Big Ten's NCAA tournament history since 2000

March 12, 2018 at 12:48AM

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:

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.

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