The 2024 Big Ten Tournament will run from Wednesday, March 13 through Sunday, March 17. All games will take place at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Purdue earned the top overall seed for the second consecutive year, and will be playing for their second consecutive Big Ten title.
However, even if the Boilermakers don’t make it to Sunday, they will earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They are joined in that position by Illinois, Wisconsin, and Northwestern, but there are a few teams that remain on the bubble.
In ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s latest projections, he predicted that five Big Ten teams would earn a bid to the Big Dance.
2024 March Madness bubble watch
Big Ten Tournament
Teams that are in: Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Teams that are out: Ohio State, Michigan, Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota, Maryland, Indiana
Teams on the bubble
Iowa
Record: 18-13, 10-10 B1G
NET: 60
Quad 1 record: 3-8
Quad 2 record: 5-3
Quad 3 record: 4-2
Quad 4 record: 6-0
The Hawkeyes earned the 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament after an 18-13 season. Iowa ranks 60th in the NET rankings and went 3-8 against Quad 1 opponents this season. They currently sit in Lunardi’s First Four Out, and will need to string together a few postseason wins to fight their way into the bubble.
Nebraska
Record: 22-9, 12-8 B1G
NET: 37
Quad 1 record: 4-6
Quad 2 record: 4-3
Quad 3 record: 7-0
Quad 4 record: 7-0
The Cornhuskers grabbed a win over Purdue in the regular season that will certainly help their case, and they rank 37th in the NET rankings after a respectable 4-6 performance against Quad 1 opponents this season. Lunardi currently projects them at a No. 9 seed, and they enter the Big Ten Tournament as a 3 seed and are on the right side of the bubble.
Michigan State
Record: 18-13, 10-10 B1G
NET: 25
Quad 1 record: 3-8
Quad 2 record: 5-5
Quad 3 record: 6-0
Quad 4 record: 4-0
The Spartans started their season off on a bad note, but have since pulled things together to end up with the 4 seed and a bye to the quarterfinals in the Big Ten Tournament. They rank 25th in the NET rankings and went 3-8 against Quad 1 opponents this season. The Spartans are currently projected to earn a 9 seed and should be able to stay there with a solid quarterfinal performance.