Hello, Big Ten hoops fans, and welcome to March!

Okay, March is already 7 days old, but that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about the madness, and that truly begins next week with the major conference tournament action heating up.

In the Big Ten Tournament, Purdue has cemented its spot atop the league with another regular-season title. Matt Painter’s Boilermakers are looking at the rare accomplishment of back-to-back seasons as the conference’s outright regular-season and B1G Tournament champions.

After that, the full attention of the country shifts to bracketology and the NCAA Tournament. Speaking of bracketology, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi dropped his fresh projections on Friday with 6 B1G teams currently slated for the final field.

That probably got you thinking: Which of those B1G teams are you best suited to roll with in your bracket? And, which teams are ill-equipped to make a run during tournament season?

You’re in luck, because we’re going to break down both questions right here. (And be sure to track all the odds for the NCAA Tournament with Tradition’s best Ohio sports betting apps.)

Teams primed for March

Illinois

Hesitant? I get it, especially after Brad Underwood has not guided Illinois past the second round in 3 NCAA Tournament trips. There’s also the fact that the Illini most recently fell to Purdue at home with a shot to potentially share the B1G title.

This Illinois squad also looks different from Underwood’s previous best. There’s no Ayo Dosunmu leading the charge, or Kofi Cockburn dominating the middle of the paint.

However, this squad still has some solid makeup for March.

Overall, Illinois is 12th in KenPom‘s Adjusted Efficiency margin. Offensively, the Illini are even better with the 4th-best Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. Alabama, Purdue and UConn the only teams ahead of Illinois in that metric.

Illinois is also slated as a 4-seed per Lunardi’s latest. That’s probably an accurate projection and would give Illinois a manageable path through the first weekend of the tournament.

So, how does Illinois get there?

The 3-headed attack of Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins continue to lead the offense. Illinois is not fully reliant on the 3-point shot while shooting 55% from inside the arc. The Illini do have some sharpshooters as any team in March needs, but plenty of teams that live on the line have fallen in early rounds due to going cold.

The only concern for the Illini would come on the defensive side of the ball, but their portfolio should translate to the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska

Looking for a team to take a flier on as a dark horse bracket buster? Nebrasketball fits the bill, and that’s not a joke.

After scuffling early in Fred Hoiberg’s tenure, the Huskers broke through this season with an 11-8 conference record entering the regular-season finale. Nebraska’s season includes wins over Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin and Northwestern, all teams projected to make the final field.

In Lunardi’s latest projections, Nebraska is slotted as a 9-seed. That would set up a potential showdown against a 1-seed in the second round which is far from favorable, but not insurmountable in March.

Keisei Tominaga remains the leading scorer for the Huskers, but the good news is the team is much more balanced this season. Rienk Mast, Brice Williams and Juwan Gary all average double figures while Jamarques Lawrence and Josiah Allick are key glue guys.

If the rest of the country is still sleeping on Nebraska, be the person in your office pool that gets in on the frenzy before the tournament tips off.

Teams to avoid in March

Michigan State

As long as Tom Izzo is around, Michigan State will be a trendy pick to make some noise in March.

That’s usually a good strategy. Not this year.

The Spartans played a traditionally tough nonconference schedule this season but did not fare well in showdowns against Duke and Arizona. Michigan State did beat Baylor in dominant fashion, but that game saw the Spartans shooting 66% from 3-point range in a well-outside-normal performance this season.

Within the B1G, Izzo’s group went 2-6 against teams likely to make the NCAA Tournament. The wins came against Illinois and Northwestern.

The sad part is this year looked like a prototypical Izzo team on paper. On the court, that has not materialized. Expecting everything to suddenly gel in tournament season is unwise.

Wisconsin

Let’s not beat around the bush. Wisconsin’s 3 wins since the start of February have come against Ohio State, Maryland and Rutgers. The Badgers are trending in the worst way possible after a very promising start to the season.

If they do land a 6-seed Lunardi expects, the Badgers are more lined up to be a first-round upset than anything else.

And what about…

Purdue

Okay, let’s be real. I intentionally saved the Boilermakers for this specific spot.

I know it will be trendy for some to project more misery for the program after last year’s March humiliation. I strongly urge you to run from that idea.

The Boilermakers are in the top 20 for both KenPom’s Adjusted Offensive and Defensive Efficiency. Purdue has also faced an elite schedule this season with nonconference victories against Gonzaga, Tennessee, Marquette, Alabama and Arizona.

Counting the B1G slate, Matt Painter’s group is 7-0 overall against teams ranked in the AP Top 25. That’s the kind of battle-tested group you want in March.

Also remember: Last year’s tournament humiliation ultimately hinged on Purdue’s young guards crumbling under pressure. Now, Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer have another year under their belts, and veteran transfer Lance Jones has shown his worth in the mix.

I know some fans will be hesitant to ride with Purdue considering the past, but ask yourself one question: Do you want to continue to laugh at the Boilermakers when things fall apart, or do you want to look smart when Purdue finally (inevitably) breaks through in March?

You know the answer, and the Boilermakers are indeed a team likely to make a deep run this NCAA Tournament.