2024 March Madness Predictions for Big Ten Teams: Analyzing the contenders and dark horses

The Big Ten standings are beginning to take shape, as the conference tournament is less than a month away.

While they suffered a 73-69 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday, the No. 2-ranked Purdue Boilermakers hold a 1.5 game lead in the conference standings with just five games remaining in the regular season.

With the season winding down, take a look at which Big Ten programs have a strong chance of reaching the NCAA Tournament this season.

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2024 March Madness Predictions for Big Ten Teams

The Purdue Boilermakers are locks to reach the NCAA Tournament and could wind up with the No. 1 overall seed. The No. 2-ranked Boilermakers have a 23-3 record, including 12-3 in Big Ten play.

The Illinois Fighting Illini and Wisconsin Badgers also appear to be locks to reach March Madness. The No. 14-ranked Fighting Illini are 19-6 and 10-4 in conference play, while the No. 20-ranked Badgers are 17-9 and 9-6 in Big Ten play.

While the Michigan State Spartans have not entered the AP Top 25 Poll since November, they should once again reach the postseason, as they are 17-9 and 9-6 in the conference.

The Northwestern Wildcats and Nebraska Cornhuskers also seem highly likely to qualify for March Madness. While both teams are 18-8, the Wildcats aare 9-6 in Big Ten Play, while the Cornhuskers are 8-7.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Maryland Terrapins and Ohio State Buckeyes have an outside shot of reaching March Madness. They will, however, likely need to finish the regular strong and advance deep into the Big Ten Tournament to reach the postseason.

The Penn State Nittany Lions and Michigan Wolverines could be left on the outside looking in, barring a late season miracle. Both teams sit under .500 as the season nears its conclusion and might need to earn the conference's automatic bid to reach the NCAA Tournament.

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When does the Big Ten Tournament take place?

The Big Ten Tournament kicks off on Mar. 13, with the bottom four seeds in action. The winners will advance to the second round, where six more teams will begin tournament play on Mar.14. The top four seeds will not play until the quarterfinals, which take place the next day.

The semifinals take place on Mar. 16, while the Big Ten Championship Game set for Mar. 17. The final day will also be Selection Sunday, with the selection committee set to unveil the final brackets for March Madness.