A Big Ten team hasn't cut down the nets at the Final Four since 2000, when Michigan State won the title. Six times in this millennium, a Big Ten team has lost in the title game. The Big Ten, it seems, can no longer win the big one. Here's a look at how it has fared since 2000:
Big Ten's NCAA tournament history since 2000
Key: Each graph below represents a single year of NCAA tournament play. Each graph has 14 slices, one for each Big Ten team. Segments in each slice represent how far a team advanced in that year's tournament. Faded-out slices indicate teams not yet in the Big Ten.
Note: These two graphs do not represent a year of the NCAA tournament.
2000: Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson led MSU to the national title. Wisconsin advanced to its first Final Four in 59 years as an 8 seed.
2001: MSU made it back to the Final Four, but Duke would cut down the nets inside the Metrodome. Illinois was a 1 seed but lost in the regional final.
2002: Mike Davis coached Indiana to the title game, losing to Maryland, which was then a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
2003: It wasn't a good year, with Michigan State the only team doing damage. It lost in the Elite Eight to Texas. Wisconsin lost in the Sweet 16.
2004: If 2003 was bad, this was worse. Only three teams made the tournament. Illinois' 10-point loss to Duke in the Sweet 16 was the, uh, highlight.
2005: MSU and Illinois made the Final Four. The Illini, the top overall seed, lost in the title game to UNC, which beat Wisconsin in the Elite Eight.
2006: All six Big Ten teams who made the tournament were eliminated in Week 1. George Mason's Final Four run started with an upset of MSU.
2007: In a rematch of sorts of the BCS Championship Game, Florida beat Ohio State in the title game. (The Gators beat OSU for the football title in January.)
2008: Wisconsin had a top-four seed but was upset by Davidson in the Sweet 16. Some kid named Stephen Curry scored 33 points in that one.
2009: MSU nearly won it all, but North Carolina cut the nets in Detroit. Of the seven Big Ten teams, MSU was the only one to win more than twice.
2010: Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue all made the Sweet 16, and the Spartans made the Final Four before losing to Butler.
2011: Seven Big Ten teams made it, and 1 seed Ohio State and 4 seed Wisconsin made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to Kentucky and Butler, respectively.
2012: Ohio State, one of four teams from Ohio to make the Sweet 16, advanced to the Final Four before losing to Kansas by two points.
2013: The banner has been stripped by the NCAA, but Rick Pitino and Louisville did beat Michigan for the title in 2013. Minnesota won once before losing.
2014: Wisconsin returned to the Final Four but lost by one to Kentucky. The Wildcats got there by ending Michigan's season in the regional final.
2015: Tyus Jones beat the Badgers in the title game. Wisconsin got there by dispatching undefeated Kentucky. Michigan State reached the Elite Eight.
2016: Maryland lost in the Sweet 16 for the second straight year. Wisconsin and Indiana fell there as well. Villanova won a memorable game a week later.
2017: Minnesota and Maryland lost in the first round; five other Big Ten teams won at least once. Michigan, Wisconsin and Purdue lost in the Sweet 16.
about the writer
Minnesota rallied for an overtime victory without its superstar after trailing by two goals entering the third period.