3. Ohio State
The Buckeyes are continuing to emerge as one of the elite programs in the country, and are looking to make back-to-back Final Fours. Thad Matta has put together another extremely talented team, but will likely get out coached by most of the B1G. DeShaun Thomas is one of the most prolific offensive weapons in the entire country, and this season he isn't the second option behind Sullinger. Of course, Aaron Craft is still running the point for the Buckeyes. He brings overwhelming, yet overrated, on ball defensive presence, but fans in Columbus are still waiting on any sort of offensive prowess. Ohio State is primed to have another good season, but missing on Trey Burke could really come back and haunt this team. They currently lack any consistent second option on offense and are getting little production from the post. We will find out more about the Buckeyes this weekend when they take on an improving Kansas team. Ohio State's non-conference schedule has been beyond weak, outside of their only loss at Duke where they led most of the game. So the jury is still out on just how good the Buckeyes can be this season, but there is no question how talented the lineup is.
2. Indiana
The gap between number 1 and 2 is miniscule, and the Hoosiers are likely the best B1G team overall but they tripped last weekend against Butler. Indiana is led by All-American, and likely number 1 pick, Cody Zeller. Tom Crean has also assembled a talented freshman class to go along with Victor Oladipo, Jordan Hulls, and Christian Watford. On paper, the Hoosiers are the most talented team in the country. I think it is safe to say that IU is back, and Assembly Hall will be one of the toughest places to play again. Indiana plays at the quickest tempo in the conference which a lot of teams simply cannot match up with. However, the Hoosiers continue to struggle on the defensive end of the floor. This will likely roll over into road issues and cause a couple of losses away from home. Indiana will still likely finish in the top 3 of the B1G.
1. Michigan
The reason I put the Wolverines on top right now is that they are still undefeated and I might have a little bias. Michigan has played one of the tougher non-conference schedules in the B1G and continue to show that their preseason top 5 ranking was merited. Trey Burke has put himself into the National Player of the Year conversation, and has been deemed the best point guard in the country. It has been incredible to see the improvement from year one to two in the Beilein system. He has the ability to control the tempo of any game, and plays with the basketball on a string. There are at least 3 plays every game this season where I just shake my head and am in awe of what this kid can do, usually with the basketball in his hands. The freshman class is one of the most productive in the nation, and all 5 players seem to have just merged seamlessly into the fold. This Michigan is so dangerous because they can win at any pace of play. They are talented enough to score 90 points, but are efficient enough to win while only scoring 60. This is the most talented team I have ever seen wear the maize and blue, and I think they have the highest ceiling of any team not only in this conference but in the nation.
The conference champion will likely finish with at least 13 wins, so there is not a lot of room for error or off nights. A number one seed will be reserved for the regular season champion of the B1G conference, and possibly even two depending on the outcome of the conference tournament. It will be important for Michigan to control the Crisler Center because winning on the road is a tall task in this league. Regardless of which team comes out on top, it will make for a very exciting ride.
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