The Big Ten is one of the deepest leagues in America, but there are legitimate questions about how they stack up to competition outside of the conference. A number of teams have legitimate chances at taking home this weekend’s title in Indianapolis. Eight different teams finished with winning records in conference play, and Illinois and Wisconsin split the regular season title at 15-5. Here are some storylines we’re taking a close look at this week.

2022 Big Ten Tournament Bracket:

The Favorite: Purdue Boilermakers

Despite entering as the #3 seed, Vegas likes Purdue to cut down the nets on Sunday. They enter the tournament at +200, with Illinois and Iowa close behind at +350. Purdue boasts an NBA talent in Jaden Ivey, and big man Zach Edey always causes problems for opposing defenses. Matt Painter has a strong reputation, and this might be one of his best teams yet.

Player To Watch: Keegan Murray

Murray stepped into the spotlight for the Hawkeyes this year and hasn’t disappointed. After losing the National Player of the Year in Luka Garza, Murray has picked up all the production left behind. Likely a lottery pick in this coming draft, there’s not much Murray can’t do on a basketball court. The Big 10 boasts quite the arsenal of star players this year, with Johnny Davis, EJ Liddell and Kofi Cockburn all enjoying stellar seasons. Murray is the guy that constantly stands out to me, and if Iowa is going to make any noise this year, you can bet he’ll have a lot to do with it.

Team To Watch: Nebraska Cornhuskers

Is it crazy to have the 13 seed as the team to watch? After stumbling to a 1-16 start in conference, the Huskers finished the season as the league’s hottest team. 3 straight wins, including two road victories at Wisconsin and Ohio State, pushed Nebraska past Minnesota. Is it possible that Northwestern takes care of them in round one? Absolutely. Is it crazy to think that this is a group nobody wants to see on their path? Not even a little bit.

Current Tournament Teams: 8

As it stands, I would consider Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, and Ohio State to be practical locks for the NCAA Tournament. That would put the conference at 6, and leaves us with Michigan, Indiana and Rutgers firmly on the Bubble. The Big 10 has earned a lot of respect over the years, so I think Rutgers standing as the conference’s 4 seed will carry some weight. If they can just secure one victory I think they’d move to lock status. The Michigan-Indiana 8/9 matchup is probably the most important of the week. It’s possible both get in no matter what, but I think the winner there will rest a lot more comfortably. I’ll say at least 2 of these 3 squads hear their names on Sunday.

Prediction: Purdue

This is one of the toughest tournaments to predict just given the sheer number of teams. Johnny Davis’ status is up in the air, though he’s trending towards playing this week for Wisconsin. They’ll need him at 100%, and I’m not quite sure he’ll be there just yet. For that main reason, I’m rolling with the favorites. Purdue relies heavily on their offense, and while I’m skeptical about how that will work for them in the Big Dance, I think they make a run in Indy. They’ve been on the losing end of a number of crazy finishes this year, and that luck is bound to turn. Jaden Ivey could very well take over over the next few weeks, and if he does, I think the Boilermakers are in for at least one title.