Big Ten Tournament 2024: Men’s Semifinals Scores, Championship Bracket and Schedule
Joe TanseyMarch 16, 2024
G Fiume/Getty Images
The Illinois Fighting Illini and Wisconsin Badgers will face off on Sunday for the fourth time in their history in the Big Ten tournament final.
The Illini hold a 2-1 edge over Wisconsin in championship game and they should be the favorite in Minneapolis as the No. 2 seed.
Brad Underwood’s team also holds an edge through its head-to-head win over the Badgers on March 2 in which it produced 91 points.
Wisconsin got into the final through wins over the top-seeded Purdue Boilermakers and the No. 4 seed Northwestern Wildcats.
The Badgers are battle-tested, but their arduous four-day run through the Big Ten tournament could cost them against the fresher Illini.
Sign up to Play the NCAA March Madness Men’s Bracket Challenge, Tournament Run, and Conference Tournament Pick Em.
Big Ten Semifinal Scores
No. 5 Wisconsin 76, No. 1 Purdue 75 (Final/OT)
No. 2 Illinois 98, No. 3 Nebraska 87
Big Ten Tournament Final Info
Date: Sunday, March 17
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBSSports.com and Paramount+
Game Preview
Wisconsin will try to replicate the championship paths of three of the last six Big Ten tournament champions.
The Badgers will attempt to win four games in four days, like the Michigan Wolverines in 2017 and 2018 and the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2022.
Wisconsin must slow down Illinois’ electric offense, led by Terrance Shannon Jr., to complete its four-day run through Minneapolis.
The Illini thrived offensively in their March 2 win over Wisconsin. They shot 51.8 percent from the field and made nine of their 16 three-point shots. They also got to free-throw line on 30 occasions,
Shannon and Co. should try to tire out the Badgers defense throughout the 40 minutes on Sunday.
Wisconsin survived an overtime battle against Zach Edey and Purdue and that could wear on the Badgers players, especially when the second half rolls around.
Greg Gard’s side limited the Boilermakers to 66 points in regulation. That continued a strong defensive trend in which it held the Maryland Terrapins to 56 points in the second round and the Northwestern Wildcats to 61 points in the quarterfinals.
The Big Ten tournament performances marked a drastic turn in the right direction for a Wisconsin defense that conceded over 70 points in the eight losses during its 3-8 slide in the second half of league play.
The Badgers should thrive in a low-scoring game, but if Illinois pushes the pace and Shannon scores at a similar clip to his 40-point semifinal performance, the Illini will earn one of the final automatic bids to the NCAA tournament.
