Big Ten Basketball: 2020 conference tournament preview and predictions
By Jason Belt
First Round
No. 14 Nebraska vs. No. 11 Indiana
The Nebraska Cornhuskers have struggled all season to get to this point. Winners of three Big Ten conference games, Fred Hoiberg’s squad has endured a very long season of losing. I don’t see it changing here at all. Indiana has a lot more talent than their seed shows, and could seriously do some damage in this tournament. Trayce Jackson-Davis has had a very solid freshman season, and I expect him to have a big game against Nebraska.
Prediction: Indiana wins 69-57
No. 13 Northwestern vs. No. 12 Minnesota
This game has the chance to go down to the wire. Minnesota has a very strong interior force in Daniel Oturu, who is tough to stop once he gets going. I don’t think Northwestern has enough firepower to stay with the Golden Gophers in this one. Boo Buie will have a strong game for the Wildcats, but I think this team is just one or two years away from becoming competitive. Give me Minny.
Prediction: Minnesota wins 72-67
Second Round
No. 9 Michigan vs. No. 8 Rutgers
As I’ve stated earlier, Michigan is no joke. The Wolverines have experienced guys that know exactly what it takes to win in these situations. Rutgers, on the other hand, has not been in the “hunted” role in many years, and lacks experience in big games like this. I also don’t trust Rutgers away from home, as the only won two games away from “The Rac” this year. Juwan Howard will have his team ready to compete in the early window on Thursday.
Prediction: Michigan wins 77- 67
No. 12 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Iowa
Luka Garza. Daniel Oturu. That alone can give basketball fans a reason to tune into this one. Ultimately, I think the well-rounded Iowa Hawkeyes will outlast the Golden Gophers due to their shooting. Joe Wieskamp can flat-out score the ball, and he will have a big game for Fran McCaffery en route to a win. I also will give Garza the edge over Oturu in this one, but not by much. Both big men can absolutely dominate games, and it looks like that one could shape up to be a huge matchup.
Prediction: Iowa wins 81-69
No. 10 Purdue vs. No. 7 Ohio State
Purdue is a very streaky team. They have a chance to either obliterate you, as we saw in games against Michigan State and Iowa this year, or they can lay an egg and fold to teams like Rutgers at home. Regardless of which Purdue we get, I still think Ohio State has the edge. As far as an inside presence, I will take Kaleb Wesson over Trevion Williams in this one. The experience and talent of Wesson will be a lot for Williams to handle, and the Buckeyes will take advantage.
Prediction: Ohio State wins 78-71
No. 11 Indiana vs. No. 6 Penn State
Penn State has really lost my trust over the last few games. Blowing a lead at home to Michigan State left a bad taste in my mouth, but the performance they gave on the road at Northwestern to end the season was worse. They were basically dominated by a team in Northwestern that, although they have shown glimpses, should not have been able to compete with them. Besides Lamar Stevens and Myreon Jones, no one else has helped much in scoring the ball for the Nittany Lions. A tough choice here, but the Hoosiers with momentum have a good chance to keep their momentum going.
Prediction: Indiana wins 69-63