The Big Ten Tournament 2013 bracket schedule is underway as of March 14, 2013 with plenty of championship contenders in the conference. Not only could one of a handful of teams be among those favored to win the conference championship, but they also could be serious NCAA championship contenders in the Big Dance once Selection Sunday arrives. Games are currently being televised and live streamed online for college sports fans to enjoy.
According to Fox 59 on March 14, Illinois won their first round game, and now gets to move on to play #1 seed Indiana on Friday. The Fighting Ilini advanced thanks to a Brandon Paul buzzer beater victory 51-49 over Minnesota on Thursday. Indiana has also been the #1 team in the nation this past season, and is looking to possibly secure a #1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. An early loss could hurt those chances though.
Indiana coach Tom Crean said of the matchup his team will participate in:
"We know Illinois will be a tremendous challenge tomorrow at the United Center. They play with great intensity, passion and execution. Playing the Illini in Chicago should excite the Hoosier Nation. We are going to need our fans to bring their colors, their energy and their voices."
On Thursday, the other early game featured #5 seed Michigan easily handling Penn State 83-66. Michigan moves on to play #4 seed Wisconsin at 2 p.m. EST, following the Illinois vs. Indiana game at 12 p.m. Noon EST. Both games will be shown on ESPN for TV coverage, and on the WatchESPN broadband sports service for the live stream.
Thursday's late games have #7 seed Purdue against #10 seed Nebraska at 6:30 p.m. EST, and #6 Iowa vs. #11 Northwestern at 9 p.m. EST. These games will be televised on ESPN2 and live streaming on ESPN3/WatchESPN in participating regions of the country. The winner of the Purdue/Nebraska game moves on to play #2 Ohio State on Friday, with the winner of the Iowa/NW game advancing to play #3 seed Michigan State in Friday's second round. Times are TBA as of this report.
Roanoke subscribers with Cox Cable packages can watch these games on channel 25 for ESPN, or for ESPN 2, on Thursday and Friday.
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