It is with no hyperbole that we say this is the biggest day in the history of the Northwestern Wildcats' basketball program. The 'Cats are the only power conference team never to make the NCAA Tournament, and a few good wins and no bad losses this season have put Bill Carmody's team squarely on the bubble.
With Northwestern's pivotal first round matchup with Minnesota looming in just a couple of hours, SB Nation's resident bracketologist Chris Dobbertean has the Wildcats as one of his last four teams in.
Northwestern (18-12, 8-10 Big Ten, RPI: 48, SOS: 13, non-conf. SOS: 9)
To remove all doubt, Northwestern will need to impress in Indianapolis -- first against Minnesota early this evening. Win that and another shot at Michigan, a team that has two narrow wins over the Wildcats, would await in Friday's quarterfinals.
For updates on Chicago-related March Madness, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago or drop by the Northwestern blog Sippin' On Purple. For more news and notes from around the country, visit SB Nation's men's basketball news hub or the bracketology blog Blogging the Bracket.