Zero Wisconsin Badgers Receive Preseason Big Ten Women’s Basketball Honors

While I don’t think Jon Rothstein has any rote tweets he posts at the beginning of October every year, this IS October and college basketball is suddenly right around the corner. Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball (and men’s) have had their local media day and the conference-wide one, which I will be attending for BadgerNotes, is next week.

With all of that happening it is obviously time for official season predictions to come out! On Wednesday afternoon, the Big Ten coaches and media made their preseason picks for first team all-conference, player of the year, and how the top-five teams would finish. There wasn’t a large discrepancy between the two voting bodies, but there are still some interesting points to dig into.

Let’s just get everything listed out here so we’re all on the same page:

2023-24 Media AND Coaches Preseason Player of the Year

• Caitlin Clark, senior, guard, Iowa Hawkeyes

As one of the foremost Caitlin Clark Disrespecters online I absolutely WISH that this wasn’t the correct choice for this award, but alas…it is. When she was a freshman she won B1G Freshman of the Year. When she was a sophomore she won B1G Player of the Year. When she was a junior she won B1G Player of the Year again and every National Player of the Year award. Obviously she was first team All-B1G all three years.

Back-✌️- Back 🤩

For the second straight year, @CaitlinClark22 is the B1G Preseason Player of the Year! #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/MuBMBdhPln

— Iowa Women’s Basketball (@IowaWBB) October 4, 2023

While her ultimate goal is to win a national championship as a senior, I really don’t know how she follows up last year on an individual basis. Clark, barring injury, should win this award for the third year running. Scary to note that she still could come back next year if she wants.

I feel icky heaping praise on Clark. Let’s move on.

2023-24 Media Big Ten Preseason Rankings

1. Iowa Hawkeyes
2. Indiana Hoosiers
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
4. Maryland Terrapins
5. Michigan Wolverines

2023-24 Coaches Big Ten Preseason Rankings

1. Iowa Hawkeyes
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Indiana Hoosiers
4. Maryland Terrapins
5. Illinois Fighting Illini

Both the media and coaches think that Clark’s Hawkeyes will win the Big Ten. I have my doubts, as replacing Monika Czinano will probably prove harder to do than everyone thinks, but it’s not an unreasonable choice. Ohio State and Indiana, in some order with Iowa, have made up almost all of the top-threes in the Big Ten that I’ve seen bandied about the internet. Maryland at four is a safe choice because Brenda Frese is an excellent coach and usually maximizes the talent on her (already) talented roster.

Michigan has a LOT to replace from last year, but Kim Barnes Arico has turned them into a perennial contender and was Illinois a fun first-year surprise destined to return to the bottom of the conference standings or are Makira Cook and Co. building the foundation for future Illini greatness?

I think people are dismissing and underrating the Penn State Nittany Lions this season, but what do I know? You are only allowed to reference this take in March if I’m right, btw, that’s in the Bible.

2023-24 Media Preseason All-Big Ten Team (in alphabetical order by school)

• Makira Cook, senior, guard, Illinois Fighting Illini
• Mackenzie Holmes, grad student, forward, Indiana Hoosiers
• Caitlin Clark, senior, guard, Iowa Hawkeyes
• Shyanne Sellers, junior, guard, Maryland Terrapins
• Laila Phelia, junior, guard, Michigan Wolverines
• Alexis Markowski, junior, center/forward, Nebraska Cornhuskers
• Jaz Shelley, grad student, guard, Nebraska Cornhuskers
• Cotie McMahon, sophomore, forward, Ohio State Buckeyes
• Jacy Sheldon, grad student, guard, Ohio State Buckeyes
• Makenna Marisa, senior+, guard, Penn State Nittany Lions

2023-24 Coaches Preseason All-Big Ten Team (in alphabetical order by school)

• Makira Cook, senior, guard, Illinois Fighting Illini
• Mackenzie Holmes, grad student, forward, Indiana Hoosiers
• Caitlin Clark, senior, guard, Iowa Hawkeyes
• Shyanne Sellers, junior, guard, Maryland Terrapins
• Laila Phelia, junior, guard, Michigan Wolverines
• Mara Braun, sophomore, guard, Minnesota Golden Gophers
• Alexis Markowski, junior, center/forward, Nebraska Cornhuskers
• Jaz Shelley, grad student, guard, Nebraska Cornhuskers
• Cotie McMahon, sophomore, forward, Ohio State Buckeyes
• Jacy Sheldon, grad student, guard, Ohio State Buckeyes
• Makenna Marisa, senior+, guard, Penn State Nittany Lions

Players in BOLD were unanimous selections; there are 11 players for the coaches due to a tie in voting

So, yeah, the teams are identical except for the coaches like Minnesota’s Braun a little more than the media does. The things that are bonkers to me on these lists is how in THE HELL was there a media member who didn’t vote for Holmes or McMahon to be on the first team. I’d maintain that players like Sellers, Shelley, and Markowski should be unanimous too, but I will at least hear arguments as to why they should be on the second team and not the first. Holmes and McMahon? They are in contention to be first team All-American! I am going to start a campaign to try and get a vote for this next year because there were some shameful decisions made.

So, where are the Wisconsin Badgers?

You may be reading this post on a Wisconsin blog and be wondering “hey, this idiot hasn’t even mentioned the Wisconsin Badgers yet!” And, well, you’re right. This is going to be a rebuilding year (even more so than the previous two) for UW and they have an extremely young team. I’m really high on sophomore Serah Williams’ ceiling and I think freshman Imbie Jones will be a contributor right away, but there isn’t a ton of top-level talent on the roster this year.

All smiles on media day 📸 pic.twitter.com/xHPOKFGp6s

— Wisconsin Women’s Basketball (@BadgerWBB) September 30, 2023

Marisa Moseley has her work cut out for her this year, but this is her third year in the program and almost all of the players are ones she recruited, so you could see the team perform better than they should due to a galvanizing “us vs. the world” approach. I will have much more coming on the Wisconsin women’s basketball team after Big Ten Media Days next week and leading up to the season.

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