Big Ten Basketball: Best / Worst case scenarios for each team in 2018-19

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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 18: Bourama Sidibe #35 of the Syracuse Orange battles for a loose ball with Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 18, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Michigan State

Best Case

Nick Ward remains a force down low both scoring and on the boards. Joshua Langford and Cassius Winston continue being lethal from the outside creating maybe the best backcourt in the Big Ten. The Spartans use that trio to live up to their once again lofty expectations and run away with the Big Ten. The sweep the hated Wolverines during the regular season and beat them again in the conference in route to the championship. They get a one seed in the NCAA tournament and avoid the upset that has plagued them the last two years. They breeze into the Final Four where they are finally tested but they break through and win their first National Championship since 2000.

Worst Case

The loss of Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr is more than the Spartans realized. Ward continues his frustrating play and is constantly in foul trouble. Langford and Cassius do not shoot the ball as without the presence of Bridges to take some pressure off of them. They get beat up in the non-conference part of the schedule and never fully recover. They still play well enough to be in the top half of the Big Ten but they finish behind Michigan, Purdue, and Nebraska. They get beat in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament and receive a six seed in the tournament where they fail to make the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year.

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