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We are more than halfway into conference play and less than six weeks until Selection Sunday, and as usual this year, the Big Ten is a mess. Besides Purdue, the Big Ten is hard to figure out, with the middle featuring so called “Big Ten cannibalism” that the conference has become to know so well. Let’s see where bracket experts have Northwestern and their competitors:
Tournament Locks
Purdue Boilermakers
ESPN: One seed
Joe Lunardi has had the Boilermakers as a one seed for most of the season, and they continue to be the No. 1 overall seed.
CBS: One seed
There won’t be too much differentiation here.
BracketMatrix.com: Consensus one seed
Purdue is ranked No. 1 in the country currently and is a one seed in 97 out of 97 brackets.
Indiana Hoosiers
ESPN: Five seed
The surging Hoosiers continue to rise on ESPN’s bracket, and should be a shoe-in for the tournament.
CBS: Five seed
Indiana borders the four or five seed on CBS’s bracket.
BracketMatrix.com: Consensus five seed
Indiana has an average seed of 5.30 across 97 sites.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
ESPN: Five seed
A big win against Michigan State has Rutgers moving up for Lunardi.
CBS: Seven seed
CBS is not as kind to the Scarlet Knights as ESPN.
BracketMatrix.com: Consensus five seed
There is more fluctuation for Rutgers than Indiana, but the Scarlet Knights settle at the five seed.
Should be Fine
Iowa Hawkeyes
ESPN: Seven seed
Iowa is one of the hottest teams in the conference, and Lunardi notes this in his latest bracket.
CBS: Six seed
CBS gives the Hawkeyes a little more leeway in its newest bracket.
BracketMatrix.com: Consensus eight seed
Across the 97 sites, Iowa is as high as a five seed and as low as a nine.
Illinois Fighting Illini
ESPN: Five seed
The Fighting Illini stay put at a five seed in ESPN’s latest bracket.
CBS: Seven seed
Though it probably won’t hold, CBS currently projects a mouth-watering first round matchup between Illinois and Kentucky in Denver.
BracketMatrix.com: Consensus five seed
Illinois has an average seed of 5.57 across the 97 sites.
Maryland Terrapins
ESPN: Eight seed
Maryland has won some big games lately, and this has the Terrapins tending up on ESPN.
CBS: Eight seed
The Terps are in the same exact position on CBS.
BracketMatrix.com: Consensus eight seed
BracketMatrix is pretty similar. Maryland has an average seed of 8.26 across 97 sites.
Michigan State Spartans
ESPN: Eight seed
ESPN is pretty favorable to the Spartans, who are .500 in conference, giving them an eight seed.
CBS: Ten seed
Michigan State is lower on CBS than ESPN, but still pretty safe. But, this can change.
BracketMatrix.com: Consensus eight seed
All 97 sites have Michigan State in the tournament, with an average seed of 8.70.
The Bubble
Yes, Northwestern has its own section.
Northwestern Wildcats
ESPN: Ten seed
Lunardi has the Wildcats as one of the last four byes, which is fair compared to the expectations coming into the year.
CBS: Ten seed
Northwestern matches up against Providence in the first round of CBS’s bracket.
BracketMatrix.com: Consensus ten seed
91 of 97 sites have Northwestern in the field of 68. The Wildcats’ games against Ohio State and Purdue should give some more clarity.
Outside looking in:
Penn State (next four out), Wisconsin (next four out), Michigan, Ohio State, Minnesota, Nebraska.
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