Big Ten Country

Sparty Brings It Home

With a little help from Kalin Lucas, Michigan State center Goran Suton put the Spartans on his back and carried them into the Final Four. Suton had 19 points and 10 rebounds this afternoon against Louisville in a 64-52 win that captured the Midwest Regional. This was right on the heels of Suton's 20-point/9-rebound outing against Kansas on Friday night.

Lucas provided critical support in the backcourt, scoring 18 on Friday and 12 more today. But even more important today was his leadership in navigating the Louisville pressure. The Spartans were able to slow the game down and play it at their pace. After being outrebounded by Kansas, MSU was able to re-assert its control of the glass today, in holding a 35-27 edge on the 'Ville. And there were plenty of misses to rebound, as the Cards only shot 38 percent from the field. This is something that was an Achillies heel for Rick Pitino's squad all year, and a team that could control the pace and rebound was the perfect matchup to take them out.

This is the fifth Final Four appearance for Tom Izzo (1999-2001 & 2005) who continues to cement his place among Big Ten basketball coaching greats. Michigan State is following a similar path that Illinois did back in '05. That year saw the Illini play their tourney games in Indianapolis, Chicago and St. Louis and they never had to get on a plane. It hasn't been quite that extreme for MSU, but their travel log has had a distinctly Big Ten flavor to it, going from Minneapolis to Indy and now home to Detroit. The last time a team enjoyed this type of homecourt advantage at the Final Four was Kansas back in 1988. It can bring Spartan fans great comfort to know the Jayhawks (led by Danny Manning) cut down the nets on Monday night that year.

It will be great for Michigan State, and also for the Big Ten as a whole, if Izzo can bring in another national title this year. But for right now, Spartan fans deserve to relax and enjoy this one. And the Big Ten got some long-needed vindication in taking out the best of the Big East.

In other regional finals...

UConn 82 Missouri 75
UConn will be Michigan State's dance partner next Saturday in the early game (6:07 PM EST tip). The Huskies' was done in a way Izzo can appreciate--they dominated the glass, to the tune of 45-26 and blew away Mizzou at the foul line, enjoying a 26-6 scoring advantage. Kemba Walker came off the bench for 23 points.

Villanova 78 Pitt 76
This game was an absolute epic. 'Nova appeared to have the game in hand with a two-point lead and the ball with ten seconds left. Then a stupid turnover on length-of-the-floor pass, followed by an even dumber foul let Pitt tie it up. Then Scottie Reynolds made what will surely be the play by which this entire tournament is remembered, going coast-to-coast in five seconds and muscling a layup in for the game-winner. The difference in a tight game? Free throws. Pitt wasn't bad, hitting 21-of-29, but Villanova was lights out, at 22-of-23 and stole a game the Panthers seemed so close to getting control of on numerous occassions in the second half. For 'Nova, after having to rally past American, this concludes a very impressive three-game run in which they blew out UCLA & Duke before pulling out this one.

North Carolina 72 Oklahoma 60
Blake Griffin was everything he's cracked up to be, coming up with 23 points and 16 rebounds for the Sooners. This was coming off a big-time 30-point/14-rebound bullying of Syracuse on Friday. But Griffin didn't get enough help and North Carolina had this one in control from the outset. The Heels shot 51 percent from the floor and Ty Lawson led the way with 19 points. UNC goes to the Final Four for the second straight year and for an NCAA-record 18th time in their history. Carolina plays Villanova in the late game next Saturday, 40 minutes after the conclusion of UConn-Michigan State.

One's Already There

Michigan State will play Sunday to go to the Final Four, but one Big Ten team is already there. In the hoopla of the NCAAs, it's been lost that Penn State completed a run to the NIT semis in Madison Square Garden this past week.

After beating George Mason in overtime in the opener, the Lions hosted Rhode Island in the second round. Playing without an injured Jamelle Cornley, PSU beat the Rams with its backcourt. Talor Battle and Stanley Pringle combined for 35 points, and up front Andrew Jones III took up the slack with a 14-point/10-rebound double-double. Penn State won decisively on the glass (35-25) and had a huge edge on the line (27-10).

Ed DeChellis then took his team to Florida, the game where it was generally expected that the season would end. But Cornley returned to the floor with a vengenane. He rang up 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, in a dominating effort right in the backyard of the program that won it all in 2006-07.

