Big Ten Basketball: Top 5 rising seniors in 2018-19

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 01: Ethan Happ #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates the 59-54 win over the Maryland Terrapins during the second round of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 1, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images /

Big Ten Basketball isn’t known for having a lot of one-and-done players, which makes for greater strength in its senior class.

Big Ten Basketball saw a downtick in the number of teams in the NCAA Tournament this past season. Six squads return after posting more than 20 wins in 2017-18. Four teams made the Big Dance in 2018 (Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue). A few of those teams may have a difficult time during this upcoming season, though. With several teams getting stronger, the conference has a chance for many more teams to make the tournament.

The Michigan Wolverines made their first Final Four appearance since the 2013-14 season this past year. They’ll lose three of their top four scorers but guys with experience are ready to step up and show what they can do. Their upperclassmen will have to step up or things could end totally different for them in 2018-19. Similar things can be said about Nebraska’s potential for this upcoming season. Most notably, experience should carry them into the NCAA Tournament. They were close last season, finishing with a 22-11 record. In 2018-19, they have the veteran experience to get the job done.

Even then, teams with tournament potential may not boast the best seniors in the Big Ten. As teams look to return to national prominence, look for seniors to have big seasons. They could be the difference between making the NCAA Tournament and not, after all. Here’s a look at the top-5 rising seniors for 2018-19.

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