This Big Ten conference is full of competitive teams that are consistently beating up on one another. There is a “favorite” in Purdue, but I am not sold on the Boilermakers. I have seen this kind of hype around a team in the Big Ten and then when March comes around they are nowhere to be found. This tournament will be entertaining because every game is a dogfight. With that being said here are my predictions for the 2023 Big Ten tournament.
The Betting Odds
Purdue +185
Indiana +440
Michigan State +650
Maryland +900
Illinois +1000
Northwestern +1000
Iowa +1200
Michigan +1500
Penn State +2500
Rutgers +3000
Wisconsin +6500
Ohio State +7500
Nebraska +10000
Minnesota +25000
The Bracket
Fade The Boilermakers
Purdue is a good defensive team. The Boilermakers allow 62.5 points per game and their offense averages 73.2 points per game. Purdue is led by big man Zach Edey who averages 21.9 points per game (8th in the country) to go along with 12.8 rebounds per game (3rd in the country). Other than that Purdue doesn’t have another go-to guy to help out Edey late down the stretch. Last year they had Jaden Ivey and this year they don’t have that great guard.
Purdue is poised for an early exit here in the Big Ten tournament. This team is not made for a big tournament run and they are going to have a quick exit here in their conference tournament.
Do You Believe In Indiana?
The Hoosiers are looking to win their first-ever Big Ten conference tournament. Indiana averages 75.3 points per game and they allow 68.5 points per game as well. The big name for Indiana is Trayce Jackson -Davis who averages 20.5 points per game (18th in the country) to go along with 11 rebounds per game (6th in the country) and 3.9 assists per game. He leads the team in all of those categories and he also averages 2.8 blocks per game as well.
Yes, he has been very very good for Indiana, but two names going under the radar for them would be Jalen Hood-Schifino and Xavier Johnson. Hood-Schifino is averaging 13.4 points per game on a 42/36/78 shooting split. Jackson-Davis has been a crucial part of this team, but his supporting cast is going to have to step up if they want to win their first-ever Big Ten tournament.
The Sleeper To Watch
There isn’t a lot of buzz around a good Illinois team. The Fighting Illini is led by their two transfers Terrence Shannon Jr. and Matthew Mayer. Shannon Jr. averages 17.1 points per game to go along with 4.7 rebounds per game. Mayer averages 13 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds per game as well. As well as they two have played this season, they need someone else to step up in this tournament if they want to go on a run. Look for the Fighting Illini to be a pest and potentially make a nice little run in the conference tournament.
The Don’s Winner
After fading Purdue, I went down the list and thought to myself “who could really win this Big Ten tournament?” My official winner is Indiana +440. The Hoosiers are due for a Big Ten conference tournament win which would be the first ever in school history. Look for the Hoosiers to make a little bit of history here.
The Don’s Game By Game Predictions
First Round
12 Wisconsin over 13 Ohio State
11 Nebraska over 14 Minnesota
Second Round
8 Michigan over 9 Purdue
5 Iowa over 12 Wisconsin
7 Illinois over 10 Penn State
11 Nebraska over 6 Maryland
Quarterfinals
8 Michigan over 1 Purdue
5 Iowa over 4 Michigan State
7 Illinois over 2 Northwestern
3 Indiana over 11 Nebraska
Semifinals
5 Iowa over 8 Michigan
3 Indiana over 7 Illinois
Finals
3 Indiana over 5 Iowa
