March 16, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS -- Four Big Ten teams were selected to participate in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. Big Ten regular season and tournament Champion Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue will all be participating in this year's championship.

Wisconsin is the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Regional and will travel to the Omaha, Neb. first/second round site. First up for the Badgers will be No. 14 Cal State Fullerton with the second round pitting the winner of that game against the winner of No. 6 USC vs. No. 11 Kansas State. Wisconsin will be playing in the tournament for the 14th time and making its tenth straight appearance. The Badgers are 17-12 in their previous trips and have made two Final Four appearances, including winning the 1941 title.

Michigan State is the No. 5 seed in the South Regional and is on the road to the Denver, Co. first/second round site. The Spartans are slated to play No. 12 Temple first with the winner facing the winner of No. 4 Pitt vs. No. 13 Oral Roberts. MSU is making its 22nd NCAA appearance overall and 11th consecutive. Michigan State has a 41-20 mark in the NCAA Tournament and six Final Four appearances, including the 1979 and 2000 national championships.

Purdue is the No. 6 seed in the West Regional and will be in Washington, D.C. for its first/second round games. The Boilermakers will take on No. 11 Baylor with the winner of that game facing the winner of No. 3 Xavier vs. No. 14 Georgia. Purdue's appearance is the 21st in school history and its second consecutive. The Boilers have a 27-20 record in NCAA tournament games as well as two Final Four appearances.

Indiana is the No. 8 seed in the East Regional and will play at the first/second round site in Raleigh, N.C. The Hoosiers have No. 9 Arkansas as their first round opponent and the winner goes on to face the winner of No. 1 North Carolina vs. Coppin State/Mt. St. Mary's game. Indiana is making a conference-record 35th appearance in the tournament and its third consecutive trip. In tournament play, the Hoosiers have recorded a 60-29 mark, and have eight final four appearances to their credit, including five national titles, the most recent of which came in 1987.