2009 Big Ten Conference Tournament Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd on March 11, 2009

big-ten-31109 The 2009 Big Ten Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament is all set to get underway Thursday, March 12th from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The tournament champion will be crowned on Sunday, March 15th. You can catch the Big Ten Tournament on the Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, and CBS. All 11 teams in the conference will get a chance to compete for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the top 5 teams all receiving a first round bye. Wisconsin took home the Big Ten Tourney title as a No. 1 seed a year ago. Will No. 1 seed Michigan State hold strong in 2009 or should we expect an upset? Jimmy Boyd discusses the two most likely winners in his analysis below. Bet the 2009 Big Ten Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bookmaker.

The Favorite: Michigan State Spartans
It was a tight regular season race most of the way but Tom Izzo’s boys ended up pulling away at the end to win the conference by 4 games with a 15-3 mark. The Spartans bring a 5-game winning streak into the tournament and have every incentive to go after the title. Winning it all almost definitely ensures the Spartans a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance and an outside shot at a No. 1 depending on what transpires in some of the other major conference tournaments. The Spartans were among the best teams in the country when playing away from home this season, with just one Big Ten road loss, so I don’t expect this tournament being held at a neutral site to give the Spartans any less of a chance at winning it all. The Spartans lost a 2 point heartbreaker in the semifinals of this tournament to eventual champ Wisconsin and that should fuel Michigan State’s fire as well. Michigan State is led by one of the finest point guards in the country in Kalin Lucas. Lucas averages 14.8 points per game and 4.6 assists. He is the one weapon that the Spartans have that no other team in the league can touch.

Another Team That Can Win: Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue finished tied with Illinois for second place in the Big Ten at 11-7 and is the No. 3 seed in this tournament. If it weren’t for some injuries to key players, I really feel that Purdue could have challenged Michigan State for the regular season title. If Purdue and Illinois meet in the semifinals, I like Purdue’s chances playing in front of a basically home crowd. And the Boilermakes are one of only three teams to beat the Spartans in conference play. Not only did they beat the Spartans, but they blew them out by 18 points. Purdue is a very balanced team with three players averaging in double figures. The key to Purdue winning it all will be a huge tournament from Robbie Hummel, who has been bothered by injuries all season.

2008 Big Ten Conference Tournament Recap:
No. 10 seed Illinois was the story of last year’s Big Ten Tournament, winning three games in three days before finally running out of gas in the final against No. 1 seed Wisconsin. The real championship game appeared to be in the semifinal matchup between Wisconsin and Michigan State which was decided by just two points.

Jimmy Boyd’s college basketball picks are here to help you pick more winners against the NCAA basketball odds this basketball betting season.

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