5 bold (and probably wrong) hot takes for the Big 10 CBB season

The Big 10 basketball season has FINALLY arrived and I could not be more excited for it.

When looking at the conference, I am left with a lot of question marks: Will Indiana be any good? How does the Illinois Balkan team mesh? Who is realistically going to end up in all-conference conversations? SO many questions!

Because there is so much unknown (at least in my eyes), my brain has started to spin and eventually land on some takes that I think have a bit of heat to them — Let me know if I’m out of bounds on any of these.

1. Washington end the season top 3 in the league

The Huskies and Danny Sprinkle are going to be nice this year — really nice. I genuinely find it weird with how little people are talking about Washington this year as a contender in the conference.

I really don’t know about the defense for this team, but the offense is going to be awesome! Hannes Steinbach is going to be the best freshmen in the conference (not really a hot take but could be its own point in this list). He went for 22 / 16 / 1 with a block and 2 steals in the exhibition against UNLV — goodness gracious.

Combine that with proven scorers Wesley Yates and Desmond Claude and freshmen JJ Mandaquit and we are talking about one of those teams were you have no idea which guy is going to go off for 20 on any given night — that is is dangerous and hard to prep for.

Even though Coach Sprinkle had a rough season last year, I really do think he has some decent coaching IQ and if he is able to put the pieces together, I believe in this Washington team.

2. Iowa ends the season in the bottom 5 of the conference

Similarly how I believe in the individual parts of Washington, I do NOT believe in the individual parts of the Hawkeyes.

Yes, Bennet Stirtz is going to put up monster numbers as we will be asked to do everything on the offensive side of the ball. His skill and scoring ability will win them games — I’d say 2–3 games this year strictly because he goes into “get out of my way and watch me hoop” mode late in the 4th.

Even though Iowa will have this star level playmaker, I will just need to see it with the rest of the supporting cast. In the past couple weeks, this team lost by 20 to St Louis University. Yes, exhibitions don’t matter (see my article **here** on my thoughts on the Big 10 exhibition games), but a loss to a team of St Louis’s caliber is not something that makes me feel warm and fuzzy about this Hawkeye team.

Coach McCollum is a good coach — I don’t question that at all. However, I DO question is that coaching ability is going to transfer to a Big 10 schedule right away. 5–7 years down the line I could see Iowa being a top 5 team in the conference again under his leadership.

I will say, IF I end up being completely wrong with this take and Iowa have a winning record and even crack that top 5 teams in the league — I will be really scared of Iowa and the coaching staff moving forward.

3. A Big 10 team will win the national championship — breaking the 25 year drought

This is the best chance the conference has had in my recent memory to take home the banner of National Champions.

Purdue and Michigan are both stacked this year — if you haven’t read all that I’ve had to say about it, you’ve heard it from someone else. Both teams have incredibly high up-side and 1st team All American caliber players leading the way.

That is one side of the equation — Purdue and Michigan are going to be awesome.

The other end of that equation is that when I look at the field I see a LOT of really good teams. So I want to be clear in that I don’t think that either of these teams have a cake walk to the Final 4 or anything like that, but I think both have the ability to make it happen.

I think any Big 10 fan can find something in these 2 teams to cheer for when it comes to the end of the the season.

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4. Indiana — Round of 64 exit incoming

Just to get out ahead of it here — my Purdue fandom has nothing to do with this hot take… I promise.

I have been told by multiple Hoosier fans around me that I am “higher on them” than most. I think that’s probably true as I really believe in Wilkerson and Tucker Devries (Check out my Top 10 players list that features Devries HERE).

With a a completely new team and coaching staff, the season is bound to be a roller coaster. In this league I think they will do relatively well with a record around .500 — but I think it will get bad when playing different teams stylistically.

Ultimately, the lack of team cohesion (due to simply not enough time together) leads to one of those heartbreaking losses that leave people wondering where it went wrong. (Read my preseason writeup for Indiana HERE)

5. The Spartans miss the tournament and break Izzo’s streak

I DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN AND IF IT DOES I WILL BE SAD.

Now that we are on the same page, I think this is the result of this season. I really struggle with this roster. We were sold all summer a Coen Carr that has developed a serious jump shot and that he was making a significant jump offensively. I am not seeing that really so far in the exhibition games. Again, exhibition games are what they are so take what you want from them.

Carr is also the most athletic player in the entirety of CBB — and he does not rebound. It really does blow my mind and I struggle with it in a way that makes me doubtful of the half court capabilities of the team.

Jeremy Fears Jr. is a great passer and that will be e benefit fot he team, but I have absolutely no idea where the shooting comes from on this roster. Is Jaxon Kohler the best shooter on this team?… If so, count me OUT.

I don’t like being negative, and it would really suck to see Izzo miss the tournament so I hope that I am wrong and that Izzo’s team is super fun.

This opinion is greatly influenced by Sleepers Media — video attached. Please check them out and listen to their content.

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