-14

• First game: Today vs. Illinois

• At stake: How secure is coach Ed DeChellis? The league's most disappointing team could help him - and send Illinois to the NIT - with a shocking upset today. Hey, the Lions did it in Champaign a year ago.