Who is the best team in the Big Ten?
This is a question I asked Matt Norlander Sunday’s episode of the Eye On College Basketball podcast — and he didn’t have a good answer, probably because there’s no obvious answer, which is one of the reasons the Big Ten seems like the most interesting of all the power conferences .
Take CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 for example.
I have seven Big Ten teams in the Top 25 and 1 as of Monday morning – where Tennessee remains No. 1 for the 33rd straight day – but none in the top eight. In other words, I have my top seven Big Ten teams within 18 spots of each other and I really wouldn’t be surprised to see any of them win the league title.
For what it’s worth, KenPom.com currently projects that Illinois (No. 11 in Top 25 and 1) and Michigan (No. 25 in Top 25 and 1) will share the Big Ten championship with 14-6 records league. After that, it’s Michigan State (No. 9 in the Top 25 and 1), UCLA (No. 14 in the Top 25 and 1) and Purdue (No. 16 in the Top 25 and 1) who should finish a game back with 13 -7 championship records.
What comes out of this?
For me, it’s that even the best team in the Big Ten – whoever it is – should lose at least six championship games. According to KenPom, no other power conference champion is expected to lose more than four league games. So buckle up, Big Ten fans. Your favorite team is probably poised to lose at least 30% of its conference games even if it wins its conference in a year that looks a lot like the 2019-20 season, when Michigan State, Maryland and Wisconsin all shared the title of the Big Ten. with championship records of 14-6.
