Hello all, it's been awhile. This is the first post on Head in the Game since our NBA Bubble Preview back in July and our first college basketball post since March 10th, which *checks calendar* was 19 years ago. We've been busy catching lightning bugs, playing cornhole, drinking pop and making pudgie pies over a bonfire. Hey, those are very Midwest things. You know what else is a very Midwest thing (and New Jersey and Maryland)? The Big Ten! As you can tell, the Head in the Game team participated in a virtual segue workshop.
College basketball is back after what felt like a decade. Things definitely still aren't back to business as usual. There's going to be little to no fans for the majority of the season. The non-conference season is going to be shorter than usual and some leagues will be playing a different schedule than they normally do. In fact, it's reasonable to expect plenty of delayed/cancelled games, especially early in the season.
The Big Ten is going to have a more normal conference season and it's sure to be a good one. Last season the league was set to have 11 Teams make the NCAA Tournament before things got shut down, but this year is still shaping up to be extremely competitive. Right now I see 9 teams that look like strong contenders to make it this year, possibly 10 depending on how Minnesota performs. Two of the top three players in the conference are back, as well as several other high end players. With all this it is clear that if you can win in the Big Ten, you can win anywhere.
Awards
Player of the Year: Luka Garza - Iowa - It's not often that the reigning conference player of the year returns for another year, but that's what we have here. Luka Garza is both the leading candidate for the conference player of the year and the national player of the year. I think Ayo Dosunmu will give him a run for his money for both awards, but in the end, Garza will slightly edge him out.
Coach of the Year: Greg Gard - Wisconsin - It's hard to pick Coach of the Year in the preseason as it typically goes to the coach whose team had lower expectations and exceeds them. That's why I selected my preseason conference champ's coach to win it.
Freshman of the Year: Khristian Lander - Indiana - Lander was the highest rated recruit coming into the Big Ten and he meets an area of need for Indiana, guard depth. With the high amount of talent the Big Ten is returning, it didn't bring in too many highly rated recruits. Lander will come in as the league potential star Freshman.
First Team All-Conference: G - Marcus Carr (Minnesota), G - Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), F - Isaiah Livers (Michigan), F - Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), C - Luka Garza (Iowa)
14. Nebraska
2019-20 Record: 7-25 (2-18, 14th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 118th
Key Returners: Thorir Thorbarnson (SR), Yvan Ouedraogo (SO)
Key Arrivals: Trey McGowens (Transfer Pitt), Dalano Banton (Transfer Western Kentucky), Kobe Webster (Transfer Western Illinois), Shamiel Steveson (Transfer Pitt), Derrick Walker (Transfer Tennessee), Teddy Allen (JUCO), Lat Mayen (JUCO), Eduardo Andre (FR), Elijah Wood (FR)
Key Departures: Haanif Cheatham (Graduation), Dachon Burke (Pro), Cam Mack (Transfer To Prairie View A&M), Jervay Green (Transfer to Pacific), Kevin Cross (Transfer to Tulane)
Outlook: Nebraska struggled in their first year under head coach Fred Hoiberg and this upcoming season doesn't look too much more optimistic. The Cornhuskers return only one of their top six scorers from the previous season after being decimated by transfers and the decision to go pro by Dachon Burke. For Nebraska to be competitive this season, they'll be heavily reliant on transfers. Dalano Banton, who is transferring from Western Kentucky, should take over ball handling duties, but the big addition would be Pitt transfer Trey McGowens, who is the key factor if the Huskers want to get out of 14th place.
13. Northwestern
2019-20 Record: 8-23 (3-17, 13th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 70th
Key Returners: Anthony Gaines (SR), Miller Kopp (JR), Pete Nance (JR), Ryan Young (R. SO), Robbie Beran (SO), Boo Buie (SO)
Key Arrivals: Chase Audige (Transfer William & Mary), Ty Berry (FR)
Key Departures: Pat Spencer (Graduation), A.J Turner (Graduation)
Outlook: Once the darling of the league during their run to their first tournament appearance in 2017, Northwestern has settled back into the Big Ten's cellar. The Wildcats have talent on their roster due to multiple good recruiting class, yet they lack the top end talent necessary to compete in this conference. The team returns its leading scorer in Miller Kopp, and last year's freshman standout Boo Buie is looking to keep improving at point guard. The Wildcats have the ability to surprise some teams and pick off a win or two against the teams in the middle of the standings, but I doubt they'll win many games against teams finishing higher than them in the conference.
12. Penn State
2019-20 Record: 21-10 (11-9, Tied for 5th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 64th
Key Returners: Jamari Wheeler (SR), John Harrar (SR), Izaiah Brockington (R. JR), Myreon Jones (JR), Myles Dread (JR), Seth Lundy (SO)
Key Arrivals: Sam Sessoms (Transfer Binghampton), Dallion Johnson (FR), DJ Gordon (FR), Caleb Dorsey (FR), Abdou Tsimbila (FR), Patrick Kelly (R FR)
Key Departures: Lamar Stevens (Graduation), Mike Watkins (Graduation), Curtis Jones (Graduation)
Outlook: Well you try to be proactive and write your preview early and you're so excited that you finish, then a couple hours later everything changes. That's exactly what happened with Penn State. I had written their Outlook with the thought that Pat Chambers would be coaching this team, but that's not happening now. As inconvenient as it is for me, this situation sounds like what's best for the school is for Chambers to be gone. I still like this team more than Northwestern and Nebraska, but I'm certainly dropping down from the tier with Maryland and Minnesota where I had them previously. We'll see what happens with this year, but I have a feeling I'll be coming back to this post to talk about one of their key pieces deciding to forgo this season and transfer.
11. Maryland
2019-20 Record: 24-7 (14-6, Tied for 1st in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 51st
Key Returners: Darryl Morsell (SR), Eric Ayala (JR), Aaron Wiggins (JR), Donta Scott (SO)
Key Arrivals: Jairus Hamilton (Transfer Boston College), Galin Smith (Transfer Alabama), Marcus Dockery (FR), Aquan Smart (FR), Arnaud Revas (FR)
Key Departures: Anthony Cowan (Graduation), Jalen Smith (Pro)
Outlook: The Terrapins are coming off of their most successful season since joining the Big Ten. They captured a share of the regular season league title and were a sure bet to be a top three seed in the NCAA Tournament. Once the season got shut down Maryland lost a lot. First, they lost their chance to make a deep tournament run. Next, they lost their two best players, Cowan to graduation and Jalen Smith to the draft. Yes, the Terps return a lot of key pieces, but the pieces that aren't returning played such a huge role that it's next to impossible to replace them. I expect the Terps to be playing on the first day of the Big Ten Tournament but get at least one win against one of the better teams in the conference.
10. Minnesota
2019-20 Record: 15-16 (8-12, 12th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 35th
Key Returners: Eric Curry (R SR), Marcus Carr (R JR), Gabe Kalscheur (JR), Isaiah Ihnen (SO), Tre' Williams (SO)
Key Arrivals: Liam Robbins (Transfer Drake), Both Gach (Transfer Utah), Brandon Johnson (Transfer Western Michigan), Jamal Mashburn Jr (FR), Martice Mitchell (FR), David Mutaf (FR)
Key Departures: Alihan Demir (Graduation), Daniel Oturu (Pro), Payton Willis (Transfer to College of Charleston)
Outlook: Richard Pitino might have the hottest seat in the Big Ten. In eight years he's only led the Golden Gophers to two NCAA Tournament bids and given a below .500 record last season, they would've only made the NCAA tournament with a Big Ten tournament win. This season won't get much easier for Pitino to prove his keep in Minnesota. Daniel Oturu was by and large their best player but left to enter the draft. Two transfers, Liam Robbins from Drake and Both Gach from Utah (who is awaiting approval to play this season), will try to fill his role. The Gophers do return the oft-injured Eric Curry and one of the league's top point guards in Marcus Carr.
9. Michigan
2019-20 Record: 19-12 (10-10, 9th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 17th
Key Returners: Austin Davis (R SR), Isaiah Livers (SR), Eli Brooks (SR), Brandon Johns Jr (JR), Franz Wagner (SO)
Key Arrivals: Chaundee Brown (Transfer Wake Forest), Mike Smith (Transfer Columbia), Hunter Dickinson (FR), Zeb Jackson (FR), Terrance Williams (FR)
Key Departures: Zavier Simpson (Graduation), Jon Teske (Graduation), David DeJulius (Transfer to Cincinnati)
Outlook: The Wolverines have one of the conference's best one-two punch in Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner. Michigan was a completely different team once Livers was out with injury, so a key to this season will be keeping him healthy. Wagner is looking to make a jump in his Sophomore year after a stellar Freshman campaign. After this duo, there are a lot of question marks on the roster. Grad transfer Mike Smith, who averaged almost 23 points last season at Columbia, certainly helps, but I believe it will take Juwan Howard a little longer to truly build up the program.
