Big Ten Tourney

[LittleHurt05]

Thursday March 8

#8 Iowa vs. #9 Illinois, 10:30

#5 Indiana vs. #12 Penn State, 1:00

#7 Northwestern vs. #10 Minnesota, 4:30

#6 Purdue vs. #11 Nebraska, 7:00

 

Friday March 9

#1 Michigan State vs. UI/UI, 11:00

#4 Wisconsin vs. IU/UN, 1:30

#2 Michigan vs. NU/UM, 5:30

#3 Ohio State vs. PU/PSU, 8:00

 

Saturday March 10

Semifinal #1, 12:40

Semifinal #2, 3:10

 

Sunday March 11

Final, 2:30

Edited March 5, 2012 by LittleHurt05

[kapkomet]

Is this in Indianapolis or Chicago this year?

[Buehrle>Wood]

Indy

[Buehrle>Wood]

Thursday March 8

#8 Iowa vs. #9 Illinois, 10:30

#5 Indiana vs. #12 Penn State, 1:00

#7 Northwestern vs. #10 Minnesota, 4:30

#6 Purdue vs. #11 Nebraska, 7:00

 

Friday March 9

#1 Michigan State vs. UI/UI, 11:00

#4 Wisconsin vs. IU/UN, 1:30

#2 Michigan vs. NU/UM, 5:30

#3 Ohio State vs. PU/PSU, 8:00

 

Saturday March 10

Semifinal #1, 12:40

Semifinal #2, 3:10

 

Sunday March 11

Final, 2:30

Iowa over Illinois

Indiana over Penn State

Minnesota over NU

Purdue over Nebraska

 

Iowa over MSU

Wisconsin over Indiana

Michigan over Minny

OSU over Purdue

 

Wisconsin over Iowa

Michigan over OSU

 

Michigan over Wisconsin

 

[Brian]

Possible Michigan/NW and OSU/Purdue match ups are tough calls.

[cabiness42]

First Round

Illinois over Iowa

Indiana over Penn State

Northwestern over Minnesota

Purdue over Nebraska

 

Second Round

Michigan State over Illinois

Indiana over Wisconsin

Northwestern over Michigan

Purdue over Ohio State

 

Semifinals

Michigan State over Indiana

Purdue over Northwestern

 

Finals

Michigan State over Purdue

[NorthSideSox72]

Iowa def Ill

Ind def PSU

Minn def NW

Purdue def Neb

 

MSU def Iowa

Ind def Wisc

Mich def Minn

OSU def Purdue

 

MSU def Ind

OSU def Mich

 

OSU def MSU

 

 

[LittleHurt05]

 

Iowa over ILL

IU over PSU

Minny over NW

Purdue over Nebraska

 

MSU over Iowa

Indiana over Wisco

Michigan over Minny

OSU over Purdue

 

Indiana over MSU

OSU over Michigan

 

OSU over Indiana

 

MVP: William Buford

Edited March 6, 2012 by LittleHurt05

[southsider2k5]

Indy

 

 

Which means IU is essentially getting home games.

[LittleHurt05]

Which means IU is essentially getting home games.

 

which is why they were my "upset" pick to make it all the way to Sunday

[southsider2k5]

which is why they were my "upset" pick to make it all the way to Sunday

 

That is a solid pick IMO.

[Soxbadger]

Here is what I posted a few days ago

 

Not really excited for the tournament because a 4/5 @ Indiana doesnt really appeal at all to me. I know that the Big10 is going to bring the tournament back to Chicago in the future, I just dislike it being mainly in Indiana. Id have no problem with a rotation, that included most Big 10 states, but dont like the fact Indiana is getting such an advantage. (I also dislike it in football, but because Indiana is less relevant its not as much of an immediate concern.)

 

The Indiana fans on this board responded its not a big advantage, I disagree.

 

That being said, if both teams play their best game, Wisconsin wins. If Wisconsin shoots sub 40%, itll be rough.

 

(edit)

 

And as it turns out, I believe the tourney is in Chicago next year.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Soxbadger

[Balta1701]

And as it turns out, I believe the tourney is in Chicago next year.

It really would be financially nuts not to exploit having the chicago media market in your area every couple years with that tourney.

[farmteam]

Here is what I posted a few days ago

 

 

 

The Indiana fans on this board responded its not a big advantage, I disagree.

 

That being said, if both teams play their best game, Wisconsin wins. If Wisconsin shoots sub 40%, itll be rough.

 

(edit)

 

And as it turns out, I believe the tourney is in Chicago next year.

 

Eh, I think it's definitely an advantage, but not as much as it's made out to be. The biggest advantage to playing at Assembly Hall is how many students/how loud they are, and even a pro-IU crowd in Indy is nowhere near that level. I think the bigger advantage is just being close to home from a comfort perspective (but even that's negated, because they stay in a hotel in Indy the whole time).

[illinilaw08]

Eh, I think it's definitely an advantage, but not as much as it's made out to be. The biggest advantage to playing at Assembly Hall is how many students/how loud they are, and even a pro-IU crowd in Indy is nowhere near that level. I think the bigger advantage is just being close to home from a comfort perspective (but even that's negated, because they stay in a hotel in Indy the whole time).

