Just before a tumultuous week of Big Ten cancellations, the 2020-2021 basketball season was shaping up to be arguably the most competitive in the history of the conference. With Iowa getting Luka Garza, the best player in the conference a year ago, back for his senior campaign coupled with Illinois stars Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn withdrawing from the NBA draft to return to Champiagn, the conference was ready for a battle at the top.
Although the season has been momentarily pushed back, there is still reasonable hope that schools can play this year, especially within the conference.
If we get Big Ten basketball this season, Wisconsin will be a part of the best conference in college basketball. That was further confirmed in ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology column.
New Badgers on the Block đŻ pic.twitter.com/9iBgneEw9Q
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) August 13, 2020
The Big Ten sees nine teams get in the dance, more than any other conference in the nation. Illinois has made a significant jump up to the four line, as they return their two leading scorers from a year ago. Wisconsin moves up to a two seed, the highest ranking they have been in any bracketology so far. Here is a complete seeding breakdown for Big Ten teams:
Iowa – 2 seed
Wisconsin – 2 seed
Michigan State – 3 seed
Illinois – 4 seedÂ
Ohio State – 4 seedÂ
Rutgers – 6 seedÂ
Indiana – 7 seedÂ
Michigan – 7 seed
Purdue – 8 seedÂ