Busting Brackets
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Big Ten Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2023-24 season

By Tristan Freeman

Michigan State Spartans' A.J. Hoggard (11) Mady Sissoko (22), Tyson Walker (2) and forward Malik Hall (25) during the 69-60 win over Marquette in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Columbus, Ohio, March 19, 2023.Msumarq 031923 Kd6623 MSU huddle
Michigan State Spartans' A.J. Hoggard (11) Mady Sissoko (22), Tyson Walker (2) and forward Malik Hall (25) during the 69-60 win over Marquette in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Columbus, Ohio, March 19, 2023.Msumarq 031923 Kd6623 MSU huddle /
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Boo Buie #0 of the Northwestern Wildcats (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

6. Northwestern Wildcats

2022-23 season record: 22-12 (12-8)

One of the biggest surprises in all of college basketball, Northwestern won 22 games and made the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history. And they did it while having a frontcourt that on paper, was much less talented after losing two key frontcourt players.

The team will be without two more again, as Tydus Verhoeven and Robbie Beran are gone. They do bring back 7’0 big man Matthew Nicolson, who was one of the most impactful interior defenders in all of Big Ten Basketball last season. Joining him is Blake Preston, a 6’9 forward from Liberty that averaged 6.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg.

The most important thing for Northwestern is that Boo Buie is back for a 5th year. The star guard led the team with 17.3 ppg and 4.5 apg and had numerous big games to get them into the postseason. They don’t have Chase Audige officially back yet but if he returns, that’s one of, if not the best backcourt in the Big Ten.

In case the Big Ten Defensive Player isn’t back, the Wildcats did bring in a pair of transfer guards, Justin Mullins averaged 9.8 ppg at Denver and is a 6’6 guard, while Ryan Langborg is a transfer from Princeton that was one of the stars in the NCAA Tournament, leading them to a Sweet 16 appearance as a 15 seed. He averaged 12.7 ppg overall on the season. There should be even more scoring depth for Northwestern, looking to make it first-ever back-to-back postseason appearances in program history.

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