Ranking each Big Ten basketball team entering conference play
18. Minnesota Golden Gophers
There was hope that Minnesota could challenge for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019 in Ben Johnson鈥檚 fourth season, but it looks unlikely thus far with the Golden Gophers just a few games over .500. Minnesota has also lost its first two Big Ten contests by double digits. One of the league鈥檚 best players, Dawson Garcia, will keep the Gophers in games, but it鈥檚 hard to envision Minnesota climbing much higher in the standings.
17. Washington Huskies
Washington also features one of the top players in the Big Ten with Great Osobor, but the Huskies appear destined to finish toward the bottom of the conference as well. Sophomore Tyler Harris and freshman Zoom Diallo have played well alongside Osobor in Danny Sprinkle鈥檚 first season, but the Huskies lack of offensive firepower could be difficult to overcome in conference play and has already been an issue in ugly losses to Nevada and Seattle U.
16. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers has been one of the more disappointing teams in the Big Ten thus far as its 8-5 record is tied for the worst in the league, with close losses to Kennesaw State and Princeton hurting the Scarlet Knights鈥� tournament resume. Rutgers should continue to get better as freshmen stars Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey gain more experience, but Steve Pikiell could use the team鈥檚 supporting cast to step up in the coming months.
15. USC Trojans
Like several teams toward the bottom of this list, USC possesses upside, but ugly losses to New Mexico, Cal and Saint Mary鈥檚 by 45 points have created cause for concern. The Trojans have four players who score in double figures headlined by transfer guard Desmond Claude. They鈥檒l likely remain competitive throughout their first Big Ten season under Eric Musselman, but it may take the new head coach some time to get the Trojans toward the top of the conference.