 

I've been to the BTT the last 3 years (first time I'm not getting an all-session pass in that time - I wonder why that is). My thought is that the crowd will be pretty pro-IU. In the past, the crowd has been loud and pro-IU even when they were the 11 seed toiling away in the late game Thursday night (note, it's probably easier for IU to draw well on a Thursday since I assume more people come in from out of town for the weekend games). Given how well IU has fed off their crowd at home this year, I think it will be an advantage.

 

As an aside, I have been to the BTT in Indy and in Chicago, and I'm an Illinois fan, and Indy puts on a better overall event than Chicago. The BTT is THE event in Indy that weekend while it's just another event in Chicago. Chicago probably has better attendance figures (greater alumni base for all the schools), but Indy puts on a great event.

[southsider2k5]

I would also say that the Field House kicks the UC's ass.

[Soxbadger]

Yeah, everything Ive heard is Indy is a great event site. The problem is that its considerably farther for a Wisconsin fan to drive to Indiana, than say Chicago or Milwaukee, etc. I personally would like a rotation where the major Big 10 cities get the tournament (Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, etc) that way most teams will have a year where their crowd is close (Nebraska and Iowa probably lose out, but they dont have a big city.)

 

Balta,

 

I think the Big10 should do more to take advantage of all cities it has.

[LittleHurt05]

As an aside, I have been to the BTT in Indy and in Chicago, and I'm an Illinois fan, and Indy puts on a better overall event than Chicago. The BTT is THE event in Indy that weekend while it's just another event in Chicago. Chicago probably has better attendance figures (greater alumni base for all the schools), but Indy puts on a great event.

 

The relative location is regards to the rest of the city is a huge advantage for Indy. The fieldhouse is downtown within walking distance of hotels & other attractions. There are no hotels that you can walk to from the UC, and although more stuff keeps popping up in the West Loop, they are still blocks away from the stadium.

[southsider2k5]

The relative location is regards to the rest of the city is a huge advantage for Indy. The fieldhouse is downtown within walking distance of hotels & other attractions. There are no hotels that you can walk to from the UC, and although more stuff keeps popping up in the West Loop, they are still blocks away from the stadium.

 

The west loop is two miles from the UC. There is nothing over there on the west side.

[LittleHurt05]

The west loop is two miles from the UC. There is nothing over there on the west side.

 

Excuse me for mixing up my neighborhood definitions. There are more and more places popping up in between the UC & the West Loop, but most are several blocks away from the stadium, unlike in Indy.

[zenryan]

Has anyone heard from RockRaines? Havent seen him around lately. Hope all is well.

[Rex Hudler]

Badger, I agree with farm. Playing in Indy is an advantage for IU, but not an essential home game. I do think the advantage will grow the deeper they go (losing teams tickets ending up in IU fans' hands). I hope we will it and hope you prove me wrong. That said, I am not a big fan of conference tournaments, especially these bigger conferences. I just don't think these games mean squat. They are playing for seeding in the tournament and yes, I guess there are a handful of teams playing for an automatic bid.

 

I'd prefer a full round robin conference schedule with an element worked into the schedule of having games with only one day of rest at least two or three times a season. This would help emulate the turnaround in the NCAA Tournament. If they played the round robin schedule it would mean four more game, which would give those teams on the bubble the same opportunity to make up ground.

 

JMHO

[kjshoe04]

I always wonder what the atmosphere is like at the "power conference" tournaments. Is it really a big deal? I go to the MVC tournament every year and that is pretty much every teams real championship right there. I don't get the feeling that the Big Ten tourney is the same way when teams like OSU and MSU have National title hopes. Am I wrong?

[illinilaw08]

I always wonder what the atmosphere is like at the "power conference" tournaments. Is it really a big deal? I go to the MVC tournament every year and that is pretty much every teams real championship right there. I don't get the feeling that the Big Ten tourney is the same way when teams like OSU and MSU have National title hopes. Am I wrong?

 

I don't think there's the same level of urgency among fans as there might be at the MVC tournament for the reason you stated above. That doesn't mean that the conference tournament isn't a big deal for the fans that show up. There are generally bubble and seeding implications to all the games which helps make the atmosphere in the arena pretty solid. Additionally, conference rivalries make games interesting (remember that every Purdue fan is going to be a fan of Penn State, Wisconsin, or anyone else that plays IU).

 

Indy provides lots of access to players and coaches. Since all the fans and teams stay within a couple block radius of the fieldhouse, there are lots of opportunities to run into players and coaches. Plus, in Indy each school has a designated "bar" around the stadium (poor Northwestern had McCormick and Schmidt the last couple years) so there are lots of opportunities to interact with other alumni. Again, solid event.

[RockRaines]

The west loop is two miles from the UC. There is nothing over there on the west side.

False and false.

 

The west loop goes all the way to Ashland which is 3 blocks from the UC. The West loop is one of the more affluent and family friendly areas in the city at this point.

 

Randolph street was just named one of the best restaurant areas in America, there are more James Beard award winners in a few blocks than there are in all of Indy.