Penn State is now set to play Notre Dame on Tuesday night in New York City, the second straight game they'll play against an opponent their fans would no doubt love to play in football. The other semi-final will be San Diego State-Baylor and the championship game is next Thursday. Congratulations to DeChellis. As much as missing the NCAA Tournament hurt, getting to MSG is a major achievment for a program that languishes in the shadows of the football team.

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The Road To Detroit reaches its conclusions these next two days, as the four regional finals get underway. Purdue's season ended on Thursday night against UConn. Robbie Hummell had 17 points and the Boilers kept Jeff Adrien quiet. But the Huskies owned the boards and the free throw line. Hasheem Thabeet and Stanely Robinson were each in double-digits in rebounds, and UConn eventually pulled away in the second half to a 74-62 win.

The loss was still a noble ending to a good season for Purdue. It started off a little shaky in December and the early part of conference play, and it looked like the Boilermakers wouldn't live up to high preseason expectations. But they turned it around and got back into the race for the conference title. A bump on the road at the end of the regular season finished those hopes, but they quickly righted the ship in Indianapolis and won the conference tournament. Last year, Matt Painter brought in a heralded freshman class, had a big year and won the first game of the NCAA Tournament. This year, Painter brought them back, completed the underrated task of navigating them through their first real disappointments early on, won a tournament banner and took his team one round further in March. That's a perfect portrait in progress and the future is bright in West Lafayette.

We're going to look at the regionals more fully once they're done, which is why Michigan State is saved until the end here. But the Spartans eliminated the defending champs in a clutch win over Kansas. They didn't have their usual advantage on the glass until the very end of the game, when they turned a 60-55 deficit into a 67-62 win. But they forced 19 turnovers and now get a crack at #1-ranked Louisville.

Here is the schedule for this weekend, all games on CBS:

Saturday
West (Phoenix): UConn-Missouri, 4:40 EST
East (Boston): Villanova-Pitt, 7:05 EST

Sunday
Midwest (Indianapolis): Louisville-Michigan State, 2:20 EST
South (Memphis): North Carolina-Oklahoma, 5:05 EST

Sizing Up The 16: Midwest & West

Regional previews conclude with a look at the Midwest & West side of the bracket. Winners of these two regionals will meet a week from Saturday in Detroit at the Final Four. The Midwest regional is at Indianapolis on Friday and Sunday. The West meets in Glendale, just outside of Phoenix, on Thursday and Saturday.

MIDWEST
Louisville-Arizona
Michigan State-Kansas

The Big Ten's best hope is right here in Indy, and MSU-Kansas has all the makings of a great matchup. Both teams have a great floor leader, as Kalin Lucas and Sherron Collins go head-to-head. Both have strong rebounders down low, in Goran Suton and Cole Aldrich respectively. Both coaches have won a national title. The key for Michigan State, as its been all year, is Raymar Morgan. Playing to his potential, he makes the Spartans as good as anyone in the country. When his health holds him back, they become an ordinary team. And Kansas will beat an ordinary team at this stage.

Louisville takes on Arizona. While it's not a gimme game, given the talent 'Zona has in guard Nic Wise and two outstanding forwards, Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger, the difference between the Big East & Pac-10 is...well, about the same as the distance from the East and the West. With Terrence Williams and Samardo Samuels down low, the Cards have the inside personnel to meet this challenge. That sets up a titanic battle on Sunday for the Final Four, a berth Louisville came up one game short on last year. But I picked Michigan State at the start of the bracket, and I'm not backing down now.

WEST
UConn-Purdue
Missouri-Memphis

Can Purdue give the Huskies a run for it? JaJuan Johnson has to answer the bell. UConn's very tough inside, with 7'3" Hasheem Thabeet who dominates the glass and on defense. And he's not even the top player on the team, that honor going to Jeff Adrien. If Johnson can rebound and block some shots, he can give the Boilers a punchers chance. E'Twaun Moore then has to match up with A.J. Price on the point. It's a longshot, but there is hope.

Memphis-Missouri features two teams that play similar styles, in that they are perimter-oriented with three guards in the starting lineup, but get their point production from the two forwards. Similar styles minimize the chance for an upset, so I like Memphis here and to advance on to the Final Four.

Sizing Up The 16: East & South

In this post, we take a look at the regionals coming up in the East & South brackets, the winners of which will meet in the Final Four. The East Regional is in Boston and goes on Thursday & Saturday. The South goes down in Memphis and is on Friday & Sunday.

