Mar 12, 2024 - Sports

The Big Ten men's college basketball tournament arrives in Minnesota for the first time

Nick Halter

Zach Edey, with a basketball, backs down a Gophers player — Center Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers are the favorites to win the Big Ten tournament. Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Minneapolis remains at the center of Midwest college basketball for another week as Target Center hosts the Big Ten men's tournament Wednesday through Sunday.

Why it matters: There's plenty at stake in the 14-team clash, and local fans will get a chance to see some of the country's best players and teams.

State of play: The winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Some teams — particularly Ohio State and Iowa — will need a good showing in order to boost their resumes for a bid to the Big Dance. The Buckeyes and Hawkeyes play each other Thursday at 5:30pm.
Purdue is the No. 1 ranked team in the country and the Boilermakers are heavy favorites to cut down the nets at Target Center. They're led by the reigning player of the year in college basketball, Zach Edey, who stands at 7'4".

Zoom in: The Gophers, which had a better regular season than many expected, finished the season losing four of their last five, and got the No. 9 seed.

They will face Michigan State at 11am on Thursday. If they win, they play Purdue on Friday.

What they're saying: Minnesota would likely need to win the tournament in order to get an NCAA bid, according to the Star Tribune.

Go deeper: Details on tickets, game schedule and events.

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The Big Ten men's college basketball tournament arrives in Minnesota for the first time

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