Dishin’ on the Big Ten tournament

Site: Sears Centre Arena

Top Seeds: (1) Penn State, (2) Nebraska, (3) Purdue, (4) Michigan State

Penn State has been ranked in the top ten nationally virtually the entire season, and with Big Ten conference player of the year Maggie Lucas leading the way, winning the tournament title will ice a number two seed in the NCAA tournament. Lucas and senior Alex Bentley form what may be the best backcourt tandem in the country.

Nebraska has been a solid team all season, but Penn State’s comfortable 82-67 victory in the last game of the regular season on Nebraska’s home court should tell you where the rest of the conference stands next to the Lady Lions.

Inconsistency has marked the play in the rest of the conference, and an upset or two would not be a big surprise in the tournament. Michigan and Illinois may need a victory or two to secure NCAA berths this season.

Other players to watch for include Nebraska’s Lindsey Moore and Jordan Hooper, Ohio State’s Tayler Hill, Illinois’ Karisma Penn and Adrienne GodBold, Michigan State’s Klarissa Bell, and Michigan’s Jenny Ryan.