EAST
Pitt vs. Xavier
Duke vs. Villanova

The opening game has a good storyline, in that Xavier coach Sean Miller played at Pitt. But a good storyline is about it. This game is a mismatch. Pitt has muscle inside with DeJuan Blair and Sam Young, and sound help in the perimeter from Levance Fields. The only dark note is that Pitt hasn't played well yet in this tournament. As long as it turns out to be opening-week jitters they'll be fine.

Duke-Villanova is the best game of this entire round. Both teams are perimter-oriented and will rely on three-point shooting. The key matchup is inside, where Duke has Kyle Singler, while 'Nova counters with Dante Cunningham. The latter is a more pure post player, whereas Singler bounces inside and out. Whether Singler can get Cunningham to chase him outside will play a big part in determining whether the Dookies can keep the Wildcats off the glass. Overall, I think Villanova is the stronger team. Duke had a nice run to win the ACC Tournament, but they didn't have to play UNC or Wake. Of course the one thing the Blue Devils always have is Coach K in their corner in a tight game. But a lot of factors can tip a tight game, and on the flip side it's much easier to see Villanova blowing out Duke than vice-versa.

Whomever advances will be able to match up with Pitt only if the Panthers are sluggish. Xavier might not be able to take advantage even if Pitt is not in top form. 'Nova or Duke can. But if Pitt plays well, neither team has the inside strength to stay with them.

SOUTH
North Carolina-Gonzaga
Syracuse-Oklahoma

The Zags are completely overmatched by North Carolina. Remember the last time Gonzaga got a crack at a national power? They hosted Memphis back in February and were blistered on their home court. Against a balanced and well-coached Tar Heel attack featuring a healthy Ty Lawson outside, Tyler Hansborough inside and Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Deon Thompson surrounding them, Gonzaga just does not have the firepower.

Syracuse-Oklahoma is a much more compelling game. Blake Griffin is the stud inside for the Sooners, but the Orangeman have weapons of their own. Jonny Flynn captivated a Madison Square Garden crowd in the Big East tournament with his endurance in their six-overtime epic against UConn. He also averages 17 a game. Arinze Onaku and Paul Harris aren't anywhere near Griffin's class, but they are strong complementary parts at forward. In short, the 'Cuse has more balance while OU has the one big star.

In the event Oklahoma does win, it would set up a Griffin-Hansborough showdown, the nation's consensus two best players going at it for the Final Four. But I don't think Griffin will get the shot, and regardless of who does, Carolina is going back to the biggest stage.

The Wild Ride Settles Down

The wild ride is over and the tournament can now settle in. The four craziest days in sports concluded this evening and the field of 64 has been rapidly pared to 16. The Big Ten has held its own so far in the tournament. No major breakthroughs, but we've held steady. The conference went 4-3 in Thursday and Friday's opening round. Illinois lost as a #5 seed, but Wisconsin won as a #12 to balance it out. Minnesota had a tough draw to Texas and went out. Michigan State won its gimme game as a #2 seed, and Purdue won as a #5. Michigan surprised a lot of people by beating Clemson, a #10 taking out a #7. Ohio State's double-overtime loss to Siena was the main disappointment, but overall the conference had the higher seed in four of the seven games and won precisely that many.

The second round saw the league outperform expectations. Purdue beat Washington, and Michigan State again held serve in beating USC. The Boilers and Spartans, the co-favorites back in November, are the only two left standing. Given that the seedings favored only MSU to survive this weekend, this has to be considered a success, albeit a modest one.

The bracket has been very chalk. 14 of the 16 teams favored to get to the Sweet 16 are there. Purdue, as a #5 seed, hardly qualifies as a major shock. Only #12-seed Arizona is really a surprise based on the seedings, and even here, this was a trendy upset pick, given the Wildcats' strong history and early season success this year. I still stand by my belief (one almost universally shared, it seemed) that 'Zona did not belong in the tournament. They went 9-9 in a very mediocre league and the fact they managed to beat Utah and Cleveland State on a neutral floor does not change that.

