The Big Ten tournament is approaching its climax with the semifinal round on Saturday. While most of the teams left are safely in the NCAA Tournament, there’s one team that could use a little extra juice on its resume.
2016 Big Ten Tournament schedule and bracket: Michigan State, Purdue advance to final
The Spartans and Boilermakers will face off in the Big Ten championship game.
Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan entered the week on the cusp of the bubble, needing to make some noise in the conference tournament. The Wolverines are a good team, but their resume was lacking compared to most teams on the bubble, with just a 3-11 record against the RPI top 100.
On Friday, Michigan got a much-needed signature win with a dramatic buzzer-beater victory over top-seeded Indiana. It’s a major win for Michigan, but the Wolverines are far from safe -- they’re still one of the “first four out” in SB Nation’s latest bracket projection. They’ll have another big test when they face Purdue in the semifinal round, following the Boilermakers’ 31-point win over Illinois. Michigan and Purdue split their regular season series, with each team taking its respective home game.
In other tournament news, Michigan State popped Ohio State’s bubble for good with a convincing 81-54 victory, while Maryland routed Nebraska by 11 points, ensuring that there would be no Cinderella in this year’s Big Ten tourney.
Bracket
Check out our complete coverage of the Big Ten with the bracket and score results here.
Schedule (all times Eastern)
Saturday, March 12 (Semifinals)
Game 11: No. 4 Purdue 76, No. 8 Michigan 59
Game 12: No. 2 Michigan State 64, No. 3 Maryland 61
Sunday, March 13 (Championship)
Game 13: No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 4 Purdue (3 p.m., CBS)
* * *
Best Tournament Player: Was it Carmelo Anthony or Christian Laettner?
See More:
