The Big Ten

[BCHoopster]

It seems there is three teams deserving of an NCAA bid, after today, watching Michigan St., they have played themselves out,
Peen St. losing to Michigan, Minny and Illini need some victories.  11 teams out of the Big East may not be that far fetched.  In
normal years 6 teams should make it from the BT, this year at most 5 and that is questionable.  With the addition of 3 more teams,
the bubble should not be that questionable.  Mid-Majors are not that good this year!

[tower912]

tOSU, Purdue, Wiscy, Minnesota, Illinois are  likely in at this point.   MSU may get in simply because they are MSU.  Again, mid-majors and the ACC are weak, so the BEast and the B? will probably benefit. 

[Golden Avalanche]

tOSU, Purdue, Wiscy, Minnesota, Illinois are  likely in at this point.   MSU may get in simply because they are MSU.  Again, mid-majors and the ACC are weak, so the BEast and the B? will probably benefit. 

Illinois has been the same amount of mediocre as MSU in conference. Plus, they lost to Northwestern -- automatically ruling them out for an invitation.

[PGsHeroes32]

Illinois has been the same amount of mediocre as MSU in conference. Plus, they lost to Northwestern -- automatically ruling them out for an invitation.

This bubble is so weak the Big 10 is obviously getting 4 in and most likely 5 unless Minnesota or Illinois absolutly tank here at the end.

[BCHoopster]

Michigan St. will have to have a complete change of direction after this week, curious to see what there are
RPI is next week, it was 46th this week, about 85 after two bombings!

[brewcity77]

The Big Ten will still place at least five teams. Ohio State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Minnesota are pretty much locks. Michigan State will probably get in on reputation if they get to at least 9 wins. They still need four more. Their best bets are Penn State at home, Illinois at home (possible make or break), Iowa on the road, and Michigan at home.

Still, this isn't last year's Sparty.

[marquette99]

Agreed, msu looks bad until you look at the teams they need to fall behind to miss out.

Mid-majors are so weal this year - beyond byu and sd state, who makes it without winning their tourney? St. Marys seems the only lock.  You even have to question utah state with no top 100 wins and their a 19-pt loss against one be foe.

the weakness of the acc and all the non-bcs conferences is why mu is a lock with 10 conference wins in my opinion.

[ecompt]

Some guy on ESPN this morning (couldn't tell who it was, only saw the graphic) had 11 Big East and 7 Big Ten teams going.  But that was before today's games.

[BM1090]

The Big Ten will still place at least five teams. Ohio State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Minnesota are pretty much locks. Michigan State will probably get in on reputation if they get to at least 9 wins. They still need four more. Their best bets are Penn State at home, Illinois at home (possible make or break), Iowa on the road, and Michigan at home.

Still, this isn't last year's Sparty.

The irony in this, is that Minnesota has pretty much the same profile as Marquette. But Minnesota is pretty much a lock while everyone is running around up in arms about how MU is going to miss the tournament

[BCHoopster]

Minny is no lock, no point guard.  they need to win some games, 5 weeks is along time!

[Windyplayer]

The Big Ten will still place at least five teams. Ohio State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Minnesota are pretty much locks. Michigan State will probably get in on reputation if they get to at least 9 wins. They still need four more. Their best bets are Penn State at home, Illinois at home (possible make or break), Iowa on the road, and Michigan at home.

Um, they've already lost those last two games.

[brewcity77]

The irony in this, is that Minnesota has pretty much the same profile as Marquette. But Minnesota is pretty much a lock while everyone is running around up in arms about how MU is going to miss the tournament

Hmm...let's look at the profiles:

Marquette

Record: 14-9 (5-5)
RPI: 59
Strength of Schedule: 33
Quality Wins: West Virginia, Notre Dame, Syracuse
Bad Losses: None

Minnesota

Record: 16-7 (5-6)
RPI: 41
Strength of Schedule: 32
Quality Wins: North Carolina, West Virginia, Purdue
Bad Losses: Virginia

The only real differences are the RPI (favors Minny) and the bad loss (favors us). And the reason Minnesota is usually considered a lock, I'm sure, is because they play in the Big Ten. The simple truth is that if you're the 5th best team in the Big Ten, you're pretty much a lock. That's Minnesota. If you're the 11th team in the Big East, you might have just as good a resume, but aren't a lock because you're 11th in your conference. The Big East is a double-edged sword. You are at an advantage because the conference is going to annually place more teams in the Big Dance than anyone else, but at a disadvantage because in the past the committee has always capped bids at eight so some good teams will get left out. If you have only one bid to give, which of those teams gets in? On paper, they're virtually inseparable. But when it comes to the committee, I would all but guarantee that #5 in the Big Ten gets in over #11 in the Big East every single time.

And @ BCHoopster, they may not be a lock, but their only top 25 game remaining is Illinois, and that's at home. Minnesota may have thrown one away at Indiana, but they are still in position to go 9-9 in the conference and win 20 games before the Big Ten tournament. With the soft bubble, that will be more than enough.

[BM1090]

Hmm...let's look at the profiles:

Marquette

Record: 14-9 (5-5)
RPI: 59
Strength of Schedule: 33
Quality Wins: West Virginia, Notre Dame, Syracuse
Bad Losses: None

Minnesota

Record: 16-7 (5-6)
RPI: 41
Strength of Schedule: 32
Quality Wins: North Carolina, West Virginia, Purdue
Bad Losses: Virginia

The only real differences are the RPI (favors Minny) and the bad loss (favors us). And the reason Minnesota is usually considered a lock, I'm sure, is because they play in the Big Ten. The simple truth is that if you're the 5th best team in the Big Ten, you're pretty much a lock. That's Minnesota. If you're the 11th team in the Big East, you might have just as good a resume, but aren't a lock because you're 11th in your conference. The Big East is a double-edged sword. You are at an advantage because the conference is going to annually place more teams in the Big Dance than anyone else, but at a disadvantage because in the past the committee has always capped bids at eight so some good teams will get left out. If you have only one bid to give, which of those teams gets in? On paper, they're virtually inseparable. But when it comes to the committee, I would all but guarantee that #5 in the Big Ten gets in over #11 in the Big East every single time.

And @ BCHoopster, they may not be a lock, but their only top 25 game remaining is Illinois, and that's at home. Minnesota may have thrown one away at Indiana, but they are still in position to go 9-9 in the conference and win 20 games before the Big Ten tournament. With the soft bubble, that will be more than enough.

Not disagreeing with any of what you wrote. I'm just saying perception is not always reality. The two teams are almost identically even, profile wise

[77ncaachamps]

If you lose to Indiana, you don't deserve to be in the NCAAs.

Hands down.