Big Ten Dominating The Big Dance
The Big Ten conference isn't supposed to be any good this year. It's been top-heavy all season, with Illinois and everybody else. But in the only time of year that matters--March Madness--the Big Ten has dwarfed all other conferences by producing three of the final eight teams remaining.
That in itself is a big accomplishment for a conference in which only one team got any real publicity this season. But if the Big Ten can continue the run and propel all three remaining clubs into the Final Four, it would indeed be an accomplishment.
Having three teams in the Elite Eight isn't abnormal. Granted, the Big Ten is the last power conference most people would have chosen to pull it off this season, but the feat itself is fairly common. In 2003 it was the Big 12 and several other conferences did it prior to that. But three in the Final Four? Only once has that happened. No, Dick Vitale and the rest of the ESPN crew, it wasn't your all-powerful ACC. It was the Big East when Villanova, Georgetown and St. John's all got there 20 years ago.
In 2005, it's not about to happen. Illinois will enter their game favored over Arizona, and will probably win. But Wisconsin and Michigan State shouldn't even be where they are.
The Badgers are a 6-seed. They have advanced to the field of eight without pulling off an upset. They beat 11th seeded Northern Iowa, 13th seeded Bucknell and 10th seeded N.C. State. They have kept under the radar and sneaked into the Elite Eight, where their run will most likely end.
Michigan State had a similar path, with one glaring exception. The 5th seeded Spartans beat 12th seeded Old Dominion and 13th seeded Vermont before pulling off the second-biggest upset of the tourney (behind Kansas-Bucknell) with a win over Duke. When Michigan State, who has been in 5 of the last 7 Elite Eights, hits the month of March, anything can happen.
Best case scenario, the Big Ten has half the field in the Final Four. That would be a huge accomplishment for a conference thought to be so poor this year. But three out of the Final Four? That's out of the question.
That in itself is a big accomplishment for a conference in which only one team got any real publicity this season. But if the Big Ten can continue the run and propel all three remaining clubs into the Final Four, it would indeed be an accomplishment.
Having three teams in the Elite Eight isn't abnormal. Granted, the Big Ten is the last power conference most people would have chosen to pull it off this season, but the feat itself is fairly common. In 2003 it was the Big 12 and several other conferences did it prior to that. But three in the Final Four? Only once has that happened. No, Dick Vitale and the rest of the ESPN crew, it wasn't your all-powerful ACC. It was the Big East when Villanova, Georgetown and St. John's all got there 20 years ago.
In 2005, it's not about to happen. Illinois will enter their game favored over Arizona, and will probably win. But Wisconsin and Michigan State shouldn't even be where they are.
The Badgers are a 6-seed. They have advanced to the field of eight without pulling off an upset. They beat 11th seeded Northern Iowa, 13th seeded Bucknell and 10th seeded N.C. State. They have kept under the radar and sneaked into the Elite Eight, where their run will most likely end.
Michigan State had a similar path, with one glaring exception. The 5th seeded Spartans beat 12th seeded Old Dominion and 13th seeded Vermont before pulling off the second-biggest upset of the tourney (behind Kansas-Bucknell) with a win over Duke. When Michigan State, who has been in 5 of the last 7 Elite Eights, hits the month of March, anything can happen.
Best case scenario, the Big Ten has half the field in the Final Four. That would be a huge accomplishment for a conference thought to be so poor this year. But three out of the Final Four? That's out of the question.
posted by Joe Siple | 1:39 PM
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