March 08--At various times throughout the Big Ten season, conflicting assessments of teams made sense. Or seemed to anyway.
--Indiana is such a disappointment. Does coach Tom Crean need to worry? ... Indiana is the class of the conference.
--Wisconsin should be a Top 25 team (preseason). ... Wow, Wisconsin has really fallen apart. The Badgers aren't the same, and with Bo Ryan retiring, the season is a wash (middle of season). ... Wisconsin got it together. Coach Greg Gard is the answer for the future (end of season).
--Maryland is the team to beat. ... Maryland has so many flaws.
--Iowa is the most impressive team in the conference. ... What's wrong with Iowa?
--Purdue's front line makes the Boilermakers unbeatable. ... Purdue's guards make the Boilermakers beatable.
--Why is Michigan State struggling? ... Michigan State could make another deep NCAA tournament run.
There was no sense trying to make a rational assessment in this wildly irrational season. Everybody was right, then everybody was wrong. Predictions and analyses be damned.
The drama is expected to continue at the Big Ten tournament, which begins Wednesday in Indianapolis.
"To me, it's going to be harder to move on in the Big Ten tournament than the NCAA tournament," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, whose team received a double bye as the No. 2 seed.
No. 12 seed Illinois tips off the tournament at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday against No. 13 Minnesota at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Ninth-seeded Northwestern received a first-round bye and will play No. 8 Michigan at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Indiana is the top seed after surging late to win the regular-season title. The Hoosiers will face the Northwestern-Michigan winner in Friday's first quarterfinal.
Teams such as No. 6 seed Wisconsin and No. 7 Ohio State are on the NCAA tournament bubble and could use a strong Big Ten tournament run to convince the selection committee.
Then there is the chance a lower-seeded team could run the table to earn the conference's automatic NCAA tournament berth. In this season, nothing is unimaginable.
"We were just so bad early and Iowa was so good, and they've struggled a little down the stretch and we've been better," Izzo said. "Indiana, everyone complained about their schedule being easier early and they ran through it. Maryland, top to bottom, you look at their team, they're still the most talented team in the Big Ten."
So who knows what might happen? Izzo said it's important for teams to forget the wildness of the regular season and focus on their own details.
"You've got to stay focused on the little things," Izzo said. "Your defense has to still be there. Getting guys ready mentally is the biggest key to advancing."
And in this season, maybe some luck.
sryan@tribpub.com
