Potential Illinois basketball Big Ten Tournament opponents shows mixed bag of results

Wednesday marks the start of the Big Ten Tournament, and the Illinois basketball team played well enough in the regular season to get a double-bye to start things off.

The double-bye is a familiar spot for the Illini, as we have earned this two-game advancement in four out of the last five seasons. The only outlier was last year when Illinois finished 11-9 in the Big Ten and landed in the No. 7 slot.

Illinois begins another Big Ten title run on Friday, as the No. 2 Illini awaits either No. 10 Ohio State or No. 7 Iowa, a game that tips off on Thursday. For Illinois to get to the Big Ten Championship game, we have to go through some tough competition. But how has Illinois fared against the potential matchups in the bottom half of the Big Ten Tournament bracket?

Illinois basketball potential path to the Big Ten Tournament championship game

Potential Quarterfinal Matchups

No. 7 Iowa

• Last 5 vs Iowa: 4-1
• Big Ten Tournament Record vs Iowa: 2-3

Iowa is one of the few teams in the Big Ten that Illinois has a losing Big Ten Tournament record against. The Hawkeyes are 3-2 against the Illini in the conference tournament, but we have gotten the best of Iowa in the last five, going 4-1.

No. 10 Ohio State

• Last 5 vs Ohio State: 3-2
• Big Ten Tournament Record vs Ohio State: 3-2

I feel comfortable this season going up against either Iowa or Ohio State in the quarterfinal matchup. Illinois swept both series’ this season, going a combined 3-0 against both teams. The Illini have a winning record against Ohio State in both the last five contests and in Big Ten Tournament history, registering a 3-2 record against the Buckeyes in both.

Potential Semifinal Matchups

No. 3 Nebraska

• Last 5 vs Nebraska: 5-0
• Big Ten Tournament Record vs Nebraska: 0-0

I feel like there are definitely some teams Illinois fans should root for in the bottom half of the bracket. Nebraska is one of those teams. The Illini are 5-0 in the last five against the Cornhuskers, although we have never played Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament.

No. 6 Indiana

• Last 5 vs Indiana: 2-3
• Big Ten Tournament Record vs Indiana: 6-3

While the Big Ten record is good against Indiana, the overall record in the last five is up and down. Illinois is just 2-3 against the Hoosiers in the last five games, but we were able to beat Indiana 70-62 in the lone matchup this season.

No. 11 Penn State

• Last 5 vs Penn State: 1-4
• Big Ten Tournament Record vs Penn State: 3-1

An anomaly on the Illinois schedule is Penn State. No matter how bad of a team the Nittany Lions sport, they always seem to have our number. In the last five, Penn State is 4-1 against the Illini. We do have a leg up in the Big Ten Tournament, though, going 3-1 in four tries.

No. 14 Michigan

• Last 5 vs Michigan: 5-0
• Big Ten Tournament Record vs Michigan: 2-4

This rivalry has been dominated by Illinois lately. In the last five contests, the Illini are 5-0 against Michigan. The Wolverines have gotten the best of Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament, going 4-2 against the Orange and Blue, but this isn’t your father's Michigan squad. They are bad this season.