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Big Ten Tournament bracket revealed, Michigan locks up No. 8 seed

Anthony Broomeby:Anthony Broome•03/06/22•

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Michigan basketball Caleb Houstan
Michigan basketball wing Caleb Houstan was a five-star recruit in 2021. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

The Big Ten Tournament bracket is set with the conclusion of the regular season. Michigan is set as the No. 8 seed and heads into Indianapolis with a 17-13 (11-9 Big Ten) record. The Wolverines open conference tournament play against No. 9 Indiana on Thursday afternoon at 11:30 a.m. ET. The team that wins earns itself a Friday date with top-seeded Illinois.

Coming into Sunday, the Wolverines were in line for a potential quarterfinals rematch with Wisconsin. The Badgers dropped a stunner to Nebraska, dropping them to the second seed. If the two teams were to meet again, it would be on Sunday in the title game.

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Michigan is 0-2 against the Illini this year but was without center Hunter Dickinson in the first matchup and head coach Juwan Howard in the second. They would have to get there first by beating the Hoosiers, who they defeated 80-62 in Bloomington on Jan. 23.

Here’s a look at the full bracket with thoughts on Michigan’s road ahead. All games will be broadcast via Big Ten Network until switching over to CBS on Saturday and Sunday.

First Round (Wednesday, March 9)

No 14 Minnesota vs. No. 11 Penn State, 6 p.m. ET

No. 13 Nebraska vs. No. 12 Northwestern, 25 minutes after prior game ends

Second Round (Thursday, March 10)

No. 9 Indiana vs. No. 8 Michigan, 11:30 a.m. ET

Nebraska/Northwestern vs. No. 5 Iowa, 25 minutes after prior game ends

No. 10 Maryland vs. No. 7 Michigan State, 6:30 p.m. ET

Minnesota/Penn State vs. No. 6 Ohio State, 25 minutes after prior game ends

Quarterfinals (Friday, March 11)

Michigan/Indiana vs. No. 1 Illinois, 11:30 a.m. ET

Nebraska/Northwestern/Iowa vs. No. 4 Rutgers, 25 minutes after prior game ends

Maryland/Michigan State vs. No. 2 Wisconsin, 6:30 p.m. ET

Minnesota/Penn State/Ohio State vs. No. 3 Purdue, 25 minutes after prior game ends

Thoughts on Michigan’s draw

There were scenarios in play over the last week where the Wolverines had a shot at a top-four seed. That was always a pipe dream, but there wound up being no movement at all. Michigan and Indiana stayed where they were in the conference standings and now meet for the right to take on Illinois on Friday.

Michigan needed to go 2-1 this week to feel good about its NCAA Tournament resume and they were able to pull it off. Wins over Michigan State and Ohio State have them on the precipice of March Madness. One more victory would probably hammer the resume home and keep them out of the First Four. They will also be getting Juwan Howard back for Thursday’s game, so we will wait and see the type of boost that provides.

A third-round rematch with Wisconsin would have been intriguing, but there is still plenty of juice for what could come. Illinois has had Michigan’s number lately and is a bad matchup for the Wolverines. Could the third time be a charm, though? This team has not put together back-to-back wins since Feb. 8 and 10 against Penn State and Purdue, respectively. They will need to get past Indiana first, but the format of these tournaments allows the opportunity to bounce back quickly.

It is hard to predict what team will show up in any games it plays. However, Howard and Dickinson returning Thursday could provide a massive lift. This time of year, one win can spark something for the next day with quick turnarounds on the schedule. It is time to see how much this team can grow up when it matters most and how it affects the view of what this season was.

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