Big Ten Basketball: 5 Biggest takeaways heading into 2018-19 conference play

Big Ten Basketball is undoubtedly one of the best conferences in college basketball today. Here are the biggest takeaways from the non-conference action.

The Big ten was pegged to be the clear-cut second best conference in college basketball this season. However, things might have changed a bit. Personally, I still believe the ACC is better from top to bottom, but it’s becoming a closer debate as each week passes. As of now it appears that the Big Ten could land more bids into the NCAA tournament than the ACC.

After all, There are seven Big Ten teams currently ranked in the top 25, as well as nine teams with double-digit wins, and 10 teams in the top 50 NET rankings. The Big Ten also leads all conferences in win percentage, and wins against Power-5 opponents. There’s been some constant play that we’ve expected, but there’s also been some surprises.

Michigan is leading the way with a 13-0 record and some very strong non-conference wins, but it’s clear they’re not alone at the top of the Big Ten. Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana, and Wisconsin are all not only potential Big Ten contenders, but with good matchups in March they could be national title contenders.

Even the teams towards the bottom of the conference can do some damage. Northwestern, Penn State, and Rutgers have all proved that already early on this season. With the non-conference slate behind us, let’s review the biggest takeaways the Big Ten conference has shown us through the midway point of the season.