For the first time in a long time, there is excitement around the Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s basketball team. The return of former player and assistant Niko Medved as the new head coach has brought some optimism and enthusiasm to the program. The fact that Medved has taken Colorado State to the NCAA Tournament three times in the last four seasons doesn’t hurt.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should be betting on the Golden Gophers to win the Big Ten in Medved’s first season. There is still a lot of work to do, which could take time. However, if you are planning to make any bet involving Minnesota or any other team, make sure you are using sportsbook promos that can give your wagers a boost.
In the meantime, it’s worth exploring where the Golden Gophers fit in the Big Ten hierarchy. After all, the Big Ten is an elite conference that sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament last season, with all eight winning their first game. Let’s look at the different tiers within the Big Ten and try to gauge where Minnesota might fit in for the 2025-26 season.
Elite Teams – Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, UCLA
It will likely be the same familiar faces competing for the Big Ten championship this season. On paper, Purdue is a little ahead of the pack, as the Boilermakers have enough talent to compete for a national title. South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff gives them a big man to complement Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Meanwhile, Michigan was one of the biggest winners of the transfer portal this offseason, allowing the Wolverines to reload despite some notable losses. One way or another, Michigan State usually finds a way to be among the top teams in the league. Finally, UCLA is welcoming top transfers Xavier Booker and Donovan Dent. Together, they can take the Bruins to another level and make them legitimate contenders in the Big Ten.
NCAA Tournament Locks – Illinois, Ohio State, Oregon, USC, Wisconsin
On paper, the Big Ten should be sending at least nine teams to the Big Dance next year. Wisconsin is always a tournament-caliber team and could be a sleeper pick to win the conference. While Illinois is poised to lose two talented freshmen to the NBA, they have enough talent left to be a tournament team. Meanwhile, the transfer portal was good to USC, which makes it hard to envision Eric Musselman not getting the Trojans to the Big Dance. Finally, Oregon and Ohio State are understandably underdogs in the Big Ten, but they should find a way into the field of 68 when all is said and done.
Bubble Teams – Indiana, Iowa, Maryland
Things could be tricky for these teams. All three have new head coaches, which also means completely revamped rosters. Of course, all three are bringing players from their previous schools with them, which should be helpful. However, these teams will have completely new rosters that have to get together, while the coaches need to get the lay of the land in the Big Ten.
Long Shots – Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Washington
These teams can all expect an uphill battle in the Big Ten this season, although they also get the benefit of the doubt. In Minnesota’s case, the Golden Gophers also have a new head coach and a roster that looks entirely different from last season. But they brought in enough talent to have a fighting chance. That should be the Golden Gophers in a little better position than programs like Nebraska and Northwestern, which both went 7-13 in league play last season and then lost a lot of talent. Washington is also a program with a new head coach, although the Huskies did well in the portal, adding three players from other Big Ten programs to help give them a boost.
Basement Dwellers – Penn State, Rutgers
Last season, Rutgers had two elite players with Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, but still failed to make much noise. Those two have left for the NBA, creating big holes to fill. Granted, there is talent coming in through the portal and talented freshmen. But the overall talent level for the Scarlet Knights took a huge hit from a team that was just 8-12 in Big Ten play. Penn State could have similar issues replacing Ace Baldwin. While the Nittany Lions are high on some of the freshmen they have coming in, relying on young players in a conference as deep as the Big Ten is not likely to be a winning formula.