Nearly one full week remains before the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. In many respects, an event that marks the true start of the college basketball postseason.
Much is still to be decided before the bracket is unveiled. The two-team race to win the conference race will likely come down to Sunday, March 9, the final day of the regular season. Meanwhile, the rest of the conference will battle for both Big Ten and NCAA Tournament positioning. Unlike in previous years, there is even a race at the bottom of the 18-team conference to make the 15-team tournament field.
Postseason projections are set to change each day. Tuesday’s schedule sees Big Ten matchups between Indiana and Oregon, Nebraska and Ohio State, and Rutgers and No. 18 Purdue. That first meeting will affect Big Ten Tournament seeding, the second could prove vital to Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament hopes, and the third is critical to Purdue’s pursuit of a double-bye in the conference tournament.
Before those teams take the court, this is a good time for a snapshot at the projected Big Ten Tournament bracket, if the season ended after Monday, March 3.
Note: Michigan State (15-3 Big Ten), Michigan (14-4), Maryland (12-6) and Wisconsin (12-6) are projected to receive double-byes, seeded No. 1 to No. 4 in order. Iowa (6-12), Penn State (5-14) and Washington (4-14) are currently in line to miss the field entirely.
Projected Big Ten Tournament bracket as of March 4
First Round
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No. 12 Rutgers vs. No. 13 Nebraska
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No. 11 Minnesota vs. No. 14 Northwestern
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No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 15 USC
Second Round
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No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Indiana
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No. 5 Purdue vs. Rutgers/Nebraska winner
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No. 7 Illinois vs. Ohio State/USC winner
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No. 6 UCLA vs. Minnesota/Northwestern winner
Quarterfinals
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No. 1 Michigan State vs. Oregon/Indiana
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No. 4 Wisconsin vs. Purdue/Rutgers/Nebraska
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No. 2 Michigan vs. Illinois/Ohio State/USC
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No. 3 Maryland vs. UCLA/Minnesota/Northwestern
Semifinals
The winner of the two listed games will meet in the finals on Sunday, March 16. The game will directly precede the unveiling of the NCAA Tournament bracket.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Big Ten basketball tournament bracket projection update
