College basketball insider: Four Big Ten teams bouncing on the bubble

Here we are again.

Through 3½ months, the NCAA tournament landscape has mostly been forged in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin, Ohio State, Maryland and Michigan State appear to be safely in the field of 68.

Michigan and Nebraska (both ranked in the preseason) and the Gophers (coming off an NIT championship) have hit unexpected rough patches and find themselves needing a huge Big Ten tournament run to make it into the Big Dance.

The teams in between are hoping to land on the right side of the bubble — the fluid positioning of teams that are oh-so-close — before it pops.

Four Big Ten teams are in such a position with one frantic week of regular-season play left. For them, what happens in the days ahead could make all the difference.

Purdue: The Boilermakers are on a four-game winning streak and are tied for second in the Big Ten at 11-4, but they are still trying to overcome a rocky nonconference schedule. Victories against Brigham Young and North Carolina State were undermined by five losses, including two head-scratchers at home against North Florida (165th overall in RPI according to CBSSports.com) and Gardner-Webb (161st).

Iowa: It's hard to imagine the Hawkeyes not getting in at this point, and it would probably take a pretty bad ending to keep them out of the field. Iowa (18-10, 9-6) is on a three-game winning streak, having beaten Rutgers, Nebraska and Illinois, but it's the body of work the Hawkeyes have put together all year that really shines.

A victory at No. 15 North Carolina, a sweep of Ohio State and a home victory vs. Maryland makes for a strong résumé, even if it is damaged by a home loss to the Gophers and a loss at Northwestern.

Even if the Hawkeyes lost their last three regular-season games, they would still be .500 with plenty to show. Now, Iowa should play for seeding.

Indiana: The Hoosiers (19-10, 9-7) were a No. 6 seed in Lunardi's bracket at the beginning of the month. But Wednesday's 72-65 loss at Northwestern pulled Indiana back down to a No. 9 seed — and bubble territory. The Hoosiers — whose only road victories came at Nebraska, Illinois and Rutgers — get their last two at home. They also have strong nonconference (Southern Methodist, Butler) and conference (Maryland, Ohio State) victories to fall back on. But with one week left, they are not exactly making a positive statement.

Illinois: Rayvonte Rice is starting to hit his stride after an injury and a suspension, but the Illini suddenly find others — namely Kendrick Nunn and Malcolm Hill — struggling as they try to make their final push. With an lackluster RPI (60th) and three consecutive losses, Illinois finds itself in precarious position — and is listed among the first four out in Lunardi's bracket.

Big Ten power poll

Wisconsin (25-3, 13-2 Big Ten): The Badgers lost at Maryland on Tuesday, ending a 10-game winning steak. But hey, that's life on the road in the Big Ten.

Maryland (23-5, 11-4): Just a shame we only got to see one Terrapins-Badgers matchup.

Michigan State (19-9, 10-5): The Spartans were surging until the Gophers came to town, but they remain very much in the mix for second place.

Purdue (19-9, 11-4): The Boilermakers have won eight of nine but face a tough final stretch.

Ohio State (20-8, 9-6): It sounds as if star freshman D'Angelo Russell is under the weather.

Indiana (19-10, 9-7): The Hoosiers haven't won back-to-back games in five weeks.

Illinois (17-11, 7-8): Every game is under the microscope after a loss to Iowa took away another résumé-padding shot.

Northwestern (14-14, 5-10): Three of the games were at home, but the Wildcats' four-game winning streak is nothing to scoff at.

Gophers (17-12, 6-10): Still not on the bubble, but coach Richard Pitino just directed the biggest victory of his tenure.

Penn State (15-13, 3-12): Just held to 39 points by Northwestern. These are the days when motivation doesn't come easily.

Nebraska (13-15, 5-11): Coach Tim Miles locked the Cornhuskers out of their luxurious locker room, but it doesn't seem to have helped.

Rutgers (10-19, 2-14): The skid has reached 12 consecutive games since that victory over Wisconsin.

Short takes

Cosmetic touches: Iowa is almost certainly a lock for the NCAA tournament, and its remaining schedule won't wow anyone. But with a three-game winning streak going into a game at Penn State (5 p.m. Saturday, ESPNU), Iowa's focus should be on avoiding the end-of-season letdown last year brought. The Hawkeyes could earn as high as a No. 6 seed.

Big Chances for the Big Dance: Purdue is in crunch time despite a four-game winning streak, as the Boilermakers still need all the help they can get to remain on the right side of the bubble. Lucky for coach Matt Painter's team, the Boilermakers still have chances to impress, starting at Ohio State (6:30 p.m. Sunday, BTN).

'Big Three' watch

A weekly update on Minnesotans Tyus Jones (Apple Valley, Duke), Reid Travis (DeLa­Salle, Stanford) and Rashad Vaughn (Cooper, UNLV):

Jones was named national freshman of the week, narrowly edging out teammate Justice Winslow after averaging 16.5 points, 8.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 rebounds in victories over North Carolina and Clemson. Duke has won eight in a row; Jones had just seven points and nine assists in its most recent victory, 91-86 at Virginia Tech. ... Travis appears to be hitting his stride once more, now seven games back from a stress fracture in his leg. In the past two games, he combined for 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Cardinal. …

Vaughn remains sidelined indefinitely because of a torn meniscus in his left knee.