A taste of the conference season in college basketball comes in early December in the Big Ten, with most teams playing two early season conference games before a break for finals and the holidays ahead of the resumption of conference play in early January. Here is a look at a few of the Big Ten teams and what to expect in the first Big Ten conference action of the season.
The Favorite – Purdue: The Boilermakers had their March breakthrough last season and while the championship game ended in defeat it was a historic season for the program and Matt Painter with 34 wins. Zach Edey is in the NBA now and is irreplaceable, but four starters were with the team last season as there is strong continuity for this group. Purdue split two big early season games beating Alabama and losing to Marquette and this may still be the team to beat in the expanded Big Ten. In December Purdue plays at Penn State and hosts Maryland and when conference play resumes in January the Boilermakers have a favorable early draw as this team should produce a great early Big Ten record to sit on top of the standings before the schedule stiffens in late January to possibly open the door for a few other threats in the conference.
Prove It Game – Ohio State at Maryland: Ohio State is in a transition season under Jake Diebler, but the early returns have been promising, beating Texas in the season opener and the only loss coming in a tough road game at Texas A&M. The Buckeyes have had great 3-point shooting numbers on both sides of the ball and the Big Ten opener will be a key test to see where Ohio State stands, playing at Maryland. The Terrapins had a losing season last year for Kevin Willard to erase his solid first season with the program. Maryland is also off to a nice non-conference start including picking up a win over Villanova while the only loss was a close game with Marquette. Most of the wins were against light competition, however, as it isn’t clear what the trajectory of this year’s team will be. This should be a compelling game that will tell us more about whether Ohio State and/or Maryland will be a Big Ten threat this season.
Breakthrough Team - UCLA: The Big Ten had only six NCAA Tournament teams last season and with the expansion to 18 teams there will be expectations of more quality teams from the conference, but there also may be a muddled middle-of-the-pack. After a down 2023-24 season, Big Ten newcomer UCLA looks the part of a team that will be back on the national map. The early season schedule hasn’t proven much as UCLA lost its toughest game to New Mexico, but Mick Cronin added notable major conference transfers at several positions as this is an experienced group with strong depth and size. The schedule looks advantageous as well doubling up on the three other former Pac-12 teams in the Big Ten schedule. UCLA has posted great defensive numbers this season with four of six foes held to 50 or fewer points and the Bruins look likely to be back into the NCAA Tournament conversation in March. UCLA plays familiar teams in Washington and Oregon in the early season Big Ten tests in December.
Transition Team – Washington: The Huskies hired Danny Sprinkle who was at Utah State for just one season, going 28-7 last year. This will be another big move for the program concurrent with the huge shift in the schedule and travel path now as a Big Ten team. Washington has a solid record through non-conference play, but the schedule has been favorable, and the team’s only loss came vs. a Mountain West team. The offensive numbers have been very poor for the Huskies, who were 17-15 last season for Mike Hopkins. Washington’s first Big Ten tests will be against UCLA and USC for familiar foes but the map in January is difficult as the Huskies should expect to be an underdog in possibly nine straight games when conference play resumes. None of the starters on this year’s team were with the program last year and while Sprinkle has strong credentials, this is a team that could struggle going through major changes this season.
The Sleeper – Wisconsin: The Badgers are never favored to win the Big Ten, but they have won the conference twice under Greg Gard and posted a third place and a second place finish as well in his nine seasons. Last year’s team finished fifth but had an ugly Round of 64 result in the NCAA Tournament after making it to the Big Ten tournament championship game. Expectations were grounded for this year’s team with AJ Storr and Chucky Hepburn transferring but John Tonje has so far looked like the portal pickup of the season, starring for the Badgers after limited playing time at Colorado State and then briefly Missouri. Wisconsin is 7-0 through a solid schedule with only one win outside the top 200, while picking up notable wins over Arizona, UCF, and Pittsburgh. The early December schedule will tell if the Badgers can compete for a Big Ten title facing Michigan at home and Illinois on the road in early December with the rivalry non-conference game with Marquette in-between those games. Even if Wisconsin can’t stay unbeaten through that tough run, the overall conference path is reasonable, facing most of the top contenders just once each though doubling up with Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois.