It’s time for the B1G-gest competition of the year – the Big Ten conference tournament. This year is the biggest, pun intended again, the conference has ever been after adding USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon, up from 14 to 18 however the tournament is only allowing 15 teams in.

For the first time in over a decade, a new team will have the opportunity to win the Big Ten championship, and it looks like it could be a real possibility with newcomers USC and UCLA leading the way in the regular season.

And that’s who’s leading off this year’s tournament preview.

Favorites: USC and UCLA

USC (26-2, 17-1)

In their first year with the Big Ten, the Trojans showed dominance led by former number one recruit, sophomore JuJu Watkins, and her 24 points per game. Alongside her, forward Kiki Irafen and Kennedy Smith are both averaging double digits with 18 and 10 respectively.

The Trojans as a team dominated on the offensive side, leading the Big Ten in points per game, and finishing ninth nationally. The Trojans took down seven different ranked teams including the UConn Huskies and their instate rival the UCLA Bruins. A very good looking resumé, the Trojans have all but locked up their spot in the madness, but they definitely want more.

UCLA (27-2, 16-2)

Another conference newcomer has their first Big Ten postseason trophy on its mind, and they are certainly in a good position to do it. They’re led by center Lauren Betts, who’s averaging nearly a double-double at 19.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game and guard Kiki Rice, averaging 13 points, 4 assists, and a steal per game. 

The Bruins have been the top team for most of the season, until their two losses to USC. The first loss came just a couple of weeks ago at USC, and it wasn’t great. They took the lead into the fourth quarter, and then just mustered up eight points in that final frame. Then, in the final game of the season, they had an opportunity to steal the regular season title at home, and they trailed for the entire game. 

It’ll be interesting to see if the Bruins do make the championship, will they get their rematch and will they finish the job?

Contenders: Ohio State and Maryland

Ohio State (24-5, 13-5)

The Buckeyes are in search of their first tournament win since 2018, and Coach Kevin McGuff might be the coach to help them get there. Since landing in Columbus, Coach McGuff has nine winning seasons and just two losing seasons boasting a record of 250-106 in his time with Ohio State.

The Buckeyes have spread the ball around this season with five players averaging nine or more points with junior forward Cotie McMahon and freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge scoring at least 16 a game. Yet even with the Buckeyes having multiple players with more than 10 points a game, they still rank in the bottom half of the conference in assists per game. Even with the experience of Coach McGuff and the powerful offense, the Buckeyes still face an uphill battle to reclaim the postseason title.

Maryland (23-6, 13-5)

The Terrapins have made the national tournament for the last decade and 16 of the last 17, their only miss coming in 2010 when they settled for the WNIT. Since Brenda Freese took over as the head coach, Maryland has been a perennial threat to win the tournament, and in 2006 they did. This year, the Terrapins are searching for a way to find themselves back in that position.

Finishing third in the Big Ten in field goal percentage and fifth in three-point percentage, Maryland has been one of the more efficient teams in the conference. The team also ranks third in the conference in points per game, which could set them up for a deep run. However, the Terrapins are 5-4 against teams in the top 25 and have an average margin of defeat of 19.3 points against teams in the top 10.

If the Terps can figure out their struggles in big games, they could find themselves in a position to make a deep run this week, and even in the national tournament.

Dark Horse: Iowa (20-9, 10-8)

The Hawkeyes have had a down year since the departure of phenom guard Caitlin Clark, but they have still managed to stay competitive. Being the runner-up in the last two national tournaments has left a chip on these birds’ shoulders and in March they could be a team to watch out for.

The biggest win of the season for the Hawkeyes so far came on February 2nd when they beat USC by seven. The Trojans had zero losses in the Big Ten to teams not named the Iowa Hawkeyes. Senior guard Lucy Olsen scored 28 that day and has averaged 18 all season. The veteran has been exactly what the Hawkeyes need this season, and she’s no stranger to making some deep runs. 

Olsen and the Hawkeyes are going to need to turn it up another notch if they want to be the best heading into the madness.

Cinderella: Washington (18-12, 9-9)

To round out the picks, one more new face – the Washington Huskies. In just her third season as head coach, Coach Tina Langley has the Huskies on the verge of their first tournament appearance in nearly a decade. How has she done it?

The Huskies are currently on a four-game win streak since losing six of seven, the last loss coming to the Trojans by just five points. Since that loss, Washington hasn’t won a game by less than eight points and has played its way into the current field of 68. As the most efficient team offensively, the Huskies are in a position to make a deep tournament run. Though they’ll need to take it one game at a time if they want a chance at their one shining moment.

My Pick: UCLA

The Trojans have been the best team in the conference this year with multiple wins over UCLA. However, it’s always hard to beat a team for a third time in one year, especially when that team is an in-state rival. Especially when that team was ranked ahead of you for most of the season. Especially when it’s for a conference championship. I think UCLA is going in with a chip on their shoulder, and it’s going to wreak havoc.