The Big Ten's signature moment during nonconference play came on a court that hasn't produced many wins in recent years.
When Indiana's Christian Watford nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat No. 1 Kentucky, the country realized it once again had to take the Hoosiers seriously.
And if Indiana has returned to national prominence, what does that mean for the rest of the Big Ten, which opens play tonight?
The Hoosiers are the only remaining unbeaten team in the conference, which is the top-rated league in the country. Ohio State's Jared Sullinger is a leading candidate to become national player of the year. The Big Ten won its annual challenge against the Atlantic Coast Conference for the third consecutive year, and all 12 teams have a winning record.
The Big Ten matched its record with seven NCAA Tournament teams last season and appears to have a few more legitimate candidates for 2012. But with only the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes standing out among the elite, a lot of teams are likely to take a lot of losses.
Illinois coach Bruce Weber, whose team opens tonight against Minnesota, believes even Ohio State could suffer more agony of defeat.
"I don't think they'll be dominant but still the class of the league,'' he said. "Other teams will be able to find ways to trip them here and there. I think there will be a big logjam in the middle of the pack. It's very competitive like the NFL where there's a lot of balanced, competitive games and a lot of surprise games."
The Buckeyes won the conference last season with a 16-2 record, followed by Purdue and Wisconsin. Fourth place was a four-way tie between teams with 9-9 records. The conference was strong enough that all four of those teams made the tournament.
Ohio State has the best combination of wins so far, having beaten Florida and Duke. Others have missed opportunities against strong foes: Wisconsin lost to North Carolina and Marquette, Michigan State fell against North Carolina and Duke, Michigan lost to Duke and Illinois lost to Missouri. The Big Ten is 6-13 when playing teams ranked in the Associated Press top 25.
But the conference emerged from Christmas with a cumulative 123-28 record.
"A lot of (teams) had unknowns, but they seem to have been answered now,'' Weber said. "I have to think we'll be No. 1 in RPI, which helps down the road if you have success in your conference because each win is valuable."
The Big Ten lost an abundance of standout seniors after last season, but there has been little drop-off thanks to an influx of good young talent.
Indiana has been one of the biggest surprises nationally after going 28-66 the previous three seasons. Minnesota has bounced back after losing 10 of its final 11 games. And Northwestern refuses to go away despite repeated disappointments in attempts to reach the tournament.
Nine teams already have reached 10 wins, and the other three have eight. But true road games have been few and far between, with only 21 games played on an opponent's home court.
Illinois faces a challenge to rise above the uncertainty in the muddled middle. The Illini have lost two of their last three after struggling in several home games.
Despite a loss to Missouri, Weber felt he learned a bit more about his young team. The Illini might have discovered a new offensive source in guard Joseph Bertrand. And they continued to display a battle-to-the-end mentality.
"The key is what happens when we get to practice,'' he said. "I'm proud, but how much improvement do we keep making? We've got to practice better if we're going to compete in the Big Ten."
