Big Ten Tournament 2024: Preview, Predictions and Men's Players to Watch

The Big Ten men's basketball regular season has been all about the Purdue Boilermakers.

Matt Painter's team has been at the top of the Big Ten standings for a majority of the last two months.

Purdue will be the No. 1 seed and the team to beat in Minneapolis next week thanks to its experienced lineup, led by Zach Edey.

The Illinois Fighting Illini are the clear No. 2 in the Big Ten entering the final weekend of the regular season.

Illinois may be the only clear-cut threat to Purdue given the inconsistencies of the teams from third on down. Every team from third to 14th place has at least eight conference losses.

A team like the Wisconsin Badgers, Nebraska Cornhuskers or Northwestern Wildcats could make a deep run in Minneapolis, but right now, it feels like Purdue and Illinois are destined to meet in the Big Ten tournament final.

Big Ten Tournament Schedule

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CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 05: Illinois Fighting Illini Guard Terrence Shannon Jr (0) attempts a free throw from the charity stripe, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in a Big 10 Conference contest with the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Wednesday, March 13

No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed (6:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)

No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed (9 p.m. ET, Peacock)

Thursday, March 14

No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed (Noon ET, BTN)

No. 5 seed vs. No. 12/13 winner (2:30 p.m. ET, BTN)

No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed (6:30 p.m. ET, BTN)

No. 6 seed vs. No. 11/14 winner (9 p.m. ET. BTN)

Friday, March 15

No. 1 seed vs. No. 8/9 winner (Noon, BTN)

No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 vs. 12/13 winner (2:30 p.m. ET. BTN)

No. 2 seed vs. No. 7/10 winner (6:30 p.m. ET, BTN)

No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 vs. 11/14 winner (9 p.m. ET, BTN)

Saturday, March 16

Semifinal No. 1 (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Semifinal No. 2 (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)

Sunday, March 17

Championship Game (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)

Players to Watch

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BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 21: Keisei Tominaga #30 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers celebrates after a basket against the Indiana Hoosiers in the second half of the game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on February 21, 2024 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Zach Edey, Purdue

The reigning National Player of the Year ranks second in Division I in scoring with 24.1 points per game

Edey also ranks third in the country in rebounds and 23rd in blocks.

As always, the Purdue big man will be a menace in the paint against any opponent. He should easily post some double-doubles throughout the Big Ten tournament.

There is potential for Edey to struggle during stretches of games because his Big Ten foes have played against him so much, but even that experience has not helped opponents slow him down.

Edey reached the 20-point mark in each of his last seven games and he has 16 double-doubles in Big Ten play.

Terrance Shannon Jr., Illinois

Terrance Shannon Jr. is Illinois' most dynamic player.

The Illini guard ranks eighth in Division I in scoring with 21.5 points per game. He eclipsed the 20-point mark in six of his last eight games.

However, Shannon struggled against Purdue on Tuesday with just 11 points on 3-for-13 shooting.

Illinois needs the senior guard to play better against the Boilermakers to cut down the nets in Minneapolis.

Keisei Tominaga, Nebraska

Keisei Tominaga is the star of Nebraska's unlikely surge into the top four of the Big Ten standings.

Tominaga averages 14 points per game and shoots 35.9 percent from three-point range. He is one of four Huskers players whose scoring average sits in double figures.

Tominaga had 23 points in his lone Big Ten tournament appearance last season and some of his best games this season have come against ranked foes, including a 31-point showing against Illinois.

Preview

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CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 05: Purdue Boilermakers Forward Mason Gillis (0) and Purdue Boilermakers Guard Fletcher Loyer (2) battle with Illinois Fighting Illini Forward Coleman Hawkins (33) for a rebound during the college basketball game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on March 5, 2024, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Purdue enters Minneapolis as the team to beat.

The Boilermakers only slipped up three times in league play. Illinois has double as many conference losses as Purdue.

Purdue has a single loss since January 13 and it is expected to make a deep run in the NCAA men's basketball tournament as a No. 1 seed.

Edey is the favorite to National Player of the Year again and he will lead a team with more motivation than most teams because of Purdue's first-round exit last season.

Illinois played better basketball of late and it is one of the few teams that has been close to Purdue this season. The Illini lost to the Boilermakers by five and six points in two meetings.

The focus further down the bracket will be on the Iowa Hawkeyes, who are on the outside looking in in most NCAA tournament projections.

Iowa was the fourth team out in the latest projection from Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller. The Hawkeyes are currently the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten, but they could move up or down depending results over the weekend.

Unless the Ohio State Buckeyes go on a run to the semifinals or final, Iowa will be the only bubble team under the microscope in Minneapolis.

Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Michigan State Spartans are safe in the field of 68 right now, per Miller's projection.

All four of those teams displayed flaws throughout the Big Ten season and it is hard to see them beating Purdue to win the tournament.

Prediction: Purdue over Illinois