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<\/a>Back in the mid-’90s, Jim Delany would ask my thoughts on a conference\u00a0\u00a0tournament.<\/p>\nI would enthusiastically say, “Go for it.”<\/p>\n
This was at a time when the Big Ten was one of the few leagues in the country that didn’t have one. The Pac-12 and the Ivy League may have been the only other holdouts.<\/p>\n
But there was resistance, notably from Bob Knight and, to a lesser extent, Gene Keady. There were also other coaches who weren’t onboard. They didn’t want to diminish the regular season, risk burnout before the NCAA tournament–you know, the usual suspects.<\/p>\n
Delany would throw out the venue concept. Obviously, Madison Square Garden, where the Big East held court, was the ideal role model. If the Big Ten could find its MSG, he’d say, that would be the goal. The United Center was the obvious choice because of Chicago–the centrally located, big-city home of the Big Ten.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, if, as it turned out, the tournament didn’t take deep roots in Chicago, other options were viable. Indianapolis has worked out best because its downtown arena makes it a walking event, and because Indy has embraced the event completely.<\/p>\n
That said, the Big Ten tournament has been an uneven event in terms of thrills and spills. If your team hangs around a long time, it’s great fun. If not, people tend to lose interest.<\/p>\n
All of that is a preamble to this: Although the Big Ten tournament hasn\u2019t exactly been dazzling entertainment lately,\u00a0that could change this year.<\/p>\n
Not only will the tourney be played in Indianapolis, its best site. No. 22 Indiana and No. 17 Purdue both are strong contenders, which will pump up the atmosphere. If those were the schools where resistance was strongest, that’s just a footnote now.<\/p>\n
No. 4 Iowa, No. 6 Maryland and No. 8 Michigan State also are top-notch teams And Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State not only are capable; they\u2019re likely to be playing for their NCAA tournament lives while the others will be trying to hang onto or improve favorable NCAA seeds.<\/p>\n
If those eight reach the quarter-finals–and that\u2019s what the form chart says\u2014Indy will be rockin\u2019 on that Friday.<\/p>\n
This could be the kind of conference tournament the Commissioner envisioned when he coerced some old-school coaches into the modern era.<\/p>\n
Wisconsin\u2019s upset of Maryland makes Iowa\u2019s quest for its first Big Ten championship since 1979 a little easier.<\/p>\n Not only do the Hawkeyes have a one-game lead. If you had to pick a schedule among the top three teams in the league\u2014Iowa (11-2), Maryland (10-3) and Indiana (10-3), the Hawkeyes\u2019 slate would be the one to favor.<\/p>\n Besides its return trip to Iowa, Indiana still faces meetings with Maryland and Purdue. The Terps\u2019 play at Purdue as well as Indiana.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Iowa faces the surging Badgers as well as IU, but both are in Iowa City. Trips to Ohio State and Michigan won\u2019t be easy, but having the cushion of the league lead looms large.<\/p>\n It appears that the Hawkeyes\u2019 loss to Indiana was more of a statement for the Hoosiers than a setback that raised lingering questions about Iowa.\u00a0Indiana shot well when it had the ball and swarmed well when it didn\u2019t in its win over the Hawkeyes. It wasn\u2019t able to sustain that against Michigan State.<\/p>\n Michigan State\u2019s mid-season lull, combined with Iowa\u2019s consistent excellence, will make it virtually impossible\u00a0for the Spartans (8-5) to catch the Hawkeyes.<\/p>\n But don\u2019t rule out Michigan State closing the gap.<\/p>\n Denzel Valentine is playing like a first-team All-America, if not the national player of the year. If he\u2019d stayed healthy, MSU\u2019s 3-4 start in Big Ten play\u00a0would have gone differently.<\/p>\n Doesn\u2019t matter now. The Spartans seem poised to play their best basketball at the most important time of the year. Once again.<\/p>\n<\/a>IOWA’S INSIDE TRACK<\/p>\n<\/a>SPARTY ON<\/p>\n