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Maryland Basketball: Big Ten Tournament staff roundtable

By Chris Bengel

Feb 21, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Rasheed Sulaimon (0) celebrates after a play during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2016; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Rasheed Sulaimon (0) celebrates after a play during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 5, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Bryn Forbes (5) dribbles the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes guard Kam Williams (15) defends during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Bryn Forbes (5) dribbles the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes guard Kam Williams (15) defends during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

1.) Who wins the Big Ten Tournament

Chris Bengel: It’s really hard to argue against Indiana at this point. The Hoosiers are riding a five-game winning streak coming in with wins over Iowa, Maryland, and Purdue. As we saw against the Terrapins, this is a team that can be unconscious from beyond the arc. I’ll take Indiana to go for a No. 1 seed and they could get it on Selection Sunday with a strong showing in Indy.

Wes Brown: Michigan State has been playing the best as a unit throughout the year. Indiana could give them trouble if they make the final, but the Spartans should take this unless they have a major slip up.

Ryan McFadden: Honestly it’s hard to pick a clear cut winner because the conference is so strong. There are five teams in the Big Ten that have a legit shot at winning the championship. But I will have to go with Michigan State. The Spartans is the No. 2 team in the nation. They went 26-5 and had a 13-5 record in the Big Ten which was good for second in the conference. Michigan State’s most notable wins came against Kansas, Louisville, and Maryland. Yet they did lose to Iowa twice, Wisconsin, and Purdue.

The reason I’m picking the Spartans to win the Big Ten Championship is because they are entering the tournament with a lot of momentum. They have won 10 of their last 11 games and ended the regular season on a six game winning streak. During that six game win streak, Denzel Valentine averaged 21.8 points, and 9.6 rebounds per game.

John Niswander: I believe Michigan State wins the Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans made the Final Four last season and Tom Izzo is a more experienced coach than Indiana’s Tom Crean when it comes to taking his deep into the NCAA Tournament. Izzo has his team playing their best basketball right now and I think the Spartans will gather momentum going into the Big Dance with a Big Ten Tournament title and a stronger resume for a No. 1 seed.

John Raderman: Never bet against Izzo. Michigan State is (surprise, surprise), peaking just as tournament season gets underway. Their last loss was a month ago and Denzel Valentine is playing like the best player in college basketball. Gauging their exact strength is a bit tricky since so many of their recent wins have been in an overwhelmingly dominant fashion, but I’ll take that risk. Michigan State wins it.