Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, March 1, 2016
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It?s time to take the temperature of the Big Ten?s NCAA hopes with a weekly check of the mock brackets from Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com and Joe Lunardi of ESPN. The Big Ten continues to be projected as a seven-bid league, the most in the nation.
Iowa slid the most of any Big Ten team, losing two spots in each projected bracket. Conversely, Michigan State continues to surge, moving to No. 1 in Palm?s bracket. Ohio State?
It remains on the outside looking in with a week to go in the regular season.
Here is a look at Palm?s bracket entering this week.
- No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 16 High Point, West
- No. 3 Maryland vs. No. 14 IPFW, South
- No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 San Diego State, Midwest
- No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock, West
- No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 12 Valparaiso, South
- No. 9 Wisconsin vs. No. 8 Saint Joseph?s, East
- No. 10 Michigan vs. No. 10 St. Bonaventure, South ?first four? game
Palm moved Michigan State from a No. 2 to a No. 1. Purdue and Wisconsin each moved up a spot. The seeds for Maryland, Indiana and Michigan remained the same. Michigan was in a play-in game last week, and it is again as one of Palm?s ?last four in.? Wisconsin was in a play-in game last week but isn?t any longer. The big loser was Iowa, which fell two spots.
Here is a look at Lunardi?s bracket this week.
- No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 IPFW, Midwest
- No. 3 Maryland vs. No. 14 Hofstra, East
- No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 13 Akron, West
- No. 5 Purdue vs. No. 12 Valparaiso, South
- No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock, East
- No. 7 Wisconsin vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt, West
- No. 11 Michigan vs. No. 11 Butler, Midwest
Michigan State, Maryland, Purdue and Indiana held steady in their seeds. Iowa fell from a No. 2 to a No. 4. Wisconsin jumped one spot, while Michigan fell one. In fact, Michigan is among the ?last four in,? according to Lunardi. Ohio State is among the ?next out? after the ?first four out.?