Big Ten Media Days kicked off this week in Rosemont, Illinois, signaling the unofficial start of preseason poll season. Since the conference hasn’t issued an official poll in years, the annual rankings compiled by the Columbus Dispatch and Indianapolis Star have become the trusted benchmark. This year, Minnesota landed in 16th place on that list.
Preseason Big Ten poll, via Columbus Dispatch and Indianapolis Star (votes)
1. Purdue (501)
2. Michigan (472)
3. UCLA (417)
4. Illinois (411)
5. Oregon (338)
6. Michigan State (360)
7. Wisconsin (328)
8. Iowa (278)
9. Ohio State (272)
10. Indiana (245)
11. Washington (239)
12. USC (227)
13. Maryland (210)
14. Nebraska (149)
15. Northwestern (119)
16. Gophers (95)
17. Rutgers (54)
18. Penn State (43)
With a first-year head coach and just two returning players, Minnesota’s No. 16 preseason ranking feels about right. The Gophers have enough upside to climb past teams like Northwestern, Nebraska, and Maryland, but the Big Ten’s upper half is stacked with proven stars and established coaches.
It’s no shock that Minnesota didn’t place anyone on the 10-player preseason All-Big Ten team announced Tuesday. With 10 incoming transfers from all levels of college basketball, the Gophers are one of the league’s biggest wildcards entering 2025-26.
Minnesota earned 95 votes in the media poll, sitting clearly above Rutgers and Penn State but within reach of Northwestern and Nebraska. The middle of the league appears to feature Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana, Washington, USC, and Maryland, while Oregon, Michigan State, and Wisconsin make up the next tier. Purdue, Michigan, UCLA, and Illinois headline the top group.
The Big Ten is reverting to a full 18-team conference tournament this season, after last year’s trial run excluding the bottom three. A 16th-place finish would mark Minnesota’s lowest standing since 2022-23.
The Gophers open exhibition play Oct. 17 against North Dakota State at Williams Arena, followed by another tune-up Oct. 25 vs. North Dakota before tipping off the regular season Nov. 3 against Gardner-Webb.
Expectations are modest for year one under Niko Medved, and that might not be a bad thing.
Source: SI.COM
Leave a Reply