NCAA Bracketology is a science at this point of the season, of course, and it doesn't get any easier with all of the conference tournaments happening at the same time. One of the most difficult decisions to be made on Friday morning was likely what to do with the Northwestern Wildcats after Thursday's loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 2012 Big Ten Tournament.
The loss made Northwestern look terribly average at best considering Minnesota was playing without its only senior, instead relying on a pair of freshmen as the Gophers went on to win in overtime. That loss hurt Northwestern quite a bit, eliminating them not only from the Big Ten Tournament but the NCAA Tournament as well, according to SB Nation expert Chris Dobbertean.
Northwestern (18-13 8-11 Big Ten, RPI: 47, SOS: 12, non-conf. SOS: 9)
Thursday's loss to Minnesota likely doomed the Wildcats, who own just one Top 50 win (against 10 losses), to the NIT. They likely needed to beat Michigan today anyway, and now they won't even get the chance.
The Gophers won't be able to knock Friday's opponent, the Michigan Wolverines, out of the tournament. They could play themselves into the Big Dance, however, if they're able to string together a few more wins.
For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.