Tonight's upset of Michigan State by Minnesota was the perfect cap to a very long but intensely satisfying day of Big Ten Basketball.
Evan Turner's 40 foot buzzer beater to beat Michigan, the Illini withstanding the longest two minutes of basketball imaginable, Purdue overcoming a Northwestern team that would not stay dead, and lastly of course an overtime slug-fest between the Spartans and Gophers.

It was a feast of basketball that will not likely be matched in my first hand experience for some time. It is of course all the more satisfying due to the fact that my Illini have secured (knock on wood) their ticket for selection Sunday. Combine that with the unlikely Minnesota win, and you have the recipe for a six bid Big Ten this year, which before today could have been very easily only four.

This is my first Big Ten Tournament, and I have to say the atmosphere is unlike any you will see. The fanbases of eight different teams came into Conseco today, and most stayed around for every game. These are fans that know one another, know the other teams, and have a huge amount of emotion invested in these games. To see Michigan fans stand up and chant "little brother" to Michigan State fans, a full 10 hours after losing to their other hated rival Ohio State. A lone Penn State fan, with no team to root on, chanting "we are...." with no response is priceless. Purdue fans taking pictures of themselves making despicable gestures near the Steve Alford bobble head statue. Illinois alumni coming up to me and asking "are the Illini in now? Can I finally stop worrying?"

It is a rare opportunity to get the entire conference in one place, at one time to try and rip each other limb from limb.

For all the stress that getting here was, it is already completely worth it.