Big Ten sends six to NCAA tourney

Published 8:46 am Tuesday, March 18, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS — Six Big Ten teams were selected to participate in the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Wisconsin will represent the conference in this year’s tournament.

Michigan, the Big Ten Champion, is the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region and will travel to the Milwaukee second and third round site.  Up first for the Wolverines is No. 15 Wofford, with the winner facing either No. 7 Texas or No. 10 Arizona State.  Michigan is making its 21st appearance in the NCAA Tournament and fourth consecutive trip. The Wolverines boast a 41-20 record in the tournament. Michigan has made five appearances in the Final Four, including last year, and won the 1989 National Championship.

Wisconsin is the No. 2 seed in the West Region and will travel to the Milwaukee second and third round site. The Badgers will take on No. 15 American with the victor facing the winner of No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 10 BYU. Wisconsin will be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the 20th time and making its 16th straight appearance. The Badgers are 25-18 in their previous trips and have made two Final Four appearances, including winning the 1941 title.

Michigan State is the No. 4 seed in the East Region and will visit the Spokane, Wash., second and third round site. The Spartans will face No. 13 Delaware in the second round with the winner facing either No. 5 Cincinnati or No. 12 Harvard. Michigan State is making its 28th NCAA Tournament appearance and 16th consecutive. Michigan State boasts a 56-26 mark in the NCAA Tournament with eight Final Four appearances, including the 1979 and 2000 national championships.

Ohio State is the No. 6 seed in the South Region and will start at the Buffalo, N.Y., second and third round site. The Buckeyes will face No. 11 Dayton with the victor taking on the winner of No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 14 Western Michigan. Ohio State is making its 26th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and sixth consecutive. The Buckeyes have a 43-23 record in the tournament and nine appearances in the Final Four, including a national championship in 1960.

Nebraska will be the No. 11 seed in the West region and will play at the San Antonio second and third round site.  The Cornhuskers will face No. 6 Baylor in the second round, with the winner of that contest taking on either No. 3 Creighton or No. 14 Louisiana Lafayette. Nebraska is making its sixth NCAA Tournament Appearance and its first since 1998.

Iowa is a No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region and will play Tennessee in a First Four game in Dayton, Ohio. The winner of that contest will travel to Raleigh, N.C., for its second and third round matchups. They will take on No. 6 Massachusetts with the winner facing either No. 3 Duke or No. 14 Mercer. Iowa’s appearance is the 23rd in school history and its first since 2006. The Hawkeyes have a 27-24 record in NCAA tournament games as well as three Final Four appearances.