Big Ten Basketball: Ranking the Non-Conference Schedules

The Big Ten Conference schedule was announced recently, which I highlighted in this article. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves though, I think it's worth looking at each Big Ten team's non-conference schedule.

While I do love watching two Big Ten teams hit the hardwood more than anything else, I also enjoy getting a look at each team prior to conference play. Preseason tournaments are the best way to accomplish this, which nearly every team enters into.

A team cannot build a resume solely off non-conference wins, but it does help. At the same time, if you lose some games that you're not supposed to prior to Big Ten play, you run the risk of needing more conference wins to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

I based my rankings off the quality of opponents each of the 12 Big Ten teams will be facing off with, but maybe more importantly is where the games will be played. Home court, on the road or at a neutral site make a huge difference in sports, college basketball in particular, so I made a point to include that here.

12. Nebraska Cornhuskers

vs. Southern

vs. Valparaiso

vs. Nebraska-Omaha

vs. Tulane

vs. Kent State

@ Wake Forest

vs. USC 

vs. Creighton

@ Oregon

vs. Jacksonville State

vs. Central Michigan (El Paso)

vs. UTEP/Arkansas Pine Bluff (El Paso)

vs. Nicholls State

The Cornhusker's toughest tests of the non-conference season will be a road game at Oregon, along with a home game against an in-state opponent of Creighton. Wake Forest and USC are the only other two power-conference opponents on the schedule.

With an extremely young team, it may be in coach Tim Miles' best interest to have a relatively easy out of conference schedule as this team is sure to take its lumps during conference play. Finishing over .500 in these 13 games would be a good start for Miles.

11. Iowa Hawkeyes

vs. Texas Pan-American

vs. Central Michigan

vs. Howard

vs. Gardner-Webb

vs. Western Kentucky (Cancun)

vs. DePaul/Wichita State (Cancun)

@ Virginia Tech

vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi

vs. South Dakota

vs. Iowa State

vs. UNI (Des Moines)

vs. South Carolina State

vs. Coppin State

Iowa has the luxury of playing an easy non-conference schedule once again, although they weren't able to take advantage a year ago which may have cost them a chance at the NCAA Tournament. Facing off with in-state rival Iowa State should be the highlight of their non-conference season.

Other games of interest listed here are at Virginia Tech, playing Northern Iowa in a neutral court setting and taking on either DePaul or Wichita State in Cancun. Expect this year's team to play better prior to Big Ten play, giving them an outside shot at reaching the NCAA Tournament. 

10. Penn State Nittany Lions

vs. St. Francis (PA)

vs. North Carolina State (San Juan)

vs. Providence/UMASS (San Juan)

vs. TBD (San Juan)

vs. Bucknell

vs. Boston College

vs. Penn

@ La Salle

vs. Army

vs. Delaware State

vs. New Hampshire

vs. Duquesne

Other than a trip to San Juan, Penn State would boast the easiest pre-Big Ten play schedule of any team in the conference. They will face off with a preseason Top-10 team in North Carolina State the first day, before likely playing UMass on day two.

Day three's most likely opponents are UNC-Asheville or Oklahoma State, so grabbing a win or two in San Juan would be a nice step forward for the Nittany Lions. They host Boston College in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, whom they beat last season on the road.

9. Purdue Boilermakers

vs. TBD

vs. TBD

vs. Villanova (New York)

vs. Alabama/Oregon State (New York)

vs. UNC-Wilmington

@ Clemson

vs. Xavier

vs. Lamar

@ Eastern Michigan

vs. Notre Dame (Indianapolis)

vs. Ball State

vs. William & Mary

The Boilermakers have a handful of tough games on their non-conference schedule, although none come against teams that are unbeatable. The highlight of this list comes against Notre Dame in Indianapolis, the same place where Purdue blew a big lead against Butler last year in the same event.

A road game at Clemson, home game against Xavier and neutral site games against Villanova and either Alabama or Oregon State help make up a respectable, yet very winnable non-conference schedule for this young Purdue team.

8. Northwestern Wildcats

vs. Texas Southern

vs. Mississippi Valley State

vs. Fairleigh Dickinson

vs. Delaware State

vs. TCU (South Padre)

vs. UAB/Illinois State (South Padre)

vs. Maryland

vs. UIC

@ Baylor

vs. Butler

vs. Texas State

vs. Stanford

vs. Brown

Despite having the easiest Big Ten conference schedule, the Wildcats do not have the easiest non-conference one. A road game in Waco against Baylor is the obvious tough game on the schedule, although the South Padre trip will be no cake walk either.

Home games against Maryland, Butler and Stanford help give this non-conference slate some legitimacy. The Wildcats have played well prior to Big Ten play the last few years, although it's yet to translate into an NCAA Tournament berth. Hopefully, this year will be different.

7. Indiana Hoosiers

vs. Bryant

vs. North Dakota State

vs. Sam Houston State

vs. Georgia (Brooklyn)

vs. UCLA/Georgetown (Brooklyn)

vs. Ball State

vs. North Carolina

vs. Coppin State

vs. Central Connecticut State

vs. Butler (Indianapolis)

vs. Mount Saint Mary

vs. Florida Atlantic

vs. Jacksonville

While the Hoosiers will likely take on both UCLA and North Carolina during their non-conference schedule, not playing a true road game prior to Big Ten play really puzzles me especially for a team that only went 3-6 on the road in league play last year.

