It was just three seasons ago that the Big Ten placed seven teams in the NCAA tournament and watched one of them, Michigan State, advance to the Final Four. Ever since the NCAA tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, the Big Ten has received at least five invitations. This March the conference is so far down that it faces the danger of receiving only four.
The conference has no great team. It has only one team, Wisconsin, ranked in the Top 25, and the Badgers were embarrassed Saturday at Northwestern. Most significantly, the conference has no team that can be counted on each time out.
Is that parity or mediocrity? We probably won’t know for sure until March, but here’s a look at how the standings could wind up at season’s end:
1. Michigan State. The Spartans (7-2) played a suicidal non-conference schedule that saddled them with six losses. That shook their confidence, robbed them of their swagger and left them looking like anything but title contenders. Now they lead the league, have their confidence and swagger back and possess the best group of athletes in the Big Ten.
2. Illinois. The transition from Bill Self to Bruce Weber has not been easy for the Illini (6-3), who have been more inconsistent than a politician on the stump. But now they are coming off two straight road victories and, with home games against Michigan State and Wisconsin next, have a chance to make a resounding statement. They clearly have the talent to do so, but do they have the will?
3. Wisconsin. Until their pratfall against Northwestern, the Badgers (6-2) had been the league’s most consistent team. Now? They face a future without injured forward Alando Tucker, who was their only athletic inside player. And starting guard Boo Wade is embroiled in legal problems stemming from an off-court incident.
4. Purdue. The Boilermakers (5-4) lost forward Chris Booker, their best inside player, to academic difficulties in December and are operating without Kenneth Lowe, their leading scorer and best defender. Booker is done for the season, but Purdue could get Lowe back for upcoming home games against Northwestern and Indiana. But its future will be determined when it plays consecutive road games at Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
5. Iowa. Injuries, academics and personal reasons have robbed the Hawkeyes (5-4) of four players since the season began, but they showed their mettle with a great victory Saturday at Indiana. Now they have a schedule that gives them Wisconsin and Illinois at home and forces them to face only one first-division team, Purdue, on the road.
6. Indiana. The Hoosiers (5-4) blew a chance to truly contend by losing home games to Illinois and Iowa. They’re still a severely limited cast, with only one true scorer in guard Bracey Wright and one true big man in 6-foot-11-inch center George Leach. But only two first-division teams, Purdue and Wisconsin, remain on their schedule, which gives them a chance to finish respectably.
7. Michigan. Five freshmen and five sophomores along with senior Bernard Robinson Jr. is no recipe for success. After beating Purdue on Saturday, the Wolverines (4-4) talked about getting on a run that would carry them into the NCAA tournament. With their youth, that is highly unlikely.
8. Northwestern. The Wildcats (4-5) are capable of finishing higher, having proven themselves with wins over Illinois and Wisconsin. But facing a schedule that includes trips to Purdue, Michigan State and Illinois, it will be tough to rise higher than this.
9. Ohio State. The Buckeyes (3-6) expected big things this season with an influx of new players, but they never found any chemistry. They are too individualistic and too weak defensively to do anything more than muddle along.
10. Penn State. Rookie coach Ed DeChellis is at the front end of a mammoth rebuilding program, saddled with little depth and freshman guards. The Nittany Lions (3-5) will do well to avoid the cellar.
11. Minnesota. The Golden Gophers (0-9) have the league’s best freshman in 6-9 forward Kris Humphries.
They also have zero Big Ten wins.
