Is Big Ten-packed Sweet 16 the dream scenario for championship-starved conference?

Keep these “Three Points” in mind heading into the second week of the men’s NCAA Tournament:

1. Big Ten’s dream scenario

By the time Purdue was finished with Miami on Sunday, the Big Ten had its best five teams — Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska, in order of seeds) — safely in the Sweet 16, with UCLA and Iowa not yet having tipped off their games.

Michigan, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest, looked unstoppable in a 95-72 second-round win against St. Louis. West No. 2 Purdue is sizzling, and, with 11th-seeded Texas next, has a great chance to keep winning. East No. 2 Michigan State — my pick to win that region — is extremely confident. The Illini and Huskers aren’t to be overlooked.

The Big Ten already has more wins by at least 20 points in this tournament — seven — than any conference had in any previous tournament, according to the Big Ten Network. If ever there were a year to end the conference’s championship drought, which dates back to 2000, it’s this one.

2. Izzo’s truth bomb

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is more outspoken than ever at 71, and clearly he’s troubled by the degree to which the transfer portal and pay-for-play has turned every school into a two-way turnstile. But instead of putting that on players, Izzo challenged his constantly recruiting peers for not working hard enough at player retention and development.

“I respect the guys that left,” he said. “I understand why some of them did. I appreciate what [former Spartans coach Jus Heathcote] told me a long time ago: Your job is to be a steward of the game. I don’t think right now enough coaches are standing up to be stewards of the game, and a steward of the game means to try to do what’s best for a player.”

3. A Rose by another name

Arkansas’ 6-3 freshman point guard, Darius Acuff Jr., has 60 points and 13 assists through two games and is so quick, strong and physically able to go wherever the heck he wants to go with the dribble — and what a finisher he is — I can’t help but be reminded of Derrick Rose. The fact Acuff plays for John Calipari, as Rose did when he led Memphis to the national title game, might play into it just a little.