For only the fourth time in the 2000s, the Big Ten has two teams — Midwest Region No. 1 seed Michigan and South Region No. 3 seed Illinois — in the Final Four of the men’s NCAA Tournament.
Maybe this time, the conference’s quarter-century-and-counting championship drought will actually come to an end.
Michigan and West No. 1 Arizona will clash amid game-of-the-year hype in Indianapolis. These have been the best two teams in this tournament, hands down. Not that the semifinal matchup of Illinois and East No. 1 Duke or No. 2 UConn will be lacking a thing.
So, what happened the last three times the Big Ten sent two of its finest onto the grandest stage in college basketball?
2000: 1 Michigan State and 8 Wisconsin
The Big Ten was guaranteed to have a team in the final, because the Spartans and Badgers collided in the semis. How ugly was it? The Spartans went over 11 minutes without a bucket, yet they won easily as the Badgers mustered all of 41 points. Don’t you miss the Dick Bennett days? Season series: 4-0 in favor of the Big Green.
The Spartans cut down the nets in Indianapolis after beating Florida 89-76 two nights later. Star Mateen Cleaves climbed the ladder gingerly, sprained ankle and all. Tom Izzo’s hair? Black. This remains the league’s last title.
2005: 1 Illinois and 5 Michigan State
Merciless North Carolina dominated the Spartans 87-71, then nipped the Illini 75-70 in the final. It was an anticlimactic end to an amazing season powered by Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head, but the Tar Heels were just a bit better in St. Louis. Too much — make that way too much — Sean May.
“We went down fighting,” Bruce Weber said. “I can’t ask for more.”
2015: 1 Wisconsin, 7 Michigan State
The Badgers were back in the Final Four for the second straight year and upset unbeaten Kentucky 71-64 in the semis, maybe the greatest night ever for the cheddarheads. But Duke, after blasting the Spartans 81-61, roared back from nine down in the second half of a brutally physical final to break the Badgers’ hearts 68-63.