Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2019-2020 season

By Austin Walther

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with Cassius Winston #5 in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with Cassius Winston #5 in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 03: Lamar Stevens #11 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts in the second half while playing the Michigan Wolverines 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: Lamar Stevens #11 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts in the second half while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Arena on January 03, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 68-55. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

13) Penn State Nittany Lions

Somehow, after what seemed like a really bad season for Penn State, they still won seven Big Ten games. The Nittany Lions resumed Big Ten play 7-6, but one of the wins came against Virginia Tech. A Hokies team that eventually made the sweet 16. After starting 0-10, Penn State went 7-3 to close out the regular season. Everyone was deathly afraid to play them in the Big Ten Tournament. They did take Minnesota to overtime, but the season ended with a 14-18 record.

The last 10 games of the regular season was said to save Patrick Chambers’ job for the time-being. If Lamar Stevens returns, it’ll set a little better with Chambers as well. With Carsen Edwards gone, Stevens has a great chance at leading the Big Ten in scoring. He’ll have a very young group to work around though. The Nittany Lions are set to lose just two players with one being their point guard.

A lot of teams aren’t losing a whole lot either and finished better than Penn State. One team upgraded at the coaching position, many are landing top-100 recruits and in the first half of the season, the Nittany Lions couldn’t beat anyone. Penn State had a nice pair of freshmen in Rasir Bolton and Myles Dread. Both are under six-foot-five guards, but combined for 20 points per game. Bolton only started nine games last season, but made 52 three-pointers. Dread started 28 out of 32 and made 67.

They are losing Josh Reaves who has been a serviceable point guard for most of his career at Penn State. Jamari Wheeler though converted just five less assists than Reaves last season and he should be poised for a nice junior year at the point.

We were figuring to be talking about Mike Watkins as a dominant force for the Nittany Lions, but ever since getting hurt at the end of his sophomore season, the big man hasn’t been the same. Watkins blocked 90 shots in his freshman year and averaged over 12 points per game two years ago. He did play two less game this past season, but all of his numbers took a hit. The scoring production goes way down after that and the Nittany Lions have just three three-stars coming in. It’ll be another rough start for Penn State next season.

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