Playing Butler in Indianapolis should also be a challenge, but I'm not so sure the potential top-ranked team in the nation will be battle tested enough before league play tips off in late December. UCLA vs. Indiana could be one of the more hotly-contested, out-of-conference games.

6. Michigan State Spartans

vs. Connecticut (Germany)

vs. Kansas (Atlanta)

vs. Texas Southern

vs. Boise State

vs. Oakland

vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

@ Miami

vs. Nicholls State

vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff

vs. Loyola (Chicago)

vs. Tuskegee

@ Bowling Green

vs. Texas

Michigan State has been known for their tough out of conference schedules during Tom Izzo's tenure, but this year's lacks the beef that it has had in year's past. While playing Connecticut in Germany will be a neat experience for the Spartans, it probably won't end up being a quality win by year's end.

Facing off with Kansas in Atlanta, however, will be a challenge, as well as taking on an improved Miami team on the road. Their non-conference season ends with a home game against Texas, one that MSU should win.

5. Wisconsin Badgers

vs. Southeastern Louisiana

@ Florida

vs. Cornell

vs. Presbyterian

vs. Creighton (Las Vegas)

vs. Arizona State/Arkansas (Las Vegas)

vs. Virginia

vs. California

vs. Nebraska-Omaha

@ Marquette

vs. Green Bay

vs. Milwaukee

vs. Samford

The Badgers' two toughest games listed above come on the road, at Florida and Marquette. The Badgers fell to Marquette in 2011, so they will be looking for revenge this December in Milwaukee. Other than those two games and a trip to Las Vegas, the Badgers will stay local.

In Las Vegas, Wisconsin will match up with a tough Creighton squad, followed by either Arizona State or Arkansas. Virginia and California will also await UW upon their arrival back to Madison, where Bo Ryan's team rarely loses.

4. Michigan Wolverines

vs. Slippery Rock

vs. Oakland

vs. Cleveland State/Bowling Green

vs. TBD (New York City)

vs. TBD (New York City)

vs. North Carolina State

@ Bradley

vs. Western Michigan

vs. Arkansas

vs. Binghamton

vs. West Virginia (Brooklyn)

vs. Eastern Michigan

vs. Central Michigan

Michigan's young team should ease into this season rather easily, although a trip to New York at the beginning of the year should be eye opening. Pittsburgh, Kansas State and Virginia are the other teams participating, so two wins there would be a huge confidence boost.

It doesn't get any easier from there as the Wolverines then host highly-touted North Carolina State. A home game against Arkansas, whom they lost to in 2012, and a neutral-site game against West Virginia top off their non-conference slate. Michigan's only road game comes against Bradley.

3. Minnesota Golden Gophers

vs. American

vs. Toledo

vs. Tennessee State

vs. Duke (Bahamas)

vs. Memphis/VCU (Bahamas)

vs. TBD (Bahamas)

@ Florida State

vs. North Florida

@ USC

vs. North Dakota State

vs. Lafayette

An early season trip to the Bahamas in the Battle 4 Atlantis will help show whether this year's Golden Gopher squad is for real. Tubby Smith's team opens against Duke, followed by Memphis or VCU, and will play either Missouri, Stanford, Louisville or Northern Iowa to close this deep and talented tournament.

The Gophers then head to Florida State in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge and also take on USC on the road. I believe that the quality of opponents, as well as playing every tough game on the road or neutral site, will help prepare this team to perform well come league play.

2. Illinois Fighting Illini

vs. Colgate 

vs. St. Francis (NY)

@ Hawaii

vs. USC (Maui)

vs. Texas/Chaminde (Maui)

vs. TBD (Maui)

vs. Gardner-Webb

vs. Georgia Tech

vs. Western Carolina

@ Gonzaga

vs. Norfolk State

vs. Eastern Kentucky

vs. Missouri (St. Louis)

vs. Auburn (Chicago)

Illinois will take part in probably the most heralded preseason tournament, that being the Maui Invitational. Although this year's field may be down from a typical year, Illinois will get the chance to play USC, Texas and either Marquette, Butler, or North Carolina.

The Illini have a chance to extend their Big Ten-ACC Challenge win streak by hosting Georgia Tech and then head to Spokane to face Gonzaga. Their non-conference slate ends with two neutral site games, against Missouri and Auburn. Illinois has lost three straight games to Missouri and three straight games at the United Center.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

vs. Marquette (South Carolina)

vs. Albany

vs. Rhode Island (Connecticut)

vs. Washington/Seton Hall (Connecticut)

vs. Missouri-Kansas City

@ Duke

vs. Northern Kentucky

vs. Long Beach State

vs. Savannah State

vs. UNC Asheville

vs. Winthrop

vs. Kansas

vs. Chicago State

Ohio State has three major tests during their non-conference schedule: vs. Marquette, at Duke and against Kansas. Long Beach State could also be thrown into that mix, along with Washington if the two teams end up clashing.

Ohio State lost to Kansas twice last season, including during the Final Four, so they'd love nothing more than to get payback. On the reverse, Ohio State annihilated Duke last season in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, so the Blue Devils will look to get even.