As March approaches, college basketball teams are eager to build on their momentum to secure a spot in the tournament’s top 68. The Big Ten stands out as the most competitive and robust conference this season.
Last year, the eight teams that received at-large bids from this conference performed exceptionally well, winning all their first-round matchups. This trend seems to continue, particularly with the University of Michigan, the reigning NCAA Tournament champion, who currently boasts a 23-1 record, including a 13-1 standing in conference play. Their strength lies in their depth, highlighted by standout player Jaksel Lendenberg.
Other teams considered “locks” for the tournament include Illinois, Nebraska, Purdue, and Michigan State, coached by Tom Izzo. All four of these teams have at least 10 wins in the conference and have eclipsed 20 wins overall.
Besides these prominent teams, there’s a noteworthy mention of Wisconsin, UCLA, Iowa, and Indiana—solid squads that could also be in the running, making for an interesting scenario as we count potential bids. Currently, we’re looking at nine strong candidates from the Big Ten and possibly a tenth team emerging soon.
On another note, the USC Trojans, under head coach Eric Musselman, have also shown promise. Freshman Aliyah Arenas, recovering from a knee injury that sidelined him for the first half of the season, made a splash when he played his first game against Northwestern. Since then, the Trojans have a 4-3 record when he’s been in the lineup, and at one point, they even won three consecutive games. With no minutes restriction, Arenas has dazzled audiences, scoring 29 points against Indiana and 24 against Penn State, including a thrilling game-winning layup against the latter.
Looking forward, with other injured players regaining their strength, the Trojans are poised to make a mark in March. They’ve already surpassed last year’s total wins and triumphed in the 2025 Maui Invitational. They have key upcoming games against top-ranked Illinois and Nebraska, along with doubles against Oregon State, Washington State, and UCLA.
Arenas, standing at 6-foot-6, is an emerging third-level scorer who shines under pressure. Though he may not yet enjoy as much spotlight as some of his peers in the 2025 recruiting class, he has the potential to capture the hearts of college basketball enthusiasts come tournament time.
Play: USC’s pathway to the NCAA Tournament is looking promising.
