The question entering the Big Ten men's basketball season is which team will challenge defending champion Purdue. Michigan State has the best chance. That's according to the preseason media poll conducted by The Athletic and Columbus Dispatch. The Boilermakers return national player of the year Zach Edey. Both the Boilermakers are Spartans are loaded with experience. No. 3 Purdue, No. 4 Michigan State and No. 25 Illinois are the Big Ten's only teams in the AP preseason Top 25. Top returning players in the league besides Edey are Northwestern's Boo Buie, Illinois' Terrence Shannon, Rutgers' Clifford Omoruyi and Maryland's Jahmir Young.
The question entering the Big Ten men's basketball season is which team will challenge defending champion Purdue. Michigan State has the best chance. That's according to the preseason media poll conducted by The Athletic and Columbus Dispatch. The Boilermakers return national player of the year Zach Edey. Both the Boilermakers are Spartans are loaded with experience. No. 3 Purdue, No. 4 Michigan State and No. 25 Illinois are the Big Ten's only teams in the AP preseason Top 25. Top returning players in the league besides Edey are Northwestern's Boo Buie, Illinois' Terrence Shannon, Rutgers' Clifford Omoruyi and Maryland's Jahmir Young.
Handicapping the Big Ten race comes down to this: Purdue, Michigan State, everybody else. The Boilermakers, with reigning national player of the year Zach Edey and his strong supporting cast, are the prohibitive favorites to win a second straight regular-season championship. Michigan State is a possible challenger.