Big Ten Women's Basketball Team Preview Hub
A look at all 14 teams heading into the 2021-22 season
Hello everyone, I am mostly taking this week off as a brief lull before the college basketball season gets underway next week.
This post is meant as a directory to all of the team previews I have done over the past three months. I think every single team in the Big Ten has something worth watching out for, and you can read all about them here.
On Thursday, I do my top 25 in college football and will probably use it as an excuse to yell about the first College Football Playoff rankings. Then on Monday, a final look at the Big Ten and some first week games to watch for.
Now, here are all the team previews, with a small sales pitch for why they could be interesting:
No. 14 Wisconsin and No. 13 Illinois
Wisconsin: Seemingly a home-run hire at head coach could make for an early surprise
Illinois: Rebuild is all the way on, and four-star commit Adalia McKenzie should get every chance to shine early
No. 12 Purdue and No. 11 Penn State
Purdue: This is Sharon Versyp’s 16th and final season as head coach of the Boilermakers, and there could be extra fuel to have her tenure end on strong terms
Penn State: Big strides were made last season with a very young team and return most of the top-end talent that made it happen
This team could finish legitimately anywhere in the standings with six departures (!) and eight new arrivals (!!)
Despite a tough season, the Gophers return almost every member of last year’s roster, and will put to the test the importance of cohesion leading to success
Nia Clouden is the star of a team filled with impressive guards who should make a difference, also a lot of people are rating the Spartans higher than I am
This team is my pick to surprise a whole lot of people this year, and I think this roster is built to make improvements across the board
The Buckeyes are going to run laps around teams with this guard-dominant roster, and, especially if Taylor Mikesell is eligible to play, they will be a team no one wants to face
Veronica Burton was not a unanimous preseason All-Big Ten member which tells me she is still underrated, and my recommendation is that you don’t do that
Naz Hillmon is a delight to watch, and Michigan has built a strong group around their Big Ten Player of the Year that could get them back to the Sweet 16
This team is going to score at will against anyone in the country, and Caitlin Clark might be the most exciting player at the collegiate level, men’s or women’s
Returns the entire starting five from wonderful Elite Eight run last season and is easy to root for thanks to players like Ali Patberg who bring a special energy to the court
A true, legitimate national title contender on roster alone who should also have a chip on its shoulder after a lackluster NCAA Tournament run last year
Next week, one final preview post before the games begin. Before that, I will have some college football rankings for you Thursday.
If you are interested in more Big Ten women’s basketball content like this, you can subscribe with the button at the top or bottom of the post, or share it with the button below. Thanks!