Preview: Michigan, MSU prepare for Big Ten Tournament

Conference tournament begins Wednesday at noon

DETROIT – The Big Ten basketball season came to an end Sunday night, leaving all 14 teams to prepare for this week's Big Ten Tournament in Chicago's United Center.

Michigan State ended the regular season on a two-game winning streak after coming back to beat both Purdue and Indiana in the final week. The Spartans are locked into the No. 3 seed and comfortably in the NCAA Tournament.

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Michigan, meanwhile, pounded the conference's junior varsity team, Rutgers, in its final game of the season, but will not play in the NCAA Tournament without a miracle run this week. The Wolverines would have to win four games in four days to qualify for their fifth straight trip to the Big Dance.

Here's a look at the whole Big Ten, and each team's chances to win the conference tournament:

Tier 1: Rutgers

This tier includes the team(s) that stand no chance at winning the Big Ten championship and little chance of advancing past the first game on Wednesday.

Rutgers Scarlett Knights (2-16 Big Ten, 10-21 overall)

In its first season in the Big Ten, Rutgers played the role of conference punching bag, losing each of its last 14 games and coming within single digits just five times.

Rutgers is led by the two-man combination of Myles Mack and Kadeem Jack, a duo that averages 26.2 points per game. Mack is a quick 5 foot 10 point guard who also gave the Scarlett Knights a team-high 4.2 assists per game. Jack spends most of his time in and around the paint, averaging 6.4 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game.

Unfortunately, the roster is extremely thin after the top two players, resulting in the team's last-place finish.

Tier 2: The Pests

This tier includes the team(s) that stand almost no chance to win the Big Ten championship but will likely be pesky outs for some of the more talented teams.

Penn State Nittany Lions (4-14, 16-15)

At a glance, Penn State's 4-14 conference record almost justifies a spot in Tier 1, but the Nittany Lions lost 10 of those games by single digits, showing how a few more bounces their way could have placed them in the middle of the league.

Penn State is led by the conference's leading scorer, D.J. Newbill, who averaged 20.7 points per game and finished his regular season career with a 31-point outburst in Minnesota. Newbill can put up monster numbers against any team in the league. He dropped 29 points on 61.9 percent shooting against regular-season champion Wisconsin on Feb. 18.

The challenge for Coach Pat Chambers has been finding help for Newbill. Forwards Brandon Taylor and Ross Travis have been solid role players this season, but the absence of a second reliable offensive option will keep Penn State from making a deep run.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-13, 13-17)

Perhaps the most disappointing story of this college basketball season came out of Lincoln, Nebraska, as the Cornhuskers followed last year's NCAA Tournament appearance with an absolute flop.

Though it started the season ranking in the nation's top 20 teams, Nebraska lost nonconference games against Rhode Island and Incarnate Word. A brutal Big Ten schedule followed, and ended with eight straight losses.

Nebraska lost just one home game last season, but dropped six games at Pinnacle Bank Arena during 2014-15.

Terran Petteway entered the season as one of the favorites to challenge Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky for conference player of the year honors, but shot just 30.5 percent from three-point range and 39.5 percent from the field despite averaging 17.8 points. The junior battled inconsistency throughout the conference schedule, shooting below 25 percent from the field three times.

Petteway's running mate, Shavon Shields, was struck by similar long-range shooting woes. Shields shot 20 percent from three-point range this season after shooting 31.6 percent in 2013-14.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-12, 17-14)

Minnesota put together a solid 11-2 nonconference record, but entered Big Ten play sluggishly, losing its first five games. The Golden Gophers perked up for a 5-2 stretch, but lost five of their last six to finish in the bottom third of the league.

Richard Pitino's legion of guards was expected to lead Minnesota to an NCAA Tournament appearance this season after it took home the NIT crown in 2014. Andre Hollins, the team's leading scorer, averaged 14.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in his most efficient shooting season at Minnesota.

DeAndre Mathieu took a major step back in his second and final season with the Gophers, shooting seven percent worse from the field and dropping from 12 to 8.4 points per game.

Minnesota will likely have a chance to defend their NIT title after the conference tournament.

Northwestern Wildcats (6-12, 15-16)

If it weren't for the month of January, Northwestern would be looking back at 2014-15 fondly. But an 0-10 start to 2015 erased any chances of competing in the Big Ten, despite a strong 5-2 run down the stretch.

Northwestern is at its best when the offense runs through center Alex Olah, a 7 foot tall junior from Romania. Olah averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks this season while shooting 49.3 percent from the floor. Olah can really dominate the post and score from inside the paint. If Northwestern's shooters connect from long range, the offense quickly becomes dangerous.

