2024 Big Ten Tournament Awards & Takeaways

CBB Review hands out awards for each conference tournament in 2024. Up next: The Big Ten Tournament.

Despite the masses assuming a Purdue championship in the Big Ten tournament, we at CBB Review did not fall in line, rather selecting Illinois as the Big Ten champions in the Big Ten preview article. That’s exactly what happened, except instead of facing the Boilermakers in the title game, the Illini defeated the Badgers of Wisconsin in the title game, 93-87, to take home the crown in Minneapolis.

CBB Review Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player

Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois

Considering Shannon Jr. averaged 34.0 PPG in the tournament for the winning team, it would be journalistic malpractice to not name him the Most Outstanding Player. He’ll also get a spot on the All-Big Ten Tournament team, because anyone averaging 30+ per game is pretty much guaranteed a spot there. 

But everything else about Shannon Jr. can be found here. That’s an opinion piece written earlier this year, because for those who don’t know, Terrence Shannon Jr. was charged with rape December 27 and yet has played in every game for the Illini since Jan. 21. Would Illinois have won the tournament without him? Almost certainly not, which is something that should probably be talked about.

CBB Review All-Big Ten Tournament First Team

• G: Keisei Tominaga, Nebraska – 2 GP (20.5 PPG, 3.5 APG, 2.5 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 51.6 FG%)
• G: Chucky Hepburn, Wisconsin – 3 GP (17.3 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.3 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 69.0 FG%)
• F: Marcus Domask, Illinois – 3 GP (16.3 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.3 RPG)
• G: Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois – 3 GP (34.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 45.5 3P%)
• C: Zach Edey, Purdue – 2 GP (28.5 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.5 BPG, 63.0 FG%)

Illinois’s NCAA Tournament Prediction

Sweet Sixteen

Illinois will be in for a particularly tough 3-14 matchup in the first round when they face off against Morehead State, who play at a much slower tempo than the Illini. Will that affect the game result at all? If KenPom’s 93rd-ranked defense doesn’t step up, it’s certainly possible. The Illini offense could be considered elite, but that defense is simply Swiss cheese, and it limits the Illini’s ceiling in this tournament. I do think they get past Morehead State and BYU/Duquesne, but it’s just not likely that they beat Iowa State, who certainly have the defensive mettle to stop this team.