Final Four drought? What Final Four drought? Thanks to new arrival Maryland, the Big Ten had Final Four representation for the first time since 2005. The addition of both the Terrapins and Rutgers provided some much needed quality in a league that appeared to be losing touch with the elite.
Now we'll see if the holdover programs can rise to the challenge.
Big Ten predicted order of finish
1. Ohio State (24-11 overall in 2014-15, 13-5 in conference play): Ameryst Alston and Kelsey Mitchell came within three points per game of outscoring an entire Division I team a season ago (sorry, UC Santa Barbara). But it's the help on hand this season that should have fans in Columbus doubly excited. Understandably overshadowed by Mitchell, Alexa Hart is back after totaling 129 blocks in her freshman season. A contributor once she was eligible midway through last season, Shayla Cooper is available for the full run. And four players, including co-captain Kianna Holland, are back after missing the season with injuries.
2. Maryland (34-3, 18-0): One of the team's highest-rated recruits since Alyssa Thomas, Lexie Brown is gone. Ranked one spot higher in this year's freshman class than Brown was in her class, 6-foot-3 Brianna Fraser is here. Take your pick on whether the glass is half full or half empty. Brown's decision to transfer is a blow, especially coupled with Laurin Mincy exhausting her eligibility, but the cupboard isn't bare. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Brionna Jones should keep pressure off Fraser, and Brene Moseley could be one of the season's sleepers at point guard.
3. Northwestern (23-9, 12-6): Joe McKeown took George Washington to its first and only Elite Eight in his eighth season at the helm. Just saying. As McKeown begins his eighth season at Northwestern, the program has reason to dream of postseason runs. The team's five leading scorers return, highlighted by human Swiss Army Knife Nia Coffey. Also look for the balance of 3-point shooter Maggie Lyon, point guard Ashley Deary and frontcourt presence Lauren Douglas. Coffey piles up blocks and rebounds, but there isn't a great deal of experienced size in the post.
4. Rutgers (23-10, 12-6): Is continuity this team's strength or weakness? On one hand, it isn't going to be easy to replace Betnijah Laney and Syessence Davis. On the other hand, who wouldn't be optimistic about bringing back leading scorer Kahleah Copper, playmaker Tyler Scaife, block leader Rachel Hollivay and the all-around contributions of Briyona Canty? That is the foundation of a contender. What they get from freshmen Aliyah Jeune, and Khadaizha Sanders might determine how close to the top the Scarlet Knights come.
5. Michigan State (16-15, 7-11): In Tori Jankoska and Aerial Powers they trust. A season removed from missing the NCAA tournament, the Spartans will hope better health and new arrivals boost their depth; but it's still about finding the right complement for two of the Big Ten's best players. A fifth year for Jasmine Hines should help after the post missed all but eight games a season ago. Branndais Agee is also back after missing most of two of her first three seasons on campus with injuries. She and sophomore Lexi Gussert bear watching.
6. Nebraska (21-11, 10-8): For a team that lost more than 40 points per game of offense, Nebraska is in good shape. How's that caveat? Rachel Theriot is back from a season-ending ankle injury. Assuming no ill effects (she put up 24 points in the team's first exhibition game), she is one of the Big Ten's best players. The X factor is 6-foot-4 freshman Jessica Shepard, who had 29 points and 12 rebounds in that same exhibition. One of the nation's top recruits, she missed most of her senior year of high school with an injury.
7. Minnesota (23-10, 11-7): Rachel Banham is back, but is it a year too late to put together a title run? With Banham alongside Amanda Zahui B and Shae Kelley, the Gophers might have had a cast to rival the days of Lindsay Whalen and Janel McCarville. But Banham's season-ending injury after 10 games scuttled the ensemble. Now Zahui B and Kelley are gone. The good news is Carlie Wagner played fearlessly as a freshman in Banham's stead, and now Wagner and Banham playing with point guard Shayne Mullaney make for a tantalizing backcourt (even if Banham is expected to play forward).
8. Michigan (20-15, 8-10): The run to the WNIT semifinals is something to build on, but several of those responsible are now receiving mail asking for alumni donations. Without Nicole Elmblad, Cyesha Goree and Shannon Smith, the Wolverines must replace roughly 35 points and 20 rebounds per game. Katelynn Flaherty, the team's leading scorer as a freshman, and Siera Thompson are capable of scoring even more out of the backcourt, but postseason hopes depend on the frontcourt developing. Keep an eye on 6-foot-5 freshman Hallie Thome.
9. Iowa (26-8, 14-4): Developing a class as special as the one that included Melissa Dixon, Bethany Doolittle and Samantha Logic can produce memorable seasons. It can also make for difficult rebuilding, as Penn State learned the hard way a season ago in similar circumstances. That's the worst-case scenario. Leading scorer Ally Disterhoft is still around, and returning starter Whitney Jennings was a prolific high school scorer who could be poised for a breakout season. As much as Logic drove the Hawkeyes, Doolittle's post presence might be the toughest to replace.
10. Penn State (6-24, 3-15): Penn State was perhaps the biggest surprise of the season, unfortunately not of the positive variety. The shock wasn't that it got caught in a rebuilding season but that it cratered. The first reason for optimism is a backcourt that will feature Connecticut transfer Brianna Banks and well-regarded freshman Teniya Page alongside Lindsey Spann, who led the team in scoring as a freshman. But finding another reason became more difficult when Sierra Moore, who did a lot even as the team did little a season ago, was lost with a torn ACL this preseason.
11. Wisconsin (9-20, 5-13): The pressure is on coach Bobbie Kelsey after her first four seasons produced a 40-78 record. One of the nation's best shooters, Nicole Bauman is a building block. A healthy Michala Johnson helps, too, as her season-ending injury a year ago was a devastating blow (younger sister Malayna is out with a torn ACL this season). But even replacing the frontcourt contributions of Jacki Gulczynski and Cassie Rochel, let alone bettering them, might be difficult unless Avyanna Young has the same kind of impact as a mid-major transfer as Shae Kelley did at Minnesota.
12. Indiana (15-16, 4-14): The loss of Larryn Brooks, who transferred to Texas Tech after leading the Hoosiers in scoring in each of her first two seasons, suggests it will be difficult for a still-young team to take a major step forward. That isn't to say it will take a step back, either. Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill were double-digit scorers and gained experience in heavy minutes as freshmen a season ago. In fact, while Brooks was one of three transfers, Indiana returns almost all of the points that she won't be scoring.
13. Illinois (15-15, 6-12): It wasn't a pleasant offseason for Illinois, which faced accusations of misconduct leveled by former players. (A lawsuit is ongoing, while an independent investigation commissioned by the university cleared coach Matt Bollant of allegations of a racially hostile environment.) The immediate on-court ramifications include a roster short on experience. Still, center Chatrice White and shooter Kyley Simmons could start for just about any team in the league. A solid recruiting class will need to develop quickly.
14. Purdue (11-20, 3-15): The rebuilding continues in West Lafayette. There is backcourt experience with senior point guard April Wilson and junior Ashley Morrissette, but the rest of the rotation is likely to be made up mostly of either young players or veterans who haven't been significant contributors. That's going to make it tough to reverse the record to something more familiar to the program. When coach Sharon Versyp talks about a four-out offense and using smaller lineups, it sounds like a mix of innovation and concession to roster realities.