2025-2026 B1G Basketball Thread

[medinabuckeye1]

Updated projections heading into the last two games:


That finish would result in the following BTT seeds:

• 19-1 Michigan
• 15-5 Nebraska (wins tie with MSU and IL based on 2-1 H2H2H)
• 15-5 Michigan State (2nd in tie with UNL and IL based on 1-1 H2H2H)
• 15-5 Illinois (last in tie with UNL and MSU based on 1-2 H2H2H)
• 14-6 Purdue
• 13-7 Wisconsin (wins tie with UCLA based on H2H win on 1/6)
• 13-7 UCLA
• 12-8 Ohio State
• 10-10 Iowa
• 9-11 Indiana
• 8-12 Washington (wins tie with MN based on H2H win on 2/14)
• 8-12 Minnesota 
• 7-13 USC
• 6-14 Rutgers
• 5-15 Northwestern
• 4-16 Oregon (wins tie with UMD based on H2H win on 1/2)
• 4-16 Maryland
• 3-17 Penn State

That generates the following match-ups:
Tuesday, March 10 (Peacock):

• #15 Northwestern vs #18 Penn State 730
• #16 Oregon vs #17 Maryland 5pm

Wednesday, March 11:

• #9 Iowa vs Ore/UMD, noon (Peacock)
• #10 Indiana vs NU/PSU, 630 (BTN)
• #11 Washington vs #14 Rutgers 9pm (BTN)
• #12 Minnesota vs #13 USC 230 (Peacock)

Thursday, March 12 (BTN):

• #5 Purdue vs MN/USC, 230
• #6 Wisconsin vs UDub/RU 9pm
• #7 UCLA vs IU/NU/PSU 630
• #8 Ohio State vs IA/OR/UMD noon

Friday, March 13 (BTN):

• #1 Michigan vs tOSU/IA/OR/UMD noon
• #2 Nebraska vs UCLA/IU/NU/PSU 630
• #3 Michigan State vs UW/UDub/RU 9pm
• #4 Illinois vs PU/MN/USC 230

Saturday, March 14 (CBS):

• M/tOSU/IA/OR/UMD vs IL/PU/MN/USC 1pm
• UNL/UCLA/IU/NU/PSU vs MSU/UW/UDub/RU 330

Sunday, March 15 (CBS):

• M/tOSU/IA/OR/UMD/IL/PU/MN/USC vs UNL/UCLA/IU/NU/PSU/MSU/UW/UDub/RU 330

[grillrat]

The way I figure it is that Purdue is purposely losing games so that they get the 5 seed and get a game against the 12/13 seed (which they would presumably win), and thus guarantee that Braden Smith gets at least two BTT games so that he has a better chance of breaking the all-time assists record.

That's some 5-D chess there. 

[ELA]

I assume it will be MSU-UW in the 3-6 game.  Because they seemingly play each other every year in the BTT

[medinabuckeye1]

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48077130/usc-leading-scorer-chad-baker-mazara-no-longer-program

WTF?

[847badgerfan]

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48077130/usc-leading-scorer-chad-baker-mazara-no-longer-program

WTF?

If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now.

[medinabuckeye1]

If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now.

Sarcasm?

[847badgerfan]

Completely.

[bayareabadger]

I assume it will be MSU-UW in the 3-6 game.  Because they seemingly play each other every year in the BTT

Oh, not that again

[ELA]

2025 - Wisconsin d. MSU in SF
2022 - MSU d. Wisconsin in QF
2019 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
2018 - MSU d. Wisconsin in QF
2015 - Wisconsin d. MSU in F
2014 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
2012 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
2008 - Wisconsin d. MSU in SF
2007 - Wisconsin d. MSU in QF
2004 - Wisconsin d. MSU in SF
2000 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
1999 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF

12 times in 26 tournaments.  I actually would have guessed it was more often.  And maybe that's to be expected because they've been the two most consistently good programs during the BTT era

[bayareabadger]

2025 - Wisconsin d. MSU in SF
2022 - MSU d. Wisconsin in QF
2019 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
2018 - MSU d. Wisconsin in QF
2015 - Wisconsin d. MSU in F
2014 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
2012 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
2008 - Wisconsin d. MSU in SF
2007 - Wisconsin d. MSU in QF
2004 - Wisconsin d. MSU in SF
2000 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
1999 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF

12 times in 26 tournaments.  I actually would have guessed it was more often.  And maybe that's to be expected because they've been the two most consistently good programs during the BTT era

I feel like I have somewhat vivid memories off all of those. The 2012 game is the only one I don’t have much recollection of.

For some reason, this made me want to go back and look at the 2018 and 2022 games. The 2018 one was strange because UW was bad, but just stayed with a really good MSU team. In 2022, UW had delivered better results than its metrics and was staggering later. MSU wasn’t great, and I forgot how that one was close late.

[847badgerfan]

2025 - Wisconsin d. MSU in SF
2022 - MSU d. Wisconsin in QF
2019 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
2018 - MSU d. Wisconsin in QF
2015 - Wisconsin d. MSU in F
2014 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
2012 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
2008 - Wisconsin d. MSU in SF
2007 - Wisconsin d. MSU in QF
2004 - Wisconsin d. MSU in SF
2000 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF
1999 - MSU d. Wisconsin in SF

12 times in 26 tournaments.  I actually would have guessed it was more often.  And maybe that's to be expected because they've been the two most consistently good programs during the BTT era

MSU beat UW 4 times that year, including the FF (MSU wins MNC).

[betarhoalphadelta]

The BTT is a bit of a sore spot for Purdue fans... It often "seems" that our underperformance in the BTT actually exceeds our historic underperformance in March, relative to where we typically finish in the conference regular season standings. 

I.e. I was wondering where Purdue might fit in with either MSU or Wisconsin as to whether we had a similar issue with eliminating each other... But then I looked it up and Purdue is actually below .500 in the BTT--which is crazy considering they've had a lot of years being one of the high seeds. 

[ELA]

Better than Indiana.  Only Northwestern has a worse record among the 11 schools who have been in it the whole time.

Northwestern has only reached the weekend once, in 2017, where Wisconsin promptly blasted them by 30

[847badgerfan]

UW beat Purdue in the 2000 Elite 8 to get to MSU.