The 2019–20 Big Ten men's basketball season began with practices in October 2019, followed by the start of the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season on November 5, 2019. The regular season ended on March 8, 2020.
With a win against Indiana on March 7, 2020, Wisconsin earned a share of the Big Ten regular season championship.[1] With a win over Michigan on March 8, Maryland earned a share of their first Big Ten regular season championship.[2] Also with a win on March 8 against Ohio State, Michigan State earned a share of their third straight Big Ten regular season championship.[3] Due to tie-breaking rules, Wisconsin received the No. 1 seed, Michigan State the No. 2 seed, and Maryland the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament.[4]
On March 26, 2019, Nebraska fired head coach Tim Miles.[9] Four days later, the school hired former Chicago Bulls' head coach Fred Hoiberg as the next head coach.[10]
Michigan
On May 13, 2019, Michigan head coach John Beilein left the school to accept the head coaching position with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[11] Nine days later, the school hired former Michigan player and member of the "Fab Five" Juwan Howard as head coach.[12]
Prior to the conference's annual media day, unofficial awards and a poll were chosen by a panel of 28 writers, two for each team in the conference. Michigan State was the near unanimous selection to win the conference, receiving 27 of 28 first-place votes.[14]
Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
(Italics)
Number of first place votes
Pre/ Wk 1
Wk 2
Wk 3
Wk 4
Wk 5
Wk 6
Wk 7
Wk 8
Wk 9
Wk 10
Wk 11
Wk 12
Wk 13
Wk 14
Wk 15
Wk 16
Wk 17
Wk 18
Wk 19
Final
Illinois
AP
RV
24
21
19
20
22
RV
RV
23
21
21
C
RV
RV
RV
22
19
21
23
RV
RV
22
22
22
Indiana
AP
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
C
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
Iowa
AP
RV
25
23
RV
RV
19
18
17
21
20
18
18
25
25
C
RV
RV
25
RV
24
19
18
17
17
20
17
18
25
25
Maryland
AP
7
7
6
5
3
4
7
13
15
12
17
17
15
9
9
7
9
9
12
12
C
8
7 (1)
8 (1)
4 (2)
4 (1)
8
12
15
14
17
17
15
9
9
7
8
9
11
11
Michigan
AP
RV
RV
RV
4 (9)
5
14
11
12
19
19
RV
RV
RV
RV
19
25
RV
RV
C
RV
RV
RV
5 (1)
7
15
15
13
19
20
RV
RV
RV
22
RV
RV
RV
Michigan State
AP
1 (60)
3
3 (4)
3 (4)
11
16
15
14
14
8
15
11
14
16
RV
RV
24
16
9
9
C
1 (30)
3 (4)
3 (1)
12
15
18
16
16
8
14
9
14
14
25
25
24
17
12
12
Minnesota
AP
C
Nebraska
AP
C
Northwestern
AP
C
Ohio State
AP
18
16
10
10
6
3 (5)
5
2 (9)
5
11
21
RV
RV
RV
RV
25
23
19
19
19
C
16
9
9 (1)
6 (1)
2 (2)
4 (1)
2 (7)
5
12
19
RV
RV
RV
RV
24
23
19
20
18
Penn State
AP
RV
RV
RV
23
20
21
20
RV
RV
24
22
13
9
16
20
RV
RV
C
RV
RV
RV
24
21
21
20
RV
RV
23
20
13
9
14
20
RV
RV
Purdue
AP
23
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
C
22
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
Rutgers
AP
RV
24
25
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
C
RV
25
25
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
Wisconsin
AP
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
24
18
17
C
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
24
19
19
On December 2, 2019, Michigan tied the 1989–90 Kansas Jayhawks for the largest jump in the history of the AP Poll as they jumped from unranked to No. 4.[32]
Early season tournaments
Nine of the 14 Big Ten teams participated in early season tournaments.[33] All Big Ten teams participated in the ACC–Big Ten Challenge against Atlantic Coast Conference teams, the 21st year for the event. Eight of the 14 teams participated in the Gavitt Tipoff Games, including Michigan State who participated for the first time.[34]
This table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference play. Each team will play 20 conference games, and at least one game against each opponent.
