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Big Ten Basketball: Why conference is better than the ACC in 2018-19

By Adam Childs

COLUMBUS, OH - JANUARY 5: Head Coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans shouts instructions to his team in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 5, 2019 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - JANUARY 5: Head Coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans shouts instructions to his team in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 5, 2019 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 03: Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines reacts from the bench while playing the Penn State Nittany Lions at Crisler Arena on January 03, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 68-55. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 03: Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines reacts from the bench while playing the Penn State Nittany Lions at Crisler Arena on January 03, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 68-55. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

It’s hard to argue that Big Ten Basketball and the ACC are not the top two conferences in the country this year. But who has the edge?

Coming into the 2018-2019 college basketball season the ACC and Big Ten Basketball looked like they were heading in two different directions. The ACC was coming off another strong performance and got four teams into the sweet sixteen with two of them (Duke and Florida State) making the Elite Eight. They had nine total bids in all and was thought by many to be the best conference in the country.

The Big Ten, on the other hand, sent only four teams to the big dance and while Michigan did make it to the national championship game, the conference as a whole was a major disappointment. The conference was viewed so poorly that Nebraska would go 22-11 and 13-5 in the Big Ten and they still missed the tournament. The conference was widely viewed as possibly the worst power five conference in the country even below the struggling Pac-12.

This year was supposed to be the year the ACC ruled with Duke bringing in a great recruiting class, Virginia still playing stifling defense, and North Carolina, well, being North Carolina. Florida State was looking to build on their elite eight run and Louisville was going to be better with Chris Mack bringing stability to a fractured team. Most of that has happened and they still look great but have they been caught from behind?

light. Related Story. ACC Power Rankings

The Big Ten was just looking to repair its image, but Michigan lost a lot and was barely ranked in the top 20. Nebraska was still a question mark and could Iowa and Wisconsin really be any better than last year. Purdue lost their big men the last two years and IU and Maryland were still extremely young. But the conference had a great non-conference run and has changed the opinions of many.

The Big Ten would play to a draw with the ACC in their early season challenge with both teams winning seven games. But are they really as good as the ACC? We think so and here are three reasons why the Big Ten is the better conference right now.