The Wisconsin Badgers officially kick off their 2026-27 season campaign Monday, Nov. 2, in a home matchup against Denver. As of now, many questions still loom around the Badgers program, with everything from depth to scoring talent coming into question.
That said, Wisconsin still should continue to be what it has been: a staple in the Big Ten. As for the rest of the conference, there is also a lot of uncertainty, so what better time than right before the season to lay out some power rankings for the conference?
The Big Dogs: 1. Illinois, 2. Michigan State
The two teams that stand out amid the pack heading into this season are the Illinois Fighting Illini and Michigan State Spartans. The two seem to always be at the top of the conference, and the way things sit this year, it appears to be no different.
The Illini targeted some hard hitters in the portal and grassroots recruiting, bringing in Stefan Vaaks and Quentin Coleman to complement an already loaded roster. Michigan State, on the other hand, played the retention game, bringing back big-time players like Jeremy Fears Jr. and Jordan Scott, along with some nice grabs in the portal.
Few players have a nose for the ball like Illinois Quentin Coleman...
— Quinn Fishburne (@QuinnFishburne) October 27, 2026
He has a special sense of when a ball handler is in distress and how/where to apply pressure to generate steals.
As a rebounder he perfectly navigates defensive gaps to crash the glass and has an intense… pic.twitter.com/eH9oUUi3G3
The Sneaky Contenders: 3. Nebraska, 4. UCLA, 5. Indiana, 6. Maryland, 7. Ohio State, 8. USC
There may be some surprising teams in the next crop, namely Maryland, but this is the group that has the roster talent to reach the top of the Big Ten, but not exactly the proven formula. Nebraska headlines the group, fresh off the best season in program history and bringing back arguably a more talented roster.
UCLA, Indiana and Maryland are all in a similar vein of trying to bounce back after somewhat underwhelming years relative to the talent on their teams, while Ohio State and USC are projected to rely on some younger talent to help propel them to the promised land.
The Tournament Teams: 9. Wisconsin, 10. Michigan, 11. Iowa, 12. Purdue
The Badgers could very well find themselves much higher than this spot and likely will, given their track record. But given the talent of other teams in the Big Ten, it's hard to argue for them to be much higher than they are as of now.
2️⃣4️⃣ hours out pic.twitter.com/hNazwYlO4v
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) November 2, 2026
As for Michigan and Iowa, lost talent is the name of the game. The Wolverines lost three lottery picks and, arguably most importantly, their head coach, Dusty May, leaving them in a difficult spot heading into this season. Iowa, on the other hand, lost Bennet Stirtz and Tavion Banks, the two engines of the team from a year ago.
Purdue fans may be surprised to see their team this low, but given the sample we have been given, it's hard to argue against it. The frontcourt looks soft, the backcourt lacks experience, and there is no clear-cut "guy" on this team, which has propelled them to success in recent years.
Living on a Prayer: 13. Minnesota, 14. Oregon, 15. Washington, 16. Penn State, 17. Rutgers, 18. Northwestern
Not much to say about this group. Minnesota and Oregon fans may have a bit to be excited about, as some young talent could shock the world and make a leap. But boy, oh boy, there will be some rough games for each of these six programs.
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