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The Big Ten may be the Power Five conference that will be the most impacted by conference realignment as the Oregon Ducks, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, and Washington Huskies will join the conference next summer. There will, however, only be 14 teams in the conference in 2023-2024. Take a look at our predictions for the upcoming Big Ten season below.
Big Ten standings
1. Purdue Boilermakers
2. Michigan State Spartans
3. Illinois Fighting Illini
4. Maryland Terrapins
5. Indiana Hoosiers
6. Wisconsin Badgers
7. Ohio State Buckeyes
8. Northwestern Wildcats
9. Michigan Wolverines
10. Penn State Nittany Lions
11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
12. Iowa Hawkeyes
13. Nebraska Cornhuskers
14. Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Big Ten figures to be one of the top-heavy conferences in college basketball this season. The race for the top spot in the conference will likely be a two-team race between the No.3-ranked Purdue Boilermakers and No.4-ranked Michigan State Spartans. The No.25-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini were the only other team from the Big Ten that made the preseason AP Top 25 Poll.
While each of the three schools should qualify for the NCAA Tournament, conference play will have a huge impact on the seeding, as well as which of the remaining Big Ten programs reach March Madness. More than half of the conference reached the NCAA Tournament in 2022-2023, as eight of the 14 teams qualified for postseason play.
Best Game: Michigan State Spartans at Purdue Boilermakers
The Purdue Boilermakers were able to win the Big Ten Tournament last season. But their season ended in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64. Purdue became just the second No.1 seed to lose to a No.16 seed. They will return most of their key pieces from last season. But their recruiting class ranks just 71st in the nation.
The Michigan State Spartans fell in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament. However, they reached the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament. They will also return most of their key pieces while bringing in the nation's fifth-ranked recruiting class.
While the two teams will meet just once in the regular season, it will come in the third to final game of the year. The matchup could have huge implications for both programs. Purdue won both meetings against Michigan State last season.
Big Ten champions
The Michigan State Spartans have won a Big Ten record six conference titles. While the Purdue Boilermakers will be tough to dethrone as conference champions, the Spartans have a great combination of coaching, continuity, and incoming talent. Look for Michigan State to win their seventh Big Ten title before the conference expands to 18 teams next season.
