The contenders
5. Wisconsin
Badger fans will probably get all over me on this one, but this team won a ton of close games. While some of that obviously has to do with an ability to win in crunch time, there’s a lot of breaks involved as well. I see that turning around just a wee-bit next season.
4. Michigan
The Wolverines will bounce back next season. It was a bit snake-bitten by injury and some close losses, but this young team will be year older. The losses of Zavier Simpson and John Teske will hurt, but there’s enough to back-fill and be better.
3. Maryland
We still have to wait to see what happens with the NBA draft, but there’s length and athletic ability coming back from a young team no matter what happens. The ‘Terps will be in the thick of it again.
2. Michigan State
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Spartans have so much depth on a yearly basis, it almost doesn’t matter with roster turnover.
1. Illinois
This was the year before the storm. The Illini culture has shifted and the program is for real. It’ll be a year wiser and a year better and should contend for a Big Ten title.
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