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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BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 19: Justin Smith #3 of the Indiana Hoosiers shoots the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers at Assembly Hall on February 19, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 19: Justin Smith #3 of the Indiana Hoosiers shoots the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers at Assembly Hall on February 19, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

9) Indiana Hoosiers

It was a tossup between Indiana and the next team for this spot. I’m sure Hoosiers fans wouldn’t be too happy seeing my choice, but let me explain real quick. First of all, we’re splitting hairs. I can honestly see 10 Big Ten teams on the bubble in mid-January again next season. But with just maybe six or seven actually getting into the Tournament. Starting with number 10, most of these teams are losing some key players, but have promising ones returning.

Indiana is losing two All-Big Ten players. Juwan Morgan tore it up as an upperclassman and Romeo Langford is a potential lottery pick. Both guys averaged over 15 points last year. But the Hoosiers failed to make the NCAA Tournament. The transfer Evan Fitzner is gone, as is the long-time bottom of the rotation guy Zach McRoberts. Jake Forrester is transferring after one year and Clifton Moore transfers as a junior.

That seems like a lot, but there are five guys who are capable of being consistent starters in the Big Ten. Devonte Green is testing the NBA waters, but I don’t expect that to amount to much. In the first win over Michigan State, Morgan got hurt 13 minutes into the game. Langford did play an impressive 41 minutes and scored 19 points, but four other guys played tremendous basketball.

Green came off the bench in that game and knocked down three three-pointers along with Al Durham. Justin Smith is a former top-100 recruit and he recorded a double-double. De’Ron Davis was a top-50 recruit in 2016 and the six-foot-ten big man scored 12 points with six board and four assists. Indiana just recently added a nice grad transfer. The Hoosiers already strong front court will now have Joey Brunk, a six-foot-11 center who averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 boards per game.

Rob Phinisee was limited to just 18 minutes in that game, but the freshman showed signs of being a serviceable point guard. With Langford and Morgan gone, it’ll be primarily the sophomore bringing the ball up. Trayce Jackson-Davis will be the Big Ten’s only incoming five-star recruit. He’s a top-20 prospect, stands six-foot-nine, 230 and is listed as a center. He won’t be a player coming in, trying to reinvent the offense. On one hand, I don’t want to over rank the Hoosiers because they lost two great players, but on the other, they will have the freedom to run a more conventional offense.

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