Projected Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket
The Big Ten Conference is one of the most competitive basketball conferences in the country. This year, the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament is set to take place from March 10-14, 2021. The tournament will feature the top 14 teams in the conference, all fighting for the coveted Big Ten championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Seeding and Bracket
The Big Ten Tournament is a single-elimination tournament featuring a total of 14 teams. The teams are seeded based on their regular-season conference record, with the top four teams receiving a first-round bye.
As of March 2, 2021, the top four seeds in the tournament are the Michigan Wolverines, Illinois Fighting Illini, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Purdue Boilermakers. These teams have all clinched a first-round bye and are waiting to find out who they will play in the quarterfinals.
The remaining 10 teams will play in the first round of the tournament. The first-round matchups are as follows:
- No. 11 Northwestern vs. No. 14 Minnesota
- No. 12 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Penn State
The winners of these games will move on to the second round and face the No. 6 and No. 5 seeds, respectively. The winners of those games will then move on to face the top four seeds in the quarterfinals.
The tournament then follows a standard bracket format, with the winners of each game advancing to the next round until a champion is crowned on March 14.
Players to Watch
The Big Ten is loaded with talented players, and the tournament will showcase some of the best in the country. Here are a few players to keep an eye on:
- Luka Garza, Iowa - Garza is the frontrunner for Big Ten Player of the Year and a contender for National Player of the Year. He's averaging 24.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and has been dominant all season.
- Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois - Dosunmu is another Player of the Year candidate and the leader of the Fighting Illini. He's averaging 20.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game and has shown the ability to take over games.
- Hunter Dickinson, Michigan - Dickinson has been a force for the Wolverines all season, averaging 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He's a matchup nightmare for opposing teams and could be a key player in Michigan's tournament run.
- Trevion Williams, Purdue - Williams is coming off a 26-point, 14-rebound performance against Indiana and has been a consistent presence for the Boilermakers all season. He's averaging 15.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and could be a dark horse to make some noise in the tournament.
Final Thoughts
The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament is always an exciting event, and this year should be no different. With several top teams vying for the championship and a chance to compete in the NCAA Tournament, the stakes are high.
Make sure to tune in to the tournament from March 10-14 to see some of the best basketball the country has to offer.