This year’s Big Ten men’s basketball tournament is set to begin following a thrilling finish in the women’s tournament. Between a heavy favorite, teams looking to jumpstart their NCAA tournament hopes and underdogs aiming to make statements, it’s sure to be another sensational week of hoops at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
The action begins on Wednesday with a Round 1 double-header on Peacock. To start things off, No. 12 seed Maryland will face No. 13 Rutgers at 6:30 p.m. ET (pre-game coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET) for the right to take on No. 5 Wisconsin. About 25 minutes after that game concludes, No. 14 Michigan meets No. 11 Penn State, where the winner will move on to play No. 6 Indiana.
Big Ten Men’s Basketball Bracketology: Purdue looks for top overall seed
There’s plenty to keep your eyes on as things heat up. Zach Edey and the defending conference champion Boilermakers enter as clear favorites and the top seed in consecutive years. Will they clinch their second straight Big Ten tournament title and earn the NCAA tourney’s No. 1 overall seed? Can Wisconsin catch fire after its late-season fall in the standings? Could one of Maryland or Rutgers start a surprising run with an opening-round win? We shall see. Here’s all the information you need for this week’s events.
What is the schedule for the 2024 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament?
The tournament begins Wednesday, March 13, and runs through Sunday, March 17. Things officially start on Peacock with two first-round matchups on Wednesday night. A four-game slate is on tap for second-round action on Thursday, while the top-four seeds - No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Illinois, No. 3 Nebraska and No. 4 Northwestern - won’t hit the hardwood until Friday’s quarterfinals. Both semifinal matchups will take place on Saturday afternoon, and the final tips off at 3:30 PM EST on Sunday.
What is the full bracket for the 2024 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament?
There are 14 teams in the tournament’s bracket. Rutgers-Maryland and Michigan-Penn State take care of the No. 14-11 seeds with Thursday’s opening round. No. 5 seed Wisconsin and No. 6 Indiana await the outcomes of these games to find out who they will face on Thursday. The second round will also see No. 8 Michigan State and No. 7 Iowa face off against lower-seeded opponents, including No. 9 Minnesota and No. 10 Ohio State.
For more information on the broadcast schedule and potential matchups, here is the full bracket:
Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament winners by year
Here is a list of each Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament champion:
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-Up | Most Outstanding Player |
| 2023 | Purdue | 67-65 | Penn State | Zach Edey, Purdue |
| 2022 | Iowa | 75-66 | Purdue | Keegan Murray, Iowa |
| 2021 | Illinois | 91-88 (OT) | Ohio State | Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois |
| 2020 | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | Michigan State | 65-60 | Michigan | Cassius Winston, Michigan State |
| 2018 | Michigan | 75-66 | Purdue | Moritz Wagner, Michigan |
| 2017 | Michigan | 71-56 | Wisconsin | Derrick Walton, Michigan |
| 2016 | Michigan State | 66-62 | Purdue | Denzel Valentine, Michigan State |
| 2015 | Wisconsin | 80-69 (OT) | Michigan State | Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin |
| 2014 | Michigan State | 69-55 | Michigan | Branden Dawson, Michigan State |
| 2013 | Ohio State | 50-43 | Wisconsin | Aaron Craft, Ohio State |
| 2012 | Michigan State | 68-64 | Ohio State | Draymond Green, Michigan State |
| 2011 | Ohio State | 71-60 | Penn State | Jared Sullinger, Ohio State |
| 2010 | Ohio State | 90-61 | Minnesota | Evan Turner, Ohio State |
| 2009 | Purdue | 65-61 | Ohio State | Robbie Hummel, Purdue |
| 2008 | Wisconsin | 61-48 | Illinois | Marcus Landry, Wisconsin |
| 2007 | Ohio State | 66-49 | Wisconsin | Greg Oden, Ohio State |
| 2006 | Iowa | 67-60 | Ohio State | Jeff Horner, Iowa |
| 2005 | Illinois | 54-43 | Wisconsin | James Augustine, Illinois |
| 2004 | Wisconsin | 70-53 | Illinois | Devin Harris, Wisconsin |
| 2003 | Illinois | 72-59 | Ohio State | Brian Cook, Illinois |
| 2002 | Ohio State (vacated) | 81-64 | Iowa | Boban Savovic, Ohio State |
| 2001 | Iowa | 63-61 | Indiana | Reggie Evans, Iowa |
| 2000 | Michigan State | 76-61 | Illinois | Morris Peterson, Michigan State |
| 1999 | Michigan State | 67-50 | Illinois | Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State |
| 1998 | Michigan (vacated) | 76-67 | Purdue | Robert Traylor, Michigan |
Purdue aims to become the Big Ten’s first repeat champion since Michigan won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. After another year of dominance, Zach Edey has the chance to capture his second straight Most Outstanding Player award. Michigan State leads the conference with six tournament championships since 1998, but it hasn’t appeared in the title game since winning in 2019. Greg Gard’s Wisconsin Badgers look to return to the championship game for the first time since 2017 when they fell to Michigan.
Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin have each won the Big Ten tournament three times, while Rutgers, Northwestern, Maryland, Penn State, Indiana and Nebraska have yet to win. Michigan’s 1998 title and Ohio State’s 2002 were both erased due to NCAA sanctions.