- Three Big Team teams are still active in the postseason with Michigan and Purdue advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and Penn State moving on to the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
- For the 11th straight year, the Big Ten will send multiple conference teams to the Sweet 16, which is the longest active streak in men’s college basketball. Michigan advanced to regional semifinal round for the fourth time in the past six years, Purdue will compete in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year.
- The Big Ten has sent eight teams to the Elite Eight in the last six NCAA Tournaments.
- Over the last 13 years, the Big Ten has sent 10 different teams to the Final Four, including at least one participant in four of the past six years. Illinois and Michigan State advanced to the Final Four in 2005, followed by Ohio State in 2007 and 2012, the Spartans in 2009, 2010 and 2015, Michigan in 2013 and Wisconsin in 2014 and 2015.
- Since 2005, five Big Ten teams have advanced to the NCAA Tournament championship game. Illinois reached the final in 2005, Ohio State played in the 2007 title game, Michigan State reached the national championship game in 2009, Michigan played in the final in 2013 and Wisconsin advanced to the title game in 2015.
- Current Big Ten programs have combined for 51 Final Four appearances, including seven in the last nine seasons.
- Michigan, the Big Ten Tournament Champion, enters the West Regional semifinals riding an 11-game win streak including four wins in the Big Ten Tournament followed by two wins in the NCAA Tournament.
- Michigan won the 2018 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament title for a second consecutive year to become the third team to win back-to-back Big Ten Tournament crowns and the first since 2010-11 (Ohio State). Junior Moritz Wagner, who scored a team-high 17 points to lead Michigan to a 75-66 win in the championship game vs. third-seeded Purdue, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
- Purdue won its school-record 30th game of the season with the win over Butler in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
- Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann was named a finalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year. With a 9-0 start in Big Ten play this year, Holtmann became the first coach in 95 years to win his first seven conference games and propelled the Buckeyes to their first top-10 ranking in four years.
- Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop and Purdue’s Carsen Edwards were honored on the Sporting News and USBWA All-America teams. Bridges and Bates-Diop earned Second Team recognition on both lists, while Edwards was a Third Team honoree on the Sporting News’ list. All three are also Wooden Award finalists.
Andy Waddle Brings More Than Just Football to Valpo
When Valparaiso University hired Andy Waddle in December, it got more than simply a head football coach. Waddle won a lot of games over the last 12 seasons at Marietta College, but he’s far prouder of the lives that he has saved than the games that he has won. Waddle...