The Big Ten conference has always been very competitive in the sports world. The 2023 March Madness basketball tournament is no exception with eight teams making it to the tournament. Since the Big Ten conference is based here in the Midwest, I thought I would share my thoughts on each team’s probability of moving forward in the tournament: 

Top Contenders

Purdue (1 seed): 

Purdue finished out their season with a 15-5 record against Big Ten contenders and 26-5 overall. With strong showings all season, they were able to take the Big Ten conference championship. In terms of the big tournament, I predict they could make the final four. They have solid guards who can shoot well like freshman Fletcher Loyer and junior Mason Gillis. Overall, their team dynamic and play are relatively strong. However, they lost some key games against teams like Northwestern, Indiana, Rutgers and Maryland. On paper, these teams are not as strong as Purdue. Also, they also almost blew a 13-point lead in the championship game against Penn State. Based on this, they may struggle when it comes to winning close games which could become a problem if they play teams such as Duke or Marquette. 

Northwestern (7 seed): 

Northwestern finished their regular season 12-8 in the Big Ten and 21-10 overall. In the Big Ten championship tournament, they lost in the quarter-finals to Penn State, who went on to the tournament’s final match. Throughout their season, Northwestern proved that they have one of the most elite defensive lines in college basketball. They also have a potential defensive player of the year senior Chase Audige and an elite scorer and Big Ten All-First Team player senior Boo Buie. However, their offense is very inconsistent. If they shoot poorly in the first-round game against Boise State, it could be a very short tournament for the Cats. If they perform well, however, they could be a contender for the Final Four. 

Indiana (4 seed): 

Indiana finished 12-8 in the Big Ten and 21-10 overall. They have one of the most efficient offensive lines in college basketball with strong shooters and ball movers. However, they’ve lost a lot of key games that they, on paper, should’ve won.  Additionally, their three-point shooting is pretty weak. This may eventually become a big problem when they need to perform well against competitive teams. If they hit just enough shots, though, this could be a good year for Hoosier fans.

The Middle of the Pack

Penn State (10 seed): 

Penn State finished 10-10 in the Big Ten and 19-12 overall. They lost the Big Ten Championship game to Purdue but it turned out to be a more competitive game than people initially thought. They may end up being a dark horse team to make the Final Four. They have a very strong offense with great scorers like senior Jalen Pickett, senior Andrew Funk and senior Seth Lundy. Their biggest weaknesses are free throws and rebounding. They struggle to shoot above 75% percent from the free throw line as a team and they only average around 32 rebounds a game. This could be very tough to overcome if they find themselves in a close match and have to rely on free throws to win the game.  

Illinois (9 seed): 

Illinois finished 11-9 in the Big Ten and 20-11 overall. They lost to Penn State in the second round of the Big Ten championship tournament. Overall, I’d say they’re a strong team especially with senior Terrence Shannon Jr. and senior Matthew Mayer leading the offensive charge. However, I don’t think they’ll make a deep run in the playoffs because of the opponents they will have to face in later rounds. Most of the team struggles to hit shots from the three-point line. 

Going home early

Michigan State (7 seed): 

Michigan State finished 11-8 in the Big Ten and 19-11 overall. Though they had a decent season leading up to March Madness, their rough loss against Ohio State in the championship tournament may be a precedent of what’s to come.  Overall, they have solid players like senior Joey Hauser and senior Tyson Walker who support the team’s overall offensive power. However, they have numerous struggles when it comes to winning close games. I think USC will give them a lot of problems in their first-round game due to USC’s tough defense and efficient offense.

Iowa (8 seed): 

Iowa finished 11-9 in the Big Ten and 19-12 overall. They lost to Penn State in the second round of the Big Ten championship tournament. Their offense isn’t stellar and their defense is far-from-perfect and I don’t think they’ll make a good run in the tournament and will be upset by Auburn in the first round. 

Maryland (8 seed): 

Maryland finished 11-9 in the Big Ten and 20-11 overall. They lost to Indiana in the quarter-finals of the Big Ten championship tournament. The one big problem with the Terps is their three-point shooting ability. They were one of, if not the worst three-point shooting team in the Big Ten. They’re going to have to rely on their post game and defense if they want to make a run. 

Overall, the Big Ten conference from the Midwest has proved its strength in some aspects, but is undoubtedly lacking in others. Despite their weaknesses, there may still be hope for some neighboring states’ teams to represent the region well into the tournament.