Category: Big Ten basketball

How did the Big Ten do in the ‘Rothstein 45’?

A total of eight Big Ten teams (and two future conference additions) are ranked in the top 45 of the nation according to Jon Rothstein.

Four Big Ten teams made the latest top 25 for Jon Rothstein’s most recent update ‘Rothstein 45.’ Included in this ranking are Rutgers basketball and Michigan, neither of whom made the NCAA Tournament this past season.

There are a total of eight Big Ten teams in Rothstein’s detailed ranking, not including the 2024 additions of UCLA and USC. Both programs, currently in the Pac-12, are ranked by Rothstein in the top 25.

A noted college basketball analyst, Rothstein is best known for his work at CBS Sports but he also creates content for FanDuel.

In his latest update, Rothstein has Duke as the top team in the nation followed by UConn. The top-ranked team from the Big Ten is No. 3 Purdue.

Here is how the Big Ten did in the latest update of the ‘Rothstein 45’:

Future Big Ten members:

  • No. 12 USC
  • No. 22 UCLA

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How has the Big Ten done in the NCAA Tournament this year? Not good…

Big Ten basketball has suffered during the NCAA Tournament.

It hasn’t been a bad NCAA Tournament for the Big Ten. It has been downright dismal for the conference.

Last season’s struggles by the Big Ten were well documented (two teams from the conference made the Sweet 16 with only one Big Ten team making the Elite Eight last year after sending nine teams to the NCAA Tournament).

This year, with eight teams in the March Madness, only one Big Ten team is making the Sweet 16. Indiana laid an egg on Sunday night against No. 5 Miami, meaning they won’t advance in the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan State is the Big Ten’s last standing team in the NCAA Tournament. They will play No. 3 Kansas State on Thursday.

Does this diminish the Big Ten, which led all conferences with eight teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament? Well, it certainly underscores that the conference doesn’t have a star program, a true blueblood, that can be the bellcow for the conference.

And while this has been a wacky tournament so far, it still isn’t a good look for the Big Ten to have just one team advance to the Sweet 16. Yes, the conference is deep but this has not been a good look for the Big Ten at all.

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A look at how the Big Ten has fared in the NCAA Tournament so far:

  • No. 1 Purdue (lost to No. 16 FDU in the first round)
  • No. 4 Indiana (beat No. 13 Kent State in the first round, lost to No. 5 Indiana in the second round)
  • No. 7 Michigan State (beat No. 10 USC in the first round, beat No. 2 Marquette, will play No. 3 Kansas State on March 23)
  • No. 7 Northwestern (beat No. 10 Boise State in the first round, lost to No. 2 UCLA in the second round)
  • No. 8 Iowa (lost to No. 9 Auburn in the first round)
  • No. 8 Maryland (beat No. West Virginia in the first round, lost to No. 1 Alabama in the second round)
  • No. 9 Illinois (lost to No. 8 Arkansas in the first round)
  • No. 10 Penn State (beat No. 7 Texas A&M in the first round, lost to No. 2 Texas in the second round)

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How did the Big Ten do in the NCAA Tournament so far?

Apart from Purdue’s loss to Fairleigh Dickinson, the Big Ten has had a fairly good start to the NCAA Tournament.

Five of the eight teams from the Big Ten advanced in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It wasn’t necessarily a flex from the Big Ten in the first round of the March Madness, but it was still an encouraging sign for the conference following last year’s postseason struggles.

And yes, despite whatever that was from Purdue in losing to a very strong, balanced and determined FDU, this was nonetheless a better start to the NCAA Tournament than not for the Big Ten.

(And let’s be honest, FDU looked pretty, pretty good in beating the Big Ten’s top team).

The big winner of the opening round for the Big Ten was Penn State as the Nittany Lions backed up their strong conference tournament run with a first-round win.

