Big Ten basketball power rankings: Can Illinois duo best Luke Garza and Iowa?

Big Ten basketball teams dominated the preseason Top 25 but will anyone be able to overcome the trio of Illinois, Iowa and Michigan State for the conference crown?

One of the big takeaways from last season in college basketball was the depth of the Big Ten. The conference was flirting with sending 11 or 12 teams to the NCAA Tournament with a safe harbor of 10 on the table before the event was scuttled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This season could be just as fun for the Big Ten, which currently has a whopping seven teams inside the AP’s preseason top 25, including three top 10 programs in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. How will the conference shake out this year? Let’s take a dive into the power rankings.

1. Big Ten power rankings: Illinois Fighting Illini

The returns of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn elevate the profile of Illinois, which was already a legitimate top-25 team without them. Having both stars back in the fold gives the Illini a shot at becoming the first Big Ten school to win the NCAA Tournament in two decades.

2. BIg Ten power rankings: Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa has the conference’s best player in Luka Garza, a favorite for the National Player of the Year awards as the season starts. Garza’s dominant interior play and a strong supporting cast means the ceiling has been raised for the Hawkeyes, who haven’t advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 1999.

3. Big Ten power rankings: Michigan State Spartans

It may take a bit for Tom Izzo to adjust his lineup to the way he likes it but the Spartans will always be a threat in March. If Rocket Watts can come close to filling the shoes of Cassius Winston Michigan State will be in the hunt for a spot in the Final Four.

4. Big Ten power rankings: Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers won a share of the Big Ten title last year and bring back everyone from that team except for Brevin Pritzel. A solid core led by Micah Potter and D’Mitrik Trice will have Wisconsin right in the thick of things for another conference title.

5. Big Ten power rankings: Rutgers Scarlet Knights

This is a high-water mark for Rutgers, which was poised to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991 and brings back most of the core from its 20-11 team. A big key for the Scarlet Knights will be finding a way to improve on their 2-8 mark in true road games from a year ago.

6. Big Ten power rankings: Ohio State Buckeyes

The loss of Kaleb Wesson hurts but Ohio State did pick up a big commitment on the grad transfer market with former Harvard product Seth Towns. His arrival should complement a strong core and put the Buckeyes safely into the NCAA Tournament field in March.

7. Big Ten power rankings: Michigan Wolverines

Juwan Howard‘s second year at the helm should be fun as returners Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner are joined by a strong recruiting class headlined by Hunter Dickinson. Michigan also gets a boost with the arrival of Wake Forest transfer Chaundee Brown, who received a waiver from the NCAA granting him immediate eligibility.

8. Big Ten power rankings: Indiana Hoosiers

Archie Miller’s rebuilding project is at an interesting stage after five key players left following the season. Indiana will need to mold a talented recruiting class with the holdovers quickly to rise up these rankings but an NCAA Tournament bid appears to be the floor here.

9. Big Ten power rankings: Maryland Terrapins

No program in the conference was hit harder with departures than Maryland, which lost its two best players to graduation and the draft while several others transferred out. There is still enough talent and experience on the roster to build a dangerous roster but it might take a while for Mark Turgeon to find the right rotation.

10. Big Ten power rankings: Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers have a very young team here and may need a bit of time to become a true threat in the Big Ten. There is tournament potential here if the pieces gel quickly but an NIT trip is probably the most likely outcome.

11. Big Ten power rankings: Penn State Nittany Lions

The Nittany Lions overachieved last season but are facing some turmoil after head coach Pat Chambers stepped down in late October after being accused of making racially charged remarks by a former player. Jim Ferry will coach the team on an interim basis and it will be tough for him to make a case for the permanent job in a tough conference with a weaker roster.

12. Big Ten power rankings: Minnesota Golden Gophers

Richard Pitino’s squad hovered around .500 for most of the 2019-20 season and will experience some big turnover with a transfer heavy rotation in place for the coming season. The amount of turnover is why the Golden Gophers are so low but if the pieces gel quickly they could push for an NCAA Tournament berth.

13. Big Ten power rankings: Northwestern Wildcats

The bottom has fallen out for Northwestern after the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance three years ago with the Wildcats compiling a 36-59 record since the 2016-17 campaign. A severe lack of talent in comparison to the rest of the league will make this another long year for the Wildcats’ faithful.

14. Big Ten power rankings: Nebraska Cornhuskers

The other team that was a disaster last season, Nebraska can at least cling to the hope that Fred Hoiberg can rebuild the program into a perennial contender as he did at Iowa State in the rugged Big 12. A more talented roster should allow the Cornhuskers to make some progress with an aim at contention for an NCAA Tournament bid as soon as next year.

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