My own bracket has survived major challenges, as my Final Four is still intact, and only Arizona State is missing from my final eight. But I've suffered death by a thousand cuts in other ways. I had a near miss on an upset pick of Utah State over Marquette, along with Northern Iowa over Purdue. I took fliers on Michigan and Arizona State to survive the weekend and they didn't. In the end, I hit ten of the Sweet 16, which is just like a 10-6 record in the NFL. Not bad, but nothing earth-shattering. Picking against teams that got hot during conference tournament weekend is normally reliable, but not this year. Purdue's come up big. USC beat Boston College, and Syracuse is still around.

Here's a brief recap of the last four days, region by region, with a special emphasis on Big Ten teams.

EAST
Pitt got a scare on both days, but managed to survive. Wisconsin made a spirited run at joining the Panthers in Boston next weekend. Jason Bohannon hit four three-pointers to lead an upset of Florida State on Friday night in overtime, 61-59. But he went cold on Sunday, along with the rest of the team, as they shot 28 percent against Xavier. Trevon Hughes scored 17 and Marcus Landry hung up 18 points and 10 rebounds. But the Musketeers advanced.

Duke made the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006. They survived a scare from Texas. The Devils likely would have lost had this decision gone to overtime, given Kyle Singler had fouled out, but they were able to get a couple key shots and pull out a 74-69. The Longhorns had previously eliminated Minnesota by hitting 11-of-20 from treyland and overcoming a strong 19-point game from Lawrence Westbrook.

Villanova's the fourth team to make the regionals. I made the one hour drive to Philly to watch the Saturday games there and 'Nova absolutely dismantled UCLA for the home crowd. Should be a great game when they face off with Duke come Thursday.

SOUTH
North Carolina got Ty Lawson back against LSU and advanced. They will play Gonzaga, who escaped Western Kentucky on a buzzer-beater. Illinois wasn't so lucky in the first round. They lost to the Hilltoppers 76-72. Illinois lost the fight on the boards 35-28 and center Mike Tisdale got only one rebound. Trent Meacham was heroic in defeat, scoring 24 points.

Syracuse moved on with a win over Arizona State, and Michigan's season ended against Oklahoma. UM beat Clemson in the opener. Manny Harris popped in 23 and strong three-point shooting enabled the Wolverines to overcome a big rebounding deficit. But there was no answer for Blake Griffin on Saturday, as the Sooner star delivered a sizzling 33-point, 17-rebound performance.

MIDWEST
It was a gut-wrencher for Ohio State, as two huge three-point shots helped Siena rip the heart out of Buckeye Nation. Evan Turner was splendid as always with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. But all five Siena starters were in double-digits, while Turner had precious little help. As a result, the Saints got the crack at Louisville and gave the top-seeded Cards a tough run before faltering today. Louisville draws Arizona in the Sweet 16.

Michigan State advanced out of their pod. They had a slow start against Robert Morris, but recovered before things got too hairy. Then they beat USC today behind 18 points from Travis Walton. Goran Suton hauled in 27 rebounds over the course of the weekend. The Spartans try and derail defending national champion Kansas when this region arrives in Indianapolis.

WEST
UConn was the other team I saw in person in Philly, as they easily rolled over Texas A&M. They now await Purdue. The Boilermakers won two tough games by prevailing at the line. They outscored Northern Iowa by seven at the stripe and won by five. Against Washington the margins were five and two respectively. E'Twaun Moore led the way with 17 in the first game and JaJuan Johnson starred with 22 in the second.

This bracket's other game is the one section of the field where no Big Ten team was involved. Missouri beat Marquette to advance, while Memphis destroyed Maryland.

East & Midwest Bracket Previews

Here's the breakdown of these two regionals. The entire Midwest and half of the East begins play on Friday.

EAST
Dayton
(1) Pitt vs. (16) E. Tenn State
(8)Okla State vs. (9) Tennessee

Boise
(5)Florida State vs. (12) Wisconsin
(4) Xavier vs. (13) Portland State

Greensboro
(2)Duke vs. (15) Binghamton
(7)Texas vs. (10) Minnesota

Philadelphia
(3)Villanova vs. (14)American
(6)UCLA vs. (11) Va. Comm

During the selection show, CBS' Seth Greenberg showed his surprise that at #12, Wisconsin skidded as close to being out as they possibly could have. As expressed here a few times in the final week, I never did see the UW case for inclusion as being airtight. Now that they are here, they have an interesting draw in that Florida State's the very team that ran them off the field in the Champs Sports Bowl. The same could happen in hoops, but if Wisconsin follows its game plan of taking good care of the basketball and running a half-court game, they can get the 'Noles out of their element. If they do that, Xavier is a beatable team in round two. While the odds are that the Badger season ends sometime this weekend, a #12 seed can't complain about a draw as manageable as this one is.

