For the first time ever, 18 teams vied for supremacy in the Big Ten and surprisingly, they all had a mixed bag of results. With the regular season behind us, let’s treat this like it’s high school and dish out some end-of-year superlatives!
Most likely to win it all — Michigan State
The Spartans were the Big Ten’s top team and highlighted their season by beating their rival on the road. Michigan State is a program that’s always dangerous in March and may be the Big Ten’s best chance at a national championship in 2025.
Most likely to take a long look in the mirror — Rutgers
How does a team with two consensus first-round NBA Draft picks spend most of the season fighting for a spot in a 14-team conference tournament? That’s embarrassing no matter how you put it and the Scarlet Knights need to do some serious self-reflection.
Most likely to dream of past pastures — Washington and USC
A two-for-one? You betcha! Two of Oregon’s biggest rivals — that the Ducks were so kind to bring with them to the Big Ten — probably wish they would have stayed in the Pac-12. The Trojans and the Huskies were both dumpster-fire programs in the Big Ten, winning less than a dozen combined conference games. Oh well, winning isn’t for everyone. These two squads made sure of it!
Most likely to get heartbroken in March — Maryland
The poor Terrapins had to suffer three different buzzer-beater losses in conference play this season, leading me to believe that when the end of the line comes for Maryland, it will be merciless and brutal for fans in College Park, Maryland.
Most likely to recruit like crazy — Purdue
A lot of people thought the Boilermakers would take a massive step back after the departure of Zach Edey, but the falloff wasn’t overly extreme. Purdue stayed toward the top of one of college basketball’s best conferences and will be a major threat in the national tournament. A team that proves it can win even in “down years” will surely attract a good amount of incoming talent.
Most likely to pull a big upset — Oregon
At one point in the season, the Ducks were ranked as a top-10 team. While their fall from grace was rapid, it now allows them to play spoiler from an overlooked spot from this point on. Oregon is red-hot and playing some of its best ball. The Ducks aren’t a team anyone is excited to face right now, and could prove troublesome for a contender’s championship aspirations.
Most likely to turn heads in the tournament — Illinois
It seems that every time I check on a meaningful Illini game, they’re blowing out a good opponent scoring an avalanche of buckets. Illinois loves to put up big point totals, and that’s something that could win the orange and blue a lot of hearts in the tournament.
Most likely to have their season completely forgotten — Northwestern, Iowa, Minnesota
What weird fever dreams these teams all had. They weren’t good enough to do anything overly memorable, but they aren’t completely in the basement of the Big Ten. They just kind of sat in a weird purgatory limbo and likely won’t be thought of again after you finish reading this article.
Most likely to end up overhyped in the tournament — UCLA
Los Angeles market? Unimpressive conference record? Big brand? Check, check, check! I see UCLA as a team that ruins a lot of brackets after people listen to the “experts” that like the Bruins for their history or their colors.
