Michigan Basketball: A Look At The Big Ten Conferences Chances — Minnesota and Illinois — Fortune Cookies — Part I

Several years ago, the Big East had maybe seven teams in the top twenty, and many thought the conference bullies would crush everyone until top-level competition came along well into the tournament.

The Big Ten is in a similar mode this year, and the salient question is to what extent can the BIG teams parlay the toughest competition in the country into Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final four slots?

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Michigan Basketball: Big Ten Tournament — Tournaments and Tanking — How Beneficial Is It to Win Out?

The media loves big conference tournaments. Tournaments provide plenty of easy news and stories that generate excitement and increased readership. The big conferences love tournaments. This is an easy recipe for revenue and national exposure. Some coaches love conference tournaments. This may be the only means a team has to make the tournament.

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