CBB: 2017-18 Big Ten Preview
The Big Ten has a ton of talented programs, as seven teams reached the NCAA Tournament a year ago, and Michigan State is expected to be a title contender in 2017-18. But after them, who else should reach the Big Dance? Which teams aren't going to be as lucky? I'm going to preview each potentially elite team, and break down the rest of the conference, separating them into tiers. I'll also point out the must-see player for each team, beginning with Miles Bridges.
TIER 1: Conference title contenders (Michigan State, Michigan, Minnesota, and Purdue)
1. Michigan State (10-8 last year): The Spartans debuted at #2 in our Sweet Sixteen Rankings, and for good reason. They have a stacked team, with the majority of their talent coming back. Eron Harris and Alvin Ellis III have graduated, but there's more than enough to replace them in the starting line-up. The key to this team fell into place last spring when Miles Bridges spurned the NBA and decided to come back to East Lansing. Michigan State was going to be an improved team, but with Bridges returning, they're now a national contender. Jaren Jackson and Xavier Tillman are freshman to keep an eye on, but the returners - Bridges, Joshua Langford, Nick Ward, and Cassius Winston - are the reason why this team is expected to make a Final Four run.
Best Player: Miles Bridges (16.9 PPG)
2. Michigan (10-8 last year): I watched the Wolverines play last week against Grand Valley State, and in the 82-50 win, they looked like a legitimate team that could contend in the conference. Moritz Wagner is back, and he's the obvious leader of this team, but the x-factor for Michigan is going to be who else can step up. Against the Lakers, Kentucky-transfer Charles Matthews looked fantastic. He had 23 points on 14 shots in 29 minutes, and looked very comfortable playing inside and outside. If Matthews continues playing like that, the Wolverines could return to the Sweet Sixteen. The biggest question marks remains in the backcourt, with a trio of point guards - Zavier Simpson, Jaaron Simmons, and Eli Brooks - that haven't established themselves as the main ball handler. Although, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman is a solid scorer at the shooting guard slot.
Best Player: Moritz Wagner (12.1 PPG)
3. Minnesota (11-7 last year): The Golden Gophers are brining back the majority of their squad from last years team that reached the NCAA Tournament, before being knocked out by Middle Tennessee State in the First Round. Nate Mason, the senior point guard, is a possible Big Ten Player of the Year candidate, and Amir Coffey, Reggie Lynch, and Jordan Murphy, all of whom are starters, are returning. A big get for the Golden Gophers is incoming freshman, Isaiah Washington, who could prove to take on a large part of the scoring load, and will likely be entrusted with a starting position, at least some point in the year. This is arguably Richard Pitino's greatest mix of experience and talent, so they'll give every Big Ten team a run for their money.
Best Player: Nate Mason (15.2 PPG)
4. Purdue (14-4 last year): The Boilermakers are fresh off of fist place in the Big Ten, in which Big Ten Player of the Year Caleb Swanigan was an absolute superstar, but he's off to the NBA. However, Matt Painter still has a good group of athletes, beginning with star guard Carsen Edwards. He started to show an immense amount of potential towards the end of last season, and that should carry over into his sophomore year. Vince Edwards and Isaac Haas are legitimate players, and if Edwards' outside game can continue to grow, then he'll have a shot at being one of the more dynamic forwards in the league. I know this team will be sound on defense, and with P.J. Thompson in the backcourt, they'll be efficient on the offensive end, but the question is whether or not they'll be able to score enough points in up-tempo games. It proved to be their weakness last season in games where Michigan and Kansas ran around them, and Painter will have to address it sooner or later.
Best Player: Carsen Edwards (10.3 PPG)
TIER 2: Potential dark horse teams (Maryland, Northwestern, and Wisconsin): These teams are all going through a period of change, but there is still reason to think, if the stars align correctly, that they could make a run at the Big Ten title, and more realistically, reach the NCAA Tournament. The Terrapins (12-6) became an NCAA-regular ever since Melo Trimble burst onto the scene three years ago. But after three straight tournament appearances, he left for the NBA, and they're stuck trying to find another star. Justin Jackson is the likeliest candidate to fill his shoes, but Kevin Huerter proved that he can be a go-to scorer and he will have a shot at doing so regularly. The Wildcats (10-8) made it to the Big Dance for the first time in school history, and Chris Collins' crew should get there again, especially with Vic Law and Bryant McIntosh coming back. The Badgers (12-6) have to start over as seniors Vitto Brown, Nigel Hayes, Bronson Koenig, and Zak Showalter have graduated, but Ethan Happ will hold his own, opening as one of the candidates to win Player of the Year. Jordan Hill will be key, starting at the one, as well.
TIER 3: Probably going to be on the bubble (Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, and Illinois): All of these teams missed out on the tournament last year, but there should be some improvement, especially with three of them making coaching changes. Archie Miller is in at Indiana. Chris Holtmann was hired at Ohio State. Brad Underwood was picked up at Illinois. It should be interesting for each of those programs to see if they can get back to the tournament in a one-year turnaround. Freshman Justin Smith will be looked on to lead the Hoosiers (7-11) to some wins as O.G. Anunoby, Thomas Bryant, and Justin Blackmon all left for the league. The Hawkeyes (10-8) are losing their best player, Peter Jok, so someone, like Jordan Bohannon, will have to fill in. The Buckeyes (7-11) are going to heavily rely on Derek Funderburk, but I'm not sure if he can get this team to the tournament instantly. And lastly, the Fighting Illini (8-10), who have been a doormat in the league for a long time, are ready to make a move again. However, it'll be hard with Malcolm Hill and Tracey Abrahams leaving, so incoming freshman, Jeremiah Tilmon and Trent Frazier, must be aggressive from the jump.
TIER 4: The Bottom of the barrel (Penn State, Nebraska, and Rutgers): It's been awhile since the Nittany Lions (6-12) were even remotely a contender, and I don't see any reason to see progression in 2017-18. There are three guys transferring out, and only one coming in with Satchel Pierce coming over from Virginia Tech. Penn State's destiny looks grim. The Cornhuskers' (6-12) looks even worse, though. Glynn Watson Jr. is a good player, a really good player, but that's about it for this team. The Scarlet Knights (3-15) have been the worst team in the Big Ten, well pretty much since they came over from the Big East, and I don't see that changing (at least not right now). Corey Sanders is a legit talent, and he'll be in The Association someday, but one skilled guard won't be enough to get Rutgers more than a couple of wins in this conference, especially given how many talented teams are in the Big Ten.
Photo Credit: Big Ten Network.