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan St
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Ohio St
Penn St
Purdue
Rutgers
Wisconsin
vs. Illinois
–
0–1
1–1
2–0
0–2
2–0
0–1
0–1
0–2
1–0
0–1
0–2
1–1
0–1
vs. Indiana
1–0
–
0–1
2–0
1-0
0–1
0–2
0–2
0–1
1–1
1–1
2–0
1–0
2–0
vs. Iowa
1–1
1–0
–
1–1
1–1
1–0
0–2
1–1
0–1
0–1
1–1
2–0
0–1
0–1
vs. Maryland
0–2
0–2
1–1
–
0–1
1–1
0–1
0–1
0–2
1–1
1–0
0–1
1–1
1–0
vs. Michigan
2–0
0–1
1–1
1–0
–
1–1
1–0
0–2
0–1
2–0
1–0
0–2
0–2
1–0
vs. Michigan St
0–2
1–0
0–1
1–1
1–1
–
0–2
0–1
0–2
0–1
1–1
1–0
0–1
1–1
vs. Minnesota
1–0
2–0
2–0
1–0
0–1
2–0
–
0–1
0–2
0–2
1–1
1–0
1–0
1–1
vs. Nebraska
1–0
2–0
1–1
1–0
2–0
1–0
1–0
–
2–0
2–0
1–0
0–1
2–0
2–0
vs. Northwestern
2–0
1–0
1–0
2–0
1–0
2–0
2–0
0–2
–
1–0
1–0
2–0
1–0
1–0
vs. Ohio State
0–1
1–1
1–0
1–1
0–2
1–0
2–0
0–2
0–1
–
1–1
0–1
0–1
2–0
vs. Penn State
1–0
1–1
1–1
0–1
0–1
1–1
1–1
0–1
0–1
1–1
–
0–1
1–1
1–0
vs. Purdue
2–0
0–2
0–2
1–0
2–0
0–1
0–1
1–0
0–2
1–0
1–0
–
2–0
1–1
vs. Rutgers
1–1
0–1
1–0
1–1
2–0
1–0
0–1
0–2
0–1
1–0
1–1
0–2
–
1–1
vs. Wisconsin
1–0
0–2
1–0
0–1
0–1
1–1
1–1
0–2
0–1
0–2
0–1
1–1
1–1
–
Total
13–7
9–11
11–9
14–6
10–10
14–6
8–12
2–18
3–17
11–9
11–9
9–11
11–9
14–6
For the 44th consecutive season, the Big Ten Conference led the nation in average attendance.[53][54] The Big Ten average men's basketball attendance of 12,709 outpaced the SEC (11,188), ACC (10,886), Big 12 (10,521) and Big East (10,130). Wisconsin (6th, 16,912), Indiana (10th, 16,300), Nebraska (11th, 15,605), Maryland (13th, 15,336), Purdue (16th, 14,804), Michigan State (17th, 14,797), Ohio State (18th, 14,531), Illinois (24th, 13,041), Michigan (26th, 12,539) and Iowa (27th, 12,357) were all among the top 30 of the 350 schools that host Division I basketball.[55]
Honors and awards
All-Big Ten awards and teams
On March 9, 2020, the Big Ten announced most of its conference awards.[56]
On March 10, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association released its Men's All-District Teams, based upon voting from its national membership. There were nine regions from coast to coast, and a player and coach of the year were selected in each. The following lists all the Big Ten representatives selected within their respective regions.[57]
The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced their Division I All-District teams on March 22, recognizing the nation's best men's collegiate basketball student-athletes. Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, the selections on this list were then eligible for NABC Coaches' All-America Honors. The following list represented the District 7 players chosen to the list.[58]
After the first two games of the tournament were played on March 11, the conference canceled the remainder of the tournament due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Oklahoma City acquired Admiral Schofield and the draft rights to Vít Krejčí
Washington acquired the draft rights to Cassius Winston (selected 53rd overall) and a 2024 second-round pick
Notes
^Nationality indicates the player's national team or representative nationality. If a player has not competed at the international level, then the nationality indicates the national team which the player is eligible to represent according to FIBA rules.