Big Ten basketball: 5 bold predictions for 2020-2021 NCAA basketball season
Big Ten basketball predicted order of finish
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Michigan State Spartans
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Wisconsin Badgers
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Michigan Wolverines
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Maryland Terrapins
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Northwestern Wildcats
Perhaps this is a fool’s errand and it’s certainly not the consensus pick but I have the Iowa Hawkeyes edging out the Illinois Fighting Illini at the top of the conference.
While the Illini may have the best top-to-bottom roster in the Big Ten for the 2020-2021 season, the Hawkeyes with Garza are deep in their own right but also have the best player in the conference. For a league that’s always tightly contested, Garza’s presence is what ultimately pushes Iowa to the No. 1 spot in this predicted order of finish.
Of course, this isn’t going to just be a two-team race as Micah Potter and the Wisconsin Badgers have a strong core that should aim to challenge for the top spot after winning a share of the crown last year. And while Michigan State lost some stars, they still have a ton of firepower and Tom Izzo on the sidelines to work his wizardry.
And don’t sleep on the likes of Ohio State, resurgent Rutgers and even Indiana as potential big movers up the standings this year. There are flaws with each of those teams but also undeniable talent. With the right breaks, they could be forces to be reckoned with this year.