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According to the 28 Big Ten media voters, Michigan is picked to finish second in the conference standings with Michigan State at the top slot.
There is no official poll conducted by the media in the Big Ten. The Athletic and The Columbus Dispatch conducted this year’s poll.
The Big Ten basketball preseason media poll:
- Michigan State
- Michigan
- Indiana
- Nebraska
- Purdue
- Wisconsin
- Maryland
- Ohio State
- Minnesota
- Iowa
- Penn State
- Northwestern
- Illinois
- Rutgers
MSU won the regular season Big Ten title in 2018, but would fall to the eventual Big Ten Tournament Champions Michigan in the second round of the league tournament. The Spartans were picked to finish first by 22-of-28 voters and did not finish lower than second on any ballot.
The Wolverines would go on to the NCAA Tournament where they were the eventual national runner-up. The Wolverines finished second on 17-of-28 ballots and received three first place votes. Michigan did not finish lower than fourth on any ballot.
Michigan has lost Moritz Wagner, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson who were a large part of Michigan’s scoring a season ago. The Wolverines do regain senior Charles Matthews, junior Zavier Simpson and sophomore Isaiah Livers who started on last season’s team. Sophomore Jordan Poole is expected to start this season and played key minutes off the bench a year ago.
The Spartans are replacing star players Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson, but return the guard tandem of Joshua Langford and Cassius Winston along with Nick Ward underneath.
The preseason All-Big Ten Team was Purdue’s Carsen Edwards, Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ, Nebraska’s James Palmer, Winston and Indiana’s Juwan Morgan. Edwards was named the Big Ten preseason Player of the Year. Indiana’s Romeo Langford won the preseason Freshman of the Year.