Big Ten tournament: Empty house? Maybe Thursday’s matchups will liven things up

The Big Ten tournament is no Garden-variety event. What I mean by that is, it has no business being played at Madison Square Garden. Not this week, which is a full week earlier than the Big Ten usually holds this party. Not according to the normal timing — in other words, leading directly into Selection Sunday.

Not ever.

Yet here we are. How important is New York to the so-called ‘‘footprint’’ of the Big Ten? The empty seats — somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 of them — during the Illinois-Iowa and Minnesota-Rutgers games Wednesday had something to say about that.

Chicago, please. Indianapolis, please. Thankfully, the tournament will alternate between its ancestral homes in 2019-22.

But New York? Oh, please.

Yet the games will go on Thursday, with four contests that, collectively, fail — let’s just be honest about it — to inspire. In a down year overall in the conference, fans will have to wait until the quarterfinals Friday to get the full flavor of the Big Ten’s potential on the national stage in the weeks to come.

Ranking the matchups

1. Michigan (No. 5 seed) vs. Iowa (No. 12): It’s the best team playing Thursday — that would be the Wolverines, in case it wasn’t obvious — against a Hawkeyes squad that’s riding high with a, well, two-game winning streak.

So it isn’t quite Michigan State-Purdue. What are you going to do?

John Beilein’s Michigan teams — smart, sound, dangerous — always are a good watch at this time of year. And considering the way the Hawkeyes manhandled Illinois, especially on the offensive glass, in a 96-87 victory, they’re a legitimate upset threat.

2. Maryland (No. 8) vs. Wisconsin (No. 9): Disappointing season for the Terps. Unrecognizably bad season for the Badgers. But you know what? This one might be pretty fun.

The physical matchup inside between Wisconsin post tactician Ethan Happ and Maryland intimidator Bruno Fernando will be quite the game within the game. Each team is led by a better-than-he-looks point guard, the Terps by Anthony Cowan and Badgers by Brad Davison. And the Terps’ Kevin Huerter and the Badgers’ Brevin Pritzl really can shoot the ball.

3. Penn State (No. 7) vs. Northwestern (No. 10): The Nittany Lions need at least a few victories in New York to get back into the NCAA Tournament discussion. The Wildcats . . . maybe next year? Still, it’ll be compelling to watch seniors Scottie Lindsey and Bryant McIntosh fight to prolong the end of their careers.

4. Indiana (No. 6) vs. Rutgers (No. 14): These aren’t your daddy’s Hoosiers, but — on the weaker side of the bracket — maybe they can peak at the right time.

What’s at stake

Top-seeded Michigan State is ranked second in the national polls, but the Spartans aren’t projected as a No. 1 seed for the NCAAs, according to most bracket experts. It’ll take a Big Ten tournament title to change that.

Purdue joins the Spartans as a projected No. 2 seed in the Big Dance. Do the Boilermakers have an opportunity to win their way into a No. 1 position? It’s doubtful. Matt Painter’s team might have to cut down the nets at MSG just to remain a No. 2 seed.

In the worst way, Nebraska is going to need a victory Friday against the Michigan-Iowa winner to get off the bubble and into the NCAA field. It might take another victory after that, though beating the Wolverines would be a nice feather in the cap.

Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan are the only NCAA locks. Anyone other than the Huskers probably needs to win it all in New York to get to chase their One Shining Moment.

Follow me on Twitter @SLGreenberg.

Email: sgreenberg@suntimes.com