Big Ten Basketball: Illinois, Michigan leads rankings heading into NCAA Tournament

Wins

*Bowling Green
*Oakland
*Ball State
*UCF
*Toledo
*Penn State
*Nebraska
*Maryland (Three times)
*Northwestern
*Minnesota
*Wisconsin (twice)
*@Purdue
*Rutgers
*@Ohio State
*Iowa
*@Indiana
*Michigan State

Loses

*@Minnesota
*Illinois
*@Michigan State
*Ohio State

Net ranking: 4

KenPom ranking: 2

AP ranking: 4

Post-Season Tournament: NCAA Tournament

First Round Opponent: Texas Southern

Brief Season Summary

There is no doubt that the Wolverines have exceeded expectations this year by having an outstanding season and earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and winning the Big Ten regular-season title. In only his 2nd-year as the head coach of Michigan, Juwan Howard has done an incredible job this season and Michigan looks to make a deep run in the tournament.

The Wolverines prior to the start of the season did bring a good group of players back in Isaiah Livers, Franz Wagner, Brandon Johns, and Eli Brooks. However, the biggest impact on the team could be argued came from two transfers and a freshman.

Newcomers and transfers Chaundee Brown and Mike Smith have provided an offensive spark but true freshmen Hunter Dickinson who is the leading scorer for the Wolverines and the catalyst of this team arguably has propelled them this season to much success.

Howard and his coaching staff need to be given credit for guiding their players this season especially during this pandemic. Howard as many already know is a former player and Fab Five member from the University of Michigan and he has overcome a difficult task as former head coach John Beilein left abruptly for an NBA head coaching position prior to him accepting and taking the job as the head coach of the Wolverines.

Howard will look to win games in the NCAA tournament and he will do all he can to have Michigan compete not just to make the Sweet Sixteen and possibly an Elite Eight appearance this season but earn a spot in the national championship.

Wins

*North Carolina A&T
*Chicago State
*Ohio
*Minnesota (twice)
*@ Duke
*Penn State (twice)
*Indiana (twice)
*Purdue
*Northwestern (twice)
*Iowa (twice)
*Wisconsin (twice)
*Nebraska (twice)
*@Michigan
*Ohio State (twice)
*Rutgers
*Drexel

Loses

*Baylor (neutral site)
*@ Missouri
*@Rutgers
*Maryland
*Ohio State
*@Michigan State

Net ranking: 3

KenPom ranking: 3

AP ranking: 2

Post-Season Tournament: NCAA Tournament

First Round Opponent:  Defeated Drexel

Next Round Opponent: Loyola Chicago

Season Summary

The Fighting Illini have had a remarkable season with winning the Big Ten tournament and earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Even before the season began, expectations were high but few expected Illinois to be as great as they have been for most of the season.

To be fair, the Fighting Illini did not lose many contributing players from last season’s team and they have been able to build on their successes from last year and they have used that experience to not only be the top team in the Big Ten but also to be one of the best teams in the nation.

The Fighting Illini did bring back some very important and key players from last season in Ayo Dosunmu, Trent Frazier, Giorgi Bezhanishvili, and Da’Monte Williams. However, one of the biggest impact players for Illinois has been sophomore Kofi Cockburn, who is second in the team in scoring and has stepped up his game while Dosunmu was out for a few games with an injury.

Credit has to be given to head coach Brad Underwood who is in his fourth season as the head of the program for Illinois and he and his team look to take the program to another level by making at the minimum run to a Final Four appearance but striving to win the national championship in the NCAA tournament.

It will not be easy but this year’s Fighting Illini team are up for the challenge and very high expectations that have been placed on them.