The Big Ten made plenty of noise in March despite sending just four teams to the NCAA Tournament. In his inaugural season in Columbus, Chris Holtmann brought Ohio State to the “Big Dance” after a two-year hiatus. The No. 5 seeded Buckeyes won their first round game before giving Gonzaga a scare in Boise. No. 3 seeded Michigan State won the regular season crown but couldn’t shoot its way out of Jim Boeheim’s zone, impeding a coveted matchup with Duke in the Sweet 16. And Purdue, a No. 2 seed, made the Sweet 16 after losing 7-foot-2 Isaac Haas to a fractured elbow in its first round game.
Way-too-early 2018-2019 Big Ten basketball power rankings
