The Massive Ten Event begins Tuesday afternoon on the United Heart in Chicago, and it needs to be an action-packed week of hoops for what’s arguably the strongest convention within the nation this season. Not solely are 5 Massive Ten groups at present ranked in KenPom’s prime 12, there are a handful of groups exterior the principle group of contenders that may make some noise within the Windy Metropolis.
Who will come out on prime within the Home That Jordan Constructed? To be determined. However right here’s how we expect it can go down.
The 2026 Massive Ten Event Bracket. pic.twitter.com/6XsNBMRMr7
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 8, 2026
First Spherical
Sport 1: No. 16 Oregon vs No. 17 Maryland
Winner faces No. 9 Iowa
We knew Kevin Willard could be a considerable loss for the Maryland program when he packed his desk and left for Villanova, however I don’t assume we have been ready for simply how terrible the Buzz Williams expertise was going to be in Faculty Park. The Terps went 4-16 in Massive Ten play and have misplaced six of their final seven video games to limp to the common season end line. Oregon hasn’t been a lot to write down house about both, however the Geese additionally had a brutal stretch of scheduling in January and early February the place they performed an opponent at present ranked in KenPom’s prime 30 in eight of 9 video games. Oregon has additionally received three of 5 to finish the season, so I’m not too fearful a few slip-up right here.
Choose: Oregon
Sport 2: No. 15 Northwestern vs. No. 18 Penn State
Winner faces No. 10 Indiana
You’ll be laborious pressed to discover a energy convention program that will get much less respect than these Penn State Nittany Lions within the metrics, who’re at present ranked an abysmal 137th in KenPom. That places them in the identical neighborhood as mid-major applications Wright State and Northern Colorado, who clearly don’t have the identical recruiting assets as a Massive Ten program. Northwestern has had a troublesome finish to its common season by dropping seven out of 10, however the Wildcats will get at the least one win in Chicago this week.
Choose: Northwestern
Second Spherical
Sport 3: No. 16 Oregon vs. No. 9 Iowa
Winner faces No. 8 Ohio State
Bennett Stirtz and Iowa are way more harmful than the Hawkeyes’ 10-10 Massive Ten file signifies, however a disastrous end noticed them lose six of their closing eight video games to shut the common season, together with an inexplicable 71-69 setback to Penn State on Feb. 28. Nonetheless, Iowa dealt with Oregon decisively within the groups’ lone assembly this season, and whereas I count on this one to be nearer, I nonetheless assume the Hawkeyes will put a halt to their current skid in opposition to an unpredictable Oregon group.
Choose: Iowa
Sport 4: No. 13 USC vs. No. 12 Washington
Winner faces No. 5 Wisconsin
Fortunately for USC followers, who absolutely don’t wish to see anymore of this basketball group, the Trojans’ Massive Ten match run can be brief lived. Not solely did USC finish the common season on a seven sport dropping streak, 26-year-old beginning guard Chad Baker-Mazara straight up ditched this system at the beginning of the month. We’ll lower Alijah Arenas some slack, however his inefficiency has been a significant situation for USC this season and can be one thing the Trojans can’t overcome right here.
Choose: Washington
Sport 5: No. 15 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Indiana
Winner faces No. 7 Purdue
Northwestern upset the Hoosiers 72-68 just some weeks in the past, however I’d should be satisfied that the Wildcats have sufficient luck left in them to tug off the identical feat twice. Indiana has limped to the regular-season end line like a handful of its convention counterparts, nevertheless it deserves a little bit of slack contemplating three of their closing six losses of the common season got here in opposition to groups who’re at present ranked in KenPom’s prime 10.
Choose: Indiana
Sport 6: No. 14 Rutgers vs. No. 11 Minnesota
Winner faces No. 6 UCLA
Minnesota is lower than three weeks faraway from trouncing Rutgers by 19 factors at house, and I actually haven’t seen sufficient from the Scarlet Knights to belief that they’ll shut that hole the second time round. The Golden Gophers have received 4 of their final six video games to finish the common season and have a formidable win in opposition to Michigan State in tow, so that you don’t need to really feel too shady backing Minnesota on this one.
Choose: Minnesota
Third Spherical
Sport 7: No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 8 Ohio State
Winner faces No. 1 Michigan
Iowa beat Ohio State by 17 factors at house on Feb. 24. Nevertheless, since that evening, Ohio State has received three video games in a row and earned a win over a top-10 Purdue group whereas Iowa ended the common season on a three-game dropping streak that included that aforementioned catastrophe in opposition to Penn State. One thing must be stated for the way a group finishes the common season once you begin heading into these single elimination matchups, and the Buckeyes undoubtedly completed stronger after dropping that preliminary sport to Iowa. This time at a impartial website and with momentum on its aspect, Ohio State will avenge their dud from a number of weeks in the past.
Choose: Ohio State
Sport 8: No. 12 Washington vs. No. 5 Wisconsin
Winner faces No. 4 Illinois
Wisconsin has quietly been an issue in a stacked Massive Ten. The Badgers earned the perfect win of any group nationally this season, upsetting then-unbeaten No. 1 Michigan, 91-88, in an exciting highway upset, they usually even have wins in opposition to KenPom prime 10 opponents Illinois, Michigan State, and Purdue. To maintain it easy, this isn’t a group anybody within the convention needs to see in a one-game state of affairs. Washington shouldn’t be a problem for this pack of Badgers.
