Chicago - Every year, the Big Ten Tournament not only provides excitement, but it also adds a dose of surprise.

In the tournament's five-year history, only one No. 1 seed has reached the championship game. The second-seeded team hasn't fared much better, landing in the finals only twice.

Illinois reached the title game as a No. 11 seed in 1999 and Iowa has invaded the finals on two occasions as a No. 6 seed and a No. 9 seed.

Both prove anything is possible when 11 teams tangle on the hardwood, making college hoops fans even more enticed by the 2003 Big Ten Tournament.

"This is a new season - the biggest thing is getting on a roll and confidence," Minnesota head coach Dan Monson said. "It's such a great atmosphere this type of year in the one and out and some can handle that and relish in the fact of getting on a roll. Some teams tighten up and don't do well and it's a fun time of year to see what type of team you have."

Monson and his Gophers learned how unpredictable the tournament can be, first-hand, falling to No. 10 seed Northwestern (12-16), 76-64 on Thursday. The loss might have busted Minnesota's NCAA tournament bubble.

MSU head coach Tom Izzo said the tournament is wilder this year than in any of the previous five. Izzo added he doesn't expect the top four seeds to be playing extremely long.

"I think there are many teams that are capable of winning this," Izzo said. "I definitely think there are a lot of teams that are going to do damage."

But if the Big Ten regular season proved anything, No. 18 Wisconsin is the conference's best team. The Badgers finished 12-4 in the league, winning their first outright conference championship since 1947.

Wisconsin also has a stellar overall record at 22-6, and Monson said regardless of the parity, he expects the Badgers to come out on top.

"I think Wisconsin has to be the favorite because they just spent two months proving they are the best team in the league," Monson said.

But he added "there isn't a sense of dominance by anyone, so there is optimism by the other 10 teams."

But as the numbers prove, the season's best rarely comes out on top. Illinois seemingly has the best chance to knock off the Badgers. The No. 13 Fighting Illini (21-6) took Wisconsin down to the buzzer at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisc. before falling, 60-59. The game decided the conference champion.

All finishing one game back of Illinois in the conference were Michigan, Purdue and MSU. The three proved during the year they can hang with the top teams, but lapses cost them position in the league.

The Wolverines (17-12) were given the No. 3 seed by winning the tiebreaker between the three squads, while the Boilermakers (18-9) and Spartans (18-11) took the fourth and fifth seeds, respectively.

"The tournament, it's a great environment and it's so fun to play in," MSU senior forward Aloysius Anagonye said. "Every game has that great atmosphere and like other years, it's anybody's title. We have as good of a chance as anybody. There is no No. 1 power."

NCAA Tournament bubble team Indiana (18-11) is slotted in the No. 6 spot, while fellow bubble team Minnesota (16-11) filled the No. 7 position. Ohio State (14-13) is the No. 8 seed.

"It takes a lot out of any team to win three games in three days, or even four in four days," Buckeye head coach Jim O'Brien said. "There is so much emotion, the games are so physical that it takes so much out of people."

The Buckeyes kept their Cinderella dream alive, knocking off Iowa (15-13) on Thursday, 66-64.

Iowa traditionally has been the team that, year after year, does the most damage in the tournament. The Hawkeyes occupied the No. 9 seed in this year's tournament.

"I think it's a little different because we don't have as many weapons this year as we've had the past two years," Iowa head coach Steve Alford said before the tournament began. "I know in our last two years, we've made a high percentage of our shots."

Northwestern fills the No. 10 spot, and Penn State, which lost to Indian on Thursday, was No. 11.

Both teams knocked off sixth-seeded Indiana and the Nittany Lions also defeated Wisconsin earlier in the season. The Wildcats proved to be dangerous with their win Thursday.

Alford said the seeds should be thrown out in the Big Ten Tournament because skills, luck and hope are what determine the winner.

"You pack for four days and hope to wear all the clothes that are in your luggage," he said.