The culmination of what 11 Big Ten teams have been working for all season has arrived. The 2009 Women's Big Ten Basketball Tournament will debut Thursday morning from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
Wisconsin's post-season dreams depend greatly upon this weekend's performance. The Badgers will likely need to win four games in four days—a feat never accomplished at the women's tournament—to see themselves on TV on Selection Monday.
""We know what we have to do to get to the NCAA tournament,"" Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said at her press conference Monday. ""We're going to have to win that tournament. And the setting is right, the bracket is right for us, and we're working hard, practicing hard, playing pretty good basketball.""
The seventh-seeded Badgers (6-12 Big Ten, 16-13 overall) will kick off the tournament at 11 a.m. Thursday against No. 10 Northwestern (3-15, 7-22) who won the only matchup between the two teams this season. The Wildcats shut down Wisconsin's offense in the second half and escaped with a 55-52 victory in Evanston, Ill., in early January.
""I like our first round opponent,"" Stone said. ""I like the fact that we're playing the first game on the first day … and I like the bracket. Our team's got a lot of energy… We're already knee-deep into Northwestern and getting ourselves prepared for a team that's much improved and [has a] deceiving record.""
Sophomore guard and honorable mention All-Big Ten honoree Alyssa Karel leads the Badgers, averaging 13 points per game for the Badgers.
The Wildcats are led by Third-Team All-Big Ten and 6'5"" sophomore center Amy Jaeschke, who averages 14 points and 3.21 blocks per game.
""You finish strong—that's our focus,"" Stone said. ""Our theme certainly of this week is finishing strong. And we know what we've got ahead of us and you just take them one at a time.""
No. 2 Michigan State (13-5, 20-9) awaits the winner of Thursday's first round matchup—a team the Badgers most recently defeated at home 49-46. But Coach Stone isn't worried about the Badgers' potential quarterfinal opponent.
""Our focus is on Northwestern and Northwestern only.""
Stone has seen several tight games with her squad and is sure it can play with anyone in the conference.
""We've had some nail-biters, certainly, some 3-point shots go in at the buzzer and force overtime,"" Stone said. ""We've played with the best, even Ohio State here at home … We've competed with the best in the league.""
While teams like the Spartans, No. 3 Purdue and No. 4 Iowa have favorable seeds, it is definitely the year of the Buckeyes in the Big Ten. Ohio State boasts four members selected to the coaches' poll's post-season honors, including Freshman of the Year Samantha Prahalis and overall Player of the Year Jantel Lavender.
""Ohio State, since I've been here, has been the favorite,"" Stone said. ""They've been the power. They really have.""
Yet Coach Stone also sees a great parity with this year's tournament, as several teams are battling for limited spots in the NCAA bracket.
""That Big Ten Tournament is wide open,"" Stone said. ""And I like our bracket, I like our pairings, and we'll just take one at a time and hopefully can play four games down there.""
Should the Badgers defeat Northwestern, Wisconsin will take on Michigan State Friday at 10:30 a.m. All nine first-round through semifinal tournament games will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, with the championship shown on ESPN2.
