ESPN's Joe Lunardi's new Bracketology bracket is out, with that, we are going to take a look at the Big Ten teams that made the tournament and the Big Ten teams that are on the bubble. I will be giving my opinions and analysis on what the teams have done or still need to do to better their chances. This week the Big Ten has retained it's six Big Ten teams projected to be in the tournament. Those teams include Ohio State, Purdue, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Illinois. The Big Ten still holds both a one seed and a two seed right now. Some Big Ten seeds have slipped from last week. We will take a look at that below.
Teams projected to be in the tournament:
Ohio State: Projected 1 Seed: Ohio State still has yet to move from the top line of the bracket. According to ESPN's Lunardi, Ohio State has a 55 percent chance that they will be holding a number one seed at the end of the season, when all is said and done. Ohio State kept winning this week, but was tested for arguably, the first time this season in both Iowa and Minnesota games. They will continue to hang on to this seed as long as they remain undefeated. When Ohio State falls, if they do, it should be pretty interesting to see what happens in the Bracketology world.
(More teams after the jump)
Purdue: Projected 2 Seed: Purdue is holding steady this week, as they retain their projected two seed. They have continued to prove themselves. The last two game neither E'Twaun Moore nor JaJuan Johnson has been the leading scorer. That is a big step for Purdue. According to ESPN's Lunardi, if the Boilermakers keep playing the way they are now, they are in line for a one seed with a 30 percent chance. The Boilers are rooting for teams in front of them in seeding to fall.
Illinois: Projected 4 Seed: Illinois is also holding steady this week at a four seed. With every game in the Big Ten it looks as if the Illini are improving. They can improve their seed by beating some top-ranked opponents on the road. It is very possible, if the Illini show more dominance and beat some ranked teams on the road, to get a three or two seed. The Illini can not afford to stumble to a non ranked team if they want to pull that off.
Wisconsin: Projected 4 Seed: Wisconsin was a five seed in the January 3rd bracket and has since then moved up to a four seed. If Wisconsin wants to improve it's seed, a great way to prove you deserve better than a four is to start off by beating Michigan State on the road. Wisconsin plays Michigan State on January 11th. Wisconsin continues to look like they are improving, week to week, and come tournament time, they will be looking like true contenders for a nice run in the tournament.
Michigan State: Projected 7 Seed: Michigan State needs to be careful this week, they need to take care of business or they could drop out of the national rankings all together and be headed for a worse seed. They took a nose dive this week in seeding, dropping from a five to a seven seed. Michigan State looks to improve their seed by just taking care of business. With the losses they already have it is going to be hard to get a better seed than a four. A seven seed fits them best for the way they are playing right now.
Minnesota: Projected 8 Seed: Minnesota dropped from a seven to an eight seed this week after suffering a loss at Ohio State. To improve their seed they need to do the same as everyone else. Win. Beat some ranked opponents and start look better. It won't be easy for Minnesota, trying to replace Devoe Joesph, who, to me, was more than just an 11 points per game player, he was one of the leaders on the team. I think they will miss him in the long run.
Teams on the bubble:
Northwestern and Michigan both have dropped off the bubble this week.