The 29th Big Ten men’s basketball tournament starts Tuesday and ends Sunday at the United Center, where the champion will snip down the nets while the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal furiously gets underway.

In keeping with tradition, the NCAA selection committee will claim to have factored the Big Ten final into its seeding even though it — how to put this? — did not.

Unlike last year, when 15 teams made the Big Ten field, this tourney will include all 18 teams and begin a day sooner, because clearly a five-day event just wasn’t long enough.

A team-by-team glimpse, in order of seeding (odds via FanDuel):

1. MICHIGAN (29-2, 19-1)

Next: TBD, 11 a.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +105.

Snip? If the ginormous frontcourt of Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. brutalizes foes like it did Illinois in Champaign, it’s over-and-out for everybody else.

Or slip? Point guard Elliot Cadeau might wear down with injured L.J. Cason unable to spell him.

2. NEBRASKA (25-5, 15-5)

Next: TBD, 5:30 p.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +1000.

Snip? No team plays harder at the defensive end, and the Huskers move the ball beautifully on offense. Is it shooter Pryce Sandfort’s time to shine?

Or slip? Is coach Fred Hoiberg allowed to win a championship at the UC? Asking for a few million friends.

3. MICHIGAN STATE (25-6, 15-5)

Next: TBD, approximately 8 p.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +650.

Snip? Jeremy Fears is one of the best playmakers around, and we are bound by law to say it’s hard to beat Tom Izzo in March.

Or slip? As tough as this team is, it lacks the kind of star power we’ve often seen in green.

4. ILLINOIS (24-7, 15-5)

Next: TBD, approximately 1:30 p.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +470.

Snip? If freshmen Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic hold up to postseason competition, the shooters around them will give the Illini a shot to win it for the third time in the 2020s.

Or slip? The Illini likely would have to get past Michigan in the semis, and the first meeting was ugly.

5. WISCONSIN (22-9, 14-6)

Next: Washington-USC winner, approximately 1:30 p.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +3500.

Snip? The team that popped Purdue for 97 points to ruin the Boilermakers’ Senior Day can beat anybody.

Or slip? The team that ham-fisted its way through recent lopsided losses at Ohio State and Oregon isn’t going anywhere.

6. UCLA (21-10, 13-7)

Next: Minnesota-Rutgers winner, approximately 8 p.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +3500.

Snip? When point guard Donovan Dent is on his game, this offense — particularly shooter Tyler Bilodeau — is dangerous.

Or slip? The Bruins are a different team, and not in a good way, away from home.

7. PURDUE (23-8, 13-7)

Next: TBD, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +550.

Snip? Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer have been there so many times before.

Or slip? Who would’ve believed the Boilers would tumble all the way to seventh? Something’s off with Matt Painter’s crew.

8. OHIO STATE (20-11, 12-8)

Next: TBD, 11 a.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +7500.

Snip? Bruce Thornton, the school’s career scoring leader, isn’t the only Buckeye who can fill it up.

Or slip? Statistically, this team is right down the middle in the conference. That has “also-ran” written all over it.

9. IOWA (20-11, 10-10)

Next: Oregon-Maryland winner, 11 a.m. Wednesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +5000.

Snip? Guard Bennett Stirtz is terrific, and first-year coach Ben McCollum’s postseason record (most of it at Northwest Missouri State) is unreal.

Or slip? Stirtz doesn’t have a whole lot in the way of sidekicks.

10. INDIANA (18-13, 9-11)

Next: Northwestern-Penn State winner, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, BTN.

Title odds: +10000.

Snip? Guard Lamar Wilkerson led the Big Ten in scoring in league play and had multiple 40-plus-point games.

Or slip? Look, it’s a football school and the whole world knows it.

11. MINNESOTA (15-16, 8-12)

Next: Rutgers, approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday, BTN.

Title odds: +30000.

Snip? The Gophers have beaten three higher seeds, one of them Michigan State.

Or slip? Minnesota still hasn’t won this tournament. Why start now?

12. WASHINGTON (15-16, 7-13)

Next: USC, approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +20000.

Snip? The Huskies went 3-3 down the stretch and had late leads in two of the losses.

Or slip? One NCAA win in the last 14 years kind of says it all.

13. USC (18-13, 7-13)

Next: Washington, approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +30000.

Snip? A 4-1 stretch that began at Wisconsin looked really good.

Or slip? There have been seven straight losses since then, and star Chad Baker-Mazara was just booted from the program.

14. RUTGERS (13-18, 6-14)

Next: Minnesota, approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday, BTN.

Title odds: N/A.

Snip? A lot of steals and not many turnovers from this squad.

Or slip? Every league win came against Penn State, Maryland, Oregon or Northwestern.

15. NORTHWESTERN (13-18, 5-15)

Next: Penn State, approximately 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +30000.

Snip? The name’s Nick Martinelli. Perhaps you’ve heard of him.

Or slip? And then there are the rest of the Wildcats.

16. OREGON (12-19, 5-15)

Next: Maryland, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +30000.

Snip? The Ducks won four of seven down the stretch. They aren’t total pushovers.

Or slip? Injured Jackson Shelstad isn’t entering the building. At least not in shorts.

17. MARYLAND (11-20, 4-16)

Next: Oregon, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

Title odds: N/A.

Snip? Freshman guard Andre Mills has been going off and scored 39 at Northwestern.

Or slip? Uh, the Terrapins still lost in Evanston.

18. PENN STATE (12-19, 3-17)

Next: Northwestern, approximately 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

Title odds: N/A.

Snip? Aside from being utterly terrible at defense, rebounding and three-point shooting, the Nittany Lions are merely subpar.

Or slip? Gee, you think?

High on the bluffs overlooking the Upper Mississippi River, Effigy Mounds National Monument preserves more than 200 ancient earthen mounds shaped like bears, birds, and spirits of the natural world. Built by Indigenous peoples more than 1,000 years ago, these formations stand as powerful reminders that America’s story stretches far beyond European arrival. At this quiet landscape of forested ridges and sweeping river views, visitors can walk among sacred sites that continue to hold meaning for many Native nations today. Effigy Mounds is both a cultural touchstone and one of the most visually striking archaeological landscapes in the United States.

Location: Harpers Ferry, Iowa

Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2WhrGJ8cqh2nsC8L6

Why it matters

Effigy Mounds honors the artistry, engineering, and spiritual traditions of Indigenous communities who shaped these hills centuries before the United States existed. As the nation marks 250 years, this landscape reminds us that America’s story begins long before 1776. The bear, bird and linear mounds — some perfectly aligned with celestial patterns — preserve cultural memory, identity and resilience. They stand as a testament to the first peoples who understood this land as home.

What to see today

Visitors can follow wooded trails to some of the most iconic shapes, including the Great Bear Mound and soaring bird effigies perched above the Mississippi. Interpretive exhibits explain the moundbuilders’ cultures, craftsmanship, and the region’s deep archaeological significance. Listen for wind moving through oak forests and watch eagles ride the river’s currents below. Rangers and tribal partners share stories of ongoing cultural ties, helping visitors understand these earthworks not as relics, but as living heritage.

More: These are 3 of the Most Treasured Views in Iowa. How to find them:

Ask a local

Stop in nearby McGregor for a bite at Old Man River Restaurant & Brewery, where locals drift in for beers and scenic river views or the Backwoods Bar & Grill, a popular spot for casual American pub food.