The Big Ten has posted a sharp .833 winning percentage (45-9) through the first 10 days of the 2017-18 season, highlighted by 17 consecutive wins to begin the campaign. This represents the best composite start to a Big Ten women’s basketball season since 2006-07, when the conference’s member schools combined to open with a 46-9 (.836) record through Nov. 24, 2006.
It’s a busy start to the 2017-18 season for Big Ten schools, with at least one conference program in action for the first 17 days of the season. BTN will feature conference women’s basketball action on its airwaves the next two nights, televising Maryland’s home game against Howard on Tuesday and Minnesota’s home game against Xavier on Wednesday.
Nearly every Big Ten school will be participating in tournaments over the Thanksgiving weekend, with four conference teams in Florida (two of which were scheduled to play in events in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands before being relocated due to Hurricanes Irma and Maria). Three other Big Ten schools will spend their holiday in Las Vegas, with three more on the West Coast and beyond (Indiana in northern California, Michigan State in Oregon, and Purdue in Hawai’i).
Eight Big Ten schools are ranked or receiving votes in the latest Associated Press or USA Todaypolls, led by No. 9 (AP)/No. 8 (USA Today) Ohio State. Maryland is also ranked in both polls at No. 15/15, while reigning WNIT champion Michigan is No. 25/22. Iowa, Michigan State and Rutgers are receiving votes in both polls, while Purdue picked up votes in this week’s AP poll, and Indiana is earning votes in the current USA Todaypoll.
The Big Ten announced its latest weekly honors on Monday, with Minnesota guard Kenisha Bell and Purdue forward Ae’Rianna Harris sharing Player of the Week accolades, while Minnesota’s Destiny Pitts was chosen as Freshman of the Week. More details on each student’s award-winning performances last week, along with the current Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll selections, can be found on page four of this release.
Penn State improved to 5-0 Monday with its win over Central Connecticut State. It’s the first time the Lady Lions have opened with five straight wins since 2012-13. Meanwhile, Iowa and Minnesota have each scored 100 points twice this season en route to 4-0 starts, with the Golden Gophers reaching that mark for a school-record fourth consecutive season (they last began 5-0 in 2007-08).
Rutgers is also 4-0 this season (including three road wins), a start that’s particularly noteworthy, as the Scarlet Knights registered six victories for the entire 2016-17 season, and last earned a road win on Feb. 13, 2016 (63-56 at Illinois). What’s more, the last time Rutgers opened its season with three consecutive road wins was 1986-87, a season that culminated with the Scarlet Knights winning the Atlantic 10 title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.
The Big Ten has had some of the nation’s highest-scoring teams in recent seasons, and that trend looks to be continuing again this year. Through the first 10 days of the season, Big Ten schools have recorded six 100-point games and another seven 90-point contests. According to Tuesday’s NCAA statistical rankings, four Big Ten schools rank among the top 15 nationally in scoring offense — Michigan State (2nd - 100.7 ppg.), Minnesota (8th - 93.8 ppg.), Iowa (10th - 92.8 ppg.) and Ohio State (14th - 90.8 ppg.).
Among other NCAA statistical updates on Tuesday, Iowa leads the nation in both free throw percentage (.915) and fewest fouls per game (9.5), while Michigan State is No. 1 in the country in rebounding margin (+28.7 rpg.).
With 2,684 points through Sunday’s game against No. RV/25 Washington, Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell is the nation’s active career scoring leader and is in position to challenge the Big Ten record held by Minnesota’s Rachel Banham (3,093 from 2012-16) and the NCAA record held by Washington’s Kelsey Plum (3,527 from 2014-17).
Mitchell also holds the conference record with 392 career three-point field goals, putting her six shy of the NCAA Division I record set by UConn’s Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (398 from 2012-15) and within range of the NCAA all-division record held by Laura Malemee of Division II West Liberty (441 from 2008-11).
Three Big Ten schools (Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue) are among 30 NCAA Division I members invited to take part in the NCAA’s Women’s Basketball Advancement Program, a pilot initiative that matches schools with professional marketing experts for mentorship and assistance in increasing attendance and improving the overall fan experience. Each school will work with an advisor for the upcoming season with the possibility of continuing into the following season.
The 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four will be played March 30 and April 1, right in the heart of Big Ten country in Columbus, Ohio, and co-hosted by Ohio State and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission at Nationwide Arena, home of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. This will mark the seventh time the Women’s Final Four is held within the Big Ten Conference footprint, with three visits to Indianapolis (2005, 2011, 2016), two others in the state of Ohio (Cincinnati-1997, Cleveland-2007) and the 1995 event in Minneapolis (the last time it was held in a city featuring a Big Ten institution).
Next season, the Big Ten will return to an 18-game conference schedule, following approval by the Big Ten Administrators Council in October. Under the new format, schools will play five opponents twice and eight teams once (four home, four away) each season. The model will also emphasize in-state rivalries and competition between regional opponents. Big Ten women’s basketball programs played 18 regular-season conference games for the first 12 seasons of Big Ten play (1982-83 through 1993-94) and returned to that format from 2007-08 to 2009-10 and again in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Big Ten programs produced 61 Academic All-Big Ten selections in 2016-17, the 10th consecutive season at least 45 women’s basketball students received the award. That list includes returning Academic All-Americans Amanda Cahill of Indiana and Carlie Wagner of Minnesota, plus Academic All-District honoree Kristen Confroy of Maryland.
Big Ten schools will be featured on national television at least 63 times during the 2017-18 season. BTN will televise at least 54 games and ESPN networks will carry nine contests. In addition, for the fourth consecutive year, every Big Ten women’s basketball conference game, including 112 regular-season and 13 tournament games, will be produced and distributed by BTN, BTN Plus or an ESPN network.