Big Ten tournament: Five story lines

1 This year's deep run: The Gophers shocked all when they stormed to the conference title game last year. Both Michigan and Michigan State have the desire and talent to repeat Minnesota's feat; both sit firmly on the NCAA tournament bubble. Don't sleep on Penn State, either.

2Sullinger or Johnson: Purdue's JaJuan Johnson won Big Ten Player of the Year honors over Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger in what most expected to be a tight vote. The Buckeyes and Boilermakers are set for a potential meeting in Sunday's title game as the tournament's top two seeds.

3Farewell to a stellar senior class: The Big Ten is one of the few conferences around the nation that has managed to hold onto some of its best players for four years. This will be the last conference tourney for four-year stars such as Purdue's Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, Illinois' Demetri McCamey, Michigan State's Kalin Lucas and Penn State's Talor Battle.

4The Jordan Taylor Show: Former Minnesota Mr. Basketball and current Wisconsin star Jordan Taylor is one of the country's most intriguing players. The Big Ten tournament is another stage for the Benilde-St. Margaret's product to prove he belongs in the conversation with some of Division I's best players.

5Purdue tries to preserve a No. 2 seed: The Boilermakers appeared to have a lock on a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. And then, they lost to Iowa on Sunday. Could a Big Ten tournament title help them regain that slot? Could they grab a No. 1 seed if other contenders fall in conference tourneys?