Can you feel it? Junior guard Tre Holloman and No. 8 Michigan State certainly can.
March is in the air. And fittingly, the Spartans couldn't honor the looming calendar flip any better with an incredible finish to their 58-55 win over No. 16 Maryland.
Holloman capped off Michigan State's pivotal Big Ten victory with an unbelievable buzzer-beating shot from beyond halfcourt.
TRE HOLLOMAN AT THE BUZZER!!!!!!! 🚨 @MSU_Basketball pic.twitter.com/clqNj65VHk
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 27, 2025
The wild Michigan State-Maryland ending only adds to the anticipation surrounding the 2025 NCAA Tournament, famously known as March Madness. Moments like these are a dime a dozen in the annual win-or-go-home competition's field of 68.
But first, we must finish league play before the Big Dance, specifically conference tournament action. Given the logjam standings picture, the landscape of the Big Ten bracket is fascinating and rather challenging to predict. However, we'll attempt to do so based on the latest rankings following Holloman's improbable walk-off winner that propelled Michigan State to beat Maryland.
Updated Big Ten standings after Michigan State beats Maryland on insane halfcourt buzzer-beater
- Michigan State Spartans (14-3)
- Michigan Wolverines (14-3)
- Wisconsin Badgers (12-5)
- Purdue Boilermakers (11-6)
- Maryland Terrapins (11-6)
- UCLA Bruins (11-6)
- Illinois Fighting Illini (10-8)
- Oregon Ducks (9-8)
- Indiana Hoosiers (8-9)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (8-10)
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-10)
- Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-10)
- Northwestern Wildcats (6-11)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-11)
- USC Trojans (6-11)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (6-11)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (5-13)
- Washington Huskies (4-13)
Projected Big Ten Tournament bracket after Michigan State miracle winner
(9) Indiana Hoosiers vs. (8) Oregon Ducks
As you can see, the Big Ten is jumbled at the top and bottom, though the middle of the pack has become increasingly clear. Oregon and Indiana are slated to battle in the conference's 8-9 matchup as things stand, with the winner awaiting the top-seeded Spartans. The Hoosiers have the distinct advantage of playing in front of their home crowd, considering the event takes place at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Quarterfinal opponent: Michigan State Spartans
(13) Northwestern Wildcats vs. (12) Nebraska Cornhuskers
Northwestern has vaulted up the standings after defeating Ohio State and Minnesota in consecutive late-season contests. Conversely, Nebraska is sliding after back-to-back losses to Michigan and lowly Penn State. This tale of two teams trending in opposite directions sets up for an intriguing bout. Formidable potential foes like Maryland and Purdue certainly dampen the mood for whichever team survives and advances.
Second round opponent: Maryland Terrapins
Quarterfinal opponent: Purdue Boilermakers
(15) USC Trojans vs. (10) Ohio State Buckeyes
These two teams played on Feb. 26, and Ohio State eked out a hard-fought 87-82 road win despite a valiant second-half comeback effort from USC. If their first meeting is any indication, the rematch will be an entertaining back-and-forth affair. Yet, things will get less fun in the second round when whoever prevails confronts Illinois for a chance to encounter Michigan.
Second round opponent: Illinois Fighting Illini
Quarterfinal opponent: Michigan Wolverines
(14) Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. (11) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers has a head-to-head advantage over Nebraska, setting them up for a showdown with the Golden Gophers. Meanwhile, Minnesota's mid-to-late January upset victories over Oregon and Michigan are shaping up as a deciding factor for their chances of sneaking in over Iowa. The winner of this clash figures to face UCLA, with Wisconsin on the docket if they advance past Round 2.
Second round opponent: UCLA Bruins
Quarterfinal opponent: Wisconsin Badgers
Does every Big Ten team qualify for the conference tournament?
For those unfamiliar with the formatting, 15 out of 18 Big Ten schools will participate in the tourney, with the top 9 earning first-round byes. The first four seeds automatically reach the quarterfinals.
That leaves Penn State and Washington as the two most likely programs to be voted off the island. The fight for the final spot between Iowa, USC, Minnesota and Northwestern could come down to tiebreakers, which doesn't bode well for the Hawkeyes.