After a long year of waiting and a lot of questions around how and if a season would even happen, the Big Ten tournament is finally here. Last year’s tournament was cancelled as a result of the impending coronavirus pandemic, but we’re back and ready for some great action.
Big Ten Tournament 2021: Bracket, schedule, scores, teams, and more
Here’s everything you need to know about the Big Ten tournament.
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The top of the bracket is loaded with three top-5 ranked teams nationally, led by Michigan as the No. 1 seed. They’ll potentially square of with 4-seed Purdue in the quarterfinals, while the option for another Illinois-Iowa matchup on the other side of the bracket.
As of the most recent SB Nation bracket, there are nine Big Ten teams in the Big Dance. Maryland, Michigan State, and Rutgers are all hanging in the 10/11 seed line and could probably do with a win or two to cement their position. Ohio State enters the tournament on a four-game skid, but are still widely considered a two-seed.
When it comes to must-see players, Iowa’s Luka Garza and Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu are considered the two front-runners for National Player of the Year.
The Format
The top 10 teams receive first-round byes and the top four teams receive double-byes to the quarterfinals. Teams are seeded by record within the conference, with a tiebreaker system to seed teams with identical conference records.
The Bracket & Schedule
Here is the full tournament bracket and day-by-day schedule. Game times subject to change. We’ll be updating it with results along the way. All games will be on the Big Ten Network until the semifinals, with the final three games taking place on CBS. The second game in each session will start 25 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
Bracket: Big Ten
Round 1: Wednesday, March 10 (All times ET)
Game 1: No. 13 Minnesota 51, No. 12 Northwestern 46
Game 2: No. 11 Penn State 72, No. 14 Nebraska 66
Round 2: Thursday, March 11
Game 3: No. 8 Maryland 68, No. 9 Michigan State 57
Game 4: No. 5 Ohio State 79, No. 13 Minnesota 75
Game 5: No. 7 Rutgers 61, No. 10 Indiana 50
Game 6: No. 6 Wisconsin 75, No. 11 Penn State 74
Quarterfinals: Friday, March 12
Game 7: No. 1 Michigan 79, No. 8 Maryland 66
Game 8: No. 5 Ohio State 87, No. 4 Purdue 78
Game 9: No. 2 Illinois 90, No. 7 Rutgers 68
Game 10: No. 3 Iowa 62, No. 6 Wisconsin 57
Semifinals: Saturday, March 13
Game 11: No. 5 Ohio State 68, No. 1 Michigan 67
Game 12: No. 2 Illinois 82, No. 3 Iowa 71
Championship—Sunday, March 14
Game 13: Championship Game: No. 2 Illinois 91, No. 5 Ohio State 88
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