4. Maryland Terrapins
With 96.1% of the nation's top-scoring offense returning, the Terps are once again the Big Ten favorites and a Final Four contender.
Ashley Owusu (17.9 PPG, 5.9 APG) and
Diamond Miller (17.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG) form one of the best backcourt tandems in the country. Throw in sharp-shooter
Katie Benzan (12.7 PPG, 50.0% on 3-pointers) and
Chloe Bibby (13.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG), and Maryland has a collection of guards who can score in every way possible. A full, healthy season from 6-3 sophomore forward
Angel Reese (10.0 PPG in 15 games) will make the Terps even more potent. Maryland's top freshman, 6-2
Shyanne Sellers, is the kind of versatile wing that should fit into the Terps' style immediately.
8. Indiana Hoosiers
The Hoosiers don't have the explosive offense of Maryland or the star power of Iowa or Michigan. They just know how to win. Only the Terps put together a better regular season in 2020-21, but Indiana was the only Big Ten team to reach the Elite Eight. The core of
Mackenzie Holmes (17.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG),
Grace Berger (15.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 4.6 APG),
Ali Patberg (14.0 PPG, 3.7 APG),
Aleksa Gulbe (9.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG) and
Nicole Cardano-Hillary (8.5 PPG) are all back for one more run, trying to build on the best season in program history
9. Iowa Hawkeyes
Caitlin Clark garners so much attention from both the media and opposing defenses that it's easy to forget that the Hawkeyes also bring back the other four starters from a Sweet 16 team. Not that Clark (26.6 PPG, 7.1 APG) doesn't deserve all that notoriety; she led the nation in points per game (26.6), total assists (214) and made 3-pointers (116) as a freshman. But the sophomore guard gets huge help from
Monika Czinano (19.3 PPG), who led the nation in field goal percentage (66.8), in the post and
McKenna Warnock (12.0 PPG) and
Gabbie Marshall (9.1 PPG) on the wing. If Iowa is going to challenge for a Big Ten title and a spot in the Final Four, the Hawkeyes will have to improve a defense that ranked last in the country in points allowed per game.
10. Michigan Wolverines
Coming off their first Sweet 16 appearance, the Wolverines could be primed for the best season in program history. Having Big Ten Player of the Year
Naz Hillmon (23.9 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 62.3% from field) in the post is a good place to start. Senior
Leigha Brown (18.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG) has improved each year, and her transfer from Nebraska before last season was a difference-maker for Michigan in 2020-21. The Wolverines somehow made their NCAA tournament run, which included a near upset of Baylor in the regional semifinals, without point guard
Amy Dilk (7.7 PPG, 3.9 APG), but she's healthy and back for her senior season
21. Ohio State Buckeyes
Juhasz's departure for UConn leaves the Buckeyes without an experienced inside scorer, but Kevin McGuff's team is as deep at guard as any squad in the country. Juniors
Jacy Sheldon (16.7 PPG, 48.6% from the field) and
Madison Greene (13.4 PPG, 4.3 APG) have become the bedrocks of the program, and sophomore
Kateri Poole (6.6 PPG) showed improvement toward the end of her freshman season. But senior leader
Braxtin Miller's decision (11.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG) to come back for a fifth year, and sharpshooter
Taylor Mikesell's transfer from Oregon, are the keys to the Buckeyes being able to contend in a competitive Big Ten.
