So much for this year being the Big Ten’s best chance to end its 21-year national title drought.
College basketball’s supposed strongest league has been the NCAA tournament's biggest disappointment.
Nine Big Ten teams secured NCAA tournament bids on Selection Sunday, more than any other league in college basketball. Eight days later, only Michigan is still alive.
The carnage started in the First Four when Michigan State squandered a 14-point lead against UCLA. Purdue then crumbled in the first round against 13th-seeded North Texas and Ohio State became 15th-seeded Oral Roberts’ first upset victim.
The Big Ten’s futility raised more eyebrows when Loyola Chicago started the second round with a wire-to-wire evisceration of top-seeded Illinois.