V2-I6 Sports
Big 10 Tournament experience offers reporter memories and excitement
By: Morgan Wright
Every year, the NCAA has tournaments for basketball teams and holds one for each major conference. The Big 10 Tournament has been switching between holding it in Chicago or holding it in Indianapolis. Every team makes the tournament, but if you have a successful regular season you can get a first round bye.
This was the third time I travelled with my dad to the tournament games. The atmosphere there is unforgettable because you meet fans from all over the nation - Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska - and you enjoy talking to them because you've all been drawn there by your passion for the games.
This year, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan St., and Nebraska all got a first round bye. On the first day of the tournament Illinois upset Indiana, Penn St. upset Minnesota and Northwestern upset Iowa. This gave all of the teams that got a bye in the first round an easy win except Nebraska as Ohio State upset Nebraska.
In the semifinal games, Ohio State played Michigan, and Wisconsin played Michigan State. Ohio State was down by three, but came up short as senior point guard Aaron Craft missed a three to send it into overtime. Michigan moved on to the final game, as well as Michigan State because they beat Wisconsin by a big margin.
Michigan State ended up beating Michigan to claim the title. The Big 10 tournament is one of the most watched sporting events when televised. Previous Big Ten Men’s Basketball tournaments have attracted fans in masses, welcoming more than 1.5 million fans and thousands of media members to the event.
I will go back every chance I get, not only for the atmosphere but because of experiencing the tournaments in living color. Nothing can compare to walking through the streets of the city and seeing the players coming and going from their hotels. I highly recommend you join them next year in Chicago!
Morgan Wright ('14) is a staff writer for the viking vault.
Every year, the NCAA has tournaments for basketball teams and holds one for each major conference. The Big 10 Tournament has been switching between holding it in Chicago or holding it in Indianapolis. Every team makes the tournament, but if you have a successful regular season you can get a first round bye.
This was the third time I travelled with my dad to the tournament games. The atmosphere there is unforgettable because you meet fans from all over the nation - Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska - and you enjoy talking to them because you've all been drawn there by your passion for the games.
This year, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan St., and Nebraska all got a first round bye. On the first day of the tournament Illinois upset Indiana, Penn St. upset Minnesota and Northwestern upset Iowa. This gave all of the teams that got a bye in the first round an easy win except Nebraska as Ohio State upset Nebraska.
In the semifinal games, Ohio State played Michigan, and Wisconsin played Michigan State. Ohio State was down by three, but came up short as senior point guard Aaron Craft missed a three to send it into overtime. Michigan moved on to the final game, as well as Michigan State because they beat Wisconsin by a big margin.
Michigan State ended up beating Michigan to claim the title. The Big 10 tournament is one of the most watched sporting events when televised. Previous Big Ten Men’s Basketball tournaments have attracted fans in masses, welcoming more than 1.5 million fans and thousands of media members to the event.
I will go back every chance I get, not only for the atmosphere but because of experiencing the tournaments in living color. Nothing can compare to walking through the streets of the city and seeing the players coming and going from their hotels. I highly recommend you join them next year in Chicago!
Morgan Wright ('14) is a staff writer for the viking vault.