2023 Big Ten Tournament bracketology -- TKR Staff Predictions
Now that the men's basketball Big Ten Tournament is officially set, the staff here at The Knight Report offers our best guess at what the bracket might look like in the end.
Will top-seeded Purdue run the table or will one of the lower teams play spoiler? The Big Ten appears to be wide open and looks like anyone could win the tournament.
Check out our picks below.
RICHIE SCHNYDERITE'S BRACKET...
In the wise words of Jon Rothstein, grab your nitroglycerin pills, as the Big Ten Tournament is going to be absolutely bonkers as just about any team could win it all this year.
Round one will likely go as expected in my opinion, but round two is when the fun begins as I have Penn State beating Illinois and Maryland losing to Nebraska for the second time this season. After that I got Purdue losing to Michigan as they will take on Michigan State in the semi-finals to break the season series tie, currently sitting at 1-1. On the other side I have Penn State versus Indiana with the Hoosiers winning that one handedly.
In the end, Michigan wins this one as they arguably have the most talented team in the conference as this one will be on the coaching staff to get the Wolverines through the tournament.
CHRIS NALWASKY'S BRACKET...
Full disclosure I filled out this bracket while in the car driving to North Carolina (not actively, of course). The Big Ten is very hard to predict and I hate my bracket. Nebraska is on fire coming in and could be this year’s Iowa in a way. However, I think it has to win too many games to go far. Michigan I feel has the talent to win it all. Purdue is younger in spots and I’m not sold. Northwestern has the defense and enough offense to reach the final. It is also a mainly veteran bunch. Penn State, if it shoots well, could pull off upsets too. Illinois is a bit of a wildcard. It has the pieces to beat anyway. Michigan State is not one to be messed with come March either.
Ohio State has talent, it just wake table to obtain enough wins to get a bye. Indiana I think is playing well right and it has an inside-outside take with a surging freshman and the league’s top player. A month ago I could have seen Rutgers in at least the semifinals. The Big Ten is hard to predict, and any team could take home the title.
CRAIG EPSTEIN'S BRACKET...
At this point trying to predict how the Big Ten tournament is going to go is probably an exercise in futility. However, it is hard to argue that Purdue has not consistently been the best team in the conference all season long while Indiana likely has the highest ceiling. Although they probably need wins to ensure their tickets in the big dance, it is hard for me to envision any of the bubble teams like Michigan, Rutgers, Penn St., or Wisconsin going on any type of run. In the end, I expect this to be a fun Big Ten tournament but I see the Hoosiers coming out on top and bookending a wild, up-and-down season with a conference championship.
MARK REMSA -- @RUHoopsInsider
I have to go with Indiana to win the Big Ten Tournament. Yes, they were blown out the other day by Iowa at Assembly Hall but that won't likely happen again as the Hawkeyes converted on 13 made 3-pointers at 57%, which doesn't happen often. The Hoosiers are one of the most balanced teams in the Big Ten and have beaten Purdue twice this year. Trayce Jackson-Davis has been playing at an elite level in just about every game this season. Although I think Indiana will win the Big Ten Tournament, I don't think it will be easy. Northwestern and Nebraska pose the biggest threats to Indiana. Northwestern has beaten Indiana twice this year, and Nebraska is playing really good basketball as of late. My sleeper team to win the Big Ten Tournament is Penn State.
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