Many thought this basketball season would be a down year for the Big Ten. No team is currently ranked in the top 10 in the AP Poll and only four are in the top 25. This is unusual for a conference that has nearly always had a team in the top ten over the past decade. Much of the star power has left the conference which has left it without any true national contenders. However, this weekend will be a good chance to show that the Big Ten is still powerful. There are many great non-conference games involving Big Ten teams which will show the conference’s strength for this season.
Big Non-Conference Weekend Will Show Big Ten’s Strength
Alabama vs Purdue
The biggest game of the weekend is Friday night. The 2nd best team in the country, Alabama, is headed to Mackey Arena to play Purdue. The Boilermakers have looked solid despite the loss of Zach Edey. Point guard Braden Smith has started his junior year strong, averaging 15 points per game through the season’s first three games. He was selected as the Big Ten’s player of the year in the pre-season and this will help him build a case. However, Alabama is a strong opponent. They have an elite offense and are filled with incredible athletes. They also have Mark Sears who could win the national player of the year this season. This should be a competitive game and one of the best environments in all of college basketball.
Marquette vs Maryland
After a down year last season, Maryland looks to rebound with a new and improved roster. The Terps are off to a red-hot start led by freshman phenom Derik Queen. The Xfinity Center should be packed Friday night for a top-15 opponent. This home-court advantage could give the Terps an edge this weekend. However, Marquette is not an easy foe. Shaka Smart has developed a great squad led by Wooden Award hopeful Kam Jones. The senior is currently averaging over 20 points per game and has looked like a star. However, the Terps have one of the best defenses in the Big Ten and Belmont transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie was on the Ohio Valley Conference all-defensive team last season. If Gillespie can limit Jones, the Terps will have a great chance to win.
Arizona vs Wisconsin
The final major game of the weekend is Arizona at Wisconsin. The Badgers are expected to have a down year this season. Graduate transfer John Tonje has truly blossomed in Madison. He is averaging 17 points per game in this young season. This is accompanied by senior guard Max Klesmit who has shown signs of improvement. Arizona is a top-ten team in the country and has not had a competitive game yet. However, they play Duke next week and could overlook Wisconsin. If the Badgers can do everything right, we may see a major upset on Friday night.
Other Big Ten Games
While the three mentioned are the biggest games of the weekend, there are still some other interesting Big Ten games this weekend. Penn State travels to Blacksburg to play Virginia Tech. The Nittany Lions are not expected to do very well this season, but if they can beat the Hokies the team’s expectations may change. Minnesota takes on Yale. The Bulldogs are one of the best mid-major basketball programs. Minnesota will be in for a real challenge this season. Finally, Indiana hosts South Carolina. The Gamecocks were a great team last season but stumbled out of the gate this season. They lost to North Florida in their season opener, but have won two in a row. Indiana has not looked amazing so it will be interesting to see how they play against a better opponent. After this weekend we should be able to get a good read on how strong the Big Ten will be this season.
