It’s been a long, long wait for college basketball to return to normalcy, but Tuesday will mark the first time since March of 2020 that fans will be back in full for the regular season.
The Big Ten conference once again features contenders, a number of NCAA Tournament likelihoods, and a plethora of squads who will find themselves praying their bubble doesn’t pop down the stretch.
Purdue and Michigan have headlined the preseason talk, and it’s for good reason. Matt Painter has arguably the deepest team he has ever had as head coach of the Boilermakers, as All-Big Ten performer Trevion Williams returns alongside rising sophomore guard Jaden Ivey and a number of rotation pieces.
Michigan gets an All-Big Ten performer of their own back in sophomore center Hunter Dickinson, while a group of sensational freshman headlined by five-star wing Caleb Houstan will look to lead the Wolverines to the Final Four.
The Big Ten could see double-digit NCAA tournament berths in a conference with depth of talent that rivals any in the country. How are things expected to stack up heading into the year? Here are our BadgersWire preseason Big Ten basketball rankings: