The 2017 Big Ten Tournament is through day one so let’s take a look at what the updated bracket looks like after round one.
Round one of the 2017 Big Ten Tournament is in the books as there were only two games on Wednesday night. The No. 5 through No. 10 seeds will now have to gear up for their first action after receiving a one-round bye.
The first game of the day pitted Penn State against Nebraska — No. 13 vs No. 12 — and went into overtime before the Nittany Lions pulled away late, 76-67.
The next game featured Rutgers and Ohio State — No. 14 vs No. 11 — and the Scarlet Knights pulled out one of the most head-scratching upsets of the year. In fact, this was the first time the Scarlet Knights pulled out back-to-back wins against conference foes since March 12, 2013, when they were still in the Big East.
Here’s what the updated bracket looks like:
Thursday’s action will have much more of a draw for Big Ten basketball fans. Round one was more of deciphering which teams were basically the two worst in the conference all year.
We will see some intriguing matchups, such as Michigan against Illinois to start the day. The Wolverines, however, had some plane issues on Wednesday night and they won’t be getting to Washington D.C. until early Thursday morning and then playing just a few hours later. Will that have an effect on the Wolverines?
Next, Michigan State and Penn State will face off as the Spartans are looking for revenge after losing to the Nittany Lions at the Palestra early in the conference season.
Shortly after that, a suddenly red-hot Iowa team will face off against a reeling Indiana squad. The Hawkeyes are on the bubble, but will it burst?
The final game of the day will feature Rutgers which is looking to win three games in a row in Big Ten play for the first time in school history. The Scarlet Knights will take on Northwestern. The Wildcats are headed to their first NCAA Tournament in school history, win or lose.
Check in tomorrow night for the updated bracket after the second round.