Big Ten Basketball: 2022 Conference Tournament preview and predictions
Teams of interest
Team to beat: Wisconsin Badgers
The Big Ten media preseason projections had the Wisconsin Badgers finishing tenth, their leading scorer Johnny Davis (20.5 ppg) was not mentioned for preseason Player of the Year and received zero votes for the preseason first-team All-Big Ten. A major reason for underselling the Badgers is the fact that they returned only 33 percent of their scoring from the 2020-21 season.
Such a loss in scoring should be expected when five players who started last season are no longer with the team, Tyler Wahl is the lone player with starting experience from last season. While nobody expected them to be relevant this season they managed a share of the Regular Season Championship despite losing to Nebraska in the season finale. With that, the Badgers enter the Big Ten tournament as the worst three-point shooting team in the conference and as the favorite.
The largest threat to Wisconsin: Illinois Fighting Illini
This is simply another case of stating the obvious. The Badgers proved all season long they are one of the best teams in the Big Ten as the Fighting Illini handed the Badgers one of their four conference losses. Michigan State, Ohio State, and Rutgers were the other Big Ten teams to hand the regular season champions a loss, but Illinois remains the biggest threat.
The biggest reason for them being the biggest threat is because they have the biggest player in Kofi Cockburn. The Fighting Illini match up very well versus the Badgers, even though the Badgers feature a duo of big men, neither 7’0 Steven Crowl nor 7’1 Chris Vogt has the perimeter game that would cause Cockburn to sit for a better matchup.
As well, Head Coach Brad Underwood has depth in the backcourt, with players of various skillsets that will keep Chucky Hepburn and Brad Davison uncomfortable, while still being able to give Johnny Devis different looks on both ends of the court.
Most upset potential: Indiana Hoosiers
First and foremost – in conference play – the Hoosiers have allowed the fewest field goals, have the best defensive field-goal percentage while surrendering the third lowest point average at 67.1 points per game. The victories over Purdue and Ohio State are impressive for the Hoosiers, but their losses versus all the other contenders in the Big Ten do not bode well.
It is their two losses against Wisconsin that provides the greatest hope even though on both occasions, the Hoosiers fell to the Badgers by five points. The Feb.15, 2022 game saw the Hoosiers up 66-61 with 3:52 remaining in the game, then Johnny Davis scored all of the Badgers 13 points from that point on for a 74-69 Badger victory. On Dec 8, 2021, Indiana held an 18 point lead at the half, that the Badgers cut into, then at the 3:08 mark, Race Thompson hit a jumper to put the Hoosiers up 59-53 in a game they would lose 64-59.
The inability to put away the Badgers can be considered an indication that the Hoosiers are just not good enough. Or it may mean the added boost of the fans in a big game is all that is needed.