Big Ten 2011 Tournament Predictions

From: SBNation.com -

The bracket for the 2011 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis is set, and play will begin on Thursday when Northwestern and Minnesota square off at Conseco Fieldhouse for the right to take on top seed Ohio State. How do we at SB Nation Pittsburgh see things shaking out? Read on.

Round One

No. 9 Minnesota vs. No. 8 Northwestern-The Golden Gophers won the first matchup of these two teams 81-70 back on Jan. 26, but the Wildcats’ 68-57 victory on March 2 is probably a more accurate barometer of what we can expect in the tournament’s opening game. Minnesota has been listless in losing nine of its last 10, and without guards Devoe Joseph, who is transferring to Oregon, and Al Nolen, who is out with an injury, it’s hard to see the Gophers making much of a charge. If Northwestern comes to play, it should move on to face Ohio State.

No. 10 Iowa vs. No. 7 Michigan State-The Spartans and Hawkeyes traded blowout this season with Iowa winning 72-52 at Carver-Hawkeye back on Feb. 2 and Michigan State dominating the March 2 bout 85-66. Obviously, that makes it a little harder to grasp just who will have the advantage on a neutral court, but given Sparty’s superior record and the fact that Tom Izzo’s squad absolutely must have this game to stay alive for the NCAA Tournament, Michigan State is probably the safe pick here.

No. 11 Indiana vs. No. 6 Penn State-The Nittany Lions took the only matchup of the season between these two teams 69-60 on Dec. 27 in Bloomington. Like Michigan State, Penn State is playing for its NCAA Tournament life in this game and had a much better conference season than the cellar dwelling Hoosiers. With all that’s riding on the game, it’s hard to pick against Talor Battle and Co.

Quarterfinals

No. 8 Northwestern vs. No. 1 Ohio State-The top-seeded Buckeyes escaped Evanston with a 58-57 win in the only installment of this matchup so far in 2011. The Wildcats led late, but Ohio State did just enough to keep its then-perfect record intact. Northwestern is very much on the outside looking in at the NCAA Tournament at-large pool, but a win over the Buckeyes on a neutral floor might put Bill Carmody’s squad back in the discussion. Ohio State is still playing for a No. 1 seed, though, and let’s face it, is a much more talented team. Look for the Buckeyes to head to the semifinals.

No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Purdue-This is quite a matchup for the…

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