While there are a number of good teams in the big 10 tournament, the oddsmakers have Illinois and Purdue as the top teams. Illinois won the regular season conference title, and is second in the odds to win the tournament, trailing only No. 3 Purdue (+200). If Illinois wins, it will play the winner of Indiana and Michigan, but first it must win a game against Iowa or Rutgers. The Fighting Illini upset Iowa on Sunday, and have won games over Michigan and Indiana this season. In addition, they split games with Rutgers.
Illinois is the defending champion
The Fighting Illini finished second in the Big Ten during the regular season and won the conference tournament. After the regular season, the Fighting Illini were seeded as the No. 1 team in the Midwest, but fell in the second round of March Madness to Loyola-Chicago.
The Fighting Illini finished the regular season with three straight wins, including a win over Wisconsin. Illinois has been one of the top teams in the Big Ten for the past three seasons. The Fighting Illini are 22-8 overall and 15-5 in conference play. This is their highest win total since they tied for the title in 2005. Illinois’s big man, Kofi Cockburn, is one of the top scorers in the country, averaging 21.6 points per game and 10.6 rebounds.
The Illini will be looking to build off of last year’s championship run. Their guards are the key to their success this year. Kofi Cockburn, a 7-foot, 285-pound junior, leads the Big Ten in scoring and rebounds. He is virtually unguardable at the rim. He had a 37-point, 12-rebound performance against Wisconsin in early February.
Michigan’s offense ranks among the best in the nation
The Michigan Wolverines are among the best in the nation when it comes to scoring offense. The Wolverines average 50.0 points per game, ranking seventh in the nation. Their defense is among the best in the country, ranking seventh. The Wolverines have allowed less than one touchdown per game. The Michigan Wolverines have made more field goals than their opponents.
Michigan’s offense has gotten off to a fast start this year. The Wolverines have scored 166 points in the last three games, averaging 55.3 points per game.
Michigan’s defense allows just less than 70 ppg
The defense isn’t the best in the Big Ten, but Michigan has shown signs of improvement. It has allowed less than 70 points per game this season, and has improved as a team. Michigan’s offense is paced by center Hunter Dickinson. Dickinson averages 18.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocked shots per game. This balanced attack helps Michigan’s defense allow just less than 70 points per game.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes have only won one of their last five games, and they are shorthanded after a few lingering injuries. Still, the Buckeyes have a talented team and may be the team to beat. The first team to reach 70 points wins the tournament.
Michigan’s coach rejoined the team after serving a five-game suspension for his actions in the handshake line
Howard’s actions in the handshake line were a violation of team rules. The incident took place after Michigan coach Jimmy Howard was frustrated with Wisconsin coach Greg Gard’s late call of a timeout. Howard and Gard then argued in the postgame handshake line, pushing each other and taking shots at Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft. The result was Howard being suspended for the rest of the regular season and a fine of nearly $40,000.
Howard will return to the team for the Big Ten Tournament after serving his five-game suspension for his actions in the postgame handshake line. Michigan went 3-2 in its last three games without Howard. In its last regular season game, Michigan beat Indiana 80-62. The win gave Michigan a big boost as it enters the Big Ten tournament against Indiana. The winner of that game will face Illinois in the quarterfinals.
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