Badgers root to share Big 10 title to get No. 1 seed, will play Friday against either Michigan or Rutgers
It meant a three-way share of the regular season title, but the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team went into Sunday rooting for Maryland and Michigan State.
Wins by both gave the 24th-ranked Badgers a share the Big Ten regular-season conference title, but also gave Wisconsin the No. 1 seed in the Big 10 tournament, which might be just a little more important.
The conference tourney will be played March 11-15 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Badgers will play at noon Friday against either No. 25 Michigan or Rutgers.
Based on head-to-head matchups, the Badgers got the top seed because they beat No. 9 Maryland and split with the 16th-ranked Spartans, going 2-1 overall. Michigan State was 2-2 against Wisconsin and Maryland, while the Terrapins were 1-2.
Wisconsin did its part Saturday, beating Indiana 60-56. Sunday, Michigan State beat No. 19 Ohio State 89-69, while Maryland beat Michigan 83-70.
The last time three teams shared the Big Ten title was 2012 — Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State.
| BIG TEN STANDINGS | Conf. | Overall |
| 24 Wisconsin | 14-6 | 21-10 |
| 9 Maryland | 14-6 | 24-7 |
| 16 Michigan State | 14-6 | 22-9 |
| 23 Illinois | 13-7 | 21-10 |
| 18 Iowa | 11-9 | 20-11 |
| 19 Ohio State | 11-9 | 21-10 |
| 20 Penn State | 11-9 | 21-10 |
| Rutgers Scarlet | 11-9 | 20-11 |
| 25Michigan | 10-10 | 19-12 |
| Purdue | 9-11 | 16-15 |
| Indiana | 9-11 | 19-12 |
| Minnesota | 8-12 | 14-16 |
| Northwestern | 3-17 | 8-22 |
| Nebraska | 2-18 | 7-24 |
TOP PHOTO: Wisconsin guard Brevin Pritzl, left, dives for a loose ball in front of Indiana forward Jerome Hunter in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Bloomington, Ind., Saturday, March 7, 2020. Wisconsin won 60-56. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)