Big Ten basketball is back, but it might look a lot different at the top this season.
Indiana was the pick to win the league title in the unofficial Big Ten preseason poll released Monday. The poll was put together by the Columbus Dispatch and The Athletic with votes from 28 members of the conference's media.
The Gophers, who were 13-17 and 14th in the conference last season, are predicted to finish 12th in Ben Johnson's second year ahead of Northwestern and Nebraska.
The Big Ten officially released its all-league preseason team last week, which included Gophers junior forward Jamison Battle. The Gophers' top scorer and rebounder returning, Battle also was named All-Big Ten preseason second team in the unofficial picks Monday.
The Hoosiers were 21-14 and finished ninth in the Big Ten with a 9-11 record last season. But All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and Minnesota native Race Thompson return in the frontcourt. Jalen Hood-Schifino was named unofficial preseason Big Ten freshman of the year for second-year coach Mike Woodson, who has the early championship favorite.
Jackson-Davis was named Big Ten preseason player of the year by the conference last week. But Michigan's Hunter Dickinson beat him out to earn the unofficial preseason player of the year honor on Monday.
Illinois is projected to finish second in the conference in the unofficial poll after tying for a share of the Big Ten title last season. Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue round out the preseason poll's top five.
Standings (first-place votes in parenthesis)