Minnesota has it tougher. Texas is a battle-tested squad in tournament play, having reached a couple regional finals in the last three years and making the Final Four back in 2003. They have been inconsistent this year, so the opener is very winnable. But having to deal with Duke in front of a hometown crowd in Greensboro looks like an impossibility. The Gophs will have to be satisfied with making the tournament, and Tubby Smith can find even more satisfaction that he's here at the Dance while his ungrateful former employer at Kentucky is out.

Around the rest of the bracket, Pitt has a pretty easy run through this regional. While I hesitate to ever consider Coach K out of it, I don't think Duke is strong enough inside or experienced enough to beat the Panthers. I expect Villanova to make the regional final. They'll have homecourt advantage in Philly for the first two rounds, where they should end UCLA's string of three straight Final Fours. And when this region goes to Boston next weekend, they'll get Duke away from the friendly confines of North Carolina. But when all is said and done, no one in this bracket can match up with Pitt. No excuses for Jamie Dixon not to make a big run this year.

Midwest
Dayton
(1)Louisville vs. (16)Morehead State
(8)Ohio State vs. (9) Siena

Miami
(5)Utah vs. (12) Arizona
4)Wake Forest vs. (13) Clv State

Minneapolis
(2)Michigan State vs. (15)Robert Morris
(7)Boston College vs. (10) USC

Minneapolis
(3)Kansas vs. (14)North Dakota State
(6)West Virginia vs. (11)Dayton

Ohio State's in a tough draw. Siena is a very good team and probably seeded a little low for how strong they were throughout the year. I'm picking the Buckeyes to advance, but they drew a tougher game than was justified, based on their seed. Louisville is beatable as a #1 seed, but I'm not sure Ohio State will have the ability to handle the pressure well enough to be that team. So I'm playing the chalk here and have the 'Ville coming out of this pod and the top half of the bracket overall.

Michigan State's got a good draw the first weekend. USC is the kind of team Purdue is, even more so in fact, in that they are not likely to sustain a run through a conference tournament into the NCAA. If the second round is Michigan State-Boston College, this would also be a Champs Sports Bowl rematch. An odd bit of trivia that the Champs Sports games of 2007-08 could both be rematched in successive rounds. Even more odd that I actually think of stuff like this. But I digress. BC would be a worthy foe, and if I didn't respect Tom Izzo's ability to prepare a team in March, this might be a potential upset. But Michigan State generally plays at least to its capacity and sometimes beyond (e.g. 2005), so I think they'll be ready for the Eagles.

I like West Virginia to come out of their pod and take out defending champ Kansas. The Big 12 is not that strong. That would ease Michigan State's path to the regional final, where I then pick the Spartans to beat Louisville. Kalin Lucas can handle Louisville's pressure, and if the Cards don't shoot the ball well (a likely possibility), Michigan State rebounds too well.

So including yesterday's picks, that makes for a Final Four of Michigan State-Memphis, and Pitt-North Carolina. I'm very confident in the first three choices, less so in Carolina, whom I lean to primarily because there's no good alternative. I then like Pitt-Michigan State in the final, with the Panthers to win it all. It would continue a championship run for Pittsburgh, coming off the Super Bowl and the Penguins making the Cup Finals.

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Penn State had to go to overtime to beat George Mason last night 77-73. Talor Battle played all 45 minutes and scored 24 points. The Lions survived their danger game, the one coming only 48 hours after the disappointment at having been jobbed out of an NCAA bid. They should be able to more easily manage the second round.

Northwestern starts off tonight with a road trip to Tulsa. Should they survive that, a likely road game at Auburn would be next. If they pull the upsets and get past that, they could potentially host the quarterfinal if #6 seed Georgetown can get its own act together. If chalk holds, either #2 Virginia Tech or #3 Baylor is at the end of the line. The second part of that three-game journey is the toughest for the 'Cats, as they try to make the trip to New York City. 

I'll be back on Monday, after we let the first two rounds play out, to review each pod and look ahead to the regionals.

