Here's how little Big Ten impressed Associated Press men's poll voters
Oct.
14Three weeks before the men's college basketball season tips off, modest Big Ten expectations were mostly confirmed when the newly expanded 18-team league didn't have a team among the top 10 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll released Monday.
Two-time Big Ten defending champion Purdue, which played in the national championship game in April, is the highest-ranked team in the conference in the poll at No.
14.
In the Big Ten media poll, the Boilermakers were tabbed as the league favorite, while junior guard Braden Smith was voted the conference preseason player of the year.
A revamped Indiana Hoosiers team that includes touted transfers Oumar Ballo (Arizona) and Myles Rice (Washington State) was the second-highest-ranked Big Ten team at No.
17 in the AP poll.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin welcomes eight newcomers and has the Bruins back in the AP poll at No.
22 after a disappointing 16-17 finish last season his first losing season at Westwood since his arrival in 2019.
And Rutgers edged conference rival Illinois and landed on the AP preseason poll at No.
25 thanks in large part to the arrival of star freshmen Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper who are projected lottery picks in the 2025 NBA draft.
Other Big Ten teams to receive votes include: Illinois (92), Michigan State (29), Ohio State (29), Michigan (19), Oregon (12), Wisconsin (5) and Maryland (1).
The Washington Huskies will not face a ranked team during a relatively light nonconference schedule that's devoid of any big-name opponents.
Note UW begins the season at No.
75 in the KenPom preseason rankings, which is last among Big Ten teams.
The league's top teams in the rankings include: Purdue (10), Illinois (23), UCLA (26) and Oregon (29).
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