Alex Olah has been a beast for Northwestern over the last month (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky).

Freshman Bryant McIntosh and junior Tre Demps are the most critical factors among that group of shooters. Demps leads the team with 12.8 points per game and McIntosh chips in 11.4 points while leading the team in assists (4.7 per game).

When Chris Collins gets his big three rolling, Northwestern can be a dangerous team. But when they struggle, the team that lost three games by more than 20 points rears its ugly head.

Tier 3: The Cinderellas

This tier includes the team(s) that, conceivably, could make a run to the Big Ten championship game with a little luck and elite shooting from long range.

Michigan Wolverines (8-10, 15-15)

Despite the .500 record on this team's resume, 2014-15 might be John Beilein's finest piece of work.

Michigan sent its three top players, Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary to the NBA draft last offseason and saw centers Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford graduate from the program. Then, after the team's 4-2 start in the Big Ten, Caris LeVert, and eventually Derrick Walton, Jr., went down for the season with foot injuries.

Beilein was forced to finish the season with a lineup highlighted by lightly-recruited guards Spike Albrechy, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Aubrey Dawkins.

Michigan struggled in the final six weeks, finishing 4-8 with two of those wins coming against Rutgers. But Beilein's team was closer that it looked to making a splash in the Big Ten. Four overtime losses turned a potential 12-6 season into the eventual 8-10 finish and dropped Michigan to the No. 9 seed in the conference tournament. Michigan will play Illinois in the first round, after splitting two overtime games this season, for the right to move on to the favorite: Wisconsin.

Michigan received a late lift from sophomore guard Zak Irvin, who shot just 39.8 percent on the season but improved to 42.7 percent over his last five games. When Irvin takes over the offense, it opens up the court for emerging options Abdur-Rahkman and Dawkins to create their own shots.

Illinois Fighting Illini (9-9, 19-12)

For the second straight season, Illinois enters the Big Ten Tournament needing at least one win to earn a bid to the Big Dance. John Groce's team struggled down the stretch, losing four of six games and settling for a .500 conference record.

Former Drake star Rayvonte Rice leads Illinois with 17 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a guard. Rice shoots 46.2 percent from the three-point line and can take over a game if he gets hot. Rice was at his best in the final three games of the regular season, putting up 22.3 points per game on 54 percent shooting. If he carries that type of offense to Chicago, the Illini will be a tough matchup.

Indiana Hoosiers (9-9, 19-12)

Tom Crean's set is feeling considerably warmer after the latest edition of "Indiana collapses down the stretch." Fans were up in arms about the team's 3-7 finish that kept them out of postseason play last season, so this year's 4-8 slide won't do Crean any favors.

Indiana is led by the combined 31.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists it gets from junior Yogi Ferrell and freshman James Blackmon, Jr. Ferrell is one of the toughest matchups in the country because of his quickness and pinpoint shooting from all over the floor. Meanwhile, Blackmon emerged as an offensive star in the Big Ten, giving Ferrell the backcourt running mate he lacked last season.

To win the Big Ten tournament, Indiana would have to win four straight games in four days. Unfortunately, the Hoosiers haven't even won two straight games since Jan. 22.

Ohio State Buckeyes (11-7, 22-9)

Despite winning 22 games and finishing the season with 11 conference wins, Ohio State falls into Tier 3 for two glaring holes in its overall resume.
The first is the lack of consistency needed to win four games in four days. Ohio State won four games just twice this season. The first was a five-game streak against UMass-Lowell, Marquette, Sacred Heart, Campbell and James Madison. The second came against Colgate, High Point, Morehead State and North Carolina A&T. Only two of those nine teams finished with winning records, despite playing in non-power five conferences.

More importantly, Ohio State flat-out lacks the impressive wins to inspire realistic confidence. In games against teams that are locks to make the NCAA Tournament (Louisville, North Carolina, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State and Wisconsin) Ohio State is 1-6 with a home win over Maryland and an average margin of 9.8 points in losses.

To win the Big Ten Tournament, Ohio State would have to beat Michigan State on Friday before likely matchups against Maryland and Wisconsin over the weekend. As a team with only one of those wins all season, it's unlikely Ohio State will win three in a row.

Tier 4: The Contenders

This tier includes the team(s) that finished near the top of the league should contend for a spot in the championship game.

Iowa Hawkeyes (12-6, 21-10)

A 2-5 stretch during the middle of the Big Ten schedule threatened to derail Iowa's season, but the Hawkeyes finished with six straight wins to land the No. 5 seed and cement themselves as an NCAA Tournament team.

Iowa is led by do-it-all senior Aaron White, who averages 15.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on 51.4 percent shooting. He shot a career-high 32.7 percent from beyond the arc and led Iowa in steals.

White is surrounded by a strong supporting case, including veteran forwards Jarrod Uthoff and Gabriel Olaseni, who lead the rest of the team in points and chip in 11.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game combined.

Iowa shoots a stellar 74.3 percent from the free throw line and plays nine guys regularly. Fran McCaffery carries his most well-rounded team into this week's conference tournament with a legitimate chance to make a run.

Purdue Boilermakers (12-6, 20-11)

Purdue is a bit of a mystery entering postseason play, as it dropped nonconference games to Vanderbilt, Gardner-Webb and North Florida before finishing tied for third in the Big Ten.

Purdue's consistency was most remarkable throughout the conference season, as it won 12 games and lost six times by single digits. Matt Painter's team beat every school in the Big Ten at least once, outside of the top three (Wisconsin, Maryland, Michigan State).

To the casual fan, Purdue winning the conference tournament would come as a complete shock, but the last two months suggest it as one of the favorites.

Purdue's fate will rest largely in the hands of 7 foot center A.J. Hammons, who continued to give Painter consistent production as a junior. Hammons leads Purdue with 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the floor. The problem for Hammons is staying on the court, as he averaged just 24 minutes per game, which handcuffed Purdue's offense for long stretches during games.

If Purdue got through its third-round matchup Friday (likely against Iowa), it would face a potential matchup with Wisconsin, which it lost to by seven in the only meeting in Madison on Jan. 7.

Michigan State Spartans (12-6, 21-10)

The 2014-15 season was a roller coaster ride for Michigan State, but as Tom Izzo always does, he righted the ship just in time to ensure a ticket to the Big Dance.

Michigan State came back in wins over Purdue and Indiana late in the season to earn its 20th and 21st wins, finishing tied for third in the conference. Now, the Spartans will await either Rutgers, Minnesota or Ohio State in the third round on Friday.

This season's MSU team doesn't hold the firepower to make a Final Four run, but it could certainly contend for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. If Branden Dawson is healthy, the Spartans will add his 11.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 54.3 shooting percentage to a lineup that features three-point threats Denzel Valentine (42 percent) and Travis Trice (36.9 percent). Those three players run the show for Michigan State this season and will have to be on their game this weekend to give their team a chance.

Michigan State finished the year 0-3 against the top two teams in the Big Ten, but dominated the rest of the league at a 12-3 clip. The bread and butter of Izzo's group is moving the ball, as MSU averages 17 assists per game (fourth in the entire country).

Tier 5: The Favorites

This tier includes the team(s) that are favored to meet in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Maryland Terrapins (14-4, 26-5)

In its first season in the Big Ten, Maryland breezed through its 18-game schedule and enters the conference tournament winners of its last seven games. Maryland is the latest team to knock off Wisconsin and lost only one home game this year -- to future No. 1 seed Virginia.

Maryland is led by two guards who dubbed themselves the "best duo in the country." Dez Wells is the offensive leader, averaging 15.3 points and shooting 46 percent from the field (50 percent from three). The senior also ranks second on the team in both rebounds and assists.

Trimble, a true freshman, leads the team in scoring at 16.1 points per game and chips in 3.7 boards and 3.1 assists. Jake Layman is a strong third option at 13.1 points per game and leads the trio with a 47.4 field goal percentage.

Mark Turgeon benefits from a deep cast of role players behind those three players, including former Michigan forward Evan Smotrycz, Rachaud Pack and Jared Nickens. Ten players average over 10 minutes per game for the Terps.

Wisconsin Badgers (16-2, 28-3)

The Badgers followed up their 2014 Final Four appearance by winning the Big Ten regular season title with ease, ripping off winning streaks of seven, eight and 10 en route to a 28-3 record.

Frank Kaminsky, the top player in the Big Ten, put up video game numbers this season, averaging 18.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He shot an incredible 55.9 percent from the floor, including 41 percent from beyond the arc. On defense, the senior posted 1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals per contest.

Kaminsky is joined in the frontcourt by elite forwards Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes. The two averaged a combined 25.1 points and 11.9 rebounds while shooting well over 50 percent from the floor.

Wisconsin played nearly half of its season without starting point guard Traevon Jackson, but never missed a beat. Bronson Koenig stepped in as a replacement and gave the Badgers a reliable backcourt option for 27.6 minutes per game.

If Wisconsin wins the Big Ten Tournament, it'll polish off a strong case for a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. Bo Ryan's squad is the undisputed favorite to take the crown on Sunday.

To view the full conference tournament bracket on the Big Ten website, click here.

Michigan State's first game will start on Friday at around 9 p.m. Michigan tips off against Illinois Thursday at noon.