South & West Bracket Previews

Tournament action begins Thursday in all of the West and most of the South regionals, so we'll preview those two first. Here's the bracket lineups

South Regional
Greensboro
(1) North Carolina vs. (16) Radford
(8) LSU vs. (9) Butler

Portland
(5) Illinois vs. (12) Western Kentucky
(4) Gonzaga vs. (13) Akron

Miami
(6) Arizona State vs. (11) Temple
(3) Syracuse vs. (14) Stephen F. Austin

Kansas City
(7) Clemson vs. (10) Michigan
(2) Oklahoma vs. (15) Morgan State

Interesting draws for both Big Ten teams and they set up for each to have a reasonable shot at surviving and getting to the regionals next week in Memphis. Much was made on ESPN about Illinois being vulnerable to Western Kentucky. Fair enough, but it should also be pointed out that Gonzaga has not looked like the stuff of champions in its major non-conference battles. If Bruce Weber's team avoids the upset challenge, I really like their chances to take out the Zags.

For Michigan, they'll be taking on a team that's always found a way to implode every March. If they get past that, Oklahoma has been struggling down the stretch. The Wolverines have as good a shot as a #10 seed can hope to have of advancing deep into the bracket. I've got them pegged for a Sweet 16 matchup with Arizona State, a game that would be a rematch of when the two schools squared off in the '86 Rose Bowl. Michigan could get revenge for that loss to a steroid-jacked ASU club. Something I'm sure that is foremost on Manny Harris' mind right now (note sarcasm).

Overall, I think this is the region most likely to be gutted by upsets. The #2, #3 and #4 are all beatable by mid-level teams and even North Carolina can get careless with the ball and on defense. I'm picking the Tar Heels to ultimately prevail over an upset-ridden pairing.

West Regional
Philadelphia
(1) UConn vs. (16) UT-Chattanooga
(8) BYU vs. (9) Texas A&M

Portland
(5) Purdue vs. (12) Northern Iowa
(4) Washington vs. (13) Miss State

Boise
(6) Marquette vs. (11) Utah State
(3) Missouri vs. (14) Cornell

Kansas City
(2) Memphis vs. (15) UC-Northridge
(7) Cal vs. (10) Maryland

Purdue sits on the same seed line as Illinois and has the same pitfalls and possiblities that accompany that. If they can get past Northern Iowa, #4 Washington is not strong for a conference champ. But I think Purdue is a good bet for a team likely to fall in the opener. Often a team that comes up with the kind of run they did to win a conference tournament makes a quick exit in the NCAA (e.g., Pitt a year ago winning the Big East and quickly going out to Michigan State). I think the same will happen here, and my bracket's called for Northern Iowa winning that pod and advancing to Glendale next weekend.

That Marquette-Missouri pod is an interesting one (almost as interesting as the Committee shipping both Marquette and Wisconsin to Boise. We'll find out if beer and potatoes make a good mix). Like Purdue, Mizzou fits the profile of teams that often have trouble after winning a league tourney. And Marquette is not even #6-caliber without Dominic James. I'm picking Utah State to win that group of four.

It all sets up to creating an easy path to a 1-2 showdown with UConn-Memphis. Without Jerome Dyson, UConn's not the same. Memphis has shown they can handle the adjustment from Conference USA competition to the NCAA Tournament. In addition to last year's run to the championship game, they made a regional final in both 2006 and 2007. They'll return to the Final Four this year.

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In the last post's brief mention of the NIT, I mentioned Iowa joining Penn State. I apologize to Northwestern fans for the oversight in omitting them. And it ends up looking like an even dumber statement considering Iowa didn't even make the field, and I must have lost track of their overall record down the stretch, as they ended up 15-17.

If Penn State can get past their disappointment over being here in the first place, they have a favorable draw. They are a #2 seed in a tournament broken down into four brackets of eight, with homecourt advantage applying for the first three rounds. So home dates with George Mason and then either Niagara or Rhode Island are all that stand between them and a potential trip to Florida in the quarterfinals. The matchup PSU fans would have loved in football instead settles a trip to New York City for their hoops team, if all goes well.

Purdue Celebrates; PSU Mourns

It took Purdue a while to get going this season, and then just when it seemed they were clicking there was a road bump at the end of the regular season. But it all came together for them in Indianapolis and they finished it off today by rallying for a 65-61 win over Ohio State that gave them their first tournament title.

