While it is still early for a look at Big Ten basketball in 2021-22, we now have a decent idea of each squad’s expectations as the deadline to decide on the NBA draft has passed.
The Big Ten shouldn’t be billed as the powerhouse conference it was last preseason, but there is still national championship potential at the top. After a surprise season for Purdue in which they finished fourth in the conference, the Boilermakers return nearly all of their production from a year ago and should be leading the pack.
Reigning Big Ten regular season champion Michigan retools with one of the top classes in all of college basketball and the return of rising sophomore Hunter Dickinson. For others, the star power is gone from a year ago. Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin are all in limbo after losing key production to graduation, the NBA, and the transfer portal.
Here is an early look at the Big Ten power rankings heading into next season: