Conference Tournament Preview: The Big 10

Where: Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: March 11th-14th

Final: 3:30 pm CBS




Favorite: Ohio State Buckeyes

With Evan Turner in the lineup, the Buckeyes have been flat out the best team in the Big Ten. They are 21-4 on the season and 14-2 in conference play with him. The thing that makes Evan Turner so special as a player is how much better the rest of the team is when he's on the floor. Outside of Turner, there really is not another guy on this team that can create their own shot. Dallas Lauderdale is a solid big man, but his post game consists of the ability to catch the ball, then dunk the ball. Jon Diebler is a shooter, through and through. William Buford is a bit more of a slasher than Diebler, but he is still at his best when catching-and-shooting. If you look at the numbers those three put up, all were much better with Turner in the lineup.

Evan Turner is the best player in the country because of how good he makes his teammates.
(photo credit: ESPN)

If there is a knock on the Buckeyes, it is their depth. It is not uncommon to see Ohio State's four wing players -- Diebler, Buford, Turner, and David Lighty -- all play 40 minutes in a game. Playing three straight games, I question how well their legs are going to hold up.


And if they lose?: Michigan State Spartans and Wisconsin Badgers

Michigan State is a tough team to peg this season. There is no question that they have the talent -- Kalin Lucas, Raymar Morgan, Durrell Summers, Draymond Green, Chris Allen -- and I'm never one to count Tom Izzo out of any tournament game, but when you watch the Spartans play, you're left with a feeling that this team is underperforming. It hasn't just been of late either. Even when Sparty was undefeated in the Big Ten and cruising to what seemed like an inevitable league title, they didn't have that air of superiority that you would expect from MSU. Having said all of that, this team still finished 24-7 and tied for the Big Ten regular season title. There is as much, if not more, talent on this team than any other team in the conference, but I doubt I'm the only one playing the wait-and-see game with MSU.

Michigan State and Wisconsin both have a shot to win the Big 10 Tourney.
(photo credit: MLive)

Wisconsin is the opposite of Michigan State. No one really expected much from the Badgers, but as we've been doing for years, we all underestimated Bo Ryan. This team is no different than any Wisconsin team you have seen over the last decade. They defend. They execute in the half court. They hustle. With Jon Leuer back healthy and talents like Trevon Hughes and Jordan Taylor in the back court, would anyone be surprised if the Badgers made a fun to the title?


Don't count out: Purdue Boilermakers

It seems like everyone has written off Purdue. True, Robbie Hummel is injured. True, he is a huge part of what the Boilermakers do. But there is still a lot of experience on this team, and Matt Painter is an excellent coach. I know that Purdue's offense, as well as their rebounding, will take huge hits with the loss of Hummel, but the bottom line is that this team is still going to defend. They are still going to run their stuff in the half court. They still have E'Twuan Moore, JaJuan Johnson, Keaton Grant, and Chris Kramer. It will be difficult, obviously, but don't write Purdue off just yet.


Sleeper: Northwestern Wildcats

I know, I know, Northwestern didn't live up to the expectations many had for them early in the season. But I like the Wildcats draw. They get a first round game against an Indiana team that looks like they have packed it in for the year. Their second round game is against the depleted Boilermakers. If they make it that far, the Wildcats will likely get either Michigan State, who they beat last season, or Minnesota, who they beat this year. Long shot, but I think there's a chance here.


Names you need to know

• Demetri McCamey, Illinois: McCamey's role for the Illini is similar to that of his high school teammate, Evan Turner, for Ohio State. On the offensive end, everything runs through him. McCamey has been as good as anyone this season, averaging almost 15 and 7 assists per game. But the issue with McCamey is attitude. He clearly is not handling this losing streak (the Illini have lost five of six) well -- anyone that saw his minor blow up with Bruce Weber would agree. But Illinois likely needs to beat Wisconsin -- who just knocked off Illinois last week -- for a real shot at the dance. Which McCamey is going to show up?
• Keaton Grant, Purdue: Johnson, Moore, and Kramer are the guys that get the press for Purdue with Hummel gone. But Grant may be the most important. He is the guy that is going to be counted on for an increased scoring load in the wake of Hummel's injury. Grant is a senior that has averaged double figures in a season before, so clearly the talent and experience at there.
  
• Lawrence Westbrook, Minnesota: Believe it or not, the Golden Gophers still have a shot at an at-large bid. but they are likely going to need to get to at least the semifinals if they want a real shot. Westbrook is this team's best scorer, and while Minnesota runs a more balanced system than many teams, he has become the team's go-to scorer, especially in the clutch.
• John Shurna, Northwestern: Shurna has been the guy that has filled in for Kevin Coble with Coble's injury. He has been quite the pleasant surprise, averaging 18.5 ppg for the slow paced Wildcats. Northwestern will need a big performance out of Shurna if they want to make their first NCAA Tournament.