The 2017 Big Ten Tournament wrapped up on Sunday afternoon as Michigan took on Wisconsin. What does the final bracket look like?
What if I told you that the Michigan Wolverines would head into the 2017 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 8 seed, get in a minor plane accident the day before their first game, show up in Washington D.C. just hours before playing and then win the whole thing? Well, that’s exactly what the Wolverines did.
Not only did Michigan win the Big Ten tourney title, the Wolverines did so in impressive fashion, beating two of the conference’s top three teams on the way to the crown.
In fact, Michigan began the tournament with a first-round bye, facing off against Illinois in the second round, showing up just a couple hours before the game, demolishing the Illini. Then they defeated top-seeded Purdue for the second time in the last couple of weeks.
Related: Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament Bracket
After that, the Wolverines handled Minnesota and then blew past Wisconsin in the title game to take home the trophy and improve to 24-11 on the year. Michigan came into the Big Ten Tournament as a potential 9/10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but with this victory, Michigan has to move up to the No. 6 line, at least.
As for Wisconsin, the Badgers struggled to finish the year and needed just two wins to get to the title game, but it’s clear they still have plenty to work on. Will they right the ship before the start of the NCAA Tournament?
Here’s what the final bracket looks like after the championship game:
This is Michigan’s first Big Ten Tournament title in 19 years and many would argue that Beilein has done his best coaching job this season. Not many believed that the team he had at the beginning of the year would be capable of winning the Big Ten Tournament — as a No. 8 seed, nonetheless.