8. Ohio State
2019-20 Record: 21-10 (11-9, Tied for 5th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 10th
Key Returners: CJ Walker (R SR), Kyle Young (SR), Duane Washington Jr (JR), E.J. Liddell (SO)
Key Arrivals: Seth Towns (Transfer Harvard), Justice Sueing (Transfer Cal), Eugene Brown III (FR), Zed Key (FR), Meechie Johnson Jr. (FR - Won't be eligible until the second semester)
Key Departures: Andre Wesson (Graduation), Kaleb Wesson (Pro), Luther Muhammad (Transfer to Arizona State), D.J. Carton (Transfer to Marquette)
Outlook: Much like last season, where the Buckeyes started 10-0 but finished 21-10, the off season was full of ups and downs. The transfers of Luther Muhammad and D.J. Carton, the graduation of Andre Wesson, and the decision to go pro by his brother Kaleb Wesson certainly were lows. Despite those losses, the Buckeyes still maintain four of their top eight scorers. They also add in a couple of key transfers in Seth Towns and Justice Sueing. OSU is a team I'm not sure what to think about with all the roster changes, so I believe they have plenty of potential to move both up and down the standings.
7. Purdue
2019-20 Record: 16-15 (9-11, Tied for 10th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 25th
Key Returners: Aaron Wheeler (R JR), Sasha Stefanovic (R JR), Trevion Williams (JR), Eric Hunter Jr. (JR), Isaiah Thompson (SO)
Key Arrivals: Brandon Newman (R FR), Mason Gillis (R FR), Jaden Ivey (FR), Ethan Mortan (FR), Zach Edey (FR)
Key Departures: Jahaad Proctor (Graduation), Evan Boudreaux (Graduation), Matt Haarms (Transfer to BYU), Nojel Eastern (Transfer to Howard)
Outlook: Losing your lone two seniors to transfers certainly hurts, but while they were both key pieces to the Boilermaker's roster, I wouldn't say either was a top player on this team. Eric Hunter and Trevion Williams both have a chance to make an All-Conference Team during their junior years. Purdue doesn't have an overly competitive frontcourt outside of Williams, but they will have a strong backcourt. Despite the lack of seniors, the Boilermakers will have plenty of experience, but the question is do they have a complete enough team to finish in the top few in the league.
6. Rutgers
2019-20 Record: 20-11 (11-9, Tied for 5th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 27th
Key Returners: Jacob Young (R SR), Geo Baker (SR), Myles Johnson (R JR), Montez Mathis (JR), Caleb McConnell (JR), Paul Mulcahy (SO)
Key Arrivals: Cliff Omoruyi (FR), Mawot Mag (FR), Oskar Palmquist (FR), Dean Reiber (FR)
Key Departures: Caleb McConnell (Taking Medical Redshirt, Will Return in 2021-2022), Akwasi Yeboah (Graduation), Shaq Carter (Graduation), Peter Kiss (Transfer to Bryant)
Outlook: The Scarlet Knights were the feel good story in the Big Ten last season. What was once the league's punching bag now has a good chance to finish near the top of the league. They are a very veteran team, with their top five players all being Juniors and Seniors. Omoruyi is the highest rated recruit Rutgers has gotten under Steve Pikiell and looks like he'll be a good Big Ten big in the long run. Rutgers can be a top team in the league this year, but they are in danger of a let down after a surprisingly good season last year, especially with it being likely that there'll be no fans at their home games (where they were 18-1 last year).
5. Indiana
2019-20 Record: 20-11 (9-11, Tied for 10th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 26th
Key Returners: Joey Brunk (R SR), Al Durham (SR), Race Thompson (R JR) Rob Phinisee (JR), Jerome Hunter (R SO) Trayce Jackson-Davis (SO), Armaan Franklin (SO)
Key Arrivals: Khristian Lander (FR), Anthony Leal (FR), Jordan Geronimo (FR), Trey Galloway (FR)
Key Departures: Devonte Green (Graduation), De'Ron Davis (Graduation), Justin Smith (Transfer to Arkansas)
Outlook: This year looks like it will be the year Archie Miller's program finally makes the next step forward. They return an All-American candidate in Trayce Jackson-Davis and a pair of starting guards. For the third straight year the Hoosiers landed the Indiana Mr. Basketball (Anthony Leal), an award that's produced ten first round picks since 2000. Khristian Lander gives the team another strong option at guard and would've been the heavy favorite to win Mr. Basketball if he hadn't graduated early. The big question for the Hoosiers, as it has been for the past few years, is can they develop outside shooting to be more dynamic offensively.
