The Big Ten coaches had a teleconference on Monday to talk about tournament play.

Most of the coaches agreed with the sentiment that successful tournament teams have experienced quality play from their guards.

“You’ve got to have some good players across the board,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “But you’ve got to have some guards.”

In the Big Ten, all of the main contenders have good guards: Purdue (E’Twaun Moore), Ohio State (David Lighty, William Buford), Wisconsin (Jordan Taylor), Penn State (Talor Battle), Illinois (Demetri McCamey), Michigan State (Lucas) and Michigan (Darius Morris).

"When it’s one-and-done time, your margin for error is so small," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "That’s why they always say good guards are key, because they can control the ball and make better decisions."