No. 1-seed Michigan State 5:2

The Spartans cruised to a 25-5 overall record this season (15-3 in the Big Ten). Funny thing about Tom Izzo’s crew is that it suffered two conference losses at home and only one on the road. So, playing in Indianapolis shouldn’t be much of a problem for Michigan State. MSU should handle the winner of the Minnesota/Northwestern game, but does face a greater challenge in either Wisconsin or Ohio State in the semifinals. Kalin Lucas has been playing terrific of late, and the Spartans rebound like no other. I love their up-tempo style of play. MSU has the best shot at winning the Big Ten Tournament.

No. 2-seed Illinois 5:1

The Illini are a funny team. They’ve got the talent to go deep in the tourney, but they are on a two-game skid heading into the postseason. If Michigan beats Iowa and faces Illinois on Friday, the Orange and Blue might be in some trouble. The road wouldn’t get any easier in a potential Illinois/Purdue semifinal matchup. It’s tough to beat any team three times in one year, especially when it’s a team like the Boilermakers. My keys for Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament are Mike Tisdale and Demetri McCamey. If these two explode at the right time, Illinois could make a run to the final. Illinois must also keep up its intense efforts on the defensive side of the ball.

No. 3-seed Purdue 4:1

Purdue, like Illinois, enters the Big Ten Tournament on a two-game losing streak (home against Northwestern and at Michigan State). A healthy Robbie Hummel is a good Robbie Hummel … I’m just not sure he’ll be 100 percent until next season. JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore can easily pick up the slack for Matt Painter though. Moore hasn’t scored fewer than 10 points in a game since Feb. 8 at Illinois (nine games ago). Purdue has been lying in the weeds for a majority of the season, but I think the Boilermakers in prime position to make a strong move in the tourney.

No. 4-seed Wisconsin 6:1

The Badgers are a scary, scary team. Their only problem: a potential semifinal matchup against Michigan State. You don’t ever sleep on Bo Ryan and his ability to bring a winner into the conference tournament. Wisconsin has been so streaky this season. In conference, the Badgers started 3-0, dropped their next six, and then won five in a row. Marcus Landry and Trevon Hughes are always capable of strapping the team on their backs. We all remember what Jason Bohannon did to Illinois back on Feb. 5 (six three-pointers and 20 points). The Badgers’ game against Ohio State on Thursday should be an entertaining one, but Wisconsin is my dark horse team that could make it to the final.

No. 5-seed Ohio State 9:1

The Buckeyes are a solid ball club, but I just think too much would have to go right in order to win the conference tournament. OSU will have to run the gauntlet, facing Wisconsin, then most likely Michigan State, and then probably Illinois or Purdue. Ohio State finished the regular season with a couple wins at Iowa and against Northwestern, but its combined record against the top three seeds (MSU, Illinois, Purdue) is a lousy 1-5. You’ve got to play your best ball in conference tournaments, and Evan Turner will have to play perfect for three consecutive games. Not too likely. But Thad Matta is one heck of a coach, so I’m not completely throwing the Buckeyes out of the mix.

No. 6-seed Penn State 7:1

The good news: They’ll beat Indiana. The bad news: They then have to play Purdue. Despite going 1-1 against the Boilermakers this season, I just don’t see Purdue falling to Penn State. The Nittany Lions are also the highest-seeded team that will have to win four games to take the conference tourney title. Ed DeChellis was named 2009 Big Ten Coach of the Year for a reason though. Last year’s Nittany Lions finished below .500 at 15-16. DeChellis turned it around pretty quick, as PSU is 21-10 entering the conference tournament. The Nittany Lions are a bubble team to make the NCAA Tournament, so a good showing in the Big Ten Tournament is imperative for their season resume. Oh, and Talor Battle is money.

No. 7-seed Michigan 10:1

The Wolverines are just too inconsistent to win the Big Ten Tournament this season. Don’t get me wrong, they got talent. Michigan fans can look to Manny Harris (17.1 points per game) to give them a boost, but I don’t see the Wolverines getting past the semifinal. And Iowa has been playing decently as of late (by their standards). Iowa actually beat Michigan 70-60 on Feb. 22., and the Michigan team that beat UCLA and Duke earlier this season just isn’t there right now. The Wolverines, like Penn State, need to make a statement in the Big Ten Tournament to give the committee another reason to give them a second look come Selection Sunday. Their desperation might help them. But it won’t matter in the end.

No. 8-seed Minnesota 12:1

They just have such a difficult road to winning the tournament. The Golden Gophers are led by a legendary coach in Tubby Smith, but Minnesota only has two seniors on its the roster. Depth and seasoned college veterans tend to shine in postseason play, and the Gophers’ lineup won’t have enough to pull out four tough wins.

Lawrence Westbrook has been terrific but inconsistent down the stretch. Frankly, I think Northwestern will upset Minnesota on Thursday.

No. 9-seed Northwestern 14:1

The Wildcats are one of those teams that can upset a couple of team en route to a semifinal appearance in Indianapolis. But they don’t have the depth to sustain it through Sunday. Northwestern had been a pleasant surprise for Big Ten basketball fans this season, and they are certainly on the rise. Bill Carmody has done an amazing job with this class of ballplayers. Kevin Coble and Craig Moore are two vital pieces for the Cats, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a tight NU/MSU matchup on Friday afternoon.

No. 10-seed Iowa 29:1

I guess this is where we see a large drop-off…sorry, Hawkeyes. The rest of the Big Ten is too good for you. I’m not going to give you any false hopes and say “Well, if Matt Gatens scores 40 points per game and someone cuts the fuel lines to the opposing teams’ buses then maybe…” Just forget about it. I’ll give you some props for posting five conference wins this season. Wait a second, one of those was against Indiana. That doesn’t count. Anyway, Iowa will need some kind of miracle to emerge as Big Ten Tournament champions. Wouldn’t that really stink for those bubble teams out there?

No. 11-seed Indiana N/A

I’m not joking around. I didn’t even want to dignify the Hoosiers with an actual odd at winning the Big Ten Tournament. IU is 6-24. They’re also 0-11 on the road. Last time I checked, Indianapolis is not technically home for the Hoosiers, so they’re done. There’s absolutely no chance at Indiana winning even one game. I don’t take pleasure in saying this…well, maybe a little. Every conference has a doormat. Deal with it, Hoosiers. (Insert your own jokes/comments/pity for the this season’s Indiana basketball program here).