At the start of the season, Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans looked like the best team in the Big Ten and perhaps the country.
However, Izzo's team never takes the direct route to the top. While the Spartans have been rounding into form in recent weeks as they have strung together eight victories in their last nine games, there was a lull earlier during the Big Ten schedule when the Spartans went through some difficulty.
Enter Indiana (24-6, 14-3), Wisconsin (19-10, 11-5), Purdue (23-7, 11-6), Iowa (20-9, 11-6) and Maryland (23-6, 11-5). The Hoosiers clinched the regular-season Big Ten title with a win at Iowa Tuesday night, while the Badgers, Boilermakers, Hawkeyes and Terrapins have all had outstanding moments during the year.