All Eyes on Indy as Big Ten Prepares for Feisty Appetizer to Big Dance

Conference tournaments can be a tricky deal.

They’re fun. They’re a chance to make up for missing out on the regular-season title—or play your way into the NCAA tournament.

But nobody wants to be the team that fizzles in the Big Dance after having a great conference tournament.

Which brings us to this year’s Big Ten tournament.

Without overthinking it, the team that checks all the boxes in my mind is Purdue.

I like the Boilermakers’ overall roster. They have a nice blend of scoring, defense, size and feisty attitude. Zach Edey is listed at 7-foot-4 and he plays to it. Jaden Ivey is big-time in the backcourt. The 6-10 Trevion Williams, the league's Sixth Man of the Year, can do a lot.

I thought Purdue was the team to beat early in the season. The problem is, that happened. Rutgers, Wisconsin and Indiana picked off early games, saddling Purdue with a mediocre 4-3 league start.

For all their troubles, the Boilers (14-6) finished third, one loss behind co-champions Illinois and Wisconsin (15-5).

Given a chance to share the title when the Badgers stumbled against last-place Nebraska, the Illini cashed in, beating a very good/very hot Iowa team.

When Illinois is on—interested and playing together—it too checks all the boxes. Kofi Cockburn is what Al McGuire used to call ``an aircraft carrier,’’ an old-fashioned big man who is a force in the paint. Illinois also has a seemingly endless array of perimeter players.

Trent Frazier is top-notch. Alfonso Plummer can shoot it. Andre Curbelo is a dizzying whirlwind. If you’re not from Big Ten Country and haven’t seen him, keep an eye on Curbelo. He's a very fun, very animated players. If you’re from Illini Nation, pray that he didn’t drink too much coffee before the game.

For Wisconsin, it’s all about Johnny Davis. Or should we say, Johnny Davis’ sprained right ankle? ``I feel fine. There’s a lot of time left to the Big Ten Tournament,'' Davis told Badger Nation’s Benjamin Worgull on Tuesday.

We'll find out.

Davis, a 6-5 sophomore who’s projected to be a top-10 pick in this year’s NBA draft, is a gifted and determined scorer who plays with reckless abandon. The Badgers probably would benefit if he played with occasional cautiously reckless abandon. But youth must be served.

As Davis goes, so go the Badgers. Just ask Nebraska, which nipped Wisconsin on Sunday after Davis left with 17 minutes to play.

That said, Davis has a really nice supporting cast. Point guard Chucky Hepburn had a B1G all-freshman team debut. Twelfth-year senior Brad Davison is a sharp shooter and sharp-elbowed defender.

But the second most important Badger in my book is 6-9 forward Tyler Wahl, who does everything nicely.

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard, whose program faced uncertainty last spring, is very deserving of being named Big Ten coach of the year. I am surprised the Badgers shared the championship. But I am not surprised they turned out to be far more competitive than many experts predicted.

Last year, I thought Johnny Davis and Iowa's Keegan Murray would have breakout years. Both are first-team All-Big Ten. And Davis is the league's Player of the Year, with national honors still to come.

I thought—and still think—Tyler Wahl, is under-rated. Gard did a nice job of bringing in two transfer role players—point guard Jahcobi Neath from Wake Forest and 7-footer Chris Vogt from Cincinnati. Sophomore 7-footer Steven Crowl showed progress. And when Hepburn, who has a huge upside, turned out to be ready to handle the rigors of playmakers as a freshman, Gard had dealt himself a nice hand—and coached it up nicely.

A quick shoutout to No. 4 seed Rutgers. It’s still popular in traditional Big Ten circles to make fun of the Scarlet Knights—or to dismiss them as boring.

This is not that Rutgers team. Steve Pikiell has Rutgers playing tough, hard-nosed hoops, the kind of basketball that allows them to go as far as their talent can take them. At 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, Ron Harper Jr. is thicker than most uber-talented basketball players. But that gives him a physical edge that he uses.

Two teams that won’t attract much attention going into the tournament are fifth-seeded Iowa and No. 7 Michigan State. But honestly, I would not be surprised if they surprised. They are well-coached reasonably-talented teams that ought to have chips on their shoulders.

The Scarlet Knights, along with Michigan and Indiana, are the three Big Ten bubble teams that head to the conference tournament in Indianapolis most needing a boost for their NCAA tournament resume.

Michigan gets head coach Juwan Howard back from his five-game suspension for that bizarre open-fingered punch against Wisconsin assistant Joe Krabbenhoft.

Indiana potentially gets a home-court advantage—if Hoosier fans show up and make noise. So does Purdue, but Illinois isn’t all that far away.

And as usual, Rutgers gets no respect.

It should be a very entertaining Big Ten tournament. Before the world very quickly moves on to the all-important NCAA tournament.

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2021-22 All-Big Ten Men’s Basketball Team
As selected by Big Ten coaches

FIRST TEAM
KOFI COCKBURN, ILLINOIS
KEEGAN MURRAY, IOWA
E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
Jaden Ivey, Purdue
JOHNNY DAVIS, Wisconsin

SECOND TEAM*
Trent Frazier, Illinois
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
Zach Edey, Purdue
Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers
Brad Davison, Wisconsin

THIRD TEAM*
Alfonso Plummer, Illinois
Gabe Brown, Michigan State
Bryce McGowens, Nebraska
Malaki Branham, Ohio State
Trevion Williams, Purdue
Geo Baker, Rutgers

HONORABLE MENTION
Jordan Bohannon, Iowa
Fatts Russell, Maryland
Malik Hall, Michigan State
Jamison Battle, Minnesota
Payton Willis, Minnesota
John Harrar, Penn State
Sasha Stefanovic, Purdue
Tyler Wahl, Wisconsin

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Moussa Diabate, Michigan
Max Christie, Michigan State
Malaki Branham, Ohio State
Bryce McGowens, Nebraska
Chucky Hepburn, Wisconsin

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Trent Frazier, Illinois
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
Caleb McConnell, Rutgers
Eric Hunter Jr., Purdue

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Johnny Davis, Wisconsin

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Caleb McConnell, Rutgers

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
Malaki Branham, Ohio State

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR:
Trevion Williams, Purdue

COACH OF THE YEAR:
Greg Gard, Wisconsin

Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS
*Additional honorees due to ties