Thursday play-in games:
Michigan 72, Minnesota 63. Michigan has a glimmer of a hope of reaching the NCAA tourney. Minnesota has a glimmer of a hope of getting to the NCAAs sometime in the next 10 years.
Michigan State 61, Northwestern 42. If the batteries in your remote-control are weak, change them. Because you don't want your TV stuck on this game for more than seven seconds.
Illinois 75, Penn State 62. Illinois has a glimmer of a hope of reaching the NCAA tourney. Penn State hopes to someday return to the Rose Bowl.
Friday quarterfinals:
Ohio State 70, Michigan 60. The 'O' in Oden stands for "O, don't bring that junk in the paint, Michigan."
Purdue 68, Iowa 63. The Boilermakers have their NCAA hopes riding on this game. They're a better team than the one that sleepwalked at Iowa a couple weeks ago.
Michigan State 65, Wisconsin 61. No Brian Butch equals a big hole in the Badgers' middle when these games matter most. These two teams were 1-1 against each other, and this matchup favors the Spartans.
Illinois 68, Indiana 66. This is a coin-flip, so give Illinois the home-court advantage.
Saturday semifinals:
Ohio State 70, Purdue 60. The 'O' in Oden stands for "O, don't even pretend you're at our level, Purdue."
Michigan State 74, Illinois 71 (OT). Two tired teams playing their third game in three days, but Illinois collapses when MSU's Drew Neitzel hits a last-second 3-pointer to win it.
Sunday final:
Ohio State 70, Michigan State 60. The 'O' in Oden stands for "O, we're only six wins from the national championship." But the competition will be better in the Sweet 16 than it was at the Big Ten tourney.