4. Iowa
2019-20 Record: 20-11 (11-9, Tied for 5th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 12th
Key Returners: Jordan Bohannon (R SR), Luka Garza (SR), Jack Nunge (R JR), Connor McCaffery (R JR), Jo Weiskamp (JR), CJ Fredrick (R SO), Joe Toussaint (SO)
Key Arrivals: Ahron Ulis (FR), Tony Perkins (FR), John Ogundele (FR)
Key Departures: Ryan Kreiner (Graduation), Bakari Evelyn (Graduation)
Outlook: I feel like for whatever reason I have to defend my selecting Iowa at four, but I feel like if someone follows Big Ten basketball closely they'll agree with my rationale. Yes, they are returning the national player of the year in Garza. Yes, they are bringing back all their key contributors. Still, I don't trust this team. They've yet to show they are remotely competent enough on the defensive end to win a Big Ten title and Fran McCaffery is as famous for his late season collapses as he is his outbursts at refs. I could be totally wrong and they could finally put it all together, but I'm in a wait to see mode until they prove me wrong.
3. Michigan State
2019-20 Record: 22-9 (14-6, Tied for 1st in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 15th
Key Returners: Joshua Langford (R SR), Aaron Henry (JR), Marcus Bingham (JR), Gabe Brown (JR), Rocket Watts (SO), Malik Hall (SO)
Key Arrivals: Joey Hauser (Transfer Marquette), Mady Sissoko (FR), AJ Hoggard (FR)
Key Departures: Xavier Tillman (Pro), Cassius Winston (Graduation)
Outlook: I simply trust Tom Izzo more than any other coach in the Big Ten. I'm not in love with this team this year, but I'm confident that Izzo will get everything figured out by the time conference play starts. There's no real replacing Cassius Winston, but with some hopeful growth from Watts and the return of Langford from a season's long injury, hopefully they can retain the production just from two players instead of one. Joey Hauser is a huge add to the roster after sitting out a year following his transfer from Marquette. My expectations remain the same as they are every year from MSU, to have a chance to win the Big Ten title in the final week of the season.
2. Illinois
2019-20 Record: 21-10 (13-7, 4th in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 18th
Key Returners: Trent Frazier (SR), Da'Monte Williams (SR), Ayo Dosunmu (JR), Giorgi Bezhanishvili (JR), Kofi Cockburn (SO)
Key Arrivals: Jacob Grandison (Transfer Holy Cross), Austin Hutcherson (Transfer Wesleyan-DIII), Adam Miller (FR), Andre Curbelo (FR), Coleman Hawkins (FR)
Key Departures: Andres Feliz (Graduation), Kipper Nichols (Graduation), Alan Griffin (Transfer to Syracuse)
Outlook: A big surprise finishing fourth in the Big Ten last season after struggling in Brad Underwood's first two years. A change in defensive system made a world of difference. No team possibly benefited more from draft opt-outs than the Illini, returning one the Big Ten's third best players from last season in Ayo Dosunmu and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Kofi Cockburn. Add in senior guards Trent Frazier and Da'Monte Williams, junior big man Giorgi Bezhanishvili, and one the highest rated Freshmen coming into the Big Ten in Adam Miller, and this Illinois roster is loaded with talent. The only reason I'm not giving them the nod to be my preseason conference champion is that Wisconsin is returning almost everyone from a conference title run.
1. Wisconsin
2019-20 Record: 21-10 (14-6, Tied for 1st in Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rating: 7th
Key Returners: D'Mitrik Trice (R SR), Aleem Ford (R SR), Micah Potter (R SR), Brad Davison (SR), Nate Reuvers (SR), Tyler Wahl (SR)
Key Arrivals: Ben Carlson (FR), Johnny Davis (FR), Lorne Bowman (FR), Steven Crowl (FR), Jordan Davis (FR)
Key Departures: Brevin Pritzl (Graduation)
Outlook: No one was thinking that after starting the Big Ten season 6-6 that the Badgers would end up finishing as co-conference champions, but eight straight wins later, that's exactly what they did. Wiscy has the most experienced and possibly the best starting five in the Big Ten. Every single one of them is a Senior and three of them are fifth year Seniors. The big question mark will be the bench. The second unit will rely mainly on Freshmen, and their success or failure could determine if the Badgers defend their conference crown or potentially go further.
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