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.
Michigan basketball, however, weren’t as much on the receiving end of things. Sunday’s early action left the Wolverines in place to finish as high as the No. 2 seed (with a 6:30 p.m. Friday start) or as low as No. 8 (noon Thursday), depending on their Sunday result against Indiana and the game between Northwestern and Rutgers at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in Piscataway, N.J.
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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?
