The basketball world was taken aback this week when Dusty May, the architect of Michigan’s recent resurgence, announced his departure for the Dallas Mavericks, a move that has already reverberated through the preseason rankings for the 2026‑27 season.
May, who once served as a manager for Indiana University’s program, capped his tenure with a national championship for the Wolverines in April, a triumph that added luster to a career that has now taken an unexpected turn toward the NBA.
Big Ten’s Surge in the 2026‑27 Rankings
Michigan’s 2025‑26 title marked the first Big Ten championship for the conference since 2000, underscoring a revival that has placed the program back among the elite and set the stage for a competitive conference landscape.
Despite the momentum, Indiana University finds itself just outside the top 25 in the latest ESPN preseason poll, landing in the ‘next five’ cohort alongside Villanova, Purdue, Saint Louis and BYU, a positioning that reflects both promise and the high bar set by rivals.
The Hoosiers are anchored by standout talents Markus Burton and Aiden Sherrell, whose performances have drawn attention from analysts like Jeff Borzello, who predicts a strong push toward the upper echelon of the rankings.
Meanwhile, several other Big Ten schools are making their mark: Illinois has climbed from No. 7 to No. 3, breaking into the top three, while Michigan State holds a No. 9 spot, and Nebraska rounds out the conference’s presence at No. 22.
The overall preseason top five is dominated by a mix of traditional powerhouses: Florida, Duke, Illinois, UConn and Michigan, signaling a season that could reshape the national narrative.