Who is the best team in the Big Ten?
That’s a question I asked Matt Norlander on Sunday’s episode of the Eye On College Basketball Podcast — and he didn’t have a great answer, probably because there’s no obvious answer, which is among the reasons the Big Ten appears to be the most up-for-grabs of all of the power conferences.
Take the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1, for instance.
I have seven Big Ten teams in Monday morning’s updated Top 25 And 1 — where Tennessee remains No. 1 for the 33rd consecutive day — but none in the top eight. Put another way, I have my top seven Big Ten teams within 18 spots of each other and genuinely wouldn’t be surprised to see any of them win the league title.
For what it’s worth, KenPom.com is currently projecting Illinois (No. 11 in the Top 25 And 1) and Michigan (No. 25 in the Top 25 And 1) to share the Big Ten championship with 14-6 league records. 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) projected to finish one game back with 13-7 league records.
What stands out about that?
To me, it’s that even the best team in the Big Ten — whichever team that might be — is expected to lose at least six league games. No other power-conference champion is projected to lose more than four league games, according to KenPom. So, buckle up, Big Ten fans. Your favorite team is probably about to lose at least 30% of its conference games even if it wins its conference in a year that’s shaping up a lot like the 2019-20 season, when Michigan State, Maryland and Wisconsin all shared the Big Ten title with 14-6 league records.
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