Big Ten Tournament 2013: Biggest Flaw in Each Top Contender

The Big Ten is full of some of the best teams in the nation. However, certain flaws could cause the conference tournament to be full of surprises.

A few squads, like Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois, are on the bubble of the NCAA tournament and need a win or two to secure an at-large bid into the field. Still, the most exciting part will be the semifinals and championship rounds where the top teams will face off on a neutral court.

These elite teams have already secured a spot in the Big Dance, but they will not do well in the Big Ten tournament unless they overcome their biggest problems.

Michigan: Rebounding

Between Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nik Stauskas, Michigan has one of the best backcourts in the country that can score from anywhere on the court.

Unfortunately, the Wolverines are very undersized in the frontcourt. 

The team's leading rebounder, Glenn Robinson III, is a big-time athlete but only 6'6". Mitch McGary has some size, but the freshman has not gotten enough minutes to make an impact on a regular basis. 

Indiana was able to stay in the game and eventually win on Saturday thanks to a 47-26 advantage on the glass. Michigan State was also able to get 14 offensive rebounds in the win over the Wolverines.

Any team that can take advantage inside will have a chance to beat Michigan in the Big Ten tournament and in the NCAA tournament. 

Wisconsin: Scoring

A team coached by Bo Ryan will always be good defensively. However, this offense has not been able to carry the team when things get tough.

The Badgers rank 207th in the country in points per game, and they have failed to top 80 points since conference play began. There is simply no one on the roster that can take over when they need a basket.

Jared Berggren is the team's leading scorer at only 11.5 points per game, and even he is known to disappear on occasion. 

Wisconsin has been successful keeping games against top teams low-scoring, but that will not always last.

Michigan State: Guard Play

Keith Appling is now a junior and must begin being a leader on Michigan State. Unfortunately, he is often the team's biggest problem.

The point guard has had some incredible games for the Spartans. Other times, he tries to do too much himself and ignores the rest of the talented players on the squad.

He is also part of the reason that Michigan State has the second-most turnovers per game in the conference.

There is a lot of talent on this roster, and Tom Izzo would like to see everyone get a chance to shine. It is up to Appling to allow that to happen.

Ohio State: Help for Deshaun Thomas

Deshaun Thomas might take too many shots, but he still led the Big Ten in scoring after an incredible year. Unfortunately, he cannot do it all himself.

Ohio State was only successful when a secondary scorer stepped up offensively. Sometimes this was Aaron Craft or Lenzelle Smith Jr., and it would lead to a big win. Other times, however, there was no one else willing to take shots.

Craft had 21 points and six assists in the big win over Michigan State, and then added another 15 points in the upset over Indiana. If he can continue this level of play, few teams will be able to beat the Buckeyes.

Otherwise, more disappointing losses will be ahead for the No. 2 seed.

Indiana: Complacency

It has been a long road back, but Indiana is once again Big Ten regular-season champions. With this on the resume, plus a national-best eight wins over Top 25 RPI teams, a No. 1 seed is all but guaranteed.

There is no way that this is not in the back of the players' minds as they enter the conference tournament.

After beginning the season as the No. 1 team in the country, the goal all along has been to win a national championship. Winning the Big Ten tournament would be nice, but not necessary.

The Hoosiers lost to Ohio State when they thought they had the regular-season title wrapped up. This lack of focus could carry over into the postseason with everyone's mind on the NCAA tournament. 

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