So far, Big Ten has just four locks for NCAA basketball tournament
After receiving seven NCAA tournament bids a season ago, the Big Ten Conference will need a strong run from an unexpected team at this week's tournament to reach that number this season.
Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo on the Big Ten Conference expecting four or five bids for the NCAA tournament this year: "I definitely, definitely believe the top of the Big Ten is better than it was last year. And yet if we only get four teams in, I think it’d be a shame."
After that, the Big Ten tournament field is filled with bubble teams and disappointments. This leaves the Big Ten coaches surprised considering preseason talk of a strong league and that three teams tied for first place with four losses each.
“I am and some of that is my worry in scheduling. I look at Illinois, and they scheduled a lot tougher. Michigan scheduled a lot tougher. When you have teams like that that scheduled tougher and lose a few more games, that’s part of the problem,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “I definitely think top-to-bottom the league is better than it was, and I definitely, definitely believe the top of the Big Ten is better than it was last year. And yet if we only get four teams in, I think it’d be a shame.
“Illinois deserves to be in and if Minnesota can win a few games, they’ll be there, too.”
Illinois is the most bubble-rific team of the bunch. The Illini (18-13) are hanging on inside ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s field as the last team in. Minnesota (18-12) is among the first eight out.
The Illini are slumping. While they have wins over Vanderbilt, at Clemson, at Wisconsin and against Michigan State, they have lost five of their last six games. The NCAA no longer provides the last 10 games record during the selection process, but it something easily obtained.
As the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten tournament, Illinois coach Bruce Weber even said his team needs to win a game or two to feel comfortable on Sunday. Another coach thinks the Illini are safe.
“I would say right off the bat there is five, Illinois is in there,” Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. “They have so many really good wins and I don’t know if we’re getting our just due because I’m looking around and people are talking about 10th place teams having a shot or being on the bubble.
“I’ll put their record against a lot of records, all right. The teams they’ve been losing to are pretty good teams. So I think we have five.”
Carmody is likely referring to the Big East, which has its No. 10 team, Seton Hall, firmly on the NCAA bubble at 9-9 in the league and 18-11 overall. Actually, the Big East’s No. 11 and 12 teams - Cincinnati and Connecticut - are also hanging out on the bubble.
But for the Big Ten, there isn’t that depth because Northwestern (19-12) fell off after a strong start and Michigan (14-16) never got started.
“Going into the year we certainly, Northwestern had a lot of people coming back and they had Coble getting hurt and us having such a disappointing year, there’s a, but I think there’s some people that can play their way in with one, two or three wins,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “This goes according to what happens to teams when you’re playing in December and November and not as much in January and February.
“I don’t think I’m surprised because I’ve been at it enough to know seasons can go any way up and down. I would assume we would get more than that after this is all set and done.”
That, though, could depend on Thursday and Friday. If Minnesota and Illinois don’t win at least one each - and the Gophers probably need more than that - the Big Ten will be four teams and out.
No matter how much better the actual play in the Big Ten might be.
“It is strange that we are talking about the league being a lot better, which I definitely believe it is, but if we get less teams in, I guess that looks a little bad for us,” Izzo said. “But that shows where parity can help you but also hurt you.”
Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.
Comments
trigg7
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 9:25 a.m.
Yea,didnt those baners get yanked down do to cheating.
barnz378
Tue, Mar 9, 2010 : 7:24 p.m.
There was a day when it killed MSU and OSU to fill out brackets with MICHIGAN being THE program. I quess that is why Jennison Field House gave way to the Breslin Center. Why MSU added a nose bleed section on stilts way above the football field so they could increase their capacity slightly larger than CMU. 59,000. Had to make the changes to stay alive. Things happen for the better. I bet UM won't stay dormant forever, if things continue to slide, expect more changes. I am not very fond of the type of players we are getting now. Tom Izzo has a little Gene Cady in him and he will continue building on old school Big Ten. Which I don't think was ever too shabby.
Yelmonian
Tue, Mar 9, 2010 : 6:09 p.m.
Wersch... the Big Ten plays on ESPN regularly. I can find them on there pretty much any day the Big Ten schedules a game. The great part about the Big Ten Network, is all the lesser games are broadcast. Those would have been skipped over by ESPN anyway. I do not see the Big Ten Network as a downside. Purdue vs. MSU, or Wisconsin vs. Ohio State will always be on ESPN.... the issue is that lesser teams (Penn State, UM, Indiana) just are not very attractive and do not play a fun brand of basketball right now.
wersch213
Tue, Mar 9, 2010 : 5:02 p.m.
The proof is in this article that media perception is key to a ticket in the NCAA Tourney. Big Ten gets 7 last year and only 4 this year?? By most accounts it's a better, deeper, conference than last year...but they get 3 teams less? AND 4 of the top 13 in the country are from the Big Ten. Seriously, what the heck is going on?.500 Big Ten record should have been enough to get to the dance this year. Especially since it was last year. It's hard to say but if the Big 10 signed a deal with ESPN, instead of creating their own network then everyone in the conference would have been better off. Big East Basketball and SEC football both have deals with ESPN and look who ALWAYS get the publicity and high praise year after year... Every year that I can remember the Big Ten has had a team in the Final Four or championship game.
trigg7
Tue, Mar 9, 2010 : 4:42 p.m.
It must kill UM fans to fill out brackets with OSU and MSU going so far every year.