Here is how the Big Ten did in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament:

South Region

  • No. 8 Maryland beat No. 9 West Virginia 67-65 (will play No. 1 seed Alabama on Saturday)

East Region

  • No. 1 Purdue lost to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson 63-58
  • No. 7 Michigan State beat No. 10 USC 72-62 (will play No. 2 Marquette on Sunday)

Midwest Region

  • No. 4 Indiana beat No. 13 Kent State 70-61 (will play No. 5 Miami on Sunday)
  • No. 8 Iowa lost to No. 9 Auburn 83-75
  • No. 10 Penn State beat No. 7 Texas A&M 76-59 (will play No. 2 Texas on Sunday)

West Region

  • No. 7 Northwestern beat No. 10 Boise State 75-67 (will play No. 2 UCLA on Saturday)
  • No. 9 Illinois lost to No. 8 Arakansas 73-63

As noted in the bracket above, future Big Ten members UCLA and USC have had mixed results in the NCAA Tournament. UCLA beat No. 15 UNC-Asheville 86-53. USC lost to a very solid Michigan State.

 

 

Transfer portal: One of the Big Ten’s top forwards, Jamison Battle, set to leave Minnesota

Jamison Battle has entered the transfer portal.

Jamson Battle, one of the best forwards in the Big Ten over the past two seasons, has entered the transfer portal.

Battle is athletic enough to play either forward position. At 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, he is solid in the post, can face-up and adds something with his rebounding and defensive play.

Last season on a bad Minnesota team, Battle averaged 12.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists. In a 90-55 loss at Rutgers in February, Battle scored 13 points with two rebounds and three assists. Then in a March upset of Rutgers, he led all Minnesota players with 20 points.

Having transferred to Minnesota (after two years at George Washington), he was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection last year.

In 2021-22, Battle averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Golden Gophers in his first season in the Big Ten.

For Rutgers, Battle might be an interesting option. While the Scarlet Knights are bringing in four-star small forward Gavin Griffiths and have Mawot Mag at the position, Battle might be a better option at the power forward spot for a program like Rutgers.

 

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Athletic and able to move well in the post, his solid rebounding and interior defense could be a fit for the Scarlet Knights.

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The latest ESPN BPI update is good news for eight (and maybe nine) Big Ten teams

The latest update from ESPN is good news for the Big Ten.

The Big Ten is well positioned to have at least eight and maybe nine (or perhaps 10) teams in the NCAA Tournament. The conference, while not heavy and perhaps without a true flagship program this season, is certainly deep and strong.

In the latest update from ESPN Analytics, the Basketball Power Index (BPI) has eight Big Ten teams in the top 40 of their rankings. This is important with 32 at-large bids available for the NCAA Tournament.

There are nine Big Ten teams within the top 45 of the ESPN BPI:

Ohio State at 13-18, would only gain entry into the NCAA Tournament were they to win the Big Ten Tournament (they open play against Wisconsin on Wednesday night). But it is clear that the Buckeyes are an intriguing case, given their high BPI rating (they are No. 58 in the latest KenPom update this week).

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The conference is looking to only be getting stronger next year with two new additions, both of whom have had solid seasons led by the juggernaut that is UCLA.

Future Big Ten teams in the ESPN BPI:

  • No. 4 UCLA
  • No. 52 USC

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What Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 60 of the latest ESPN BPI update?

Ten Big Ten basketball teams are within striking range of the NCAA Tournament field according to the ESPN BPI.

The Big Ten is likely to be the conference with the most representation in this year’s NCAA Tournament, with some projections slating the conference for nine teams this season. And while the conference isn’t top heavy, there is certainly a lot of depth here.

In the ESPN BPI (Basketball Power Index), there are 10 Big Ten teams currently in the top 60 programs.

For those who don’t follow college basketball closely, BPI “measures a team’s true strength going forward; expected point margin per 70 possessions vs an average opponent on a neutral court.”

Of the 68 teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament field, 32 will be automatic qualifiers via their conference championship. This puts 36 at-large bids of which may projections have the Big Ten sending seven if not eight teams for this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Here are the 10 teams from the Big Ten in the top 60 of the ESPN BPI (as of the March 2 update):

This is a sign of strength from the Big Ten, showing that the conference could have eight or nine teams called out on Selection Sunday.

