Bracketology: Improving Illinois enters experts' latest mock brackets

Time to take the temperature of the Big Ten?s NCAA tourney hopes. And, a couple of interesting developments have taken place this week.

[btn-post-package]

Illinois has made it into the brackets of Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com and Joe Lunardi of ESPN.com. Each has the Fighting Illini in a first-round (play-in) game as a No. 12 seed.

The other big development: Palm does not have Michigan State in his bracket. He has the Spartans among his ?First Four Out.? Lunardi has MSU as a No. 9 seed.

It?s also worth noting that Purdue is among Lunardi's ?Last Four Out.? Palm has no mention of the Boilermakers.

Wisconsin remains the top-seeded Big Ten squad, as both bracketologists have the Badgers as a No. 2 seed. Maryland, Ohio State, Indiana and Iowa all are bunched in seeds ranging from as high as a No. 4 (Maryland by Palm) to as low as a No. 8. (Ohio State by Palm; Iowa by Lunardi).

Here is a look at the brackets of Palm and Lunardi.

JERRY PALM
No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 15 William & Mary in Midwest
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Louisiana Tech in South
No. 6 Indiana vs. No. 11 Texas in South
No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Stanford in South
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Colorado State in West
No. 12 Illinois vs. No. 12 Texas A&M in play-in in Midwest
Last Four in: Illinois. First Four Out: Michigan State

JOE LUNARDI
No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 15 High Point in South
No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Wofford in West
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Colorado State in East
No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 10 Ole Miss in Midwest
No. 8 Iowa vs. No. 9 Stanford in South
No. 9 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Texas in East
No. 12 Illinois vs. No. 12 Miami (Fla) in play-in in South
Last Four In: Illinois. First Four Out: Purdue