Big Ten Tournament 2018: Quarterfinal Schedule, Live Stream, Bracket Predictions

The Big Ten has taken over the Mecca of Basketball with the conference tournament rolling into its quarterfinal round Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Even though the top-four seeds earned free passes through the first two days, the action has been nail-biting from the start.

Six games are in the books, and only one has been decided by double-digits. Four higher seeds have already been picked off, two by the glass-slipper-wearing 14th-seeded Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Cinderella squad followed Wednesday's 65-54 win over 11th-seeded Minnesota with a 76-69 stunner of sixth-seeded Indiana.

Can Rutgers keep its magical run alive with third-seeded and eighth-ranked nationally Purdue lurking in the quarterfinals? Should top seeds Michigan State and Ohio State have any reason to worry about Wisconsin and Penn State, respectively?

We'll preview what's on deck for Friday's third round.

Quarterfinal Schedule

All games on Friday, March 2, on the Big Ten Network and streaming on BTN2Go.com.

Game 7: Michigan State (1) vs. Wisconsin (9), 12 p.m. ET

Game 8: Nebraska (4) vs. Michigan (5), 25 minutes after Game 7

Game 9: Ohio State (2) vs. Penn State (7), 6:30 p.m. ET

Game 10: Purdue (3) vs. Rutgers (14), 25 minutes after Game 9

Predictions

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The top-seeded Spartans come roaring into New York City on a conference-best 12-game winning streak. They boast a Naismith Trophy semifinalist in sophomore standout Miles Bridges, plus elite efficiency marks on offense (11th) and defense (seventh), per kenpom.com.

They handled the Badgers twice in regular-season play by a combined margin of 20 points. Provided they can keep harassing Wisconsin's top scorer Ethan Happ—he's a 52.7 percent shooter on the year but converted only 36.1 percent of his looks against Tom Izzo's team—Michigan State shouldn't have trouble advancing to Saturday's semifinals.

Rutgers has a monumental task on its hands in the form of Purdue, the conference's top offensive team (third in the country in efficiency). This looks like a nightmare matchup for the Scarlet Knights, who averaged a league-worst 64.5 points per game—only 17 more than Purdue gets from sophomore guard Carsen Edwards, senior forward Vincent Edwards and senior center Isaac Haas alone.

Purdue walloped Rutgers by 31 points in their first meeting but had to squeak out a 78-76 victory in nearby Piscataway, N.J., the last time they met. And March magic has a funny way of sometimes throwing seedings out the window.

But there's little reason to believe the Boilermakers are in jeopardy of dropping their first tournament outing.

The Buckeyes, though, could have a tricky time handling the Nittany Lions. Penn State not only swept the season series, it dominated the last matchup by holding Ohio State to a season-low point total in a 79-56 defeat.

Chris Knight/Associated Press

That said, the Nittany Lions won't have sophomore big man Mike Watkins—their top shot-blocker, leading rebounder and No. 3 scorer. He's already been ruled out of the entire tournament with a right knee injury, per Josh Moyer of the Centre Daily Times.

The conference's top two scorers are in this matchup in fellow All-Big Ten first-teamers Tony Carr (19.9 points per game) and Keita Bates-Diop (19.2). Carr totaled 58 points on an absurd 65.5 percent shooting in Penn State's two victories, while Bates-Diop had one gem (25 points on 8-of-13 shooting) and one dud (10 points on 4-of-11).

If the Nittany Lions had Watkins available, this prediction would call for an upset. He isn't, so the higher seed advances.

Don't expect chalk across the board, though. Not when the Wolverines look better than the Huskers on paper.

Michigan's efficiency numbers are stronger on offense (41st to 76th) and defense (ninth to 36th). The Wolverines also sit several stories above the Huskers in BPI (17th to 59th) and RPI (25th to 55th), per ESPN.com.

Both teams are coming in hot, with Michigan riding a six-game winning streak and Nebraska having won eight of its last nine. It's hard to put stock in the Huskers' win during the teams' lone meeting, which was convincing (72-52) but also six weeks ago (Jan. 18).

Nebraska badly needs a quality win to keep its NCAA tournament hopes alive, and it's possible that desperation becomes the deciding factor. But Michigan—which conquered this field as an eighth-seed last year—looks primed for another lengthy run.

So, if you're filling out a Big Ten quarterfinal bracket, pencil in Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan.

Statistics used courtesy of ESPN.com and kenpom.com.