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It might be eye-opening for fans to see No. 20 Rutgers ranked so highly, given the volatility of the team’s performance over the past three weeks. In addition No. 39 Ohio State, is the only team in the BPI top 50 with a losing record.

If the Buckeyes can close out the regular season with two wins and then somehow get three wins in the Big Ten Tournament, it will be interesting to see if they can sneak into the NCAA Tournament field.

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It is a tall ask for sure of Ohio State, but they do have the talent to pull off this type of a run. The Buckeyes check in at No. 59 in the latest NET Rankings update.

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What are the latest NCAA Tournament projections for the Big Ten?

Eight Big Ten teams are projected to make the NCAA Tournament.

Eight Big Ten basketball teams are projected to make the NCAA Tournament according to The Sporting News, an outlook that holds up pretty well with a number of other

It has been a rough-and-tumble kind of year for the Big Ten as a basketball conference as the league’s depth has resulted in a grueling conference slate and very little separation in the top half of the standings.

On Monday, Bill Bender of The Sporting News took a crack at his NCAA Tournament projections which he foresees as including eight teams from the Big Ten.

What is the outlook for the Big Ten as it comes to NCAA Tournament projections? Here are Bender’s projections with his thoughts on several of the top seeds…

  • No. 1 Purdue (24-5, 13-5 Big Ten): “UCLA is a viable candidate to steal the last No. 1 seed. It’s a close call, but we’ll stick with Purdue for now.”
  • No. 4 Indiana (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten): “The Hoosiers have won five of their last seven…”
  • No. 6 Maryland (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten): “The Terps have a stronger ranking combination than Indiana and can build on their resume with road victories against Ohio State and Penn State.”
  • No. 8 Northwestern (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten): “The Wildcats are 11-9 in Quads 1-2…”
  • No. 8 Illinois (19-10, 10-8 Big Ten): “…it is a tough week ahead with Michigan and a trip to Purdue.”
  • No. 9 Michigan State (17-11, 9-8 Big Ten)
  • No. 9 Iowa (18-11, 10-8 Big Ten)
  • No. 11 Rutgers (18-11, 10-8 Big Ten)

Michigan (17-11, 11-7 Big Ten) is ‘On the Bubble’ with Bender noting that “The Wolverines are close after a 87-79 overtime victory against Wisconsin, but tests against Illinois and Indiana remain on the regular-season schedule.”

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Future Big Ten member UCLA is projected as a No. 1 seed. USC, also slated to join the Big Ten in 2024, is a No. 11 seed per Bender.

Click here to check out all of Bender’s NCAA Tournament projections for The Sporting News.

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How did the Big Ten do in this week’s Power 36?

Four Big Ten teams made the ‘Power 36’ this week from Andy Katz. Two dropped out of the rankings entirely.

Four Big Ten teams are ranked in this week’s ‘Power 36’ as there has been a fluidity in the conference. Following a wild week in the Big Ten, all this movement shouldn’t be a surprise.

It also shouldn’t be a surprise that much of the movement for the Big Ten involved teams dropping down in the ‘Power 36’ or out of the ranking entirely.

The ‘Power 36‘ was created by college basketball insider Andy Katz, who also appears on the Big Ten Network as an in-studio commentator. He has been bullish on the conference as a whole, including his projections that nine Big Ten teams will make the NCAA Tournament this year.

Rutgers was one of two Big Ten programs to drop out of the ‘Power 36’ this week. Illinois, ranked No. 19 a week ago, got the boot as did Rutgers (formerly No. 28).

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Here is how the ‘Power 36’ shook out this week:

  • No. 6 Purdue (down three spots from the previous week)
  • No. 13 Northwestern (up four spots from the previous week)
  • No. 20 Maryland (down two spots from the previous week)
  • No. 30 Iowa (down seven spots from the previous week)

Future Big Ten program UCLA checked in at fourth overall in Katz’s rankings. USC, another incoming member to the conference, is in at No. 32.

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Around the Big Ten: Kevin Willard is looking to build on his success at Seton Hall in Maryland

Kevin Willard discusses his new opportunity at Maryland.

With the start of the college basketball season quickly approaching, Kevin Willard is preparing for his 15th season as a college head coach. However, the Huntington, N.Y. native is entering unfamiliar territory after joining Maryland following a 12-year stint at Seton Hall. While Willard is still adjusting to a new program, he is excited about the future.

It is a future with a Big Ten program that, while going through some downtime the past few seasons, is historically and traditionally a powerhouse in college basketball.

Maryland, who won a national championship 2002, has missed the NCAA Tournament two of the last three seasons. Only three times since their national championship season has Maryland advanced beyond the second round.

“There is an enormous sense of pride within the state of Maryland, within the fan base, within the residents, Baltimore County, city of Baltimore,” Willard said this week during Big Ten Media Days.

“I knew the tradition, coach Williams (former Maryland head coach Gary Williams) has been great helping me get around all the places, but the sense of pride that they have for their program is really cool. It’s been something I think that’s helped us recruiting, it’s helped us with this team this year. It’s been great.”

As Willard looks to make his mark on the Terrapins program, he is surrounded by talent. Maryland is known as a basketball state, but its newest head coach isn’t focusing on just players from Maryland. He is looking for players that fit the Terrapins’ culture.

The idea of fencing in Maryland is one that he says isn’t realistic or feasible.

“You can’t keep all kids home,” Willard said.

“They’re all going to transfer eventually anyways with the transfer portal. We’re trying to build the right type of kids. It’s a great area. High school basketball, AAU basketball in the DMV is by far second to none. It’s kind of cool being there because you get first dibs on a lot of kids that obviously we couldn’t get before.”

While the 47-year-old Willard is starting a new chapter in his career, he brings an impressive resume to College Park. During his final seven seasons at Seton Hall, the Pirates made the NCAA tournament five times. They never finished lower than fifth in the Big East Conference in that span.

As Willard looks to build on that success in Maryland, he is inheriting a program that finished last season with a 15-17 record. In Big Ten play, they went 7-13. Despite their struggles, the 2016 Big East Co-Coach of the year has already been impressed by the passion that he has seen for Maryland basketball.

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Rutgers women’s basketball lands class of 2023 commit

Rutgers women’s basketball lands 2023 commit in point guard Jillian Huerter

Rutgers women’s basketball season may not start until November, but the recruiting efforts don’t have an offseason. The Scarlet Knights landed a class of 2022 commit in the form of point guard Jillian Huerter.

The 2022 Shenendehowa High School grad took to social media to make her announcement, sharing her excitement to commit to the program. She is currently playing for the Kent prep school. Her recruiting profile took a small hit due to pandemic-impacted seasons, and she spent the early part of her senior season rehabbing from a torn meniscus. The Saratoga County native fills an immediate need for the Scarlet Knights as many of the guards from last season’s squad have either graduated or transferred.

Huerter is no stranger to high level basketball as her family is basketball royalty in Saratoga. Her father Tom and brother Tom Jr. both played Division I at Siena College, while her older sister is currently playing for Providence College heading into her sophomore season.

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Let’s not forget about older brother Kevin who is currently in the NBA, signed with the Sacramento Kings and previously played for the Atlanta Hawks.

Back in May, she spoke to local media about how life was growing up with so many high level basketball players:

“We had a lot of two on two games growing up. Now we’ll probably do more shooting competitions but we keep the competitiveness up with other games. We play a lot of cards or just anything we can do to compete with each other.”

Rutgers women’s team struggled last season to a 11-20 record – a steep drop off from a strong 2020-2021 campaign where they finished 14-5. Under the guidance of new head coach, Coquese Washington, they are looking to rebuild the program into a Big Ten power. Washington’s history of winning in the Big Ten with Penn State should pair perfectly with someone with the acumen and basketball family such as Huerter.

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