NCAA Tidbits on Big Ten Teams

Hope everyone is getting "mad" for the right reasons as you are filling out your brackets. I've had a few days to digest everything that happened at this year's Big Ten Tournament and for those of you who need help picking your bracket, I've got some advice for you, specifically aimed at games featuring Big Ten teams...

-- Purdue is back. I think that is the most obvious point we can make after watching the Boilermakers basically breeze through three games in Indianapolis last weekend. They are a different team with Robbie Hummel healthy and they've got a lot of pieces to make a dangerous out for any team in the tournament.

-- Michigan's tournament fate will be decided behind the three-point line. When Manny Harris, Stu Douglass, Zack Novak and Laval Lucas-Perry hit their threes, Michigan usually wins. But if they are off, Michigan doesn't win.

-- Ohio State doesn't have to travel far to play in their first-round games (Dayton, OH). And after watching him in person this past weekend, forward Evan Turner earned my vote as the conference's best overall player. That kid can do everything.

-- Depth is Minnesota's greatest tournament weapon. Their roster is 11 players deep and depending on the match-up, they can go big, small, fast, slow, inside or outside. Tubby Smith has a great compliment of players at his disposal but his guards, Al Nolen and Lawrence Westbrook, need to play well if the Golden Gophers want to advance past the first round.

-- The loss of Chester Frazier (broken hand) has crippled Illinois' chemistry. After their semifinal game Saturday, Matt Painter called Frazier "the glue" for Illinois, the guy that keeps the team together through thick and thin. He is their defensive specialist, their point guard and leader on the floor. They struggled without him and his absence on the court will likely lead to their downfall.

-- Like Illinois, Wisconsin's tournament fate will fall on the shoulders of their senior forwards, Marcus Landry and Joe Krabbenhoft. This team may not be as talented as in years past, but they've got experience of playing in multiple NCAA Tournaments in their corner, something first-round opponent Florida State doesn't have.

-- And Michigan State is the conference's best hope for a Final Four team. They've had injuries, sicknesses, inconsistencies this season, but they are still the most talented, most athletic team the conference has to offer. They don't even have to travel outside the midwest (Minneapolis in the first round, Indianapolis in the Sweet 16, Detroit in the Final Four), which should help their fan base travel a little easier. They have all the makings to make a deep run. They defend with tenacity, they are one of the best rebounding teams in the country and their up-tempo style will give opponents in the later rounds fits, assuming they make it that far. Because while some teams get tired, Michigan State will continue to push the ball and run their opponent out of the gym. DO NOT be surprised to see them playing for the championship in Detroit in a few weeks.

Last impressions: Overall, I thought the selection committee got the right teams in. Penn State's double-OT loss at Iowa all but doomed their fate, but I was surprised Minnesota got a higher seed than Wisconsin. I think the Big Ten got great first round draws, though the location of the games were very puzzling (Wisconsin in Boise, ID; Illinois, Purdue in Portland, OR). All-in-all, I've got Michigan State in my Elite Eight (losing to Louisville) and Purdue in my Sweet 16.

I would love to see the Big Ten get multiple teams into the Sweet 16 to shut the critics up, but this is March. Anything can happen.