Big Ten Court Chronicles: The '99 Championship
Relive the intensity, the upsets, and the crowning of a champion in the 1999 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament.
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Tournament Overview
Dates & Location
The 1999 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament, the second annual postseason tournament for the conference, took place from March 4th to March 7th, 1999. It was held at the renowned United Center in Chicago, Illinois.[2]
Championship Outcome
The championship game saw the Michigan State Spartans emerge victorious, defeating the Illinois Fighting Illini. This marked Michigan State's first Big Ten tournament title.[2]
Key Figures
Under the guidance of Head Coach Tom Izzo, Michigan State secured their championship win. The tournament's Most Valuable Player was Mateen Cleaves of Michigan State, recognizing his outstanding performance.[2]
Participants
All eleven Big Ten Conference schools participated in this tournament, vying for conference supremacy and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.[6]
Conference Standings
Regular Season Performance
The final standings for the 1998-99 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season determined the seeding for the tournament. Michigan State finished atop the conference with an impressive 15-1 record.
Team | Conf. | Overall | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||
No. 2 Michigan Stateโ | 15 | โ | 1 | .938 | 33 | โ | 5 | .868 | ||||
No. 19 Indiana | 9 | โ | 7 | .563 | 23 | โ | 11 | .676 | ||||
No. 18 Wisconsin | 9 | โ | 7 | .563 | 22 | โ | 10 | .688 | ||||
No. 21 Iowa | 9 | โ | 7 | .563 | 20 | โ | 10 | .667 | ||||
Purdue | 7 | โ | 9 | .438 | 21 | โ | 13 | .618 | ||||
Northwestern | 6 | โ | 10 | .375 | 15 | โ | 14 | .517 | ||||
Penn State | 5 | โ | 11 | .313 | 13 | โ | 14 | .481 | ||||
Illinois | 3 | โ | 13 | .188 | 14 | โ | 18 | .438 | ||||
No. 14 Ohio State** | 1 | โ | 1 | .500 | 1 | โ | 1 | .500 | ||||
Minnesota*** | 0 | โ | 8 | .000 | 0 | โ | 11 | .000 | ||||
Michigan* | 0 | โ | 11 | .000 | 0 | โ | 19 | .000 |
Rankings from AP poll
*Michigan: 12 games vacated due to sanctions against the program
**Ohio State: 34 games including 5 NCAA Tourn. games vacated due to sanctions against the program[1]
*** Minnesota vacated 17 games including 1 NCAA Tourn. game due to sanctions against the program
Disputed records: Michigan: 12โ19, 5โ11; Ohio State: 27โ9, 12โ4; Minnesota: 17โ11, 8โ8
Tournament Bracket
Path to the Championship
The tournament featured all eleven Big Ten teams, with the top five seeds receiving a first-round bye. The bracket illustrates the progression of teams through the single-elimination format.
Opening Round March 4 |
Quarterfinals March 5 |
Semifinals March 6 |
Championship March 7 |
||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | Northwestern | 54 | 1 | #2 Michigan State | 61 | 1 | #2 Michigan State | 56 | 1 | #2 Michigan State | 67 | ||||||
9 | Penn State | 44 | 8 | Northwestern | 59 | 4 | #19 Wisconsin | 41 | 1 | #2 Michigan State | 67 | ||||||
4 | #19 Wisconsin | 74 | 5 | #20 Iowa | 60 | 11 | Illinois | 50 | |||||||||
5 | #20 Iowa | 60 | 5 | #20 Iowa | 60 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | ||||||
11 | Illinois | 82 | 2 | #11 Ohio State | 77 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | |||||||||
6 | #23 Minnesota | 64 | 2 | #11 Ohio State | 87 | 3 | #17 Indiana | 66 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | ||||||
11 | Illinois | 67 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | ||||||
3 | #17 Indiana | 66 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | |||||||||
7 | Purdue | 73 | 10 | Michigan | 79 | 2 | #11 Ohio State | 77 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | ||||||
10 | Michigan | 79 | 7 | Purdue | 73 | 3 | #17 Indiana | 66 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | ||||||
2 | #11 Ohio State | 87 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | |||||||||
11 | Illinois | 82 | 11 | Illinois | 79 | 11 | Illinois | 79 |
All-Tournament Team
Honored Athletes
The following players were recognized for their exceptional performances throughout the tournament:
- Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State โ Big Ten tournament Most Outstanding Player
- Cory Bradford, Illinois
- Antonio Smith, Michigan State
- Evan Eschmeyer, Northwestern
- Michael Redd, Ohio State
Source[7]
Context: Vacated Games
NCAA Sanctions Impact
It is important to note that the records for several teams in this tournament have been officially vacated due to NCAA sanctions. This means that games involving these teams during the specified periods are not officially recognized in their historical records.
- Michigan: The Wolverines had 12 games vacated from this season, including their tournament participation, due to sanctions related to the Michigan basketball scandal.[3]
- Minnesota: The Golden Gophers' appearance in this tournament was vacated due to sanctions stemming from the Minnesota academic scandal.[4]
- Ohio State: The Buckeyes also vacated their tournament appearance due to NCAA sanctions.[5]
These vacated games affect the official historical records but do not diminish the events that transpired on the court during the tournament itself.
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References
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Important Information
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
This is not professional sports advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional sports analysis, historical research, or official NCAA/conference records. Always consult official sources for definitive information. The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.