With Championship Sunday among us, let's look back on the Big Ten's top 7 teams and see how they are holding up going into Selection Sunday.

#1 Michigan Wolverines

Looking forward to the championship game, the Wolverines open at -6.5 point favorites over the Boilermakers, but don’t be surprised if the game turns out to be closer than expected. As the Wolverines secured their number one seed in March Madness, they barely squeaked by the Buckeyes by a final score of 71-67 and narrowly got by the Badgers of Wisconsin thanks to a three-point basket with 0.4 seconds on the shot clock by Yaxel Lendenborg. If Michigan wants to make the Final Four and possibly cut down the nets in Indianapolis, it needs to clean up its game.

My prediction: NCAA championship loss.

Things to work on:

Limit turnovers (33 over last 3 games)

Connect on three-point opportunities (Shooting 30% in the Big Ten tournament)

Keep Aday Mara out of foul trouble

#2 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Since cooling off after their historic 20-0 start to the season, the Cornhuskers look to capture their first NCAA tournament win in program history. Led by Big Ten first-team player and Iowa transfer Pryce Stanfort, this team has the opportunity to get into the 2nd weekend. In order to do that, they have to find themselves again, as they have gone 6-6 since their first loss of the season. Hopefully, a week of rest can help them regain their composure after losing to Purdue 74-58 in the Big Ten tournament.

My prediction: Round of 32 loss

Things to work on:

Capitalize at the free throw line (Shot 44 percent vs Purdue)

Compete in the rebounding game (Point guard Sam Hoiberg led them with 8 against Purdue)

Find a true second scorer behind Pryce Stanfort

#3 Michigan State Spartans

March is Izzos' month. Coming off an Elite Eight last year, the Spartans are looking to get back to the second weekend. They go into the big dance coming off back-to-back heartbreaking losses, one to cross-state rivals Michigan by 10, and the other coming in the Big Ten tournament to a UCLA team that dominated all the way until the final buzzer. The Spartans are sitting at 2-3 and will see where they are placed tomorrow. Although I dislike their roster, Izzo keeps proving me wrong again and again.

My prediction: Sweet Sixteen loss.

Things to work on:

Calming down Fears Jr, (Non-Big Ten ref will throw him out of the game for kicking/punching)

Get Kohler and Cooper more involved in the offence

Capitalize on the momentum swings post Coen Carr dunks

#4 Illinois Fighting Illini
After a frustrating 6 weeks, the Illini look to March with a 4-5 record over their past 9 games. The Illini have yet to beat an NCAA tournament team since February 1st (42 days ago). The Illini, led by freshman phenom Keaton Wagler, have struggled to close out games all season. Losing 5 games by one possession and going 0-4 in overtime games. After leading by 15 in the second half, they ended up losing to Wisconsin, led by guards Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, who combined for 69 points.

Prediction: Sweet Sixteen loss

Things to work on:

Defense when guards drive to the basket

Finishing games

Toughness when rebounding

#5 Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers are ready for March. Wisconsin loves seeing the Big Ten tournament. With 2 championship appearances in the past 3 years, you know they come to compete. Led by the “Killer B’s,” John Blackwell and Nick Boyd scored 153 points combined through their three games in the Big Ten tournament, many crowning them the best backcourt in the nation. The ceiling for the Badgers might be the highest within the past 5 years. They proved they can compete with anyone that comes in their way, with big wins against Illinois x 2, MSU, Purdue, and U of M.

Prediction: Loss in the Sweet Sixteen

Things to work on:

More play from their bigs (should improve with starting C Nolan Winter coming back for the NCAA tournament)

Capitalize on other teams' turnovers

Don’t fall in love with three-point shots

#6 UCLA Bruins

We have learned a lot from the Bruins over the last 3 days. The question is, will their health affect how well they succeed? Today against Michigan, we saw what happens when Donovan Dent gets injured, going down late in the first half with a lower-leg injury. And yesterday, we saw how they reacted after Tyler Bilodeau went down with a knee injury right before halftime. Even though we know Bilodeau is expected to return for the NCAA tournament, we have yet to hear Dent's status. Dent had a great tournament leading up to his injury, putting up historic numbers such as being the first player to have a triple-double in the Big Ten tournament, and fist player to put up 10+ points and 10+ assists in back-to-back tournament games.

My prediction: Round of 32 loss

Things to work on:

Health!!

Defensive play from their bigs

Adapting to what the defense gives them

#7 Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers weekend is yet to be over. They play for the championship tomorrow. For Boilermaker fans, this is something to be happy about after a very frustrating season. Purdue came into the year as the AP number one overall team. After some unfortunate games, the Boilers sit at 18th in the country and 7th in the Big Ten. They have the opportunity to bust some brackets this year, led by four seniors, three of whom started on their final four team in 2024 as sophomores. It will be exciting to see what this team can accomplish this postseason.

My prediction: Elite Eight loss

Things to work on:

Braden Smith has the desire to score

Find three-point shooters outside, Loyer

Get Trey Kaufman-Renn more playing time

With the NCAA tournament around the corner, buckle up for tons of basketball and tons of heartbreak. March is here…

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