Big Ten basketball tournament scenarios: MSU a top-4 seed; where Michigan could finish
Surprisingly, an upset in Iowa City, Iowa, took a step toward turning this chaotic Big Ten basketball season a bit more predictable with three games yet to finish.
Nebraska, which blew a big halftime lead in its senior-night game Tuesday against Michigan State basketball, upset Iowa in the Hawkeyes’ home finale, handing Michigan State another gift: A guaranteed top-four seed and a double-bye in the upcoming Big Ten tournament. The Spartans will be either the No. 3 seed, with a 9 p.m. Friday start time, or the No. 4, with a 2:30 Friday tip.
Michigan basketball, however, weren’t as much on the receiving end of things. And after their overtime loss at Indiana, the Wolverines will be either the fifth seed or eighth seed. If Rutgers beats Northwestern Sunday night, U-M will be fifth and play the Wisconsin-Ohio State winner around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. If the Wildcats win, U-M will be eighth and play Rutgers at noon Thursday.
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Entering Sunday, the Spartans were one of seven Big Ten teams sitting at 11-8 in conference play, though they were the only one not playing, after wrapping up their regular season with Saturday’s win over Ohio State. Their lack of a 20th conference game, with their game against Minnesota being canceled after the shootings on campus last month, left them needing at least three of the six other 11-8 squads to lose early, with Michigan’s 4:30 p.m. game guaranteeing a loss for at least another 11-8 squad (both the Wolverines and Hoosiers).
And so it happened: Camren Wynter hit a layup at the buzzer in Happy Valley to give Penn State an upset of previously 11-8 Maryland in the day’s first game. Regular-season champ Purdue held on against Illinois, 76-71, in West Lafayette, Indiana, to drop another 11-8 squad. And, in the day’s third game, The Cornhuskers rallied from a four-point halftime deficit to beat the Hawkeyes, 81-77.
Here are the relevant scenarios with three games left to play in the Big Ten regular season:
If Michigan wins, and Rutgers wins
The Wolverines are the No. 2 seed, with a double-bye and a Big Ten tournament game at 6:30 p.m. Friday against Northwestern or Penn State.
The Spartans are the No. 3 seed, with a double-bye and a Big Ten tournament game at approximately 9 p.m. Friday against Rutgers, Nebraska or Minnesota.
If Michigan wins, and Northwestern wins
The Wolverines are the No. 2 seed, with a double-bye and a Big Ten tournament game at 6:30 p.m. Friday against Indiana or Penn State.
The Spartans are the No. 4 seed, with a double-bye and a Big Ten tournament game at approximately 2:30 p.m. Friday against Iowa, Ohio State or Wisconsin.
If Michigan loses, and Rutgers wins
The Wolverines are the No. 5 seed, with a single-bye and a Big Ten tournament game at 2:30 p.m. Thursday against Ohio State or Wisconsin.
The Spartans are the No. 3 seed, with a double-bye and a Big Ten tournament game at approximately 9 p.m. Friday against Maryland, Nebraska or Minnesota.
If Michigan loses, and Northwestern wins
The Wolverines are the No. 8 seed, with a single-bye and a Big Ten tournament game at noon Thursday against No. 9-seed Rutgers
The Spartans are the No. 4 seed, with a double-bye and a Big Ten tournament game at, yep, approximately 2:30 p.m. Friday against Iowa, Ohio State or Wisconsin.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Big Ten basketball tourney: MSU gets double-bye; what about Michigan?
