Hey folks,
Close to my bedtime, but I thought I'd give you a quick tournament update of what's going on in Indianapolis.
Upset-minded Illinois fought their way into the title game with wins last night over Ohio State and tonight over Michigan State (who's looked rather anemic on offense since coming south to Indianapolis). Gotta hand it to Jolette Law's club, they've really handled themselves well in the tournament.
On the other side of the bracket, Purdue held off No. 2-seed Iowa to earn the chance to defend their tournament title. Love them or hate them, the Boilermakers have to be a good story if they win the conference tournament after losing two top players to injury before the season and struggling mightily outside the conference.
Well, we said all year the Big Ten Tournament could be totally up for grabs, and a No. 3 vs. No. 9 match-up in the final would suggest as much. Also keep in mind that the outcome of tomorrow's game probably has large implications for IU's postseason hopes. I would be pulling for the Boilers, considering they probably need to win the Big Ten to get into the Dance, and the WNIT's automatic conference bid would probably go to Purdue if they lose.
That said, Michigan State and Minnesota were also right on the bubble, and I can't see the NCAA taking the top five teams in the conference, considering how weak the Big Ten has been perceived as being this year.
It also doesn't help that Illinois suddenly popped up out of nowhere. Assuming they lose tomorrow, they'll have the same overall record as the Hoosiers, and a lot more momentum in the eyes of a selection committee. But only time will tell...
So what do you think? Is this match-up fitting of the topsy-turvy year it's been in the Big Ten? Will the Hoosiers being playing anywhere in the postseason? And who ya got in tomorrow's title game?
