The Big Ten is one of the most prominent and competitive conferences in college basketball. Every year, teams from the Big Ten put forth some of the best basketball in the country. The Big Ten basketball tournament is one of the most exciting events of the year, and the championship game is always highly anticipated. So, who won the Big Ten basketball title in 2021?
The 2021 Big Ten Basketball Championship
The 2021 Big Ten men’s basketball championship was held from March 9-14, 2021, at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The tournament featured all 14 teams in the Big Ten, competing for the championship and a spot in the NCAA tournament.
The 2021 Big Ten tournament was a thrilling event filled with upsets and unexpected outcomes. After a thrilling and unpredictable tournament, the Michigan Wolverines emerged as the 2021 Big Ten champions.
The Path to the Championship
The Wolverines entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed, and they had to fight hard to reach the championship game. In the first round, they beat the No. 13 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers by a score of 77-72. In the second round, they beat the No. 5 seed Iowa Hawkeyes by a score of 68-64.
In the quarterfinals, they beat the No. 1 seed Illinois Fighting Illini by a score of 73-57. In the semifinals, they beat the No. 3 seed Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 68-67. This put them in the championship game against the No. 2 seed Purdue Boilermakers.
The Championship Game
The championship game between Michigan and Purdue was an exciting and back-and-forth affair. Both teams were neck and neck for most of the game, and neither team was able to pull away. In the end, the Wolverines were able to pull out a thrilling 77-76 victory over the Boilermakers, clinching their first Big Ten tournament title since 1998.
The Wolverines were led by their star forward Isaiah Livers, who scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the championship game. He was also named the tournament MVP for his outstanding performance.
The Aftermath
The Wolverines’ victory was a monumental moment for the program. It was the team’s first Big Ten tournament title in 23 years, and it earned them a spot in the 2021 NCAA tournament. The Wolverines went on to reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament, and they look poised to make another deep run in the tournament in 2022.
Conclusion
The 2021 Big Ten tournament was full of surprises, and it resulted in the Michigan Wolverines winning their first Big Ten championship since 1998. Led by tournament MVP Isaiah Livers, the Wolverines pulled out a thrilling 77-76 victory in the championship game over the Purdue Boilermakers, and they earned a spot in the 2021 NCAA tournament. The Wolverines look poised to make another deep run in the tournament in 2022, and their victory in the Big Ten tournament will be remembered for years to come.