Another great day in the Big Ten Men’s basketball tournament is upon us. And it certainly hasn’t been disappointing yet. Well, except for Indiana fans. Indiana held a double digit advantage at one point yesterday, only to go scoreless for nine minutes in the 2nd half. During which, Northwestern went on a 22-6 run. But it’s more than that. A fantastic atmosphere here at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The Big Ten has taken over the city for the better. The tournament and its fans will generate millions for the city. A cast of all-stars are also in the building including Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Tim Hardaway, Ron Dayne, P.J. Carlesimo, and more.
In the first game on Friday, it was a thrilling game from start to finish. Ohio State led most of the game, until the last 4 minutes. Then, led by Stu Douglas, Michigan crawled back after being down 12 to take the lead. OSU didn’t falter however. Manny Harris hit a huge shot with 4 seconds left that everyone thought was the game winner. Instead, Player of the Year candidate Evan Turner for Ohio State dribbled twice, and launched a three-point shot from about 30 feet. It left his hand with 0.2 seconds left and went right through to give OSU the 1 point victory.
It is games like those that make the Big Ten Tournament special. Conseco is 95% full, full of fans from all eleven Big Ten schools. With about 17,000 strong already, I sure hope Purdue fans sell-out the place. It would be a downright shame if the Boilers bring a weak crowd to support their team with only 4 losses.
Stay tuned for more from Conseco Fieldhouse.