Robbie Hummel was strong on the boards, coming up with 11 rebounds to cap off his run to the Outstanding Player award. This was a game closely contested across the board, but the Boilers held narrow edges consistently. By the time you added up their free throw scoring edge (13-10), one additional three-point basket, a 37-30 rebounding advantage and a 12-7 edge in forcing turnovers, it adds up to enough to produce a win.

Now this isn't the ACC where conference life rises and falls on the league tourney (I was told by a Maryland diehard yesterday that she'd rather win the ACC Tournament than the NCAA Tournament) at the expense of the regular season. But winning the conference tournament is still a significant achievment, ranking behind only the Final Four and winning the regular season. Congratulations to Matt Painter and his program.

Now on to the NCAA Tournament selection. Seven teams got in. We'll be talking about them plenty the next couple days, so for now let's talk about the eighth that was left out. Penn State did not get a bid, despite a 22-11 record. I understand about Penn State's non-conference schedule, but even if you throw that out, they still went 10-8 in the nation's second-toughest conference. Meanwhile, Arizona goes 19-13, 9-9 in the 5th best conference, and they get in. Something doesn't add up.

I also have a problem with Mississippi State taking a bid away from the Lions--or anyone else for that matter. I realize this sort of thing has been going on since the advent of at-large bids in 1976 and the Big Ten has benefited from it in years like 2001 when Iowa played its way in. But why should a conference be rewarded because its top teams prove unable to get it done in a league tourney? If we want to give the conference tournament champ an automatic bid (and I do), let them take it away from a team within their own league. Let the teams that failed on the court be the ones that bear the burden. I'd cut a break to the midmajors in this regard, because they get so few as it is--meaning Butler could still get in. But the big conferences should have the conflict of interest removed.

At the end of the bubble griping though, I do have to give a hat tip to CBS' Seth Greenberg on one count. He pointed out that all the bubble teams are flawed to begin with. In the power conferences, there's more than enough chances to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt you belong. As a Wisconsin fan, looking at the #12 seed, I feel like someone who's skidded to the edge of a cliff before falling out. But like Penn State, UW had its own chances to eliminate all doubt and would have only itself to blame if the roles were reversed. As is the case for Michigan, Minnesota and other power conference teams fortunate enough to be given a chance at March glory.

Penn State will join Iowa in the NIT. This post is going online about 45 minutes before that bracket is announced (9 PM EST). Here's hoping the Lions and Hawkeyes can both make the run to Madison Square Garden. Talor Battle, Jamelle Cornley and Jake Kelly belong on the stage that New York provides, and Big Ten Country will follow them throughout.

And the NCAA Tournament will get going for real on Thursday. I'll be back in on Tuesday and Wednesday to break down the entire brackets, with a special emphasis naturally going to Big Ten schools. See you then!

Semifinal Saturday

The trend of top teams falling continued today and this time the Big Ten was not immune. Michigan State's hopes for winning its first league tournament since 2000 ended. The Spartans' hopes for a #1 seed likely disappeared with it. That's not a certainty, given all the upsets across the country and the reality that no one knows what the committee will really focus on. Nor is it all that consequential if they settle for a #2 or even a third seed. It's not as though homecourt advantage or first-round byes are at stake, and once upsets start happening in the NCAA, it's impossible to say where the most favorable bracket position will be.

Ohio State 82 Michigan State 70
The Buckeyes committed 15 turnovers, and lost the rebounding battle 31-36. But against Michigan State, being that close on the glass almost counts as a win. And with the Spartans clanging bricks from behind the arc (3-for-21), and Ohio State making hay at the free throw line (a 23-13 scoring edge), Thad Matta's team had more than enough to advance to the final for the third time in the last four tournaments. Evan Turner came up with his usual well-balanced line of 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. The backcourt was outstanding, as Jon Diebler and William Buford combined for 31 points and 14 rebounds.

Purdue 66 Illinois 56
Robbie Hummel continues to build a strong case for being the tournament's Outstanding Player. The Purdue forward rang up 19 and pounded the glass for twelve rebounds. He was one part of frontline dominance for the Boilermakers, as JaJuan Johnson led all scorers with 20. Purdue wasn't able to keep Mike Davis off the glass, as he grabbed a dozen boards of his own, but they did keep him off the scorer's sheet, holding the Illini forward to just six points. For a team that straggled to the end of the regular season, the Boilers have certainly turned it up a notch at Conseco Fieldhouse, posting two easy wins over quality opponents.