Choose: Wisconsin
Sport 9: No. 10 Indiana vs. No. 7 Purdue
Winner faces No. 2 Nebraska
Solely within the Massive Ten are you able to be ranked eighth in KenPom and 18th within the AP Ballot and nonetheless be a seventh seed in your personal convention match, however that’s precisely the predicament Braden Smith and Purdue are left with after dropping 4 of their final six video games in convention play. In equity, these losses got here in opposition to 4 powerful opponents in Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin, so I don’t assume it’s truthful to hit the panic button in Lafayette but. Purdue ought to be capable to deal with their hated in-state rival Hoosiers on this third spherical conflict.
Choose: Purdue
Sport 10: No. 11 Minnesota vs. No. 6 UCLA
Winner faces No. 3 Michigan State
The one group to beat UCLA within the Bruins’ final six video games was Minnesota, however Mick Cronin’s crew is conveniently taking part in a number of the greatest basketball of their season just lately. Wins over Illinois and Nebraska throughout the final three weeks proved the Bruins can cling with anybody within the convention. Minnesota has an elite weapon themselves in Cade Tyson, however UCLA’s Donovan Dent isn’t any stranger to March and is actually no stranger to lighting up a convention match. I obtained the Bruins right here in a thriller.
Choose: UCLA
Quarterfinals
Sport 11: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Michigan
Winner faces No. 5 Wisconsin or No. 4 Illinois
How fortunate would we be to get a Massive Ten match with each Indiana-Purdue and Ohio State-Michigan? Massive Blue trounced the Buckeyes 82-61 on Tremendous Bowl Sunday, however Ohio State confirmed they’ll cling with the cream of the convention by beating Wisconsin and Purdue later within the season. Nonetheless, this Michigan group is a beast that wants no additional introduction, and also you shouldn’t be shocked when Yaxel Lendeborg and firm cling one other 20 piece on the Buckeyes in Chicago.
Choose: Michigan
Sport 12: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 Illinois
Winner faces No. 8 Ohio State or No. 1 Michigan
Wisconsin upset Illinois, 92-90, in additional time final month, however just like the Illini’s loss to Nebraska earlier within the season, you felt like Wisconsin escaped with a victory versus being the really higher group. Beating a terrific group twice is already powerful, nevertheless it’s even more durable when that first win is as shut and aggressive as Wisconsin’s was. With a month to stew on it, I wager Brad Underwood’s group comes out impressed and in the end on prime in what ought to actually be one of many higher video games of the week.
Choose: Illinois
Sport 13: No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 2 Nebraska
Winner faces No. 6 UCLA or No. 3 Michigan
As nice as Nebraska has been this season, Fred Hoiberg’s Cornhuskers have misplaced 5 of their final six video games in opposition to groups at present ranked in KenPom’s prime 30, and sure, that features an 80-77 additional time setback in opposition to Purdue. Nebraska has been the story of the Massive Ten basketball season this 12 months and it will undoubtedly be a plus for the convention if the Huskers made a run by the bracket in Chicago, however I can’t shake the sensation that Purdue will as soon as once more be an excessive amount of for them.
Choose: Purdue
Sport 14: No. 6 UCLA vs. No. 3 Michigan State
Winner faces No. 7 Purdue or No. 2 Nebraska
Michigan State proved the hole between itself and UCLA was fairly substantial in an 82-59 blowout final month, and whereas the Bruins are taking part in verifiably higher basketball, I nonetheless need to aspect with Tom Izzo every time the Corridor of Famer has a roster just like the one he at present has in tow. The one really questionable loss Sparty has suffered this season was a 3-point setback in opposition to Minnesota, however they’ve had no drawback with another group that wasn’t a legit convention title risk. I don’t envision Cronin’s Bruins inflicting too many issues for Sparty right here.
Choose: Michigan State
Semifinals
Sport 15: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Illinois
Winner to championship
When Michigan beat Illinois by 14 in Champaign a number of weeks in the past, it grew to become instantly obvious that there’s nonetheless a really actual hole between the Wolverines and the remainder of the Massive Ten convention. The loss to Wisconsin at house can actually be written off as a fluke, contemplating Michigan additionally beat Michigan State (x2) and Purdue by decisive double-digit outcomes. The Illini actually have an opportunity to make a run throughout March Insanity, however the run in Chicago will finish within the semifinals.
Choose: Michigan
Sport 16: No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 3 Michigan State
Winner to championship
The current trajectories of Purdue and Michigan State would counsel that Sparty ought to be capable to knock off the Boilermakers for the second time in simply over two weeks, however my principle is that Purdue’s (projected) wins over Indiana and Nebraska to start out the match will construct them sufficient momentum to hold them to the title sport. Analytically, the 2 groups are about as shut as they arrive, so this sport will all however actually come down to some possessions late within the second half. I’ve to belief Braden Smith in these eventualities, even when Sparty obtained the higher of Purdue in an analogous spot the primary time round.
Choose: Purdue
Championship
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 7 Purdue
The one really justifiable approach this Massive Ten season ends is with Michigan, one of many all-time nice common season groups in convention historical past, elevating the match trophy on the United Heart on Sunday. Between the frontcourt mixture of Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. and trio of proficient guards in Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney and LJ Cason, the one groups that may realistically compete expertise and depth clever are Arizona and Duke. As sturdy and skilled as Purdue is, the Boilermakers (who have been ranked AP No. 1 preseason) have proven that they’re only a tier beneath the nationwide championship degree they have been anticipated to be at. Michigan is taking part in past a nationwide championship degree at this level, so it isn’t laborious to see the place this Massive Ten championship sport goes to go.
Choose: Michigan
