The 2023 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament will set the stage for Selection Sunday and the only hope the Minnesota Gophers have of making it to the big dance is through an improbable run to the Big Ten tournament title.
The odds of that happens are about one in a million considering the Gophers finished dead last in the Big Ten during the regular season and enter the conference tournament as the No. 14 seed, but you never truly know, right? OK, we probably know in this situation, but nonetheless, the slim chance exists.
The tournament starts in Chicago on Wednesday with No. 12 Wisconsin against No. 13 Ohio State, followed by the No. 14 Gophers against No. 11 Nebraska. The tipoff will be 25 minutes after the conclusion of Wisconsin-Ohio State, so probably sometime around 8:30 p.m. CST.
If Minnesota pulls the slight upset they’ll play Thursday night against No. 6 Maryland, and if they happen to shock the Terrapins they will face No. 3 Indiana in Friday’s quarterfinals.
All tournament games Wednesday-Friday will be televised on Big Ten Network, with CBS carrying the semifinals and championship game on Saturday and Sunday.
Minnesota finished the regular season 8-21 overall and 2-17 in the Big Ten.
The Gophers lost 81-79 in overtime to Nebraska at Williams Arena on Jan. 7 and then fell 78-67 at Nebraska on Feb. 25. They were blown out twice by Maryland and nearly beat Indiana in a 61-57 loss in their only meeting on Jan. 25.