So we're set for a Purdue-Ohio State final tomorrow afternoon. The Boilermakers have never won this event, and not even been this far since the inaugural in 1998. OSU won it two years ago when Mike Conley and Greg Oden were in uniform.

Playing By The Book

In a weekend of conference tournaments across the country that have been riddled with upsets--Kansas and Oklahoma gone in the Big 12, Pitt & UConn eliminated in the Big East--the Big Ten played it mostly by the book. The top three seeds all advanced with relatively little drama. The only break from the chalk was fifth-seeded Ohio State beating #4 Wisconsin. But a 5 beating a 4 is hardly a major upset in any case, and when you consider both teams were 10-8 in league play, it becomes even less so. Here's the recap of the opening two days, broken down into the four pods.

Pod 1: Michigan State
Minnesota 66 Northwestern 53
Michigan State 64 Minnesota 56

Tough games on both Thursday and Friday. In the opening round, Minnesota was able to negate 21 points by Kevin Coble through a defense that clamped down on Craig Moore and Michael Thompson. The NU guards were held to eight points apiece, and with the Wildcats three-pronged attack reduced to only one, the Gophers were able to get a methodical win they had to have. Northwestern ends a nice season at 17-13 that will see them get an NIT bid.

Michigan State then advanced to the semis behind 17 points from Chris Allen off the bench. The Spartans, as expected, won the rebounding battle. But at 34-26 the margin was not as high as what we've seen from them this year. Free throws came aplenty in this game, and MSU outscored the Gophs 19-13 from the line, a margin that comes pretty close to accounting for the victory.

Pod 2: Ohio State
Ohio State 61 Wisconsin 57

The one pod that doesn't involve a Thursday game saw the Buckeyes finish strong and get a four-point win. Wisconsin's atypical poor defense, something that's plagued them all year long, finally bit them at a crucial time. OSU shot 50 percent from the floor, and even UW's prudent taking care of the ball (only seven turnovers) was not sufficient to compensate. Evan Turner had 19 points and one has to think put his team into the NCAA Tournament. Conventional wisdom says Wisconsin is also in, but I'm not as sold. Granted, as a UW loyalist and a naturally nervous person, I tend to see the dark side. But at 19-12 with no really impressive wins (1-4 versus the conference's top three, losses to Texas, UConn and Marquette in December), there is a case for excluding the Badgers if the Big Ten is limited to six, or even seven bids. There's also a case for including them too, but space doesn't permit an extended discussion right now. Suffice it to say, Badger Nation should be more worried than they are.

Pod 3: Illinois
Michigan 73 Iowa 45
Illinois 60 Michigan 50

DeShawn Sims came to play and kept his team alive for an NCAA Tournament invite with the opening day win. Friday's loss keeps the Wolverines on the bubble, but they are still breathing. Sims scored 27 against Iowa, and combined with Manny Harris' 18 points, was enough to easily outpace the Hawkeyes. Jake Kelly's great run finally ended with a 10-point showing here. Sims came out strong again against Illinois, knocking down 15 and grabbing eight boards. But Harris, showing his on-again, off-again persona, was missing in action and contributed only nine. In the meantime, Illinois got a 22-point/10-rebound effort from Mike Davis, In the two days of action, Michigan got to the line only ten times.

Pod 4: Purdue
Penn State 66 Indiana 51
Purdue 79 Penn State 65

Like Michigan, Penn State kept themselves alive, but missed a chance to seal the deal. Jamelle Cornley came up big both days. The power forward started it off with 22 points against IU. Between him and Stanley Pringle (16 points) they covered for a non-performance from Talor Battle and a strong game from Verdell Jones who rang up 23, the one bright spot in a game that ended the long first season for Indiana's Tom Crean. Penn State's run ended on Friday under a rain of three-pointers. Purdue hit 12-22 from long range, led by Robbie Hummel's four treys. Cornley had another strong game, with 20 points and 8 rebounds. With the rest of his teammates, he'll have to see if their body of work was enough.

So we're down to Michigan State-Ohio State in one semi and Purdue-Illinois in the other. The Spartans are very much alive for a #1 seed, in light of the upsets going down across the nation. See you back here tomorrow (or late this evening) for a recap of the semis.