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Big Ten Basketball: Badgers to turn NCAA Tournament momentum into Big Ten title

By Bryce Bennett

Dec 28, 2014; Madison, WI, USA; The Big Ten Conference logo on the Kohl Center Court during pre-game warm-ups before the Wisconsin Badgers take to the floor to play the Buffalo Bulls at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2014; Madison, WI, USA; The Big Ten Conference logo on the Kohl Center Court during pre-game warm-ups before the Wisconsin Badgers take to the floor to play the Buffalo Bulls at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard and the Badgers bench reacts to a play against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half in a semifinal game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard and the Badgers bench reacts to a play against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half in a semifinal game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Big Ten basketball is next up as Busting Brackets previews the top conferences across college basketball.

The 2015-16 Big Ten basketball conference race proved to be both surprising and similar to years past.

Indiana went from a preseason favorite, to left for dead in Maui, to a Big Ten champion by three games. Their regular season championship was the second of the Tom Crean era.

Michigan State, who struggled early in the season, ripped off a late season run, won the Big Ten Tournament championship and then lost in one of the biggest NCAA Tournament upsets of all-time.

The normally reliable Wisconsin Badgers were tripped up early in the season and Bo Ryan retired. Assistant coach Greg Gard took over and the Badgers started winning. They ended up winning 12 games in conference play and advanced all the way to the Sweet 16.

They return nearly 99 percent of their production from last year and look like the prohibitive favorite in the Big Ten.

Elsewhere, the Purdue Boilermakers returned to the top five of the conference. Typical of a Matt Painter coached team, the Boilermakers were one of the top defensive units in the country.

Behind the work of center A.J. Hammons and other formidable front court players, Purdue won 26 games last season, but blew a first round NCAA Tournament game in double overtime to 12th-seeded Arkansas-Little Rock. Despite having to replace Hammons, look for Purdue to compete towards the top of the Big Ten yet again this season.

Looking ahead to 2016-17, what other surprises await the basketball-crazed conference? Here is our in-depth look at the Big Ten Conference.

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