Wolverine TV: Big Ten Tournament bracket breakdown, Championship Week predictions with Austin Fox
TheWolverine.com’s Clayton Sayfie is joined by The Wolverine legend Austin Fox, a former employee who’s still an expert on all things Wolverines and college basketball, to preview Michigan basketball in the Big Ten Tournament, the entire tourney and every high-major conference.
Topics and storylines we hit on include:
• How far Michigan will make it — The Wolverines are likely safely in the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens Thursday afternoon against Indiana, but a win would cement their spot in the Big Dance. At the same time, Indiana is highly motivated to make some noise in Indianapolis, considering it’s squarely on the bubble and won’t get in without at least one more victory. Michigan beat Indiana by 18 points at Assembly Hall in Bloomington back in January, and appear to have the edge in the matchup. The Hoosiers haven’t beaten Michigan since the 2016 season, a jarring reality.
• Who will win the Big Ten Tournament? Neither had Michigan winning the whole thing, but there are several intriguing teams that have a chance to take home the trophy this weekend. Illinois and Wisconsin got a share of the Big Ten regular season title, but Purdue may be the best team out of them all. The Boilers faltered a bit down the stretch, but they had some back luck on their side — and credit other teams for hitting clutch shots. They’ll be motivated to grab a ring and hang a banner, before hoping to finally catch fire in the Big Dance. All in all, Michigan isn’t the only team to keep an eye on in Indy.
Michigan and Indiana will tip off Thursday morning at 11:30 a.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The winner will take on No. 1 seed Illinois in the quarterfinals. The Wolverines haven’t lost their first game in the Big Ten Tournament since 2006 and could use one more win to likely avoid the First Four in Dayton.
For more Michigan basketball and Championship Week talk, watch or listen to the episode below.
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