The Big Ten has generally been filled with some surprisingly good teams this year. Maryland, Michigan, and Michigan State are all playing much better than many anticipated. However, this cannot be said for all teams. Like any conference, a few teams have not lived up to preseason expectations. It is time to examine what went wrong and see if these teams can turn things around.
The Three Most Disappointing Teams in the Big Ten
Indiana
One team that has disappointed is Indiana. Coming into the season, the Hoosiers were projected to finish second in the conference. Ten games into the season, they are 5-5 and have lost five of the last five games. The road doesn’t get any easier for Indiana, as it plays Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, Wisconsin, and Purdue twice in its next six games. Coach Mike Woodson is on the hot seat and his job will likely be gone if he can’t turn things around in Bloomington.
It is hard to judge what exactly went wrong for Indiana. No individual is truly underachieving. Many are playing solid, but there is not one star on the team. This lack of star power could be what is letting the Hoosiers down. There is no obvious choice of who to lean on when games get close. While this may seem like an arbitrary reason, it can often separate good teams from great ones.
UCLA
UCLA was selected to finish third in the Big Ten preseason poll and is also falling short of expectations. The Bruins currently sit in 8th in the conference. They started the season off hot with wins against Gonzaga, Arizona, and Oregon. But a 4 game losing streak to start the new year took a lot of momentum away from the Bruins. They have had a slight bounce back, but constant travel between the east and west coast has seemed to plague the team, and head coach Mick Cronin has not shied away from calling this out. UCLA still has a ton of talent, but if travel is going to constantly bother this team, it is hard to see them playing well throughout the next few months.
Rutgers
The most disappointing team in the entire conference might be the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Although they were only projected to finish 7th in the preseason poll, it is still hard not to be disappointed by this Rutgers team. With two potential top-5 NBA Draft picks in Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper an NCAA Tournament birth seemed like the floor for the Scarlet Knights. Now we are halfway through the Big Ten schedule and Rutgers is 3-6 and fighting for a birth in the Big Ten Tournament. Harper and Bailey have been as advertised with each player averaging over 18 points per game.
The problem with Rutgers is the depth. No one has stepped up to be the reliable third option on the team. There has also been trouble with big men ever since Cliff Omoruyi left to go to Alabama. It seems like a long shot for Rutgers to turn the season around, the team simply does not have enough talent. A team that was considered a dark horse to make the final four will likely not even be dancing in March.
