Big Ten basketball: Five questions for the 2017-18 season
The Big Ten was the one power conference who did not have a dominant team. This time around they do with Michigan State. But how about the other teams? Here are five questions about the Big Ten for this season.
1. Can Northwestern continue its historic momentum?
In just a few short seasons, Chris Collins has already become the greatest head coach in program history by taking the Wildcats to their first-ever NCAA Tournament. Things continue to look up for them, as they return several key contributors from last season and currently boast a top-15 recruiting class for 2018. Now let’s see how this team does having real expectations this year.
2. With Peter Jok gone, who becomes Iowa’s lead guy?
Fran McCaffery has enjoyed a good run of recent star Hawkeyes in the program, from Aaron White to Jarrod Uthoff to the just-departed Jok. This upcoming season is likely to be a group effort to score with underclassmen leading the way. Tyler Cook and Jordan Bohannon were double-digit scorers last season, so look to those two to lead the way.
3. How will teams rebound after losing star players?
It wasn’t just Iowa who lost their best player — add Maryland with Melo Trimble and Purdue with Caleb Swanigan to the list as well. The lack of national star power with this league has to be a concern when it comes to overall perception. Outside of the Spartans, how many GREAT players off the top of your head can you name in the Big Ten?
4. How will the AAU drama affect Illinois’s recruiting?
For those who aren’t aware, Illinois was forced to choose between two highly talented Chicago-based prospects due to personal issues involving AAU ball in the city. Ayo Dosunmu is currently the only 2018 commit for Brad Underwood and, while he’s talented, will other guys want to play with him now?
5. Does Tim Miles survive this season?
Since arriving from the Big 12, Nebraska has struggled to become relevant in this league. Things were just starting to look up before the transfer bug hit this program as well.
Next: 2017-18 Big Ten Rankings
The absence of leading scorer Tai Webster is devastating for the Cornhuskers, and the team seems destined to finish in last place in the league. Miles has been around for a few years, and, with a new Athletic Director, there’s more reason retain a coach with no previous ties. There were a few coaching changes last season, and there might be one more when all is said and done.