The Big Ten regular season concluded over the weekend, with Minnesota and Wisconsin finished as the top two seeds. Ohio State and Michigan State will face off in the earlier Thursday play-in matchup, while Penn State will face Michigan.
Minnesota is the only team guaranteed to make the NCAA tournament regardless of its performance in the Big Ten tournament. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions are on the bubble, while Wisconsin is completely outside. For those three teams, the easiest path to the NCAA tournament comes through a Big Ten championship.
1. Minnesota (23-10-3, 14-5-1 B1G)
The Gophers cruised to their sixth-straight regular-season conference championship after winning 14 Big Ten games and earned a Thursday bye.