Nine Big Ten teams remain in the mix heading toward NCAA tourney

Three months ago a Baltimore-based demolitions crew brought the RCA Dome to the ground. It took just 20 seconds to reduce the no-frills House That Peyton Maintained into a pile of rubble.

It's a shame they couldn't wait to implode the dome. It could have been rented out this week and reinvented as The NCAA Bubble.

Heck, there are enough Big Ten teams uneasily resting there to hoard all of the RCA Dome space for themselves.

As the Big Ten tournament kicks off Thursday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, it's fair to say league champ Michigan State (6 RPI) and No. 2 seed Illinois (20) can count on spots in the NCAA Tournament.

Then there's the horde of hopefuls: Purdue (32), Ohio State (36), Wisconsin (38), Minnesota (41) and Michigan (42).

Even Penn State (63) and Northwestern (70), who would be out of the big picture in a year with the normal assortment of strong midmajors and wild conference tournament upsets, can envision NCAA bids with strong finishes.

Of course, the Big Ten never has received more than seven spots in the same year.

"The way it looks right now, there's nine teams that should be very much in the mix," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "You look at other leagues and there's four or five teams that are in major rebuilding programs. That shouldn't hurt us that we have so many strong teams."

That's the polite way to say the Big Ten deserves at least seven bids.

Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan goes the impolite route - an eastward path that sideswipes the ESPN and CBS/Sports Illustrated tastemakers who talk down the relatively low-scoring Big Ten.

"To play cheerleader and have to defend things, that's an insult to our intelligence," Ryan said. "We are who we are and the body of work speaks for itself. I think there ought to be people out there that are smart enough to recognize that."

Reaching back to 2001

The Big Ten hasn't been so top-heavy and with such uncertain NCAA prospects since 2001, which happened to produce the best Big Ten tournament to date.

The 2001 and 2009 tournaments are the only ones where nine teams started play with RPIs of 70 or better.

In 2001, despite the fact the Big Ten was the nation's top-rated league, Iowa arrived at the United Center with an RPI of 39, the sixth Big Ten seed and a sense it might not get in the NCAA Tournament.

The Hawks had finished the regular season 2-9 without Luke Recker and his fractured kneecap - and they knew Recker wouldn't be available for the Big Ten tourney.

But with battle-ready power forward Reggie Evans leading the way - he showed up before games wearing a camouflage bandanna over his nose and mouth - Iowa became the first and only team to win four games in four days.

Seventh-seeded Penn State, meanwhile, leapt off the NCAA bubble by winning two games to get to the Big Ten semifinals.

When the Nittany Lions shocked Michigan State in the quarterfinals, senior PSU forward Gyasi Cline-Heard picked up the full-sized Lion mascot and carried him over his shoulder firearm-style all over the court.

"After a win like that, you have all the strength in the world," Cline-Heard said then. "I probably could have carried the whole team on my back."

The lesson here for certain guys in 2009? It's time to put your teams on your backs.

Does NU destiny await?

As everyone knows, Northwestern has never qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

Here's what everyone doesn't know: Judging by RPI and quality wins, Northwestern has never been this close to the NCAA Tournament at this stage of the season.

Even in 1999, when second-team All-American Evan Eschmeyer had NU's hopes high, the Wildcats entered the Big Ten tournament with an RPI of 81.

Now they're at No. 70, and wins over Minnesota and Michigan State could get them close to 50. Might that be good enough?

"I think that would more than catch the eye of the committee," coach Bill Carmody said. "Because then you would've beaten Minnesota two out of three and beaten Michigan State two out of three.

"And Michigan State has a good chance of being a No. 1 seed, I would say."

Potential picks to click

Trying to decipher who might lead their team to the Big Ten tournament title?

Here are two hints: In the tourney's first 11 years, every Most Outstanding Player came from the winning team.

Also, nearly all of the MOPs went on to play in the NBA. Only Ohio State's Boban Savovic and Iowa's Jeff Horner - you can't count 2008 winner Marcus Landry because he's back to try to secure Wisconsin's 11th straight NCAA bid - had to settle for a pro level below The League.