Two down, two upsets.

It's been a good day for the dark jerseys here in Indianapolis. In game one, #9 Michigan beat #8 Iowa 55-47. In game two, #10 Illinois upset #7 Penn State 64-63 on a late putback by Chester Frazier. The only game remaining today is the most relevant to the Hoosiers, #6 Minnesota against #11 Northwestern. I will be equally nervous with either outcome. Minnesota is a respectable team that did everything but upset one of the top 4 this year. Northwestern, despite its 1-17 conference record, gave the Hoosiers fits in both matchups and should have won the game in Evanston.

In case you are wondering, no, there have never been three upsets on the first day of the BTT. In fact, this is only the third time in 11 tournaments that there have been two upsets on day one (1999 and 2002 were the others). Illinois in 1999 is the only #11 to win a game (Illinois won three, of course), so the odds are against Northwestern. Oddly enough, given that it theoretically is the closest matched game of day one, this is only the third time that a #9 seed has won (#9 Penn State in 1999; #9 Iowa in 2002). It's the seventh time in 11 tournaments that the #10 has defeated the #7.

EDIT: And Northwestern leads Minnesota 34-21 at halftime. Could be the wildest first day in BTT history.

EDIT: Northwestern couldn't hang on. Minnesota 55, Northwestern 52.