2019-20 Big Ten Women’s Basketball preview and predictions

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: The Iowa Hawkeyes are the 2019 Women's B1G Tournament championship game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 10, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: The Iowa Hawkeyes are the 2019 Women's B1G Tournament championship game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 10, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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COLLEGE PARK, MD – OCTOBER 17:A new crop of players from left, Maryland Terrapins Mimi Collins (12), Faith Masonius (13), Zoe Young (2), Ashley Owusu (15) and Diamond Miller (14) pose together during Maryland women’s basketball Media Day at Xfinity Center October 17, 2019 in College Park, MD. (Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD – OCTOBER 17:A new crop of players from left, Maryland Terrapins Mimi Collins (12), Faith Masonius (13), Zoe Young (2), Ashley Owusu (15) and Diamond Miller (14) pose together during Maryland women’s basketball Media Day at Xfinity Center October 17, 2019 in College Park, MD. (Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Final Projected Standings:

1. Maryland Terrapins

2. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

4. Michigan State Spartans

5. Minnesota Golden Gophers

6. Michigan Wolverines

7. Indiana Hoosiers

8. Iowa Hawkeyes

9. Northwestern Wildcats

10. Nebraska Cornhuskers

11. Purdue Boilermakers

12. Penn State Nittany Lions

13. Illinois Fighting Illini

14. Wisconsin Badgers

Besides Maryland standing out as a clear favorite to capture the Big Ten regular-season title yet again, the most drastic changes I envision in the conference are Ohio State’s return to relevance and Iowa decline while rebuilding.

The Terrapins bring in the third-best recruiting class in the nation to complement much of the talent from last season’s 29-win campaign, forming a frightening roster capable of competing with other national powerhouses. Ohio State’s young talent should revitalize a program that is eager to return to contention in the conference, while Iowa will be in its first year of transition following Gustafson’s departure.

**All prospect rankings courtesy of ESPN’s HoopGurlz 

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