2026 Big Ten men's basketball tournament bracket, schedule, how to watch: Can anyone knock off Michigan in Chicago?

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Mar 9, 2026 - 12:00

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2026 Big Ten men's basketball tournament bracket, schedule, how to watch: Can anyone knock off Michigan in Chicago?

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - MARCH 08: (L-R) Head coaches Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans and Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines shake hands before the game at Crisler Arena on March 08, 2026 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) — A Michigan-Michigan State rematch in the championship game may give us the best shot of someone other than the Wolverines winning the league. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

Michigan has likely done enough to claim a No. 1 seed already. But is a conference tournament title a given?

Here's everything you need to know entering the Big Ten tournament this weekend in Chicago.

Can anyone actually get Michigan?

Michigan went 29-2 this season and only truly slipped up briefly in a bad loss to Wisconsin back in January, which snapped its 14-game win streak. The Wolverines nearly beat Duke in an unusually late non-conference matchup not even a month ago, too, though Cameron Boozer and the Blue Devils held on late in Washington D.C. to grab a five-point win.

Other than that, and a rare escape at Penn State in January, nobody in the Big Ten has really been able to come close. They got Michigan State, perhaps the second-best team in the league, twice by double digits — including on Sunday to end the regular season. They led almost the entire way in a commanding win over Purdue, and Nebraska, which has its own issues and just barely beat Iowa after a 20-point loss at UCLA last week, fell short, too.

But if anyone can get to Michigan, it’s probably the Spartans. Sure, they’ve fallen twice to their in-state rival this season. But Tom Izzo's group ended the year winning five of their last six, including at Purdue. And they’ve received the double-bye and are on the opposite side of the bracket, so their biggest threat on that side is Nebraska. That, at least on paper, is an easier path to the Big Ten title game. And if the Spartans can pull that off, keeping a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament would be very likely.

Regardless, the winner of this conference tournament is likely going to come from one of the top four teams with the double bye. With how strong the top of the league is compared to the bottom half, a break until Friday will be extremely beneficial.